Oboe adventure

I know we were supposed to blog tonight about our notational system, but I was not going to start composing or designing anything remotely artistic until I had an instrument to write for.

I have decided to pursue a reed aerophone made of repurposed straws. I did not have an used ones on hand, but they could be easily washed and reused, especially as the reed which is short.

The most difficult part of making the instrument was creating a reed that would produce a stable, consistent, and resonant sound without slipping into overtones. The plastic is pretty temperamental and the triangular table must be cut exactly right. Determining the amount of plastic and the angle of the cut was an issue. You can see the cut which I found to be best.

  The best reed produced a loud, high, and steady crow. Of course, learning to produce a good sound once I had a decent reed was another obstacle. I had to address proper air control, form a proper embouchure. After 90 minutes of playing my instrument, I understand the plight of oboists! Additionally, I am learning how to work on and maintain my reeds by systematically opening and closing it to produce the best sound.

I made a family of reeds, and each has its own properties.

Next came cutting straw lengths to form the body of the instrument.

 Lengths can be combined by slitting the end and inserting it into the next one. Above is a lead pipe of two six-inch straws.

The last step in making my instrument was the tone-whole region. First I made two identically-tuned lengths. While one served as my permanent instrument, I progressively cut pieces off the second, tuned it, and marked the length on the first to note where I should cut tone wholes. After I had a whole octave marked, I cut the whole with a hole-punch. Unfortunately, several wholes were too close together for my fingers to completely cover, so I was forced to more creatively consider their placement. Additionally, I need to apply significant pressure to cover the tone wholes and balance was an issue with a flimsy plastic.

After some careful thought, I cut a new length shown above with several wholes on the bottom. While I can now cover every whole, I can also balance fingers above to securely hold the instrument.
  The final issues now for me to master are reed control and fingering. The reed is still unstable and, depending on placement, embouchure pressure, and air speed, I can manipulate the pitch almost a major sixth. This is probably caused by cheap materials! The most stable pitch is usually almost the highest possible. Fingering is an issue, not just for pitch, but for physical stability. The tube likes to roll and bend due to the pressure I apply to cover the wholes, so I have been inventing creative fingerings to maintain stability.
  Its range, when producing its fullest sound, is an octave, comprising a poorly-tuned major scale. Alternate fingerings can produce additional tones.

Here is the whole complete instrument:

I can insert and number of lead pipes to increase the length. The shortest instrument is the most reliable, but longer lengths produce a warmer, less obnoxious tone. I might make a consort of straw oboes!!
  With its excellent projection, my instrument will be ideal for outdoor performance.