Learning to scrape...

..it's time to write something about reeds, or at least about learning how to make reeds.  I did have a bit of a dabble with this on my own, from a book last year.  I didn't do very well and didn't make anything that could make a noise.  In my last lesson before Easter my teacher started some reedmaking with me.  We focussed mainly on tying on but got on to the principles of scraping them.  She has a profiler so was able to start off a couple for me at least.  I've been doing a bit more over Easter.   One of the reeds she profiled I managed to get to the point of playing!  My first ever reed which actually plays in the instrumnet and even plays in tune!  But that was obviously a fluke.  I have tied a on a few more and got most of them to the point of making a sound - without the instrument but they don't play.  A couple do seem to play if I apply some lateral pressure at the sides...this seems to be a recurring fault so something to ask about at my next lesson.  It has been said that you need to make, or attempt to make,  at least 1000 reeds before you even begin to feel like you know what you are doing so this is the first step on a long journey. So 15 down, 985 to go.