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The Reed Cane Tube Reed cane, Arundo donax L. is found throughout the Middle East In the United States it grows abundantly in the West and Southwest, large stands being found in the Central Valley of California, along the highways of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, especially near roadside ditches. It is impossible to mistake the plant, since it is invariably the tallest cane plant around. In Spring and Summer the plant is bright green, while in Winter it turns a dull brown. A variation, Arundo donax variegata, is identical except for beautiful white‑and‑green‑striped leaves. It is far less common and somewhat less hardy, though this variety is valuable for making a ney.
The cane stalk grows rapidly, often reaching its maximum height of over twelve feet in a single season. Subsequently there is little change in appearance, but with each year the cane loses some of its moisture and becomes harder, with a corresponding change in color from green to tan.
After five years or so, depending upon environmental conditions, the cane stalk turns brown and dies. At this point, the waxy skin of the cane starts to be rubbed off by other cane stalks swaying in the wind, rendering the piece useless for instrument making. It is important to note that each year, while alive, the moisture content of the stalk is reduced. A one‑year‑old cane has so much moisture in it that it will shrink and wrinkle when cut. There is no easy way to tell how old a stalk is while it is still alive, so there is always the likelihood of a piece shrinking.
Cane field owners put colored ribbons around the stalks to denote their age, and cut the stalk at three or four years of age, the moisture content being reduced enough so the cane may be processed reliably. This same plant is used for the reeds of woodwind instruments, such as the clarinet or saxophone.
A closer look at the reed stalk (see Figure 1) reveals a node and segment structure. The segments are sealed by fairly thin, weak membranes. These are knocked out when making the instrument, but on no account is the tube widened to provide a uniform bore. The contractions of the bore at each node are essential to the ney for tuning and for tonal quality. Next: The Reed Cane Tube, continued |
