The reed – also known as the tongue – is the sound producer on the flishorn. Without a well-functioning reed, there is no sound. This guide takes you step by step through how to make your own reed from juniper, from raw material to a finished instrument reed.
The methods are based on and inherited from living traditions and craftspeople throughout the Norwegian and Swedish flishorn region. There are variations in advice and technique; this is a compilation of what has proven to work best in practice.
You need
- A straight-grown piece of juniper wood (approx. 10-12 cm in length is enough)
- A sharp knife
- Sandpaper in several grades
- A pencil
- Waxed linen thread
- Your horn with a reed mouthpiece
1. Choice of material
Juniper (locally also called brisk, bresk, bruse, brakje, sprakje, ene, eíni) is by far the most widely used and recommended material for reeds throughout the entire flishorn tradition. There is documented information about juniper reeds from Trøndelag, Hedmarken, Nord-Møre, Vest-Agder and Sweden – see Jenssen's master's thesis (2010).
Why juniper?
The heartwood of juniper, when dry, is a resilient and tough material that is ideal for this application. It is similar to the properties found in bamboo - used for reeds on the clarinet and saxophone - but with the advantage that it can be bent over the mouthpiece.
- Good resilience and stiffness
- Sufficient toughness to withstand bending without breaking
- Parallel wood fibres when using a straight-grown blank
- Good durability over time
What part of the juniper?
Traditions are divided: some favour outer wood (fresh juniper), others heartwood (dried on the root). A good compromise is dried heartwood: Make thin slices of dry juniper logs on a band saw and whittle reeds out of them. This provides a stiffer and more stable material.
Other materials
Other materials have been used with good results:
- Selje - tried successfully, according to Jenssen
- Brass and tinplate – stable and durable, but be aware of sharp edges (see chapter 8)
- Plastic (e.g. from Tupperware boxes) – made in much the same way as a juniper reed (see chapter 9)
- Bamboo – difficult because it is so brittle; requires a completely flat mouthpiece
2. Finding and preparing the blank
The ideal raw material is a juniper trunk that is as straight as possible, so that the wood fibres are straight and parallel. The blank only needs to be straight over a length of around 10–12 cm – enough for the reed tongue itself plus a shank of 3–5 cm.
Saw the blank into thin slices on a band saw along the fibre direction, or split it with a knife or axe. The discs should be 3-5 mm thick as a starting point.
The pith side of the wood should be the top side of the reed – i.e. the side facing away from the mouthpiece. The outer side (bark side) is denser and smoother and is therefore better suited as the contact surface against the mouthpiece.
With-the-grain direction is critical
The reed should run with the grain of the blank – i.e. plane with the fibres, not against them. Try it out with a sharp knife: where you can plane off thin shavings along the length is the top side of the reed.
3. Marking out the shape
Before you start whittling, you need to plan the shape of the reed.
Step 1: Sand the underside
Place a piece of sandpaper flat on a table and sand the underside of the workpiece until it is completely even and smooth. Use several degrees of fineness. The underside is the side that will lie against the contact surface of the nozzle.
Step 2: Place the blank against the mouthpiece
Place the sanded underside against the contact surface of the horn's mouthpiece and draw the outline with a sharp pencil. Mark off a shank of 3–5 cm and mark the bending point where the reed is to be bent around the edge of the mouthpiece.
Step 3: Draw the outline
The outline of the reed with its shank should resemble a small paddle or a teaspoon. It is useful to draw an arrow on the top of the reed showing the grain direction, and a cross marking the bending point.
Step 4: Cut to the outline
Cut to shape with a sharp knife, contour saw or similar. Use fine sandpaper to refine the edges. Keep the mark that shows the breaking point.
4. Thinning and shaping the reed
This is the most time-consuming and precise step. The principle is straightforward, but the execution requires patience.
The basic principle
The reed should have a firmer and thicker core in the centre (sometimes called the «heart»), thinning gradually towards the sides and towards the tip. Never thin the reed evenly and flatly – it is the core that provides stability.
Use the knife as a plane and work fine shavings forwards towards the tip of the reed. Work carefully and in alternating directions, regularly feeling with your fingers how thick the reed is at different points.
