10/13/2026
Double reeds are not an afterthought in wind band.
Too many band directors and composers think of the double reeds as luxuries and often ignore them, especially in educational settings. But the truth is far from this.
The wind band - in any form - would not exist if not for a long tradition of double reed instruments. The earliest groups we could call bands were centered on a core of double reed instruments. These were predecessors of today’s oboes and bassoons.
The modern orchestra’s woodwind section is 50 percent double reeds. Yet in the band they comprise less than 20 percent, and in some cases less than 10 percent.
I think there are several compounding factors as to why double reeds are seen as “color” instruments - a term that I hate. All instruments are color instruments.
1. We have the idea that double reeds are harder and therefore less accessible than other instruments. All instruments are challenging. We shouldn’t use this as an excuse. Yes, there are challenges to both bassoon and oboe. Bassoon has an archaic fi*****ng system that’s different than other woodwinds. Oboe has issues with breath control. However, we exaggerate these to make the instruments seem inhuman and the players who master them as gods. I play bassoon. I have a master’s degree in it. I’m not a god.
2. The modern band concept demands a “dark” sound. What does that even mean? To me, it means a sound devoid of complex overtones where the fundamental pitch of a sound is more important than timbre created by the instrument itself. This concept leads to a dull and uninteresting sound. Kind of like listening to music where the treble has been turned down. What does this have to do with double reeds? Double reeds are the brightness. They provide your higher overtones. By purposefully suppressing them with the idea of a “dark” sound, we render them useless. Let music have both darks and brights. Otherwise, we’re listening to a world in monochrome.
3. Brass inflation. As bands have evolved, the number of brass instruments has increased. A modern concert band’s brass section is not larger than most complete bands from the 1700s and first half of the 1800s. Brass are naturally louder than oboes and bassoons, therefore the effectiveness of the double reeds is diminished. This is a composer problem, not a player problem. Constant tutti playing in a band is a sign of bad writing. If everyone is playing, only the loudest voices will be heard. Therefore the loudest is the most important. (This is also a metaphor for politics.) Since everyone wants to be important, everyone plays louder. This feedback loop renders the double reeds pointless. This is also one of the main reasons sarrusophones were developed - a double reed instrument capable of competing with the brass. But music isn’t a competition. We composers should be writing music that highlights everyone - music that has a myriad of colors. Write music that demands the full palette of the band.
