Only a few countries of the world are still using measuring systems other than metric. And there is an inevitable period of change to metric for these countries as well. Great Britain has almost totally converted to metric. Canada now gives temperature readings only in Celsius degrees and soon will convert highway distances to kilometers in a gradual change to the metric system. In the U.S.A. there have been numerous attempts by the government to bring about metric conversion. However, to date very little has been accomplished because of the very high cost of re-tooling all industries to the metric system. Eventually, economic pressures of world trade will force the U.S. to adopt the metric system.

I would like to suggest that North American bassoonists think seriously about changing their thinking now towards the metric system when dealing with reed-making and discussion of our instruments. The primary reason for this is to provide a more common nomenclature of terms when discussing reeds and instruments with our colleagues in Europe and elsewhere. All aspects of our bassoons have been designed and measured with the metric system - bore dimensions, tone hole sizes, lengths of joints, etc. Well-known reed-makers in Europe have evolved many interesting models of reed design all measured precisely in metric figures.

Current reed-making books and treatises published in the United States all use the prevailing inch system of measurement as does Thomas Palmer's interesting reed-making treatises from England. Fortunately there is an exact conversion number for translating inches to centimeters or millimeters. One inch equals 2.54 centimeters.

Here are some average measurements for German-made bassoon reeds:

• Length of shaped cane before folding - 11.4 cm
• Thickness of gouged cane - 1.25 mm
• Distances from butt of reed to:
• a) 3rd wire (III) 7 mm
• b) 2nd wire (II) 20 mm
• c) 1st wire (I) 29 mm
• d) Collar point 31 mm
• e) Width of reed at the tip - 15 mm (or a little less)
• f) Total reed length 56 mm
• g) Thickness of blades for a finished reed: (in cm)

Rather than converting former dimensions from inches to millimeters I recommend that North American bassoonists purchase two or three tools which will allow them to directly measure in the metric system: 1) a steel metric ruler (15 cm length - mine is a Starrett No. CME 600), 2) a metric micrometer (size 0 - 25 mm in .01 mm graduations - mine is Starrett No. 436 MR), and 3) (optional) a dial indicator gauge with stand (I have one reading in hundredths of a millimeter by ARB designs).

The recent book "Bassoon Performance Practices and Teaching in the United States and Canada" by Dr. Ronald Klimko* has an excellent reed comparison section, in which all reed measurements are given in metric figures. Because of this, Dr. Klimko's discussion will be readily accessible not only to metric users in North America but also to the many European bassoonists who are interested in our work and progress. I hope this marks the beginning of a trend towards standardizing - in print and in practice - the use of an accurate, simple and time-tested measurement system - the metric system.

*(School of Music Publications, Univ. of Idaho, Moscow ID. $6.00)

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