Crumhorns

Instrument Care

Assemble your crumhorn by placing the reed and staple into the top of the instrument up to the pencil line marked on the staple. On the bass crumhorn the reed must be placed onto the staple. Carefully place the wind cap over the reed. The reed is very fragile, so take care that it does not touch the inside of the cap. The bore of the instrument has been treated with a penetrating oil and does not need additional oiling.

After the instrument has been assembled, it should be taken apart only for reed adjustments, never for storage. There are two reasons for this. The safest storage place for the reed is inside the cap, and the slow drying of the reed inside the cap after playing minimizes warpage. Find a case which will hold the assembled instrument, such as an inexpensive gun case.

The reed is meant to be played dry and should never be soaked in water before playing. Doing so may cause the blades of the reed to warp into an undesirable shape. Simply warm up the instrument for a minute or so by playing or blowing air through it.

The best way to keep the crumhorn in good playing condition is to use it regularly. If the instrument has been stored for a month or more, the warm-up time may be longer. After a playing session, allow the assembled instrument to dry overnight and then store it in its case. If an excessive amount of water has collected in the bore, you may wish to disassemble the instrument and blow the water out. Then reassemble carefully for storage.

New reeds should be played at least a few minutes every day for the first month in order to break them in. Occasionally reeds may need to be adjusted. Always warm up the instrument by playing on it for a few minutes before attempting to adjust the reed. If the reed becomes too closed, the instrument will play sharp, sound too soft, and require a very light breath pressure. On the other hand, if the reed becomes too open, the instrument will become too loud, play flat, and be hard to blow. Once you have a sense of how the instrument normally plays, you will notice if the reed has changed and needs adjusting.

To open the reed, gently squeeze the sides of the top wire (Figure 1) with a pair of pliers or your fingers. A slight adjustment will translate to a large change in playing characteristics, so proceed slowly until you have a feel for it. To close the reed, gently squeeze the top wire from front to back (Figure 2).

As you inspect the reed tip opening, it should appear fairly closed. These adjustments change the pitch level of the instrument, so check with a tuner to make sure that it plays in tune. If the instrument plays out of tune, open or close the reed to reach the proper pitch level rather than moving the staple in or out.

With minimal care, crumhorn reeds will last indefinitely. The main reason reeds need replacing is damage caused by replacing or removing the wind cap. If you need a replacement reed or have questions, feel free to contact me directly.

David Hogan Smith

1720 - 19th Avenue

San Francisco, CA 94122

(415) 665-2083