Guide to Reed Strengths

Choosing between the different reed strengths can be tricky. As we know, different players have individual ideas about the way they want to play the oboe and the sound they want to make and of course we all have our own physical and technical attributes that combine to make us individual musicians.

Soft - Consider choosing soft reeds if you are in the earlier stages of playing, up to approximately Grade 2 or 3. These reeds will be more free blowing and less demanding on your embouchure. They are also priced a little lower to benefit younger players and ease the financial burden.

Medium-Soft & Medium - These reeds are designed to be flexible and vibrant while still producing a full and rich sound. These are like the reeds I play on myself and have done professionally for twenty years.

Medium-Hard - I leave a little more cane in these and while they are fully finished and balanced they will suit players who enjoy a little more body to their reeds or who play on particularly free blowing instruments. Players may prefer this type of reed if they like to do a little scraping themselves as the reed blows in.

Send me an Email - I prefer to have more information to help me fine tune reeds, such as your playing style and standard, make of instrument and the names of other reeds which have worked well for you. In this way your reeds can be adjusted to any of the slight variations in between the standard strengths.

All reeds benefit from 2 or 3 minutes of soaking in a small amount of water before being played. The reed should stand in a small glass or suitable container and the water should be just deep enough to reach about half way up the cane but not as far as the wire. It’s important not to leave a reed in water too long because it can become waterlogged. It wants to be not too dry and not too wet, just like it is in your mouth while playing!