Can you play a clarinet without a reed?
Your clarinet will not work without a reed. The clarinet is a reed instrument along with the saxophone, bassoon and oboe. The reed enables the air to travel through the clarinet and enable the vibration of air to produce a sound.
What is the best saxophone reed?
Best Sellers in Saxophone Reeds
- #1.
- Vandoren SR2115 Alto Sax Traditional Reeds Strength 1.5; Box of 10.
- Glory Reeds Alto Saxophone Reed Size# 2, Box of 10- size 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3 ~Click for yours’choice.
- Royal by D’Addario RJB1010 Alto Sax Reeds, Strength 1.0, 10-pack.
- Rico by D’Addario Tenor Sax Reeds, Strength 1.5, 10-pack.
Do saxophone reeds go bad?
The reed will certainly wear out and will typically last no longer than a month. Most saxophonists and other reed musicians will cycle through their reeds, so that they do not use the same reed every time they play.
How do you attach a reed to a mouthpiece?
Follow these simple steps;
- Remove the reed from its protective packaging. Place the flat side of the reed against the flat side of the mouthpiece.
- Apply minimal pressure to the tip of the reed.
- Place ligature over the top with the screws facing towards you and tighten evenly to secure the reed in the correct position.
How do you fix a warped Reed?
Take the dry and warped reed and pop it in a glass off water for a couple of minutes (or your mouth as long as it gets a good soak). When you remove the reed it should be warp free. If not then just place it on a flat surface (I sometimes use the mouthpiece) and apply some pressure with your thumb, don’t be to rough.
What strength of Reed should I use?
Reed strengths can vary between manufacturers. (For example, a Rico 2 is more flexible than a Vandoren 2.) Most teachers recommend that a first-year musician use a 2 or 2.5 (soft or medium soft) reed. Anything stiffer may make it difficult to produce a sound while anything more flexible may produce a weak sound.
How do you prepare a clarinet reed for playing?
As a sponge doesn’t work well when it is dry, most reeds are of little value before you soak them. Soak your reeds in plain tap water before each use. This is preferable to holding them in your mouth to get them wet. There is a lot of protein in reed cane.
How do you keep reeds from getting moldy in clarinet?
If mold does grow, you might as well through the reeds away because they are already damaged. Since the spores can be spread, you might as well soak your mouthpiece and reed case in a super dilluted chlorine water solution. That will kill the spores and will also prevent spores from spreading to other reeds.
When should I change my clarinet reed?
Re: When to replace a clarinet reed? Also, if the reed starts to get little chips or cracks in the top, it’s time to replace it. If you are careful with them, they will generally have a good life of about two months, depending on how many you have in rotation.
How do you break in a new clarinet reed?
Don’t soak it thoroughly – just treat it like any other reed that you’d play on. Use your warm up to break in reeds. Long tones are an especially good time to do this, since you’re focusing on good air support and embouchure. This will let you hear and feel what a reed is capable of.
What key does English horn play in?
English horn, French cor anglais, German Englischhorn, orchestral woodwind instrument, a large oboe pitched a fifth below the ordinary oboe, with a bulbous bell and, at the top end, a bent metal crook on which the double reed is placed. It is pitched in F, being written a fifth higher than it sounds.
How can I make my reed sound better?
If the reed is too soft or if the sound is too edgy, move the tip of the reed up slightly and then move the ligature down a little bit. This makes the reed more resistant to the vibration, which should give you the sound you want.
Can a clarinet reed be too wet?
Reeds can’t get too wet. They’re in your mouth. They’re going to get wet no matter what you do.
What holds a reed in place?
ligature
How do you break in a new reed fast?
Here is my step-by-step process for breaking in new reeds:
- Wet the reed well, either in your mouth or in a glass of water.
- Play the reed for no more than one minute.
- Allow the reed to dry completely in some sort of a reed storage container.
- Repeat step number 2, increasing the playing time to two minutes.
What size Reed is best for alto sax?
Most beginners start by using La Voz or Rico reeds, because they are the cheapest brands. A size 2 reed is a great place to start for a beginner. Play on it for a while before switching to a 2.5, unless it feels entirely too soft, then 2.5 is okay. Size 3 is definitely too hard for a beginner though.
Why are reeds so expensive?
So yes, reeds are expensive to buy. But clearly, they’re also very expensive to produce. The process takes years, AND it requires large amounts of land located in a very expensive part of the world. It’s labor intensive and Employees in France actually cost a fortune.
What size Reed should I use for clarinet?
Beginners should start at a 1.5 or 2 and gradually work their way up to a harder reed. In some cases, clarinet reed manufacturers use “soft”, “medium”, and “hard” to label the hardness of their reeds.
How long should a saxophone reed last?
two weeks
Are plastic reeds better than wood reeds?
Synthetic reeds lack the ‘great’ response you find in those few great cane reeds, but also lack the throw away need. Synthetic reeds are consistent. They don’t sound bad when you get off a plane in a new area that is different from your hometown, and they last much longer than cane reeds.
How long should you soak a clarinet reed?
1-2 minutes
Do synthetic reeds need to be wet?
There is no need to moisten a Légère reed, it will play like a pre-moistened cane reed directly from the box.