Weber 1-C continued

Thursday October 11 2007

So my client in Atlanta liked his 1-C better than his 1-B, which he’s been ordering for 3 or 4 months now. And I’ve been scraping up several 1-Cs which are all coming out “Just right”. This is very surprising for me, since I’ve never had such great results.

• Is my playing changing?
• Have I changed my scrape?
• Has the climate change affected the reeds?

Do people use wider shapes in autumn and fall and thinner shapes in spring and summer? I don’t recall doing this, but I certainly wonder.

Read the Rest

When things are out of whack…

Wednesday October 10 2007

I return to my standards.

• Graf #1 gouge
• Weber 1-B shape
• Grimaud Cane

But what happens when my standards aren’t living up to par? Then I need to play around with one of these variables. So I changed shape.

• Graf #1 gouge
• Weber 1-C shape
• Grimaud Cane

Lo and behold, I got some pretty darn good results! Several of them! I decided to pull out the ole’ Weber 1-C shape because I’ve been thickening my sides up a bit, but began getting some “inflexible” results, which forced me to take more and more and more cane off, thus compromising the structural integrity of the reed. I wasn’t very happy with these results, because my openings got smaller and smaller. Well, with the 1-C, peace and order were restored. But then I started thinking—

“Hm— But my Graf #2 is set up for the 1-C—”

So I changed that.

• Graf #2
• Weber 1-C shape
• Grimaud Cane

My initial measurements of the cane coming of the Graf #1 and Graf #2 were almost identical (but obviously the curve isn’t). And of course, the reed on the Graf #2 worked great as well.

So now this makes me think I need to go back and start thinning the sides of the Graf #1 to restore order so that it clicks well with my Weber 1-B.

Sigh— gouging machines give me a headache.

Read the Rest

Shaping techiques

Monday October 08 2007

A reader, sparked by Patty’s post, wrote me with a few questions:

- Do you use a new one each time, or sharpen them?

Yes, I use a new one each time.

Mr. Weber says you can resharpen them—×Why a razor blade, why not just an old reed knife
without a burr?

Mr. Weber likes to sharpen a razor blade down to a thicker part of the steel. I would never use an old reed knife, because I don’t think you could get it sharp enough to have a clean, even cut.

To answer the second question retorically. One
teacher I had (as well as most books) suggest a razor
blade, but I’ve never heard the reasoning. I do know
professional oboists that just use an old reed knife.
I’ve recently been doing a science experiment. When I
shape cane, I’ll shape 1/3 with new razor blades, 1/3
with old sharpened razor blades, and 1/3 with a
sharpened no-burr reed knife.

Now granted, shaper tips are not all the same. Some shaper tips really encourage a better shape up by the ears and how that curve shape is. But again, I would never use a reed knife. It’d be too thick of a blade, which wouldn’t allow you to get close enough to the shape without putting too much torque on the cane as it comes off. It’d rip the cane off.

Carol Wincenc Masterclass

Saturday October 06 2007

I just got back from a Masterclass with Carol Wincenc, faculty on Juilliard, world renowned flute soloist, and teacher extraordinaire. It was certainly one of the more rewarding masterclasses I have ever attended, and found her both inspiring as well kind-hearted.

From a musical stand point, she did things with the flute that I simply didn’t know were possible. Her wide dynamic capability and the ability to change tonal colors on a dime (literally, from black to white) were incredible, and I came away with a heightened sense of musical awareness. One very interesting aspect was her emphasis on air control and where it came from. She said she never breathes through her nose, and that she always expands the lower back. I’ve heard of this concept from both Martin Schuring and Joe Robinson, but never quite got it all the way. I’d say my breathing comes from closer to my stomach. In any case, all of the above mentioned breath expanding your lower back (below the rib cage) outward. Interesting.

I picked up a few of her CDs. If anyone gets a chance to take in a masterclass with her, certainly do so.

My back problems.

Friday October 05 2007

So I went to a chiropractor today who discussed my reedmaking, oboe playing, and back problems. He took some x-rays, which revealed this:

• My bad posture has hurt my a lot.
• When I scrape, I lift up my right arm to get a better angle, sometimes perpendicular from my torso. Holding it at such an awkward often tightens up the muscles, and gets them wrapped up in knots. This has also overdeveloped my right shoulder muscles, which are now elevated in relation to my left shoulder muscles. When these muscles get strained, they push down on my vertebrae.
• My vertebrae have calcium deposits on them which lock them into place even further, which limits my flexibility.
• I have a bulging disk right in my upper back (between the shoulder blades) which allows the vertebrae to compress even further. This is pinching a nerve in my right arm where I’m losing mobility and general nerve feeling.

He says regular chiropractic care can improve my posture and relieve pressure on the bulging disk. He also said occasionally calcium deposits go away, but not often.

Thank God my health insurance from my Teaching Fellowship is fantastic and covers Chiropractic, Dental, and everything else.