What Reed Should I Use?
Strength
Reed strength is measured in numbers in half measurements from 1 up to 5. The thickness or strength of the reed in relation to the air strength of the player will affect the tone quality produced. Beginners will start on a soft reed usually a 1½. This will result in easy production of sound. As the upper range is included students may need to move up in strength to produce a strong supported sound in the upper register of the clarinet or saxophone.
Brands
All brands will vary slightly in their strength and quality. Beginners will often break reeds as they learn how to take care and it is recommended at this stage that there will be no difference in the reeds. To start off it does not matter if the student uses the cheaper brands. As the student progresses they should be encouraged to try different brands of reed and decide which brand they prefer. Each musician will prefer different reeds, it will depend on the individual.
Maintenance
When a new reed has been bought there are steps which can be taken to ensure the quality of the reed and its life span last longer. First soak the reed in room temperature water for about 5 minutes. Once it has been soaked remove it and wipe away excess liquid. Place the reed on a flat surface with the flat on the reed facing down on the surface. Place the pad of the thumb on the thick of the reed and run toward the tip. Repeat this step a 3 or 4 times. This seals the grain of the reed preventing it from becoming water logged as you play.
After playing take the reed off the instrument wiping excess moisture off before storing in a reed case. Always have 3 or 4 reeds that you are happy with and alternate the use.
written by Gemma Lee from www.shinemusic.com.au teachers of piano, saxophone, violin, singing, drums, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, flute and clarinet
- Related Videos
- Related Articles
- Ask / Related Q&A




Live Music in Austin: Where and when to go
By: Joe Cline | 31/12/2009Austin, Texas is well known for its music. In fact, Austin is considered to be the "live music capital of the world." Austin is host to the famous Austin City Limits festival and South by Southwest festival, just to name a few of the local music events. If you've never experienced Austin's jam packed music scene and you're not sure where to start, here are a few places to try. No matter what your music taste is, Austin has something to offer for everyone. 1. Antone's Antone's is one of the bes
Best Sellers Music : Rejuvenate your Senses By getting it Online
By: Adam Jaylin | 31/12/2009Music enchants our senses and takes us out of the fatigue. It is probably the biggest stress buster in this world. Any person can get compelled on tapping his feet on Music Beats. But isn't it great to find your favorite music number online. Best Seller Music is one of the most demanded items on Internet these days.
Are You A 420 Shirt Wearing Pothead Into Stoner Rock Thats Proud To Be A Stoner?
By: Dusty Vinyl | 31/12/2009What 420 shirts do potheads wear while listening to stoner rock? Some wear band shirts and others wear funny 420 parody designs that mock corporate logos and other well known pop culture icons. These let people know your proud to be a stoner.
Effect Of Telugu Songs in Tollywood Film Industry
By: Radha Krishna Reddy | 31/12/2009Telugu Songs are very important in dragging audience attraction towards a particular film. In the olden days, the songs has no enough importance in the success of a film. They were treated as a normal factor along with other crafts. Even, there is no sound recordings. They used to record sounds at the shooting location itself. Later on, the opinion changed in the mind of the people. The music was given importance by treating it as a separate and important craft.
Acoustic Guitar Lessons Online - Learning at Your Own Pace
By: Dean James | 31/12/2009Instruction on how to play the guitar with acoustic guitar lessons online for any kind of music and genre
Country Guitar Lessons - Learn to Play Acoustic or Electric Online
By: Dean James | 31/12/2009Taking country guitar lessons and learn to play acoustic or electric starting with the basics
Jamorama Review - "Learn Guitar Online" Course
By: Leana Style | 31/12/2009Have you heard of the "learn guitar online" course called Jamorama? Even though I know how to play the guitar, I had never played it seriously and tried to improve my skills before even though I have been playing it for many years.
Beginner Rhythm Guitar Lessons - Easily Mastering The Basic Elements
By: Dean James | 31/12/2009Taking beginner rhythm guitar lessons to master the basic elements for guitar playing excellence you can transfer to other genres
What are Ameb Exams?
By: Shine Music | 27/09/2007 | MusicExam time, the stress, the tension, the hours and hours of practice. Then the day comes, it is your turn to enter the exam room. You play your set pieces; you fly through your technique. The aural tests and sight reading are easier than you thought they would be. What’s left? The general knowledge section, it’s the section that seems to elude many students. The questions they ask are easy! It’s over, you wait for the envelope marked “to the teacher” it holds your exam mark in it. How did you do
Does Practice Make Perfect?
By: Shine Music | 27/09/2007 | MusicDOES PRACTICE MAKE PERFECT? ‘Practice makes perfect’-we’ve all heard the cliché, and on the face of it, it seems to make perfect sense. If I practice juggling, I’ll be the perfect juggler. If I practice guitar, I’ll play guitar perfectly. If I practice driving, I’ll drive to perfection. But just because every teacher who has ever walked the earth has passed it on to their students, does that make it true?
List of Musical Terminology
By: Shine Music | 27/09/2007 | MusicAll basic music terminology
How to Maintain your Voice
By: Shine Music | 27/09/2007 | MusicVocal production is a physical experience and an effective warm-up is essential for optimal performance.Don’t Abuse Your Voice. If It Feels Bad, Don’t Do It!
What Reed Should I Use?
By: Shine Music | 27/09/2007 | MusicEverything you need to know about choosing a reed and maintaining it.
What Do Pedals on a Piano Do?
By: Shine Music | 27/09/2007 | MusicWhat do pedals on a piano do? The three pedals that have become more or less standard on the modern piano are the following. From left to right: una corda, sostenuto and damper.