A rack of reeds

Flute Reeds!

 Has anyone had the irritating experience of sitting next to an oboist suffering from an attack of “reed fidgets”?   He removes his reed from the instrument at even the briefest opportunity, prods it, squeezes it, attacks it with a vicious looking knife, even occasionally punishing the offending bamboo sliver by imprisonment in its box before choosing a new victim to undergo the same treatment?

Some years ago I commenced serious study on the saxophone and became initiated into the world of reeds but resolving never to become a “fidget”. It was hard. On some days the errant cane fragment was stuffy, on others buzzy, occasionally “thin”, even “blarey” However I stuck to my resolve and the reed with which I’d started the session. Then it occurred to me that I have exactly the same experience with my flute! Some days it is rough, others thin and feeble and even occasionally perfect! So my flute has bad reed days too!

I wonder has anyone an explanation for this strange phenomenon.

Oh, and another thing. The state of the reed, flute or otherwise seems to be a secret between player and instrument. I will sometimes say to my wife “Doesn’t this reed sound horribly buzzy?” Only to be met by a blank look of complete incomprehension!