The Bassoon Reed Manual: Lou Skinner's Techniques [Paperback]

James R. McKay (Author), Russel Hinkle (Author), William Woodward (Author), James R. McKay (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2001

"... an extraordinary book, monumental and challenging... Buy this book and immerse yourself in it. You will enter a new world." —American Musical Instrument Society Newsletter

With the help of author James McKay, the late Louis Skinner, America's master bassoon reedmaker, documented his techniques for making specialized and general purpose reeds for the bassoon and the contrabassoon. In this work, step-by-step explanations of reedmaking techniques are complemented by photographs and drawings, making every procedure clear. Throughout, the emphasis is on giving practical advice, not just giving steps to follow but explaining why they are important.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book codifies the practices of a man who devoted his life to researching and developing practices to improve the art of reedmaking - Louis Skinner... This is the written account of what in the past has been an oral (and aural) tradition passed down from the bassoon teacher to the students... Lou Skinner catalogued his reed experimentation, and over the years developed these unique techniques that are unknown refinements to the traditional reedmaker. Only those persons who went and studied with Skinner directly were made aware of them in the past." - Ronald Klimko, University of Idaho, Moscow "Reading Skinner's comments one is struck by the logic and clarity of his analysis, thinking, and explanations. His consideration of reed characteristics is universal; he accounts for all of the physical factors: embouchure, air supply, pitch level, cane strength." - Christopher Weait, Ohio State University

About the Author

James McKay is Chair of Music Performance at the University of Western Ontario.

Russel Hinkle (bio data to come).

William Woodward has a mail-order reed business and (bio data to come).

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Indiana University Press (February 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0253213126
• ISBN-13: 978-0253213129
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #749,087 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "must have" for any serious reedmaker, October 5, 2007

By 

Reedmaker (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bassoon Reed Manual: Lou Skinner's Techniques (Paperback)

Each of us makes our reeds to our own specifications right down to the colour of the thread. This book details some of Lou Skinner's later techniques for producing remarkable bassoon reeds. While it is targetted at a more advanced bassoonist, hence written by a college professor, it breaks down to the smallest detail the nuance of making a personal reed design that works for each of us.
Skinner, like all good academics, stressed open-mindedness. He encouraged bassoonists to continue experimenting to find the palette of colours most suitable for themselves.
Anyone who can't produce a fine reed from this book should work with Professor McKay to find what crucial element they are misinterpreting.
This is the foremost publication on the subject of reeds to be produced to date.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Bassoon Reed Manual: Lou Skinner's Techniques, March 23, 2001

By 

"[e-mail]" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bassoon Reed Manual: Lou Skinner's Techniques (Paperback)

I waited over a year for the book and it was worth the wait. It is well documented and well worth the cost of the book. It will definitely be a well used and valuable reference in any serious bassoonist library. It may be too advance for a beginning reed maker (Popkin & Glickman, Chris Weait, or Mark Eubanks reed books may be easier for them to follow). Thank you Mr. Skinner for sharing your knowledge.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A waste of money., October 22, 2004

By 

Bassoonut (Mountain Home, AR USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bassoon Reed Manual: Lou Skinner's Techniques (Paperback)

I bought this book on the recommendation of my repairman, James Keyes.

The contents of this book are interesting, giving some (not much, but some) insight into how a reed actually works. However, a sketchy quality of writing makes it hard to follow with the very few examples provided.

It doesn't end there. The instructions and methods provided to produce the various reed models mentioned in the book are completely useless; every reed I've made following his instructions has failed even if I followed them to the exact letter.

Interesting if you want to see how Louis Skinner worked. But if you want to use the book for practical purposes, don't bother.