Instrumental Tuning and Design - Proper Tuning Approaches

Instrumental Tuning and Design - Proper Tuning Approaches

Modern musical instruments, manufactured by responsible firms, have benefited enormously from investments in acoustical research and design consultation with artists. The overall standard of wind instrument manufacture has never been higher and the area of greatest improvement is to be found at the student level. While superior materials and expert craftsmanship contribute to making some older models highly desirable in the eyes of knowledgeable players the advent of computer aided design and assembly has brought about vast improvements in performance and pitch consistency for quality modern instruments across the board.

Tuning

Most markets around the world aim for A = 440 (UK, USA, Australia) or at most A = 442 (Europe). Austria is an exception where A = 444 or 445 is still a preference. Instrument manufacturers design their products to perform at these pitches under ideal conditions of approximately 72 degree Fahrenheit / 22 degrees Celsius, (i.e. room temperature). In practice there remains quite a lot for the player to understand and to learn to utilise to help her or himself to accomplish truly playing in tune.

Comfortable, room temperature conditions are rarely found in performance situations but since these are what are utilised at the design stage an instrument must be able to be played both above and below the intended ‘ideal’ pitch in order to accommodate adverse conditions.

Flute – the head cork must be in the correct position – check this with cleaning rod line - it must show up in the middle of the embouchure hole. The headjoint itself is usually pulled out from the fully ‘pushed-in’ position approximately 3-5mm (sometimes more) depending upon blowing style, angle of air stream and embouchure. Too far out and the player is must compensate for flat low notes, splitting tones and a dull high register – too far in and the compensation is all downwards with the lip and blowing angle. Overblown octaves, harmonics of 12ths and double octaves should all nominally ‘line-up’ when tested. The player must then handle smaller adjustments for pitch accuracy and tonal colour. The general tendency of the flute is towards sharpness especially in the upper register and when playing loudly. Pitch will sag when playing soft without great care and good air support from the player.

NB – on all other instruments the tendency is for pitch to sharpen when playing more softly.

Clarinet – Instrument manufacturers intend that a clarinet, when pushed all the way in, should play sharp. Student instruments are frequently supplied with shorter barrels to allow for tuning to fixed pitch instruments (i.e. a piano or keyboard) when played by inexperienced beginners. Therefore, when played by better players and especially once warmed up, the barrel should be ‘pulled’ usually 1.5- 2.5mm. This will bring most pitches into line but some additional ‘distributive’ tuning may be necessary. This is accomplished by pulling out at the middle joint and or bell in more extreme cases. Sometimes a particular mouthpiece will have a tendency to play sharp or flat and by changing this an otherwise ‘difficult’ instrument will come into line. The Vandoren series 13 range was created with the desire to help players ‘bring down’ pitch to A = 440 where necessary. Professional players with well-developed embouchures and settled playing concepts often use longer barrels in order to create the most stable possible pitch platform throughout the full range of the instrument. Key/pad venting height is a factor in the evenness of both pitch and tone colour and must be sensitively examined for optimal playing. The clarinet’s general tendency, unique among the woodwind family as it over blows at the 12^th rather than the octave, is towards flatness, with the exception of the throat tones which are often sharp and thin and the upper register that is often played with too much lip pressure and can tend towards sharpness. Middle Bb2 and upper C3 are particular concerns for many players. The addition of fingers of the right/left hand (sometimes referred to as resonance fingering) is often done to help the tuning of and enrich the sound of throat register A2 and Bb2.

Oboe – Most oboists count on their oboe to be as stable as possible so that their tuning is done with the reed, often choosing the staple length and the overall tied length of the reed blades specifically to match their instrument. The oboe is highly flexible and playing fatigue and the condition of the reed will continually affect pitch. In the correctly assembled position the reed should be pushed completely into the receiver socket. This is the optimal playing position. It is best practice to avoid pulling out the reed to try to adjust pitch downwards as this creates other problems by introducing a ‘bulge’ to the bore where the staple has been pulled back out of the socket. The player handles small adjustments for pitch and tonal consistency with the position of the reed on the lip and air support. The natural tendency of the oboe is toward sharpness especially as tiredness sets in. Reeds tend to drop in pitch as they tire or close up. The upper register, due to the difficulties of production, is often quite sharp and care must be taken. Too heavy a reed will lead to sharpness due to the effort of involved in producing a tone – too soft and the sound will be thin and pitch will drift downwards.

