Reeds Choosing Your Reed

[Veggie Dave]

Yeah, I know, another bloody newbie with another reed question. 😉

As I don't have the bank balance to try every single manufacturer and ever single grade, and everything I buy has to be bought online as there are no music shops near me, which, bizarrely, isn't very convenient, I have to choose what to try next using what I know at the moment and what I think I want out of a reed. My previous experience is that, irrespective of the instrument, you know the basic sound you're after, so you can make an informed, if general, choice on what strings / drum heads etc, to get and then tweak that decision over time. I see no reason for reeds to be any different, so...

At the moment I use Vandoren Traditional Grade 2 reeds but I find that I prefer the reed when it's absolutely brand new, straight out of the packet. Alors, would I be correct in assuming that a 2.5 or even 3 will probably give me that same feeling after they've been played for a while and keep that feeling for the playing life of the reed?

 

[kevgermany]

Unless it's wildly out, don't change reed strengths by more than half a step at a time.

Reeds soften as you play - one from moisture build up/inadequate pre play soaking, and as they wear/age. If they become playable after drying them for a while, then they're probably too soft and inadequately soaked before you play.

In general, pick a reed that you can get the full range of the sax with - if you go too hard, you'll struggle with the low notes, too soft and the high notes will be difficult. With time you'll find that you learn to control softer reeds better.

But reed strength isn't a macho/image thing - it's a matter of finding what suits you/your mouthpiece best.

In general harder reeds give a better/cleaner sound.

If you're changing reed type, be aware that the traditional Vandoren (in the dark blue pack) are about half a strength harder than other reeds. So if you want to change reed brand/type, consider a 2.5 the equivalent of the 2 you're playing now. There are online reed charts, well worth checking them out.

 

[ProfJames]

There are also synthetic reeds such as Legere, Plasticover, Forestone. Cost more, last longer but not everyone likes them.

 

[Veggie Dave]

The thing I really like about the brand new reed is how responsive it is. It has a nice, aggressive attack, that's pretty bright but full of tone. I seem to find the lower register is easier to play, too.

I've just changed my mp from the Bari that came with the JT Classic to a Yamaha 7C and that's made a huge, positive difference to my playing and the sound I produce. I seem to have quite an aggressive style and certainly prefer the more percussive side of saxophone playing, so I'm thinking of trying the Vandoren V16s at 2.5.

While I'm finding my love for playing grows a little bit more every day, and that I know where I want my playing to head and how it should sound when I get there, I haven't got the experience to know what little changes are required to achieve what I hear in my head - at least when it comes to the mechanics of the saxophone - and that's a wee bit frustrating. 😉

As for synthetic reeds, what I want to do is get a set-up I really like and then try to replicate it with a synthetic reed. At the moment I think experimenting with synthetic reeds, particularly given my lack of experience, would prove to be rather expensive.

 

[ProfJames]

Have you asked your teacher for advice?

 

[Veggie Dave]

I don't have a teacher nor a local music shop that sells saxes.

 

[ProfJames]

Would strongly recommend that you get one! Short cuts everything, accelerates learning, stops bad habits and so much more!

 

[Veggie Dave]

That would be nice, or friends who lived locally that played, but at the moment I simply don't have the time to be able to travel to a teacher, so I have to rely on my experience from playing other instruments and the lovely people on here for advice.

Up to now I have to say I'm more than happy with how it's going. Perhaps I could improve quicker but I'm in no rush. 🙂

 

[ProfJames]

How about on-line lessons? Or have you bought Taming the Saxophone?

 

[Veggie Dave]

I never thought of online lessons!

I have bought John O'Neill's Jazz Method for Saxophone, after reading all the comments on here, read and watched everything Pete's put online (that I can find, anyway) and I spend a lot of time researching the questions I have. Sometimes the amalgamation of the info online leads to a fairly black and white conclusion, but sometimes it doesn't or the answer is down to far more than simple tech specs. and that's usually when I ask on here.

Although sometimes you just weigh the odds and go for it - such as the Yamaha 7C, which has turned out to be one of my better ideas.

 

[ProfJames]

Still no substitute for a tutor but I can understand. Would strongly recommend Taming the Saxophone. Two reasons, firstly it is very very good! Secondly, a lot of the experienced players on here can relate to it so there will be common ground when asking questions.

