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How To: Care For Your Double Reeds

8th May 2025

Whether single or double reeds, proper care and maintenance are crucial. We’ve put together a quick guide on how best care for your double reeds. Following these tips can help ensure the reeds longevity and optimal performance. 

Understanding Your Double Reed

A double reed consists of two pieces of cane that are bound together and vibrate to produce sound. Due to their delicate nature, oboe or bassoon reeds must be handled and maintained with care. Whether you’ve made your reed yourself or, alternatively, bought one specially prepared, this guide will help you get the most out of your reeds!

Daily Maintenance

  1. Moisturise the Reed: Before playing, always soak your reed in water for approximately 2 minutes to properly hydrate it. This helps in achieving the best sound quality and prevents cracking.
  2. Proper Handling: Always handle the reed by the string or cork area to avoid damaging the delicate cane.
  3. Dry After Use: After playing, gently wipe off any excess moisture with a soft cloth and allow to air dry before storing. Top Tip! Avoid placing it in a closed container (such as a reed tube) immediately after use, as trapped moisture can lead to mould growth.

Storage Tips

  • Use a Reed Case: Store your reed in a ventilated reed case. This will protect it from physical damage and allow for proper air circulation. Using a reed case can help control the humidity which can limit warping and the altering of the reed whilst you aren’t playing. 
  • Avoid Extreme Temperatures: Keep your reed away from direct sunlight, excessive heat, or cold to prevent warping and cracking.

General Maintenance

  • Inspect for Damage: Regularly check your reed for chips or cracks. If the reed is damaged, for example, you notice there are chips along the edge of the reed, it may need to be replaced or possibly repaired by a professional. Using products available, such as the ReedGeek, can be a good tool to have because it allows for quick and easy adjustments if required.
  • Adjustments and Trimming: Over time, reeds can require adjustments for optimal performance. This can involve trimming or adjusting the reed’s length or width. If you’re inexperienced, consult a teacher or professional for guidance.

Extending Reed Life

  • Avoid Saliva: Hydrating and cleaning your reeds using water, rather than putting the reed in your mouth, can drastically extend the reed life. Saliva is a source of bacterial growth, and this excess moisture can lead to reeds growing mildew much faster!
  • Rotate Reeds: Rotating reeds is incredibly important. Rotating between 2 or 3 well-maintained double reeds lets each one rest and recover between uses, which extends their lifespans.

Summary

From proper hydration and gentle handling to mindful storage and regular inspections, each step plays a key role in maintaining reed quality and performance. By building these habits into your routine, you’ll not only extend the life of your reeds but also enhance your overall playing experience. Treat your reeds well, and they’ll return the favor with consistent, beautiful sound.

Heatwave Advice for Woodwind Players & Instruments

7th July 2022

Over the next few days we could be in for temperatures exceeding 30 degrees! This kind of environmental change affects our bodies, and the same goes for your woodwind instrument. Here are some ‘hot tips’ from the Dawkes Workshop to help your woodwind instrument keep its cool in hot weather.

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Is the bassoon the hardest instrument to play?

20th June 2022

The bassoon has a reputation for being a difficult instrument to play. Taking a first look at the affectionately named ‘clown of the orchestra’, you could see why! With a seemingly unwieldy size and generally well over 20 keys, it appears impossible to tame. Furthermore, the price of a good quality instrument can be off-putting for those wanting to start playing the bassoon. Let’s find out if the bassoon is the hardest instrument to play by taking a look at some features.

Bassoon
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Auxiliary Woodwind Instruments

19th February 2020

This is a term you may have heard before, but what exactly does it mean? In short, an auxiliary instrument is any ‘non-standard’ version of the common members of an instrumental family. They’re often used in orchestras and other ensembles by the specialist players. Today we’re looking at the auxiliary instruments in the woodwind family, as well as a few that we sell in store!

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Five Bassoon Maintenance Essentials

4th December 2019

The bassoon isn’t the most common instrument, and it can take a while to really get the hang of it! Making sure it’s working it’s best and is comfortable to use is the first step to helping yourself tackle this unique instrument. We’ve got a few bassoon case ‘must haves’ for care and maintenance.

