The Importance of Reed Selection in Achieving Optimal Bassoon Sound

The Bassoon Reed Impacts Tone Quality

From projecting a transparent pianissimo to retaining warmth in the tenor register to allowing vibrato control, a bassoonist’s sound concept starts with the reed.

The reed functions as the bassoon’s sound generator. Its cut, profile, and vibrating leaves are responsible for every tonal nuance produced. As air from the player passes between the reed blades, it causes them to vibrate against the bocal. This vibration gets amplified through the bassoon’s bore to produce notes across the instrument’s range.

Reed Profiles Shape Sound

Just as an alto saxophonist might choose between jazz and classical mouthpieces to achieve brighter or darker tonal qualities, bassoonists can seek out different reed profiles aligned to their sound goals.

Brighter reeds present more high overtones, projection, and faster response while darker reeds emphasize lower harmonics for a more mellow, muted timbre. Cane thickness, the curve height of the profile cut, and the opening between blades all contribute to this profile’s brightness or darkness.

Reed makers also classify their offerings as more flexible cuts better suited for agile technique or stiffer cuts that aid sound projection for orchestral playing.

As you develop your sound concept as a bassoonist, testing reed profiles for desired tones is imperative. This exploration helps you learn vocabulary to describe your goals to reed makers when ordering custom options. Tracking the profiles that best capture your vision is key.

Articulation and Attack

A reed’s responsiveness impacts the attack and articulation it allows. Reed makers tune this through:

• The thickness of the profile’s spine
• The curvature shape along the vamp into the heart
• The opening gap between the blades
• Precision of the slicing angle

A well-matched reed provides clean initiations and supports the player’s articulation approach without resistance.

Handmade vs Machine Production

Bassoon reeds were traditionally hand-crafted by the player or specialized artisans. But as mass production increased affordability, machine-made options gained prominence by offering more consistency between reeds.

Yet many players still prefer seeking out the best handmade reeds for traits like:

• The subtler tonal variance between individual reeds
• Ability to request precise custom profile specifications
• Potential for longer-lasting reeds when well-crafted
• Capacity for artisans to adjust reeds to instrument specs

Evaluate both hand-finished and machine-produced reeds when finding your ideal.

Reed Strength Must Align to Embouchure Control

The reed strength number refers to its resistance when played — how hard or soft it feels against your embouchure. Harder reeds require more muscle control and air pressure while soft reeds are more free-blowing.

Ideally, a bassoonist’s reeds provide just enough resistance to produce a good tone without undue embouchure strain. This means aligning reed strength to your current playing ability.

Rating Reed Hardness

There are a few predominant systems for gauging reed hardness:

• Numeric scale – Rating from 1 (softest) to 5 (hardest)
• Letter grades – Mild, Medium, and Forte indicate resistance levels
• Adjectives – Extra Soft, Soft, Medium Hard, Hard
• Wire thickness – .01mm to .03mm with thicker wire meaning harder reed

Within one maker’s profile and batch, these ratings help identify resistance. However, without standardization between companies, it still requires trial and error.

Benefits of Matching Reed Strength

Playing reeds too resistant for your embouchure control presents issues like:

• Excess mouth fatigue from biting or pressing
• Poor pitch stability when notes crack and waver
• Lackluster tone lacking resonance
• Strained high register and difficulty venting

By selecting an appropriate reed hardness and using multiple strengths for different playing contexts, you gain advantages like:

• Better tone production from precise vowel shaping
• Reliable response across a full dynamic range
• Improved pitch centering and accuracy
• Vibrant sound without artificial projection

Have teachers assess your embouchure control and suggest reed resistance levels that match your ability. This helps avoid injury and technical hindrances.

Adjusting Reed Strength

Once you settle on a reed strength profile matching your ability, makers can fine-tune resistance through:

• Precision filing the profile tip opening to widen or close the gap between blades
• Lightly sanding cane thickness along the heart or vamp
• Shaving down spine curvature to increase flexibility
• Sealing pores with iron plating for a harder surface
• Describe the specific resistance adjustments you seek from makers when requesting tweaks.

Cane Quality Impacts Playability

Beyond profile and strength, the source material bassoon reeds are made from — Arundo donax giant cane — varies in quality, affecting playability.

Reed cane grows in limited northern climates like the Var region of southeast France. Harvesting, curing, and storing conditions alter cane cells, changing density. This affects factors like:

• Durability – Denser cane lasts longer
• Weather sensitivity – Fragile cane cracks more with humidity changes
• Tonal properties – Hardness impacts brightness

Cane Grading Systems

Makers sort cane by quality using systems like:

• Numeric scales from 1 to 5
• Descriptors like select, premium, studio
• Color coding of tubes storing harvested cane
• Classification like conservatory, professional, maestro

Sorting seeks uniformity within a batch for consistent playability. But variation still occurs.