 

[altissimo]

Howarths sell single sax reeds, so you could get a few different makes to try without having to buy whole boxes of them - a Rico Plasticover may last a bit longer.
I used to like Vandoren Java 2.5 for their response and liveliness, but I've defected to synthetic reeds now. The main problem with synthetic reeds is that the strengths don't match cane reeds and the online reed comparison charts don't always agree with my own experience
http://www.doctorsax.biz/reed_comp.htm
http://www.saxophon-service.de/shop/z_57.htm

in general, I've found that trying to get the 'magic reed' is impossible and it's a matter of learning to cope with whatever you've got (as long as it's not too hard or soft for your mouthpiece).
The sound that comes out of your instrument will always sound like you, no matter what reed you use. I've recorded my sax with brand new reeds and knackered old ones and there's no noticeable difference in the sound. What the player experiences up close and what an audience or microphone can hear from a few feet away are different things. The tiny little details we fuss about aren't apparent to anyone else.
When I started playing clarinet and sax I was aware of all the reed neurosis that sax players suffered from and was determined not to be afflicted, so I bought 2 or three reeds at a time and learned to play with whatever I had. Most reeds are playable and I've yet to find a brand of reed that's significantly better than the others.
Suffice to say I'm not one of those fussy buggers who only gets 3 or 4 useable reeds out of a box of 20 - I've never actually bought an entire box of reeds in my life 🙂

 

[Veggie Dave]

I think we share the same basic attitude. I, too, just want a basic set-up that allows me to get on with playing. Rather than looking for a reed to change how I sound, I'm just looking for one that will mean I sound more like me with less effort, if that makes sense.

 

[Colin the Bear]

You'll be looking for a decent set up all your saxophone career. I thought I was sorted on alto till I found something better.

You'll get as many opinions on reeds as there are players and these opinions may change over time.

There are two different basic cuts with reeds. French filed and American cut to suit French lay mouthpieces and American lay mouthpieces. At a later stage you may decide to play an american lay with a french cut reed but it makes more sense to stick to basics when starting the search. I believe the Yamaha has an american lay so I'd be looking at rico orange, Vandoren Juno etc.

Wider tip needs a softer reed but some players use a hard reed on a wide tip mouthpiece.

Read up on adjusting reeds. Many players sand, scrape, clip, polish, soak, swear at.........

I wouldn't be without a clipper. A reed that plays great and suddenly fades can sometimes be resurrected by clipping off 0.25mm and giving it a new edge/tip and a new life. Both very short.

The same brand you've been getting on with for months may suddenly be useless. Reeds grow. Weather affects them while they're growing, while they're being cut and while they're being stored.

There's a reason why there's so much choice

Your chops are also continually changing.

I have currently in my alto case three different makes in three different strengths. I also play baritone tenor sop and clarinet.

Used reeds can become a fire hazard and should be cleared out regualrly.

Accepted wisdom states that 4 hours practice daily for several years improves the perceived quality of any reed.

 

[altissimo]

French filed and American cut to suit French lay mouthpieces and American lay mouthpieces

I've never understood this idea, or where it came from - there's no standardisation of French or American mouthpieces - Selmer, Vandoren, Lebayle, Francois Louis and Brancher mouthpieces have a variety of facing curves and facing lengths between them, with little in common in their design and the bewildering array of mouthpieces from America covers such a wide range of sizes and facings that the chances that one cut of reed will suit them all is pretty unlikely.
I've got a Vandoren clarinet mouthpiece that plays well with any other brand of reed except Vandoren, but I've never found any correlation between the nationality of the mouthpiece and the reeds that play well on it.
All reeds are basically crap you just have to put up with them. Given enough practice, just about anything will work - and if it doesn't you can always get out the sandpaper

 

[Colin the Bear]

I got the information from an article I read on clarinet mouthpieces and reeds. I can't seem to find the article which was on one of the woodwind retailers sites, although I have posted a link on the cafe before. As far as I remember it discussed the different shape of the lay. I have found it very useful as a reference point when trying new mouthpieces. The D'Addario pass around is a case in point. From my perspective they were stuffy and unresponsive with a french cut reed and preferred an american cut reed. The change was profound and revealed a very nice piece.

Try it for yourself. A French filed reed on a Selmer and an American cut on a Link.

I'm sure there are hybrid pieces that fit in neither camp and to which this approach is irrelevant.

Where we end up has little to do with where we start from but the affect on the length of the journey may be considerable.

 

[Targa]

.

Reeds grow

Save money. Buy sopranos and wait.