On the other hand, thicker reeds with a size of 4 to 5 are harder and need more skill to sounds, but the tone is a lot bolder. Your reed's strength identifies its density and flexibility. In general, single reeds range from 1. Reed strength also varies between different brands. Because the tone and sound of a reed will differ based on brand and size used, how can you possible know which is the best reed?
Only by exploring different reeds will you will be able to tell which one is best suited to you, your experience and your style. Some musicians prefer Rico reeds as they are more economical; a popular reed among younger players.
Vandoren reeds are also preferred because the higher quality cane, though a bit more expensive, produces a darker more refined tone. Reeds are just like the mouthpieces on brass, or strings on a guitar, its all about personal preference when choosing between different measurements. If you are beginner you can start with a softer, economical reed. Once you gain some experience, venture out to different brands and strengths to find your perfect match. Ultimately, your perfect reed, brand and strength will be the one that is most comfortable and compatible with your reed instrument.
Saxophone reeds are the type of thing that you need to decide for yourself, especially as you develop. Below are a few of the top and most recognizable saxophone reeds.
Rico The Rico reed was the very first one I used. I highly recommend any beginner to use a very soft Rico when starting out. A bad or wrong reed strength can really impede your progress, especially during this beginning stage. Just like the Rico brand, LaVoz has been around for as long as I can remember.
I did use them for a bit but never stayed with them for too long although many guys I know love these reeds and use them. These are the ones I use! Vandoren makes quality reeds. Reed Guards. These are important and come in a variety of styles and brands. These guards are basically just a hard flat surface with a way to firmly hold them down.
As someone who has played on cane reeds for decades, the thought of being able to just pick up a reed and put it on the mouthpiece and have it respond perfectly everyday for months and months seems too good to be true. Fortunately this is a reality now that there are some very good synthetic reeds being made. Synthetic reeds some call them plastic have come a long way in the last few years. Personally, I never could play one till only last year. I truly believe that for a beginner, a good synthetic reed is the way to go.
With inexperience and just starting on the saxophone there are just too many other variable to deal with. So if you can take care of one of the biggest problems we have when it comes to playing sax, by all means do it! We all know natural reeds are made from cane, but what about the synthetic ones? All manufacturers of these reeds are attempting to mimic a cane reed in their products and each of them have their own way of doing this with a variety of materials.
Polymer compounds are used, both natural and synthetic ones. Natural polymers can be made from silk, wool, paper, wood fibers and even natural rubber. Plastic polymers derived from chemical compounds are also used. These types of polymers are not exclusive to the reed industry, they are used in making cars, plastic parts, carpets and many other products we use everyday.
A box of regular cane reeds can have 10 or 20 reeds in it. That in no way means they will all be good. This is one of the problem with traditional reeds. Reed Rush is a natural product that has been around for many decades. This will only work on cane reeds. You can also use fine sand paper to shave down a reed. There is also a tool you can buy called The Reed Geek which also works well on synthetic reeds.
These were not a full synthetic reed, but a regular cane one covered with a thin black plastic coating. The idea was to give it an extra layer of protection and make it last longer. Fiberreed — these are the brand I was attracted to the most and am currently using. There are 4 different reed types from Fiberreed:. Check out the comparison of these reeds in the video below:.
I suppose most of my sound was still there but it just felt weird to play so I never did use it after one day of trying it out. To be fair, this was a few years ago and I know they have more models now which are most likely an improvement over the one I played which is the Studio Cut.
Check out the Legere vs Vandoren cane in the video below:. Forestone — these are newer and I have yet to try them. Bravo — American made as well. These are sold differently than other brands since they come in a box of 5, whereas all the others are sold individually. Bari — I believe this is the same company who makes mouthpieces as well. Had a Bari plastic mouthpiece on my baritone sax many years ago and loved it.
The reeds are much cheaper in price than most other brands and only come in one model. Fibracell — is another top name and comes from the USA. These worked better for me but it was still hit and miss depending on the mouthpiece and even the day. Check out my Fibracell vs Fiberreed comparison video here: Fibracell vs Fiberreed. Johnny: You and I have gone over the reed deal before. I am playing the Onyx now.
S and MS. I did sand the tip of the Soft. Mouthpieces with narrow tip openings usually work better with harder reeds and mouthpieces with wider tip opening work better with softer reeds.
There are several different methods in which to wet a reed. Some players will just soak them in their mouth before playing. Others carry around a small container of water and let their reeds soak in the container before they play. A reed may become warped from drying out too quickly.
A simple remedy to this ailment is to soak the reed in water. If this does fully solve the problem of the reed being warped, soaking the saxophone reed in alcohol has been known to do what water cannot. Another alternative to purchasing natural saxophone reeds is the synthetic saxophone reed. However, there is a general consensus among professional saxophone players that synthetic reeds sound different ie: worse than natural reeds.
