Oboe Reeds for the Uninitiated Quiz

Answer: It vibrates, producing the sound

There is nothing more basic to music than the production of sound, and sound consists of vibrations. On the oboe, these vibrations are set in motion in the thin blades of the reed by the stream of air blown past them in the oboist's mouth.

Answer: A type of woody grass called cane

Despite its frustrating inconsistencies, oboists have not yet found a better material than that which had been used to make reeds for musical instruments for hundreds or even thousands of years. Some companies do manufacture reeds out of plastic, but they tend to sound kazoo-like and are only useful for beginners. Grenadilla wood is used to make the body of many oboes, but is not flexible enough to vibrate the way a reed must.

A metal reed, even if it could be worked thin enough (which is doubtful), would sound unbearably loud and brassy.

Answer: They have two vibrating blades instead of one

This is why the oboe, bassoon, and English horn are part of the double reed family of woodwind instruments. Their reeds make up the entire sound production mechanism, whereas in single reed instruments a single flat blade of cane is affixed to a mouthpiece (made of a solid material such as dense plastic) over and against which it vibrates.

As for the other options, oboe reeds are actually a good deal smaller than the reeds of most other instruments. They can indeed be removed from the rest of the instrument, but so can single reeds. And oboe reeds are without a doubt more difficult to make than just about any other type of reed.

Answer: It must be soaked in water

Without soaking, whether directly in water, dipped in and let to set, or (in a pinch) wetted in the mouth, the cane is not pliable enough to vibrate properly. Sometimes, an oboist may also find it helpful to scrape a bit of cane off or pinch the blades a bit to narrow the opening, but these actions are highly dependent upon the particular reed and situation. Prayers to the reed gods may sometimes FEEL necessary, but it has never been proven that they do any good!

Answer: Crowing

While crowing a reed can make very amusing (or annoying) sounds, the purpose has nothing to do with making the audience or other musicians laugh. The audible and tactile feedback the oboist receives from the reed when crowing can provide valuable information on how the reed is likely to play and what (if anything) might be done to improve it.

Answer: By fitting the cork end of the reed into the well at the top of the upper joint

On the oboe, the reed is freestanding and fits directly into the top of the instrument. It needs no mouthpiece, unlike the clarinet; indeed one could say that the reed is the mouthpiece. Neither does it use a bocal (the long curved tube that connects the body of the instrument to the reed on the bassoon and English horn). Finally, in contrast to the bagpipes, the reed is played directly with the mouth and so is not placed in the interior of the instrument.

Answer: The two vibrating blades are held between the lips, which curl over the player's teeth.

Any of these methods might produce some sound, but without the direct control of the lips on the vibrating blades this sound would be harsh, uncontrollable, and entirely unmusical. Individual oboists vary on how much length of the blade is put into the mouth, how much pressure is applied by the mouth muscles, how much of the lip is curled over (etc), though there are generally accepted practices.

Answer: The oboist's musical knowledge

This one has to be a gimme because the reed affects just about every aspect of playing the oboe - except what is in the oboist's brain. In order to gain more control over the qualities of their reeds, most oboists make their own, a process which takes years of practice to master.

Answer: A few weeks

The real answer is "not long enough"! Oboists are always having to buy or make new reeds, which is one of the more frustrating aspects of playing the oboe.

Answer: Most oboists are colorblind

Sad, but true. Quite apart from the usefulness of differentiating one reed from another, oboists' reeds come in every hue of the rainbow because a) we can't help but buy more thread whenever we see a new pretty color and b) many of us can't shake the feeling that a black reed sounds luscious, for example, or that a hot pink reed never works the way we'd like. Reeds are highly personal things!