Bassoon – The bassoon is such a long instrument that corrections made by pulling the crook out from the receiver socket, affecting as they do only the shorter wing joint notes, are virtually pointless. The player usually has a choice of crook lengths provided to them with their instrument and most will use a number 2 (crooks are available from a nominal 0 to 3, the higher number being longer and therefore providing a lower pitch level). Distributive pulling at the joints can help in a severe tuning situation (being sharp but needing to play at a lower pitch) but keywork linking across the joints is a limitation as is the undesirable introduction of a gap in the bore. Like the oboe pitch adjustments are often made at the reed and this can be successful for the shorter tube notes, principally E and F, but notes with a longer sounding tube length will not benefit nearly as much from reed adjustment alone. The tendency of the bassoon is towards sharpness, especially in the low register. This is an acoustic choice for if the instrument were absolutely to pitch in ideal conditions it would be impossible to bring up the pitch of the long tube low notes when cold. Players become used to keeping pitch down by playing with a relaxed embouchure, internal tongue position in the oral cavity and solid air support.

Saxophone – The saxophone has very flexible mouthpiece positioning on the crook and the resulting pitch is highly dependent upon good embouchure and air control from the player. There are known acoustical compromises in the tuning of the sax but as the general tendency is towards sharpness the player must be very careful not to start with the mouthpiece position too far on the crook cork as all notes will then be sharp, especially the high register. One should not pull off too far either (a decision often prompted by an attempt to compensate for a poor embouchure understanding and improper air support), as this will distort the shortest notes disproportionately and throw off the balance of the response throughout especially the low register. Players must work to learn to support well and relax the embouchure as much as possible and when this is well understood the instrument settles into a manageable and predictable pattern. Tuning is highly influenced by mouthpiece selection and high baffle jazz mouthpieces in particular often require great skill from a player to be able play well in tune, as they will tend to tune more sharply.

Valved Brass – If an higher range brass instrument (trumpet or cornet) has been properly manufactured it will play it’s intended ‘ideal’ tuning pattern with little mechanical adjustment beyond a pull of the main tuning slide and secondary pulls for specific notes at the moveable 1^st and 3^rd slides. The player must work within the acoustical limitations of the instrument to compensate with the lips for small idiosyncrasies. The larger the instrument the greater will be some of the known acoustical distortions and for euphonium and tuba especially additional valves, compensating mechanisms and tubing lengths are often added or manipulated to assist in obtaining better tuning in all registers, especially the low register. The french horn, being a very long tubing instrument, is played almost exclusively in the mid to upper range of the available tones and as a result produces quite a stable pitch platform. Never the less it does have some very distinctive tuning requirements. It is fair to say that well made instruments are intended to be able to play in tune with a consistent, minimal distributive pull of the valve tuning slides as long as the player plays with a good embouchure and airstream and is prepared to make further subtle adjustments with the bell hand.

Trombone – Aside from a standard pull of between 1–2cm at the main tuning slide all the rest of the tuning for a well-made trombone is accomplished between the slide positions, the player’s embouchure and solid airstream. Some instruments have their own individual acoustical ‘quirks’; but of all the brass and woodwind instruments the trombone has the greatest ability to be played ‘in tune’ with few mechanical limitations. The trombone relies more than anything on a player’s hearing and relative tuning recognition for correct pitch placement as well as the ability to consistently supply the instrument with the correct air and embouchure balance.

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The tips and comments above are the result of many years of providing help and advice, my personal interest and study, and the teaching that I have done during my career. I have many colleagues and teachers to thank for sharing their thoughts and suggestions on this and other topics. In addition I am indebted to Woodwind & Reed, Cambridge ( www.wwr.co.uk ) where, in the course of helping customers, many of these concepts have been refined and have proven helpful. 

Thomas Dryer-Beers

Who Might Succeed on the Bassoon?

Who Might Succeed on the Bassoon?

While it is possible to begin upon many types of instruments when a child is younger and smaller the bassoon is not usually consider to be one of them. Until the advent of 'mini bassoons' pitched in G even the innovative 'Short Reach' models which helped make key work manageable for smaller sized hands by reducing the 'finger stretch' required were based upon full size, standard weight instruments. Thus, by default, most players coming to the bassoon have traditionally done so from other woodwind instruments or none, rather than having done their early musical training on the bassoon.