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Double Reed Cases – Do’s and Don’ts!

31st October 2019

Reed cases hold anywhere between three or four reeds up to twelve at a time – or even more! They should keep your oboe or bassoon reeds in good condition for as long as possible, protecting them from damage whilst being stored or travelling. A good reed case will secure your reeds in a way that doesn’t put undue pressure on them whilst ensuring they don’t rattle about.

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Double Reeds Starter Guide

12th October 2019

You’ve been thinking about starting an instrument and have come across the double reeds – oboe and bassoon. What are these instruments, and what do you need to get started on them? We’ve put together a short guide to help point you in the right direction!

The oboe and bassoon – and related instruments, such as the cor anglais – are double reed instruments. This means the reed is comprised of two pieces of wood shaped and tied together, through which air is passed to make the reeds vibrate and make the sound. Oboes are typically made with grenadilla black wood, but to reduce costs and weight they can also be made of ABS resin. Bassoons are often made of maple wood, which is less dense than grenadilla. Both instruments have very distinctive sounds, and despite having a reputation for being more difficult to start on they are incredibly rewarding and are always in demand – so you’ll never be stuck for playing opportunities!

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Oboe Cases

2nd October 2019

Looking for a new case, spare case, or one for your oboe and cor anglais together? We have a range of oboe single and double cases available to suit all sorts of needs. Each one fits a range of oboe makes and models, so don’t forget to try in store before you buy to see if it’s a good fit!

Our double reed specialist Louise took a look at our cases, considering these criteria …

  • Is the case lightweight?
  • Does the case have good storage options?
  • Is the case easy and comfortable to transport?
  • Does the case hold the instrument well without worry of damage?
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Howarth Junior Oboe

23rd January 2019

Welcoming a new arrival to our new instrument stock at Dawkes – the Howarth Junior Oboe!

In recent years, the oboe has enjoyed increased popularity. Howarth found that younger students were willing to learn the Oboe but sometimes required something smaller. In response to significant demand from teachers, parents, and music services, they developed an instrument perfectly suited for young students.

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Woodwind Instruments in the Orchestra

15th November 2018

The name ‘woodwind’ for this family of instruments refers to the wood from which these instruments were once exclusively made, as well as the need to blow air – or ‘wind’ – into them to produce a sound. Woodwind instruments in the orchestra are no longer solely made of wood, with metal and plastic also now being used.

An orchestra’s wind section can consist of various combinations of such instruments as the piccolo, oboe, flute, clarinet, cor anglais (literally French for ‘English horn’), bass clarinet, E-flat clarinet, bassoon, contrabassoon and saxophone. Below, we have sought to answer some of the most common woodwind orchestra queries that our customers here at Dawkes Music have.

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Tip Top Tipple: Oboe Reeds

23rd August 2018

Calling all Oboists!

There are some new reeds on the scene. For years, we’ve seen Winfield, Jones and Emerald rule the roost of popular reeds – but is that about to change?

Let us introduce Tipple Reeds! English company Tipple hand-make oboe reeds from hand-gouged Cogolin cane, tied to 47mm brass staples – if this means anything to you oboe players (which it should!). They are now available to purchase on our website or in-store.

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Légère Synthetic Oboe Reed – A snip at £129 ?!

10th June 2016

Légère Oboe Reed Review – European Scrape (Medium)

Oboe Reeds are a very personal thing to an oboe player. All players go through different scrapes, brands of cane and makes, all in the search of the ‘perfect’ reed; again the ‘perfect’ reed being different for each player.

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Beginner Oboes – An overview…

30th March 2016

Here our Oboe specialist Louise will walk through the main beginner oboes:

Beginner oboes come with a variety of prices and differences. Whether it is the reputation of the manufacturer, the quality of the materials or what you get with regards the key-work to help your playing improve. These oboes are designed to encourage the player and would suit complete beginners all the way up to grades 4 or 5.

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