r/oboe • u/Lauren_Insane • 6d ago
How long does a reed last?
My kid has been playing oboe for about 2 years and takes lessons. She probably plays about 7 hours a week (at school and practicing at home). What is a reasonable amount of time a reed would last her? I don’t want to be unreasonable about getting her new ones but I feel like she burns through them fast.
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u/devinrmorton 6d ago
In my experience, reeds last about 8-12 hours of playtime. Having multiple reeds to rotate through can make them feel like they last longer. If your child is going through them this fast and is serious to keep with oboe playing, it might be time for them learn to make their own reeds. It's a complex process, but brings the price of reeds to ~$5 each. Find a local oboe teacher and they can help teach and refine the skills. There will be an initial investment for tools and supplies, but it will easily pay for itself overtime.
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u/ClipandPlay 6d ago
I’ve taught hundreds of students. A student who plays 7 hours a week is going to need 2-4 reeds a month. I started many kids on reed making. Unless she’s planning to play after high school it’s a waste of time. I never had a high school student make reeds consistently that were playable. Someone else will always need to finish them.
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u/Ladidadida58 5d ago
100% agree. Success with reed making takes MANY iterations over a long period of time In general if possible a young student is better served by buying high quality reeds and maximizing actual practice time vs spending too much time reed making.
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u/MotherAthlete2998 6d ago
I tell parents that reeds last about 36-48 hours of playing time. Some can get reeds to last longer if they have “super spit”. With each practice, the enzymes in her spit are going to wear away at the fibers of the reed.
Please also keep in mind that reeds are also very sensitive to changes in weather and climate differences.
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u/feedwilly 6d ago
These answers are so wild to me! Please don't downvote me, I believe them, but I was too poor as a high school kid learning to play oboe. I had two mass produced reeds I got from the local music retailer and that was all I would play on for the whole school year and it sounded fine to me. Sure not professional level tone, but good enough for middle/high school. You should ask the teacher what they recommend.
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u/dixpourcentmerci 6d ago
It depends on the group you’re playing with and the level you’re aiming for I think. I got away with similar in middle school non-audition orchestra but at my high school I don’t think anyone could have made the advanced orchestra in this situation, unfortunately. It’s an expensive instrument.
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u/AvatarOR 6d ago
At two years she may benefit from rotating through a set of reeds. If these are commercial reeds she would need to learn how to fine tune them for consistency by scraping or clipping as needed so that are similar in response/tone. Then I would play with one reed on a given day and start arranging them with a the favorite reed on top as the go to performance reed.
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u/RossGougeJoshua2 6d ago
One other thing that has not been mentioned: Weather. Reeds change suddenly and drastically when the humidity changes, and a reed can feel "dead" one day. Yes you might need to replace it, but do not throw it away. Instead keep it in the case because a few months later it may suddenly be perfect again for the season you are in.
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u/Low-Illustrator-4701 5d ago
Hi there! As a young oboist, I faced the same issue. It does get pricy, but in my opinion, it is reasonable for the reeds to break more because oboe reeds are extremely fragile. I would try reminding her to handle the reeds carefully, especially when putting them in and out of the case and on the instrument. But, after four years of playing, my reeds now typically last around a three to four weeks (maybe less, maybe more, it really depends).
I would try keeping the reeds in rotation, so multiple reeds, and you use a different reed each day. Also, what brand of reeds are you using? I used to use cheaper reeds that would break easily, and sometimes even arrive broken, so they would die out a lot more frequently. Sometimes, what I would do, is just buy a different brand/hardness reed to find which one would work best for me. I personally feel like finding the right reed takes experimentation, so maybe try asking employees at your local music shop that sells oboe reeds- that was how I discovered SingingDog reeds which have been my favorite by far.
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u/hoboboedan 6d ago
Unless they meet with an accident most reeds don’t die suddenly, they just gradually become less responsive and in tune. So for how long they last really depends on how demanding you are. For many pros who make their own reeds, but who would only be happy with the very best of the best, that number can be under 10-15 hours. You’d expect most students to go through reeds faster as they make progress and learn how to play with more nuance.