This brings up a relevant question - Who, or rather, what instrumental background, is most likely to be conducive to success on transferring to or adding the bassoon to their instrumental portfolio?

The Recorder can be an excellent preparation for the bassoon as its origin in the pre-Baroque period, its repertoire and the experience of open holes and crucially its basic fingering patterns have many elements in common with the bassoon. Even not withstanding the absence of experience of blowing a double reed, though this must of course be learned, picking up the bassoon may be less of a challenge than moving say from a single reed instrument, where a very different relationship of embouchures is a distinct difference. The bassoon also offers a recorder player an avenue into more modern ensembles.

The Flute may also be a fine preparation for the bassoon as the nimble finger technique and the wide range of the flute with its own tricky cross fingerings for higher register notes is not dissimilar to the challenges a player will face with the bassoon. Again, the lack of experience blowing a reed may actually be a benefit as the unlearning of an embouchure and the muscle shapes based upon mouthpieces can take time. The suppleness of flute embouchure and the natural aural cavity shape and focus of air are likely to make the learning of the bassoon both a bit quicker and more 'natural'. There will almost certainly be some disruption to ones optimal embouchure on the flute but this may be a small price to pay for the reward of playing an 'endangered species' instrument instead of trying to distinguish oneself amongst a crowd of other flautists.

The Clarinet is often considered as a good training instrument for the bassoon as it utilises a similar pattern of fingerings for much of its lower range and a clarinettist is already used to reading both below and above the stave. It also shares the open holes and thumb register key operation (albeit in reverse!) but a word of caution - the optimal aural cavity shape required for the clarinet as well as the fixed, taught muscle formation of the embouchure are very different than the ideal shape and embouchure for the bassoon. Coming to grips with this very fundamental difference is crucial, and usually requires much patience and careful guidance from a knowledgeable and sympathetic teacher. Failure to understand the differences between the instruments often makes for poor results and a genuine loss of good clarinet habits as well. Experience of playing the bass clarinet can be quite helpful as this larger instrument, with its more flexible embouchure and altered aural cavity, is at least a step closer to the bassoon and the 'role' of the instrument in the band or orchestra is also more similar to the bassoon than that of the Bb clarinet.

The Saxophone can also be a possible successful precursor to the bassoon as the more relaxed embouchure and aural cavity shape used on the sax, especially the tenor and baritone sax, bears a close resemblance to that used on the bassoon. The finger system, though simpler by comparison on the sax than the bassoon, does have a logic that transfers reasonably to the bassoon and, not unlike the potential experience of the recorder player, provides one with an introduction to a repertoire and to ensembles that the saxophone alone only rarely is allowed to entry.

Perhaps contrary to expectations the Oboe is possibly the least logical of the woodwind family to lead onto or share time with the bassoon. This is principally due to the very different experiences of blowing these two double reed instruments. The oboe is highly reliant on a high-pressure reservoir of air emitted in small quantities through the narrow aperture of its reed. The bassoon, while also requiring good air support, uses a larger volume of air more quickly. The relative tension of the oboe embouchure differs greatly compared with the more relaxed bassoon embouchure and the dramatically different amount of reed used beyond the lip in proper blowing position are significant differences that few players mange to accommodate successfully - certainly not without a great deal of practice!

A Pianist or String instrument player may have a decent chance of successfully learning the bassoon as their original instrument is so demanding of finger dexterity and reading (in the case of the piano) or discipline, precision finger action and tuning (in the case of string instruments) that the demands of the bassoon may not seem a great challenge - and they have a advantage of not having to unlearn anything in the way of embouchure! Such players can concentrate upon getting things right the first time.

Finally, if a Brass player, especially a low brass (trombone, euphonium or tuba) player is interested in playing the bassoon and is willing to learn take of the challenge of the fingering system, the foreign blowing feel with the reed inside the mouth (instead of the lips vibrating) and the very different sound production of relying upon a double reed, there is little danger of them doing harm to the playing of their original instrument. They will likely already have experience of reading the bass clef and the embouchure of the lower brass instruments is much less likely to be disturbed by the bassoon. Players of the more defined embouchure higher brass (trumpet/cornet, french horn, tenor and baritone horn) are only very rarely likely candidates for playing any woodwind instrument, including bassoon.