- Don't thin out too much at once
- Check regularly by holding the reed up to the light
- Stop whittling when you approach the correct thickness; finish with sandpaper
5. Bending and drying the reed
When the shape and thickness are approximately correct, bend the reed around the edge of the mouthpiece and leave it to dry in the correct position.
Step 1a: Soften the reed with saliva
Place the reed in your mouth and chew gently on the bending point with your front teeth for 15–20 minutes. The enzymes in the saliva soften the wood fibres, and the massaging action works the saliva into the wood.
Step 1b: Soften the reed with warm water
A quicker method is to place the reed in a warm water bath for around 30 minutes. You can drop a couple of reeds into a kettle and switch it on. After 30 minutes, take them out and check whether they have become sufficiently flexible.
Step 2: Bend gently
Place the reed shank against the shank's contact surface on the horn and gently press the reed over the edge and down towards the bevelled contact surface on the horn. If there is too much resistance, soften the reed further – or remove a little more thickness – before trying again. If the reed snaps: go back to the start. It's part of the process.
Step 3: Lash firmly and allow to dry
When the reed lies firmly against the mouthpiece with both the shank and the reed body, secure it with waxed linen thread. Tie a slipknot with the thread and bind the reed firmly in place. Leave it to dry for at least an hour. The shape will set, and the reed is almost complete.
Tip: waxed linen thread
Voksa lintråd er sterk, kan strammast godt og er lett klissete, slik at flisa er enkel å feste. Du kan også skere ei lita fure på tvers på undersida av flisa i knekkpunktet for å gjere bøyinga lettare.
6. Fine-tune and adjust the tone
After drying, it is time for the finishing touches. This is an iterative process where you alternate between sanding and test-playing until the tone is right.
Lay sandpaper flat on a table. Hold the reed by the shank with a fingertip on the underside and sand the top side against the sandpaper. Using your finger allows you to control exactly where you are sanding.
What does the tone tell you?
| Symptom | Cause and remedy |
|---|---|
| Raw and jarring tone | The reed is too thick and stiff – sand more on the top side |
| The air cannot set the reed vibrating | The reed is too thick or stiff, or it is gaping too far from the contact surface of the mouthpiece |
| The tone cracks and is thin and strident | The reed has become too thin – too little spring. Go back to the start. You can also try placing a small lump of beeswax at the very tip of the reed. This adds weight and stabilises the tone. |
Adjusting the vibrating length
The vibrating length of the reed has a major impact on the tone. This can be adjusted using the thread loop on the mouthpiece: move the loop forwards for a shorter vibrating length (brighter tone), or backwards for a longer one (darker tone). An alternative method is to gently slide the reed slightly forwards or backwards – useful when the thread is sitting in a groove.
7. Moistening the reed before playing
Moisten the reed by placing it briefly in your mouth just before playing, as clarinet and saxophone players do. This is usually sufficient. Some players have kept the entire horn submerged in water to keep both horn and reed moist, but experience suggests this is less necessary than simply moistening the reed itself.
8. Alternative: Metal reed
Metal reeds made of brass or tinplate have also been used. The advantage is a stable and durable material that is not as easily damaged as juniper. Brass is particularly suitable because it tolerates moisture and saliva without rusting – but watch out for sharp edges.
Procedure as described in Jenssen's master's thesis:
- Find the right metal - Brass-coated tinplate cake tins have proved to be a good alternative. Thin brass sheet rolled to the right thickness also works well.
- Draw the outline – Place the metal sheet against the mouthpiece and draw the outline with a marker pen. Metal reeds often need to be slightly narrower than juniper reeds to work correctly.
- Cut out with tin snips - Sand all the edges well with emery paper so that there are no sharp edges.
- Bend and test – Bend the reed so that it gapes slightly from the mouthpiece. Secure with thread and test the tone.
Note on metal work
There is little to be gained by thinning the metal as you do with wood. The most important thing is therefore to find metal sheets with the right thickness and springiness from the outset.
9. Alternative: Plastic reed
Plastic from plastic boxes (e.g. Tupperware) has also been used with good results. The technique is largely the same as for a juniper reed: draw the outline, cut to shape, sand to the correct thickness and springiness with sandpaper. The advantage is a stable and durable material that is not affected by moisture.
Summary
A good reed requires patience, good tools – a sharp knife and sandpaper – and plenty of trial and error. Every reed is unique, and chances are you will need to make several before you find the one that produces the right tone. Good luck!
