Category: Music

lefreQue

9/15/2014

I recently purchased the lefreQue system for bassoon. I have to say that in a week of testing, I am quite satisfied and surprised by the results I'm getting.

What is the lefreQue?
The lefreQue is a system of metal plates that go over the connections on the bassoon which are either cork or thread. Plates go from the bocal to the wing joint, the wing joint to the boot, the long joint to the boot, and the long joint to the bell. The plates are available in a variety of metals: brass, red brass, silver plated, solid silver, and gold plated. I purchased the silver plated lefreQues--there is an option to do a solid silver at the bocal connection, but I felt that reed adjustments could be made to capitalize on the lefreQue system, so silver plated it was!

What is it supposed to do?
In theory, the cork/thread on each of the tenons and on the bocal deaden the vibrations that go through the wood. It makes sense when you think about it, really. The overtones in the entire spectrum are supposed to improve greatly.

How did I connect it to my bassoon?
I purchased all 4 recommended connections: bell, bocal, wing, tenor. I've attached them like this...

Bell

Bocal

Wing & Boot

My initial reactions

After one practice session (and subsequently since then) I have noticed that it is easier to play. The resistance is more manageable and I don't feel as tired after playing.
My sound has opened up and sounds more focused, a bit brighter, and more "wooden"
My intonation has stabilized. Prior to the lefreQue, my ranges did not follow a stable intonation tendency. Now, my intonation is more stable and easier to manage.

Overall...
Overall I am impressed with the lefreQue system. I would say that if you are having issues with fatigue, erratic intonation, or thin sound, you ought to give it a try!

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My Reed Room

7/6/2014

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Several people have asked me for my opinion on how a reed room should be set up. So, today, I took pictures of my reed room and thought it'd be fun to share them here.

If at all possible, I think it is beneficial to have a dedicated space for reed making. I am very fortunate in that I have a separate room in our home that is my dedicated studio space. While not everyone has that, I think that having a space that is dedicated to reed making and/or practicing is very important. For years, I shared an office with my partner and we had to work in shifts. I've even had a desk in my bedroom when I was younger dedicated just to reed making. If the space can't be private, I recommend a secretary-style desk (with a roll top) or something that can contain your work so pets, people, and other disasters don't disturb your reed making. I've had a ceiling fan blow cane off my desk on to the floor that was consequently repurposed for dog chew toys...Below you can see how my desks are setup in the room. Ignore the Clue games...my studio doubles as my nerd cave!

A modest desk will do, as long as it is sturdy and allows for movement across the surface. I have never been a fan of desks with drawers on either side--makes me feel like I'm sitting in a box. I like to use the entire length of the reed desk when I make reeds. This way I can set-up stations: a beveling station, then on the easel, then the drying board, then the wrapping area, etc...My desk, as you can see below, isn't very large. I bought it at Target for about $80. I like it because it has a shelf on it that can hold reed making books (though currently it houses my research books until I go back to Las Vegas in August) and my organizational doodads while still giving me a full plane of usable reed space.

Organization is KEY. My success and failure as a reed maker (really, as a person in general) is determined by how organized I am (or am not). I keep all of my necessary bits and pieces in what amounts to a nut-and-bolt sorter I bought at The Container Store years and years ago. Each drawer is labelled (though some are out of date and need to be redone...someday...) and everything is kept together. My father-in-law got really in to woodworking and made me a box which holds my profiler, gouger, and larger machines and tools as you can see below. The machines sit on top and larger items (i.e., cane splitter, tube cane, misc tuners/metronomes) go in the drawer. I have this on a wall-mounted side table that was installed specifically to hold my machinery.

What are some of your reed room organizing questions? What's in your reed room and how is it set up? Leave some comments below!

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lefreQue

My Reed Room

What are some of your reed room organizing questions? What's in your reed room and how is it set up? Leave some comments below!

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