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The tips and comments above are the result of many years of providing help and advice, my personal interest and study, and the teaching that I have done during my career. I have many colleagues and teachers to thank for sharing their thoughts and suggestions on this and other topics. In addition I am indebted to Woodwind & Reed, Cambridge ( www.wwr.co.uk ) where, in the course of helping customers, many of these concepts have been refined and have proven helpful.

Thomas Dryer-Beers

Why Pick Up the Piccolo?

Why Pick Up the Piccolo?

 

I imagine that almost any flute player who has had experience playing or owning a good piccolo will be inclined to answer quickly simply and immediately - because it is fun! I fully share and support this opinion - but it does not say enough about the benefits to the flautist so I hope to expand a little. I would say that experience of playing and better yet, playing and treasuring your own piccolo deserves to be viewed as an important part of the development and maturation of every flautist.

The similarities between the flute and piccolo are many. The piccolo sounds a straight octave higher which makes immediate sense, but some differences remain to be addressed. Despite the tendency of many new players to try to 'force' the lips into a smaller embouchure and exert extra effort for the piccolo it actually responds best with a more relaxed embouchure. Yes, the airstream may be more forceful but the lips should almost be allowed to relax to no effort at all to create the ideal small aperture desired. The placement of the piccolo on the lip is also higher than the placement for the flute and this will take some practice to refine. This studied relaxation and related embouchure placement will come with practice (long tones and slurred octaves are very useful) and once the tone and response settle down a piccolo 'attitude' should hopefully become second nature.

This practice may be a bit upsetting for the flute embouchure at first but if you think of the results gained from piccolo practice as an extension of high note practice on the flute the benefits of the greater embouchure relaxation and experimentation with placement will transfer to the flute and be very useful.

The smaller size and lighter weight of the piccolo is an obvious difference. The player's finger technique must be lighter and more precise on the piccolo as tension or unnecessarily heavy contact with keys will disrupt the embouchure and is likely to affect the cleanliness of the sound and response. Transferring some of these skills back to the flute is often beneficial in itself and may eventually result in a more fluid technique on your main instrument.

Carefully observing the tuning of characteristics of a new instrument, in this case the piccolo, can 'open up your ears' to better habits and greater awareness of the tuning on your flute. Everything becomes more critical, not harder, just requiring more refinement and subtle adjustments to work correctly.

Flute players usually discover that the piccolo uses up a smaller amount of air than the flute but requires more solid air support. Learning how to breathe more deeply and how to best hold onto the greater reservoir of air required to stabilise the sound is a very useful learning process and the discipline and awareness that one learns are sure to enhance breathing and phrasing on the flute as well. One's playing posture, important as it is to all musicians, is especially important on the piccolo and working to improve posture goes along with better breathing habits.

The piccolo is almost entirely a solo voice in the band, orchestra or ensemble and as such when it is included in a score it is intended to be heard - almost never a 'filler'. Becoming used to hearing oneself instead of feeling 'buried' within a section may be a bit nerve but it also can be a wonderful confidence boost!

Balancing the tonal qualities of different ranges of the piccolo requires careful listening and the cultivation of new sensitivities. Some ranges where a healthy tone comes easily on the flute may feel weak on the piccolo and vice versa. It is a good goal to strive for evenness of tone from bottom D to top Bb at least. The highest B and C are tricky for many players and downright near impossible on some instruments but they should be pursued, with the relaxed embouchure and very solid airstream mentioned above. If consistently achieved they are a real glory for the player and wonderful to experience.

Learning to switch between and care for your instrument is also very beneficial as it is often the case (even likely) that your flute and piccolo will have been made by different manufacturers and the key mechanisms could feel quite different. Coping with this is a fact of life for many players and it should make you a more flexible individual capable of understanding all your equipment better.
 
I would recommend regularly splitting your practice time between the flute and piccolo. Playing scales, arpeggios, interval studies and long tones on the piccolo is time well spent. When the flute is picked up again your technique is almost certain to feel more fluent. 

Anything written for the flute can be played on the piccolo (with the exception of the low notes below D) but the most rewarding playing may be excerpts from orchestral repertoire, exercise studies or solo repertoire originally for the Descant or Sopranino recorder. I recommend that all learners purchase the 2 volume method by Danielle Eden titled Piccolo Piccolo! It contains progressive studies that deal with all the familiar requirements of the instrument. There is also an excellent collection of practice exercises, studies and orchestral repertoire that has been put together by Trevor Wye and Patricia Morris titled Practice Book for the Piccolo. An excellent investment for anyone.

