Richard Henderson is professor of oboe at North Texas State University in Denton and a member of the Andraud Woodwind Quintet.
The dial indicator, so often used by bassoonists in making reeds, seems to have been generally neglected by oboists. Since most oboists are accustomed to making reeds,> the long tradition of trial and error, this is not too surprising. However, in the past four years I have experimented with the use of this measuring device and found it very helpful.
It first came to my serious attention when I was confronted with the task of teaching ten oboists about the formula which I used in my reeds. The reed formula was quite new to most of them and I wanted to explain in the clearest possible way how my reed compared with theirs. I found that certain measurements seemed quite significant and consistent and I have come to rely on the dial indicator as the best means I have found to teach reed making.
My oboe students meet one evening a week to work on reeds, use the dial indicator, discuss reeds and compare sounds. This meeting saves countless hours of repeating information about reed formulae. The better students have learned to make good reeds in a surprisingly short time.
The dial indicator and set-up which I use is sold by Don Christlieb and was
designed for measuring bassoon reeds. It measures the thickness of the reed to
.001 of an inch. It would seem desirable to have a set-up designed especially
for oboe reeds - possibly smaller and with a lighter measuring point. I do not
know if one is available. Accurate lateral measurements are not possible with
this instrument, so one must supplement the information with a model reed or
pictures. I have used a diagram of the reed outline but have not found a
practical means of representing the lateral measurements with any real accuracy.
An important part of this process is the determination of the significant
points of measurement. I have found several areas of my reed which yield
consistent measurements. They can be represented by five lines.
Measurements along lines A, B and C control the tip and the back, while the measurements at the intersections of lines A-D, B-D and C-D control the hump which is usually found in the American reed. Measurements at the intersection of E-A, EB or E-C control the back of the reed. With six intersection measurements and measurements along the lines A, B and C, a fairly accurate picture of the reed may be obtained.
If one is to believe the stories about the older generations of oboe teachers, oboists are not particularly fond of giving away all of their secrets. I should like to recommend the use of these measurements in an effort to establish a more accurate means of communication. For the oboists who wish to exchange reed formulae, this newsletter might serve as an effective forum.