Oboe 101: How much reed is too much reed?

One of the joys and sorrows of playing oboe is the variability in reeds. We’ve all had that one amazing reed that felt super comfortable, and seemed to play like magic! We’ve also had other reeds that are…close to feeling perfect, but just a little bit off. Maybe a bit out of tune, maybe the tone is just not quite open enough. 

Every reed has a “Goldilocks” amount of reed that needs to go in your mouth as you play. The “Goldilocks” spot is the amount of reed in your mouth where your reed plays in tune with the least amount of conscious change on your part, AND the sound is the most open and vibrant. Some reeds will need to be farther in the mouth, and some farther out of the mouth. 

This week as you practice, revisit any less comfortable reeds in your box and do some experiments with your tuner AND a mirror or your camera on selfie-mode. You’re looking for the “Goldilocks” amount of reed to put in your mouth to comfortably play in tune and with an open tone quality. It may be more or less reed in your mouth than you expect. 

Ask yourself the following questions: 

How much reed needs to go in your mouth to comfortably play a middle-of-the-staff A in tune? 

Does that feel like a sustainable amount of reed and effort to use?

Is it more or less than you expected? 

NOTE: If your reed is more than 20 cents sharp or flat, the Goldilocks spot may not apply. This works best for reeds that are within 20 cents of the center of the pitch. 

Now, go forth and tune yourself! 

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