A final point I would add is that the ability to play the piccolo, and the ownership of or access to an instrument, can often be the 'ticket' to opportunities to perform with a wider range of ensembles and even result in participation in groups where just being able to play the flute would not be of interest.

I would encourage all flute players to embrace whatever opportunities they get to play the piccolo. Make sure any instrument you might use is in good condition by having it checked over by a repairer and then go away and do the necessary 'familiarisation' practice. When you feel that you are ready then go out and let everyone know that you have added piccolo to your skill set. You will be glad you did! 

The tips and comments above are the result of many years of providing help and advice, my personal interest and study, and the teaching that I have done during my career. I have many colleagues and teachers to thank for sharing their thoughts and suggestions on this and other topics. In addition I am indebted to Woodwind & Reed, Cambridge ( www.wwr.co.uk ) where, in the course of helping customers, many of these concepts have been refined and have proven helpful. 

Thomas Dryer-Beers

Reed Strengths, FAQ's and General Comment

Reed Strengths, FAQ's and General Comment

(The following is adapted from an article for Reeds Direct Cambridge)

I hope that this page and some of the FAQ’s that follow will help you to gain confidence in making the choice of reed, finding the right strength and assisting in the search for reeds.

First things first –

If you are new to playing, or buying for someone who is, softer reeds, often strength 1.5 or 2 are your best bet. Using lower strength reeds at first is more encouraging to the younger player, easier on the lip and less demanding for air support. You may also wish to purchase less expensive reeds at first, as without careful handling they can be easily broken. As players learn to better handle their reeds then the expense of higher quality reeds can be justified as they will last longer and be more enjoyable to play. As a player learns to blow better, learns more notes and expects more from the tone of their instrument then they should be encouraged to move up in strength of reed and experiment with what different brands have to offer. Manufacturers offer strengths usually starting from 1.5 (or even 1) and extending to 5 (or more). These numbers represent an increasing strength of resistance. Most players will settle on strength 2.5 or 3 after a number of years of playing – this is very standard, though some advanced players or those with particular mouthpieces will require both higher and softer strengths than this. Teachers can help decide the appropriate time to change strengths.

One practice that will definitely help to keep your reeds in use for longer is to rotate them from one practice session to another. Keeping 3 to 4 reeds going at all times will allow each reed to recover from use and will highlight when one reed is beginning to lose its quality in relation to the others. We recommend purchasing cane reeds by the box and working in new reeds as old ones need replacing.

FAQ’s

• What is the difference between different make of reeds?

Each manufacture tries to offer a unique cut and quality of cane in their product. As these factors are crucial to sound and response the player will find reasons in time to prefer one make over another. 

• How do I know when to try a harder /softer strength?

When sound suffers beyond what the player can adjust for is the time to examine the strength being used. If upper register notes are thin and unstable a harder strength may help. If low notes cannot be produced in spite of one’s best efforts then a softer reed may help. The ideal is an comfortable control and even response throughout the range with a gratifying musical sound. 

• Why are reeds difference sizes for different instruments?

 As each size of instrument uses a specific size of mouthpiece the reed used must fit. Reeds are an integral part of the production of the sound through the vibration they provide to the air column and must be designed specifically for the mouthpieces. 

• What makes a reed a ‘Jazz’ reed, what makes a reed a ‘Classical’ reed?

 In general, a ‘Jazz’ will be a slightly more flexible and vibrant reed intended to allow higher overtones to be present in the sound – producing a so called ‘brilliant/punchy’ quality often associated with jazz music. A ‘Classical’ reed will be more resistant and is intended to produce a greater concentration of lower overtones in the sound – the so called ‘dark/rich’ quality associated with symphonic or classical music.

• Why are some reeds more expensive than others?

 Cane is selected by manufacturers for the intended product market – the highest of selection criteria means that fewer canes are suitable, more wastage occurs and more care is taken in finishing – contributing to higher cost. 

• Why are some reeds less expensive than others?

Some lesser expensive reeds are made from lower qualities of cane, cut more simply with less concern for final finishing. These can be well suited to players at any level but are often associated with initial years learning. 

• What are some reed brands more popular than others?

