A First Day Scrape with Benjamin Kamins

Benjamin Kamins, Professor of Bassoon at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music, demonstrates clipping and adjusting a new bassoon reed in the Herzberg/Kamins Reed Making Method.

[@bsnguy12k]

Wow - I was still studying with you in May '81!

[@celticbassoon]

Thank you for this video as I continue to adjust my reeds and look for guidance from others!

[@mattlengas2394]

Looking good Mr. Kamins!! Very interesting stuff

[@dorelteican4419]

BENJAMIN KAMINS ! ! !

[@juancarlosmoracordova1135]

EXCELENTE MSTRO.‼️👍🎶🇪🇨

[@scotking3436]

Not me. I bought cane from Bob Gilbert! I actually attended a masterclass with Herzberg back in the day.(1980) I was there with David Sogg, Seth Krimsky, and some others. I should have stuck with the bassoon. I was working with Michael O'Donovan. Prior to USC I worked with Kay Brightman. I never got a close up reed making class like this though. Thank you for sharing.Scot King.

[@jhodgebassoon]

Does anyone have info on where one might find the Japanese woodworking tool (or something similar) he uses to cut in the tip?

[@jmhohlfeld]

I realize it's been over 3 yrs since anyone commented, but I hope someone will see this question and answer it to the best of his/her ability. About about 9'30" to 10" into the video Kamins is discussing the thickness at this reference point (8mm or 5/16") and says it should be 0.60mm or 24/1000" but only on a reed made with a profiler that makes no spine to edge taper. He goes on to say that with a profiler like a Rieger, that reference point should be thicker to compensate for the spine to side taper, BUT he does not say how thick. Can anyone give a reliable thickness for the 8 mm point on a Rieger-profiled reed?

[@nathanielechols4220]

I understand the pedagogical value of learning how to do this by hand (I started the same way, like everyone), but do all of Kamins's former students still make every reed this way, or do they just use a tip profiler?

[@riancraypo6472]

It's a balance. Those who are lucky to own Herzberg profilers don't use tip profilers, others have Greg James profilers/reed copiers, others use tip machines with custom Herzberg pattern blocks (#11 if you're ordering from Rieger), others have Maxwells or MG's or other single barrel profilers and finish by hand.

[@homerhomer1776]

Hello Kristin, i'm an hold bassoonist, i never eard such a beautiful musical introduction, can you help me finding the name of this music? Very thank you from Italy

[@kristinje1]

Hello Homer! The introduction music is Vivaldi's Bassoon Concerto in C major, RV 479, arranged for 5 bassoons and contrabassoon by Nathan Koch, available at Trevco-Varner: www.trevcomusic.com/products/tco-3129-vivaldi-concerto-c-sc-pts-bsn-4bsn?_pos=24&_sid=b998aa4c1&_ss=r

[@hansfronberg4369]

What would be the advantage to doing the filing on the reed against the grain as compared to with the grain? Assuming that the file is still kept parallel to the work table.

[@kristinje1]

If the file is a conventional file, it will not cut going with the grain. It has to go across the grain in order to be effective. Otherwise, all it will do is make grooves along the cane without removing any wood. If it is a diamond file, ostensibly you can have it go straight up and down, however, I have found it is difficult to keep a good taper to the reed as it will tend to gouge out places instead of drawing all of the tapers together as a whole on the reed. People tend to be very positional when it comes to the work they do on reeds and don’t see the totality of the work as it affects the whole blade. (From Mr. Kamins).

[@hansfronberg4369]

Thanks for the reply and input! I greatly appreciate it!

[@dylantharp87]

My teacher Karen Pierson who was Mr. Kamins' colleague in the Houston symphony files with the grain when she uses a diamond file. Having only diamond files myself, I find that it takes cane off really slowly and tends to skate a lot more on the fibers that are being removed, so I prefer to go diagonal to the grian. KP uses her files pretty much like a stick of sandpaper --which I guess they are in a sense-- with one finger above where the cane is being removed on the file, so I guess it depends a lot on who teaches you and your own personal findings as you are making reeds.

[@marijadjuric8751]

Does anyone know what is the bassoon quartet recording in the intro of the video?

[@kristinje1]

It is Vivaldi’s A minor concerto arranged for bassoon quintet. It is available at Trevco.

[@marijadjuric8751]

@@kristinje1 Wow thank you so much for the promt reply!

[@marijadjuric8751]

@@kristinje1 Is the actual recording available at this site, I only see sheet music?