Oboe Reed Making And A Humidity Controlled Environment

Relative humidity changes the character of cane and alters resistance, response and tone of oboe reeds.  Low humidity makes cane brittle, makes reed making more difficult, and leads to more failure.

I have found that my most unpredictable results come during seasonal change or rapid weather change with sizable shifts in humidity. I realized that my reed making was most at risk when my home humidifier was not in operation on a timely basis for these events. Waiting a couple of weeks for a filter to arrive was too long. I am now committed to preparing for these changes in advance and keeping my home humidity between 35 and 50% as much as possible.  This is not only good for my instruments (including my piano), but it guarantees better reed outcomes.

While you cannot control relative humidity in playing venues outside your home, my suggestion is that you have a humidifier in your music room to manage the highs and lows in your own environment. This will improve all aspects of your reed's performance and likely increase its longevity at the same time.

Happy music making!