 Some products have been around for a century or more – ample time to become well known and respected. Some are more widely available therefore easier to recommend by teachers and some have a proven track record for specific mouthpieces and/or types of use. Successful products have a following in different regions around the world so what is well known in one country may be very differently regarded elsewhere. 

• Why have I been recommended to a particular brand of reed when there are so many different brands available? 

Perhaps because a player or teacher has had a very good experiences themselves with a product, perhaps a name has been well established and is easily available or perhaps because a certain brand is believed to constitute good value. In the end every player will want to find their own best answer and should sample a variety of reeds. 

• Why don’t all reeds correspond in strength? 

 This is a bit like ‘Why don’t all cars look alike?’ They just don’t and for a variety of reasons. Strength guides are generally relative and roughly proportional to each other but each manufacturer wishes to do something unique to meet the perceived requirements of the musician. Experience of different reeds will lead someone to a personal understanding of the relationships between brands and strengths – in the meantime a strength comparison chart and some background reading will help to fill the gaps in knowledge.

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The tips and comments above are the result of many years of providing help and advice, my personal interest and study, and the teaching that I have done during my career. I have many colleagues and teachers to thank for sharing their thoughts and suggestions on this and other topics. In addition I am indebted to Woodwind & Reed, Cambridge ( www.wwr.co.uk ) where, in the course of helping customers, many of these concepts have been refined and have proven helpful.

Thomas Dryer-Beers

 

Placement of Single Reeds on Mouthpieces and a Useful Test

Placement of Single Reeds on Mouthpieces and a Useful Test

Over many years customer have regularly asked me how best to place their reeds on their mouthpiece. Since the reed and mouthpiece combine to vibrate the air column this actually quite an important question. 

Following soaking, the reed should be positioned on the mouthpiece with the reed lined up evenly distributed on the flat cutaway that is the mouthpiece ‘table’ with the tip of the reed aligned with the end of the tip rail of the mouthpiece. When examined perpendicularly you should be able to see a hairline of the tip rail over top of the reed tip in standard playing position. Once you are satisfied with the positioning hold the reed with a thumb and carefully place the ligature over top. Lower the ligature until it sits in a position where there is an equal amount of the ‘bark’ of the reed visible on either side of the ligature. Tighten the screw(s) (where present) finger tight but do not over tighten them as this can damage the reed fibres and inhibit vibration.

If you wish to check the success of your placement you can perform a suction test as follows to see if the reed is ready to use:

• Wet the palm of your hand and place the shank end of mouthpiece end on your palm

• Take the tip of the mouthpiece and reed in your mouth, wrap your lips around the mouthpiece and create a vacuum by sucking aggressively and repeatedly to remove air from within the mouthpiece

• When you feel this has been achieved release your lips and the reed should hold shut for a few seconds (you may even hear a ‘hissing’ sound) before it ‘pops’ open with a noise, as the vacuum is lost.

• If you do not get a ‘pop’ first try again – If after repeated attempts your reed does not hold a vacuum it may be miss-aligned, warped or damaged. If it seems to take a very long time to ‘pop’ then if may be fatigued and ready to be changed.

It takes a bit of practice to gain ‘the knack’ of this test but it can be quite useful in confirming that the set-up is likely to work well.

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The tips and comments above are the result of many years of providing help and advice, my personal interest and study, and the teaching that I have done during my career. I have many colleagues and teachers to thank for sharing their thoughts and suggestions on this and other topics. In addition I am indebted to Woodwind & Reed, Cambridge ( www.wwr.co.uk ) where, in the course of helping customers, many of these concepts have been refined and have proven helpful.

Thomas Dryer-Beers

Why Play the Cor Anglais?

Why Play the Cor Anglais?

I imagine that almost any oboist who has had experience playing or owning a cor anglais will be inclined to answer quickly simply and immediately - because it is fun! I fully share and support this opinion - but it does not say enough about the benefits to the oboist so I hope to expand a little. I would say that experience of playing and better yet owning, playing and treasuring your own cor anglais deserves to be viewed as an important part of the development and maturation of every oboist.

The similarities between oboe and cor are many and following a predictable initial shock and the requisite alteration of habits and expectations transferred from the oboe the cor is largely playable by most oboists of a reasonable standard. The primary differences one will at first encounter are the relatively larger size and weight of the instrument, the stretch fingers and placement of keywork and the blowing position as the cor does rely upon a bent crook.