Testing for Quality Cane

When buying reeds, inspect them for visual cues of quality cane:

• Consistent blonde coloring – Signifies proper curing/storage
• Tight, smooth grain patterning – Indicates cane integrity
• Minimal dark streaking – Can signal density issues
• Clean slicing and shaping – No splintering or ragged edges

Beyond looks, evaluating reeds in your bassoon through flexibility tests, tuning checks, and tonal consistency provides experience in recognizing quality cane. Tracking the reed maker and source batch codes of favorites aids future selection.

Regional Cane Preferences

Different reed makers source from traditional cane regions most known for producing their favored properties:

• Var, France – Dense, weather-resistant cane good for control
• Spain – Darker coloring; balances durability and flexibility
• California, USA – Nurtured in a drier region; vibrant tonal quality

Try reeds from major growing areas to determine which cane origin best supports your playing style and sound.

The Reed Must Suit the Instrument

Just as a saxophonist matches a particular mouthpiece and ligature combo to their preferred sax model for optimal tone, bassoonists need to find reeds tailored for their instrument.

The bassoon’s bocal, bore shape, keywork design, and wall thickness all vary between manufacturers and models, affecting which reeds pair best.

Bocal and Bore Compatibility

The bocal acts as the bassoon’s lead pipe and the reed must vibrate perfectly at the bocal’s tip to ensure full tone production. Bore shape within the bocal and through the instrument’s joints impacts resonance and tuning.

For this reason, bassoonists may find:

• Certain bocal curves better amplify a reed’s overtones
• Some reed lengths or shapes seat better against a bocal faceplate
• A particular strength plays in tune on one bassoon but not another
• Certain reed and bocal combinations minimize airy notes

Experimenting to find ideal reed/bocal pairings for your model bassoon is key.

Bocal Materials Matter

Bocals come in various metals like nickel-silver, German silver, and epoxy resin composites. The vibrating surface interacting with the reed changes tone and tuning.

Nickel-silver bocals tend to produce a clearer and more resonant tone but may present a “brighter” sound than bassoonists prefer. Epoxy bocals warm the sound but can lack projection.

Test a reed on multiple bocal materials to determine if combinations make the tone too bright or dark. This informs needed reed profile adjustments.

Breaking In New Reeds

The reed adjustment process, known as breaking-in, helps align reeds to your particular instrument.

This involves playing on a reed to loosen it up from its initial stiff, tight-grained state. The blades gradually soften and better conform to your bocal’s curvature.

Assuming the profile and strength match your needs, stay patient giving new reeds at least a week’s routine playing to settle in before assessing if that reed suits your bassoon.

Reed Longevity

With proper rotation and care, a quality bassoon reed lasts 6 weeks to 2 months before sound quality deteriorates. Tracking life expectancy per reed allows you to retire them before playability declines.

Rotate at least 3 reliable reeds to prevent overplaying as they age. Avoid relying on just one favorite reed; if it suddenly cracks or warps, you risk being reedless.

Customizing Reeds to Bassoon

Once you settle on a maker producing reeds well-suited for your model, they can further customize options by:

• Precision fitting reeds to match your bocal table
• Adjusting vamp length if the reed seats too loosely
• Shaving profile spine curvature to correct pitch tendencies
• Tweaking profile thickness or hardness to account for bassoon bore properties impacting the tone

Describe the specific adjustments you seek to reed makers when requesting customization.

Proper Care Lengthens Reed Life

Getting the most playing life span out of your quality bassoon reeds requires diligent care. Follow these best practices:

• Controlled storage – Keep reeds in a hard protective case at room temperature away from air vents.
• Avoid dampness – Dry reeds fully after playing using desiccant packs.
• Prevent warping – Keep the profile’s shape flat when storing vertically.
• Careful handling – Never over-flex the blades or touch the delicate tip.
• Light sanding – Gently file down rough spots using fine-grit sandpaper.
• Plating as needed – Have a repair tech seal the back side of the chipped reed with iron plating.

With precautions like these, you safeguard your investment in reeds. Identify any cracks, mold issues, or seal separation immediately to take failing reeds out of rotation.

Humidity Considerations

Because bassoon reeds are hygroscopic (absorbing or losing moisture easily) they swell and shrink with humidity changes.

In drier climates, reeds dry out faster, risking brittleness and cracking. Players in humid areas contend with softening reeds losing tone and stability.

