(RFC= Request for Comments)
There are many discussions here on the café of the different reeds, i.e., cane, synthetics, Plasticover,... and plenty on moving to a higher strength or choosing the brand, or strength (which varies with each reed manufacturer, obviously). What I would like to know is your experiences on reed care and reed life, specifically cane reeds.
I'd like to know your takes on
- how long a cane reed typically lasts for you
- what you do with it during a practice or performance day
- what you do overnight or between practice days
- how to see if a reed is in bad shape by looking at it
My experience is this. I usually leave the reed in over a few hours if I put the sax on a stand, but always try to remember to remove it, even if I leave the sax in the stand rather than the case, overnight I gently wipe the excess "moisture" off with my thumb and forefinger, and put the reed back in the plastic thing it came in (Vandorens). Often a reed will feel like it is going soft after two hours of practice, but sometimes it just moved a tiny bit to one side on the mouthpiece. I find that alignment very sensitive to the sound. I've heard from a famous player that some people actually place the reed to one side to get their signature sound!
Examining the reed, if it isn't straight, that is, if it looks like a slight ruffle in it at the tip, it's dead, right? Is there some agreed upon way, like putting it flat on a surface?
And finally, what if 90% of my questions about a reed feeling right when you play it are psychological?
Any input appreciated!
There are many discussions here on the café of the different reeds, i.e., cane, synthetics, Plasticover,... and plenty on moving to a higher strength or choosing the brand, or strength (which varies with each reed manufacturer, obviously). What I would like to know is your experiences on reed care and reed life, specifically cane reeds.
I'd like to know your takes on
- how long a cane reed typically lasts for you
- what you do with it during a practice or performance day
- what you do overnight or between practice days
- how to see if a reed is in bad shape by looking at it
My experience is this. I usually leave the reed in over a few hours if I put the sax on a stand, but always try to remember to remove it, even if I leave the sax in the stand rather than the case, overnight I gently wipe the excess "moisture" off with my thumb and forefinger, and put the reed back in the plastic thing it came in (Vandorens). Often a reed will feel like it is going soft after two hours of practice, but sometimes it just moved a tiny bit to one side on the mouthpiece. I find that alignment very sensitive to the sound. I've heard from a famous player that some people actually place the reed to one side to get their signature sound!
Examining the reed, if it isn't straight, that is, if it looks like a slight ruffle in it at the tip, it's dead, right? Is there some agreed upon way, like putting it flat on a surface?
And finally, what if 90% of my questions about a reed feeling right when you play it are psychological?
Any input appreciated!