Since we just wrapped up the school year, you might have a bunch of old reeds in your reed case like I do! I kept a handful of old reeds in my case so I would have backup options on my Spain/Portugal trip, and that turned out to be a great idea.
At the last minute, I decided to bring my backup oboe on the trip rather than my primary oboe since there would be times that the instruments would be left on a tour bus in the summer heat! I’d much rather risk my old instrument in those conditions! The complicating factor is that my old oboe is a different brand and needs different reeds, so I couldn’t just use the comfortable reeds I’d been playing on the week before the trip. I found that my older reeds worked better on the backup oboe and they got me through until I could make some new reeds to the specifications of that instrument.
So now that I’m on my way home, I’ll be cleaning out my reed case so I can start fresh with new reeds for the summer, and that means I’ll be undertaking a Great Purge of the reed case.
Why purge your reed case?
The obvious first reason to get rid of your old reeds is to make space for new reeds! New reeds might be uncomfortable at first but they’ll feel better to play in the long term, as well as play more in tune and in more of your dynamic range with ease.
For oboists who make their own reeds like me, I need to purge my reed case to recover my staples! I have plenty of staples, but my reed case holds up to 50 reeds, so eventually I run out of staples to use and I need to harvest the staples from old reeds that I don’t use anymore.
What reeds should I get rid of?
When you’re getting ready for a Great Purge of your reed case, you’ll soak all your reeds and play them a little bit. Notice the pitch center - how flat or sharp do they tend to play, and are you able to play in tune? Notice the hardness of the reed. Notice the dynamic range - are you able to play at your softest AND loudest dynamics?
If the reed is very out of tune and hard to play in tune, put it in the discard pile. If the reed doesn’t play the extreme softs and louds but is in tune and comfortable to play, you might migrate it to the “old” section of your case. If the reed is super hard to play, put it in the discard pile, but if it’s only a bit hard and you could play a rehearsal on it, migrate it to the “old” section of your case.
I keep a few extra old reeds in my case as “just in case” reeds, and I think it’s a good idea for students to do the same. If you have a very small capacity reed case, you might keep the old reeds in coffins - just make sure to label them so your future self will know if they’re sharp/flat/hard/easy.
When should I avoid purging?
I avoid purging old reeds when I have big concerts coming up (unless I’m totally out of staples!). In the case of a recital or big concert, I prefer to have as many reed options as possible, so I avoid purging my old reeds just in case I need them for a rehearsal.
For students, if you have a recital or concert or exam or competition in the next month, DON’T purge your reed case. If you’re running out of space in your reed case, carefully label the older reeds and keep them in coffins in case you need them.
What should I do with the old reeds?
I recommend that students keep some old reeds to practice reed adjusting skills on. You’ll want to keep 2-3 old/dead reeds to practice on.
If you’re not planning to practice your reed making or adjusting skills, you may still want to keep the staple (cork part). Some reedmakers have staple-return programs and will provide a discount if you return staples to them. (I know that Bennett Lopez had a staple return program at one time) If you purchase your reeds from your teacher, they may have a built-in staple return price for you, OR they may just appreciate having the staples back.
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