Manage humidity’s impact by:

• Monitoring weather and seasonal shifts to anticipate reed adjustments
• Storing reeds in cases with desiccant packs
• Letting reeds fully dry between playing sessions
• Rotating multiple reeds to prevent over-soaking anyone
• Allowing new reeds a break-in period before performance playing

Be proactive rather than reactive — keep reeds away from dampness rather than trying to revive compromised ones.

Developing Your Reeds

While buying from professional makers offers consistency and convenience, an integral part of mastery for bassoonists involves learning to make and adjust their reeds.

Developing personalized reeds tailored to your sound goals, oral cavity, embouchure, and instrument provides advantages like:

• Total control over cane profiling to achieve your ideal tone
• Cost savings from bulk cane and tools vs custom reeds
• Ability to adjust reeds as playing evolves rather than relying on makers
• Capacity to fix small issues like closing tips or sealing cracks
• Intimate understanding of reed construction from scraping cane to final profiling

Reed’s making remains equal parts science and art. However, the self-sufficiency, personalization, and deeper performance insight gained make the effort worthwhile.

Tools for Handcrafting Reeds

While reed-making requires some specialty tools like sharpened knives, precision shapers, and plaque files, starter kits provide the essentials without major investment.

Basic elements like tubes, mandrels, cutting blocks, razor blades, and cane prepare materials to:

• Section cane – Slice harvested giant cane into usable segments
• Split and gouge – Separate 2 blades and shave to desired thinness
• Shape the tube – Cut tapered tube profile using plaque files
• Fold vamp – Crease and form the reed tip

Then as you advance, add tools like:

• Shapers – Precisely curved profile spine
• Reamers – Widen opened blades
• Plaques – Finely file tip opening and heart
• Sandpaper – Smooth rough edges

Check out bassoon-focused reed-making workshops or mentors in your area to learn techniques hands-on.

Conclusion

From the source of Arundo cane origin to the precisely profiled cut shaping the reed’s blades, every element of reed construction impacts the tone a bassoonist produces. Finding your ideal combinations of cut, strength, and vibrating leaf shape is a lifelong process of refinement.

By understanding your sound goals, playing ability, and bassoon model compatibilities, you can make informed selections when buying from reed makers. Careful handling and maintenance keep these precision reeds in top playing condition. Don’t underestimate the bassoon reed’s role as the starting point of your unique sound!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know what reed strength to start on as a beginner?

Consult with your bassoon instructor to assess your embouchure control and air support. They can recommend an appropriate reed strength that matches your current skill level, typically starting with softer reeds and gradually progressing to harder strengths as you develop.

Should my reed have a bright or dark tone?

The choice between a bright or dark tone depends on your personal sound preference and playing style. Brighter reeds offer more projection and responsiveness, while darker reeds provide a mellower, warmer timbre. Experiment with different reed profiles to find the tonal qualities that best suit your musical goals.

Why do my reeds seem to crack more in winter?

Bassoon reeds are sensitive to changes in humidity. During winter months, the air tends to be drier, causing reeds to lose moisture more quickly. This can lead to increased brittleness and cracking. To mitigate this issue, store your reeds in a case with a humidifier or desiccant pack to maintain a stable humidity level.

How can I tell quality reed cane from lower grades?

Quality reed cane typically exhibits consistent blonde coloring, tight and smooth grain patterning, and minimal dark streaks. When inspecting reeds, look for clean slicing and shaping, without any splintering or ragged edges. Playing-testing reeds can also reveal cane quality through factors like flexibility, pitch stability, and tonal consistency.

Do all bassoon brands use the same bocal and reeds?

No, bassoon manufacturers often have slight variations in their instrument designs, including the bocal and bore dimensions. As a result, certain reed shapes and strengths may pair better with specific bassoon brands and models. It’s essential to match your reeds to your particular instrument to achieve optimal playability and tone production.

Should I learn to make my reeds?

Learning to make your reeds can be a valuable skill for bassoonists. It allows you to have complete control over the cane selection, profiling, and customization to suit your unique playing needs. While it requires an initial investment in tools and time to develop the craft, many bassoonists find that the benefits of self-sufficiency and personalization outweigh the challenges.

How long should a good bassoon reed last?

With proper care and rotation, a well-made bassoon reed can last anywhere from 6 weeks to 2 months before its sound quality starts to deteriorate. To extend the lifespan of your reeds, be sure to store them in a protective case, allow them to dry fully after each playing session, and avoid exposing them to extreme temperatures or humidity fluctuations. Regularly inspect your reeds for any signs of damage or wear, and retire them as needed to maintain optimal performance.