The size and weight are best addressed by using a sling, a fairly standard practice for the cor, to take the weight and relax the hands. The finger stretch and placement do take some getting used to however, since the demands for speed of finger action are considerably lower for most of the cor repertoire, there is usually time and opportunity to learn to ease the fingers into place to cover holes correctly and gently.  Allow the instrument to hang down between the legs so that the reed on the crook enters your mouth at approximately the same angle as you have with your oboe reed. Transferring some of these skills back to the oboe is often beneficial in itself and may eventually result in a more fluid technique on your main instrument.

Oboists often discover that the cor uses up a greater amount of air than the oboe. This is true and logical if you consider the larger size bore. Learning how to breathe more deeply and how to best hold onto the greater reservoir of air required is a very useful learning process and the discipline and awareness that one learns are sure to enhance breathing and phrasing on the oboe as well.

The Cor Anglias is almost entirely a solo voice in the orchestra or ensemble and as such when it is included in a score it is intended to be heard - almost never a 'filler'. This implies that tone and projection are very important concerns for the player. Mastering the production of a fine, centred, colourful tone with good projection takes time and more than anything replies upon learing to relax the embouchure so as to not 'stifle' the sound with the same embouchure pressure as one uses on the oboe. In addition the aural cavity should be adjusted to 'shape' the air to optimise the resulting tone colour by giving 'space' for the air within the body before filling the reed/crook/instrument. Getting used to hearing oneself instead of feeling 'buried' within an ensemble texture can be a bit nerve wracking to be sure but it also can be a wonderful confidence boost!

Balancing the tonal qualities of different ranges of the cor requires careful listening and the cultivation of new sensitivities. The skills gained through this process are likely to benefit the oboe as well. Learning to produce and then employ vibrato is ofter easier to do at first on the Cor Anglais as it is a more flexible instrument and a wider amplitude of vibrato and a slower speed can be acceptable. Vibrato skills learned on the cor can later be transferred to the more precise demands of the oboe.

Even if one does not make their own cor reeds learing how to handle and adjust a different size of reed can be very useful. Most players will play a less resistant reed on their cor than their oboe and learing to 'take pressure off the lips and place emphasis upon the air' will not only make for a better cor sound and more accurate intonation but can be applied to the oboe often with great benefit.

Learning to switch between, care for and maintain your instrument is also very beneficial as it is often the case (even likely) that your oboe and cor will have been made by different manufacturers and the key mechanisms and even the specification (covered hole, ring system, thoumbplate, conservatoire system, half hole split keys, LH F, trill keys, 3rd octave key, etc.) will be different. Coping with this is a fact of life for many players and it should make you a more flexible individual capable of understanding all your equipment better.

I would recommend splitting your practice time between the different instruments on a regular basis. Playing scales, arpeggios, interval studies and long tones on the cor is time well spent. When the much smaller, lighter and more facile oboe is picked up it is almost certain to feel amazing by contrast.

A final point I would add is that the ability to play the cor, and the ownership of or access to an instrument, can often be the 'ticket' to opportunities to perform with a wider range of ensembles and even result in participation in groups where just being to provide the oboe would not be of interest.

I would encourage all oboists to embrace whatever opportunities they get to play the Cor Anglais. Make sure any instrument you might use is in good condition by having it checked over by a repairer and then go away and do the necessary 'familiarisation' practice. When you feel that you are ready then go out and let everyone know that you have added cor to your skill set. You will be glad you did!

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The tips and comments above are the result of many years of providing help and advice, my personal interest and study, and the teaching that I have done during my career. I have many colleagues and teachers to thank for sharing their thoughts and suggestions on this and other topics. In addition I am indebted to Woodwind & Reed, Cambridge ( www.wwr.co.uk ) where, in the course of helping customers, many of these concepts have been refined and have proven helpful.

Thomas Dryer-Beers

Clarinet & Saxophone Pads and Repadding CASS Article

Clarinet & Saxophone Pads and Repadding

I was asked the question below about pads last month for my Single Reed Doctor column in the Clarinet & Saxophone Society of Great Britain ( CASS ) magazine and following some time for thought and discussion I have tried to answer in general but, hopefully, still useful terms.

There are so many different pads on the market now. Why do different makers use different pads, and which should I choose if I get my instrument repadded?

