reed size ?

[1954pip]

i when do you know if you need to change size of reed, been playing since august last year
the tone seems tohave changed fromthe honking i used to made and seems quite rich, going to need some reeds so wondered how you know when to goup a size .
pip

 

[Andrew Sanders]

Hiya Pip
It might be good to tell us what mouthpiece and reed size you are using at present.
You could be using a piece that you can fit your head in and a lolly stick.
Andrew

 

[kevgermany]

If it works for you, don't change.

However a good yardstick is that softer reeds don't work as well for high notes, while harder reeds make the lower notes difficult.

Something else to think about is that the different reed cuts make a big difference to sound.

And while strengths are usually similar within a maker, going from one maker to another there's often a difference in strength. Vandorens are slightly harder than Ricos, for instance. I recently switched from Rico Rayal to Rico Jazz Select Filed. Huge improvement in the sound. There are reed strength comparison charts on line, good idea to check these if you're thinking of switching.

And remember what works for one person may not work for you.

 

[1954pip]

oops i should have put that in before andrew yamaha 4 c rico 2 .
also how would you know when to change size of mouth piece.

 

[zootsaxenberger]

as Kev, said if you are getting the kind of sound and tonal response that you want, don't change either your reed size or your mouthpiece.
i have found in the past that i have (as have many sax players) been seduced by the latest new mouthpiece, or felt that i should try different reeds only to find that after a while i returned to the setup that had worked perfectly well for ages.
"if it aint broke dont fix it"