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*****The Reed Report: Issue 32*****
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Congratulations! As a newsletter subscriber, you are one of the
first to see this important information. Read on for the latest
and greatest from MKL Reeds.

In this issue:

*The BUZZ – Free Shipping With Your Private Lesson!

*Reed “Tip” of the Month – Learning to Make Reeds?

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The Reed/Oboe Tip
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This issue’s tip comes from the Reed Guru at our sister site
Oboe:Space (www.oboespace.com). If you have a reed question, you
can have it answered for free by visiting our site at
www.oboespace.com

Q: Is there a book that teaches you how to make oboe reeds? Is it
cheaper to make your own reeds? How long will it take me to
learn?

A: Whew! Three great questions!

I know there is the book and video by David Weber and Fred Capps
that is an instruction in reedmaking.

I haven’t watched it or read it because I really believe that you
need to learn reedmaking from a live person. You need to feel
how it feels to hold a knife correctly, and how it feels when you
apply different degrees of pressure as you scrape. A book would
be a helpful thing once you already know what you are doing, if
it is able to give you ideas about solutions to problems you
might be having.

What I like to communicate to students learning to make oboe
reeds is this: Yes, there are skills to be learned, and that
takes time and practice. But virtually anyone can learn to make
an oboe reed.

What makes the whole process special (and difficult) is that you
have to learn what makes a reed a good reed for YOU. Nobody can
really teach you this, but it is through learning the basics and
improving your oboe playing that you can start to figure out what
makes you uniquely you.

And yes, I would say it is a good deal cheaper in the long run to
make your own oboe reeds. Not initially of course, but
eventually. It can be the most frustrating and liberating thing
to make your own reeds, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Ultimately, you are not fully in control when you buy oboe reeds.

As for the amount of time reedmaking takes to learn…

I am a firm believer in setting goals. I have seen students take
years to make reeds and never really improve. Of course, I have
seen other students just decide that they are fed up with buying
oboe reeds, and make it a goal to be playing on their own reeds
within six months. It takes a lot of practice (several hours
each day) to reach a goal like this, but it can be done.

Thanks for reading. Until next time…

Happy playing,

Maryn Leister
MKL Reeds
[email protected]
Get Oboe Reeds

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