Rite of Spring practice method

Here's a great method for learning the opening to Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring. It's great whether you're learning it for the first time or just brushing it up for an audition or performance.

Some preliminary comments:

• The opening has no crescendo from the first C to the grace notes and B, but most people play one. Because there's no crescendo printed in the music, this gesture should be subtle and carefully measured. Think of the sound of the held C energizing and opening up until the B is inevitable. 
• The beginning of the piece is not loud. I prefer to think of it as haunting and distant. Like a trip back in time. So no loud or abrupt sounds.
• The progression from C - B - A forms the "skeleton" of the opening section in the first bassoon part. Tension should increase on the C through the B and then relax to the A. In spite of this being a famously modern piece, the opening phrases are really just old-fashioned, classical period arch phrases!!
• Opening C -- my fingering:

       Eb
x 1/2 o /xxoF
d           Bb

Using the high d key and covering just 1/2 or less of the second tone hole in the left hand allows for a quiet, controlled start that is in tune. You can grasp the reed more firmly and not go sharp because of the half hole. Remove the half hole immediately after starting. Some players combine this with a breath attack for an even softer start.

I've written this out by hand for my CIM students for years, never quite sure if they could read my poor handwriting! Now, thanks to my friend, Rich Shanklin, I've got a file of it and can just hand it out. 

You may find using a different order in each series is more helpful (series 1, exercises 1, 2, 4, 3, 5 and series 2, exercises 1, 3, 2, 4 for instance) but this is how I use it.

The Reed Morgue

Forensic Science has gotten a lot of interest lately in the form of television shows and novels featuring intrepid pathologists solving gruesome criminal cases.

While reed making cannot compare in drama and ratings to these shows, we can learn a few things by examining reeds that are no longer viable.

From time to time, I take apart old reeds that were exceptional when they played to examine my scraping technique.

Except along the spine, it is not possible to measure the rest of the reed blade accurately when assembled.  Therefore, I find it very instructive to take apart old reeds and measure each blade.  You can learn much about your scraping tendencies.  Being right handed or left handed can make you favor one side of the reed or one area over another. 

Since symmetry in measurement is the most important principle in reed making, becoming aware of your tendencies and adjusting for them in future reed making sessions can improve your reed making.

Below are two reeds that I thought very highly of and used in many performances.  Measurements that differ from top blade to bottom by .001” or .002” are negligible and do not need correction.  However you will notice that I tend to leave the back of the right rail thicker than the left on three of the four blades.  This would be something to correct for in future scraping.  

PROFILED BLANK

(English measurements)

	Left Rail	Left Channel	Center	Right Channel	Right Rail
Tip	.013	.013	.013	.013	.013
1/8”	.021	.021	.021	.021	.021
¼”	.023	.023	.023	.023	.023
3/8”	.026	.026	.026	.026	.026
½”	.028	.028	.028	.028	.028
5/8”	.030	.030	.030	.030	.030
¾”	.033	.033	.033	.033	.033
7/8”	.035	.035	.035	.035	.035
1”	.038	.038	.038	.038	.038

FINISHED REEDS

REED #1

TOP BLADE

	Left Rail	Left Channel	Center	Right Channel	Right Rail
Tip	.009	.008	.010	.006	.005
1/8”	.012	.011	.015	.011	.008
¼”	.014	.014	.020	.014	.010
3/8”	.018	.018	.023	.018	.015
½”	.018	.021	.025	.021	.022
5/8”	.018	.023	.028	.024	.025
¾”	.021	.024	.030	.026	.028
7/8”	.023	.028	.032	.027	.031
1”	.027	.029	.034	.029	.034

BOTTOM BLADE

	Left Rail	Left Channel	Center	Right Channel	Right Rail
Tip	.007	.008	.009	.007	.005
1/8”	.008	.012	.015	.011	.007
¼”	.010	.016	.020	.014	.010
3/8”	.014	.017	.023	.017	.013
½”	.016	.020	.026	.020	.018
5/8”	.017	.023	.027	.022	.022
¾”	.022	.026	.030	.025	.025
7/8”	.024	.028	.033	.028	.030
1”	.025	.030	.035	.030	.035

REED #2

TOP BLADE

	Left Rail	Left Channel	Center	Right Channel	Right Rail
Tip	.007	.006	.009	.006	.005
1/8”	.009	.011	.014	.010	.007
¼”	.011	.016	.020	.016	.011
3/8”	.016	.020	.025	.021	.016
½”	.020	.021	.026	.023	.021
5/8”	.024	.021	.027	.026	.024
¾”	.027	.023	.030	.028	.028
7/8”	.029	.025	.032	.028	.031
1”	.029	.026	.033	.030	.035

BOTTOM BLADE

	Left Rail	Left Channel	Center	Right Channel	Right Rail
Tip	.005	.008	.010	.008	.006
1/8”	.006	.010	.015	.010	.007
¼”	.010	.016	.020	.017	.012
3/8”	.013	.020	.024	.020	.017
½”	.017	.022	.026	.022	.022
5/8”	.020	.023	.027	.023	.024
¾”	.023	.024	.028	.024	.026
7/8”	.027	.025	.029	.025	.031
1”	.030	.028	.031	.027	.033

AVERAGE CANE REMOVED FROM EACH AREA

(From profiled blank to finished reed)

	Left Rail	Left Channel	Center	Right Channel	Right Rail
Tip	.006	.005	.003	.006	.008
1/8”	.012	.010	.006	.011	.014
¼”	.012	.008	.003	.008	.011
3/8”	.011	.007	.002	.007	.011
½”	.010	.007	.002	.006	.007
5/8”	.010	.007	.003	.006	.006
¾”	.010	.008	.003	.007	.006
7/8”	.009	.009	.004	.009	.004
1”	.010	.010	.005	.010	.005

AVERAGE CANE REMOVED FROM RAILS AND CHANNELS (Average of left and right sides)

	Rails	Channels	Center
Tip	.007	.006	.003
1/8”	.013	.011	.006
¼”	.012	.008	.003
3/8”	.011	.007	.002
½”	.009	.007	.002
5/8”	.008	.007	.003
¾”	.008	.008	.003
7/8”	.007	.009	.004
1”	.008	.010	.005