My reply follows:

Since for most players a total replacement of pads – a ‘repad’ – is a rare occurrence a logical piece of standard advice would be to replace single or even multiple worn pads with whatever type of pad was previously used. Combining or mixing a variety of pads is not usually recommended. Your repairer should be able to advise you and employ the appropriate pads. However, on the occasion when a complete repad is required one really does have a choice to make.

The construction of musical instrument pads is quite a complicated business involving different layers of materials to provide the desired combination of stability, rigidity, flexibility, air tightness and durability. The quality of the finished pad also can vary greatly with more expensive pads (using better materials) often well worth the additional cost. Pads are usually referred to by the material used on their surface and there are indeed many options available from frequently used ‘skin’ pads traditionally made from fish bladder, to various types and qualities of leather (white, brown, black), cork, and numerous synthetic surface material pads. Virtually all will be found successfully in use depending upon both the quality of the materials used to create the pads and the expertise and familiarity of the installer (repairer) in their fitting. All pad types require experience and practice in their fitting to perform at their best. Do bear in mind that manufacturers choose and supply the type of pads they use in their new instruments for a variety of different reasons including but not limited to: durability, ease of installation, cost, tradition, artistic input, availability, air tightness and appearance.

Let’s consider clarinet and saxophone options separately as they have fundamentally different requirements from their padding.

Clarinets have traditionally been padded in either skin or leather pads. In my experience the performance of good quality pads made from either material, expertly fitted, is very similar and can be highly satisfactory. Leather pads are anecdotally often credited with being more slightly more durable and tending to mellow a tone quality when compared with skin pads. They may also be more forgiving for seating to tone holes. Cork pads are sometimes used for smaller upper joint tone holes but the successful employment of cork depends hugely the experience of the repairer doing the fitting  and on the quality of the cork itself as high quality ‘clean’ cork is increasingly difficult and costly to obtain. Cork is not suitable for lower joint pads so by default a less desirable ‘mix’ of pads ends up being used. New synthetic material pads have the opportunity to be more airtight than any natural product but, also anecdotally, have a tendency to acquire ’tackiness’ on their surfaces, which, while this can be addressed by cleaning when it occurs, can be very annoying.

For saxophones the widely respected quality of Gordon Beeson leather pads has set a standard of comparison for all padding options ever since their introduction in the 1940’s. Older instruments, dating to the 1940’s and earlier, were occasionally padded in white leather with inadequate backing materials and the quality of their performance varied widely. There were some examples of excellent pad performance but also much indifferent or poor performance as well. Skin and cork pads have never been routinely used. For some players synthetic pads may have a genuine role to play for use in smaller left and ‘palm key’ tone holes which attract a great deal of moisture and they are certainly capable of great durability. However they can be problematic for stability when used in pad cups covering larger tone holes and on pads that rely upon spring action to open, specifically the G# and low C# pads, as a result of the propensity for the surfaces of synthetic pads to become ‘tacky’ and stick. For the saxophone player the additional choice of reflectors, plastic or metal, flat or domed, also arises and one may wish to consider these options carefully as there are different sound qualities also attributed to the choice of reflector. Domed metal reflectors tend to brighten a tone and aid projection whereas plastic or ‘flat’ reflectors affect or ‘boost’ the tone far less.

My suggestion would be to hold a conversation with the repairer who will be entrusted with repadding your instrument to learn their opinions and what experience they have with the different pad options and their properties. Where it seems desirable I would advise one stay with what has worked well your instrument in the past. In general avoid any temptation to ‘mix’ pads. If you do wish to try something new and you discover that your repairer is less or even unfamiliar with the type of pad you are considering you should precede with caution – they could find themselves learning how to handle and seat the pads you that have specified with no prior experience and the final result may not be what you imagined. Hopefully the combination of an appropriate pad choice that is suitable for your future needs and expectations as well as the expertise of your repairer will result in an inspirational ‘fresh start’ and long lasting good performance from your instrument.

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The tips and comments above are the result of many years of providing help and advice, my personal interest and study, and the teaching that I have done during my career. I have many colleagues and teachers to thank for sharing their thoughts and suggestions on this and other topics. In addition I am indebted to Woodwind & Reed, Cambridge ( www.wwr.co.uk ) where, in the course of helping customers, many of these concepts have been refined and have proven helpful.

Thomas Dryer-Beers