One plus of purchasing synthetic saxophone reeds is they will not warp, crack, or wear over time. It is up to you to decide whether you want a better sounding or a longer-lasting reed. One synthetic saxophone reed that sounds close to the cane reed is that Hahn Fibre Reed. With the Hahn Fibre Reed, some players have experienced difficulty playing altissimo and higher notes are flat consistently.
No matter which saxophone reed you choose, be sure to, above all- have fun playing saxophone! My son swears by synthetic reeds for his silver clarinet; I myself only use a synthetic tenor on my xaphoon since the nature of the instrument is to be spontaneously ready to play at the least provocation :. Doron Orenstein June 16, pm. Sounds so much more convenient and enjoyable not to have to worry about finding and maintaining those good reeds.
Anonymous July 23, am. Can someone please tell me why my Alto Saxophone Sax reed keeps on breaking By breaking I mean that parts of it fall down.
Jeremy Holst April 19, am. The tip of the reed is fragile! What you must do is put the opposite side in and avoid touching the thin side aka the tip! Also, curve your bottom lip around your teeth and have the mouthpiece about half an inch in your mouth. Never touch the tip and avoid hitting it on things, so put on the cap whenever you can.
David September 22, pm. It plays easier and more consistently, and is always ready. But it is at the expense of warmth. Have you experimented with different cane reeds for your xaphoon? Which ones produce the warmest, most woody sound? Is yours an ABS or a wood xaphoon? Now that I think about, even though I cannot swap out the mouth piece, I can try a different ligature on my Rico mouthpiece.
The one that is there now is a two-screw, brass ligature. Perhaps a soft ligature would make the tone more mellow. Brad Carman July 19, am. Another thing that helps keep reeds healthy and ready-to-go is an air-tight, moisture-controlled reed case. Rico has a new reed case like this that holds all sizes of reeds, a great bonus for reed doublers.
In the last 6 months my reeds have felt better, lasted longer, and played right out of the case without having to wet them first. Thanks for the Reed Vitalizer product tip. If this makes it easier to use reeds without having to wet them first, I may go back to cane. I like the convenience, playability and accuracy of synthetic, but I prefer the tone of cane. Do you still wet and condition new reeds first, or do you place them right from their original packaging into the Reed Vitalizer case?
I gave up on cane years ago. I found a combination of fibracells and a good beechler bellite do it for me on alto and tenor. I guess the fibracells just work for me and not against me…. Doron Orenstein November 26, pm. Thanks for reminding me about that option! A good one will last for a 6 months to a year. VortexLimited December 10, am. When it finally wore out tonally I had to buy a vandoren until I could find another box of reserves and that thing broke in 3 days.
I learn that vandorens are crap, and now only play on Rico Royal or Reserves. Jason G. May 12, pm. No serious players buy one reed at a time. You can save a lot of money learning how to adjust reeds. Tom Ridenour has some good videos on adjusting reeds. There is also no way a single reed would work well for 14 months unless you hardly ever play.
Good luck. Greg Perry Sr April 20, am. I agree Totally, been playing on them for the past year. The projecting of the sound is unmatched. They have truly been a blessing in disguise for me.. Great website. One question, how do you know when to bin a reed and start with a fresh one? Doron Orenstein February 29, am. Hmm, good question, Keef! Clayton May 27, pm. Once the reeds are cut, they then use a guage to determine what strength the reed is.
The harder it is to move the tip, the harder the reed is. My college teacher used to believe this myth. Second, I dispute the insinuation that harder reeds result in more difficult vibrato, pitch flexibility, and dynamic range. Using myself as an example, I prefer Rico Select Jazz for tenor. I currently play on 4 Softs. When I began studying jazz, I used 2 Mediums.
Those just happened to be the strengths that matched my air at the time. But hard reeds in the hands mouth of somebody capable of wielding them should pose no limitations. In fact, I feel like I have greater flexibility now. Because while I can play as softly as ever, I find that harder reeds allow me to play louder that I could on softer reeds. Those are pretty much the strengths Michael Brecker played on and he was a great altissimo player.
But within your own personal range of reed strengths, harder tends to be better. Which one is better is a choice the player has to make.
Though I play on harder reeds in general, this is not meant to promote harder reeds. If you need to match reeds to mouthpieces, you also needed to match reed strength to whatever suits your air support, control, and embouchure best.
Properly matched, a reed should be able to do what is asked of it regardless of what strength it is.
Doron Orenstein May 30, pm. Those are valid points, and I thank you for taking the time to share your detailed insights on the tips here.
Larry Weintraub September 30, pm. The fibracells do work but overall I prefer a good ole Rico reed 2. Plus I have found that Rico reeds are consistent than vandoren reeds box to box. Remember all the great Jazz players played Rico reeds.
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