Clarinet and saxophone players know that reeds are expensive! So, it makes sense to have an easy system for reed maintenance to increase the life of our reeds. With my young students, I think it is important to keep these steps simple. More experienced students will want to be involved with improving their reeds and may want to purchase reed tools such as a reed knife, reed clipper and so on. But for younger students, as well as very busy adult students, I recommend a simple process. Here are some key points to keep in mind: Don’t wait until you are out of reeds to buy new ones. When you are down to the last few playable reeds, it is time to get new ones! Determine what strength reed works best with your particular mouthpiece and facing. A very general recommendation is to use a medium strength reed with a medium facing. Some reed makers, such as La Voz, specify reed strengths with wording, such as soft, medium, and hard. Other manufacturers, such as Rico or Vandoren use a number system. 1 being the softest, or least resistant. 5 is the hardest or most resistant. But alas, not …
