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 all reeds are made the same! A strength 3 reed made by Rico is much weaker than a strength 3 reed made by Vandoren. Also, keep in mind that all reeds in the same box are not going to respond and sound exactly the same. And finally, your reed choice greatly depends on your mouthpiece and its facing, as well as your embouchure. So, it is somewhat of a trial and error process. A private instructor or band director can help you with suggestions of reeds for your playing set up.
- Use the best quality reeds you can afford. It’s common for beginners on clarinet and saxophone to start on Rico reeds or another inexpensive brand. But I would recommend moving to a better quality reed as soon as embouchure and air develop. There are many brands of reeds, but in general, Vandoren presents a high-quality reed with many options in strengths and types.
Break reeds in gradually.
A new reed is like a sponge absorbing moisture. So, a long practice session (over 10 minutes) on a new reed is going to “kill” that reed much sooner. Maybe even at the end of one session. Here are simple steps for breaking in or conditioning your reeds for longer playing sessions:
- Ideally, a new reed should only be played on for one minute on the first three days.
- Gently squeeze the moisture from the tip of the reed, taking care not to damage the tip or flex it.
- Place the reed on a flat surface and rub the reed from the cut towards the tip. Then place it in a reed guard or reed case. (If you must put it back on the mouthpiece to store it, hand wipe the reed first. Then wipe out and dry the mouthpiece well. Place the reed on the mouthpiece set somewhat lower than normal. Put the ligature on so the reed holds in place, but not overly tight. Then, be sure to place the mouthpiece cap on. Then put it in a plastic Ziploc or another sealable bag.)
- On the fourth day, you can begin to increase practice time by 60 seconds each day. After a week or two weeks, you will be able to practice for longer periods on the reed.
Rotate your reeds!
For each practice session or rehearsal, change your reed. Number the reeds to help keep track of the rotation. You can write on the front of the reed – where the uncut bark is – with a pencil or marker without damaging the reed. Or, write on the back. It can also be good to notate which of your reeds are problematic or very responsive, so you use the best reed for a given situation. Take those problematic reeds to your lesson and get some help adjusting them. I recommend rotating at least four reeds.
Avoid subjecting your reeds to extreme changes in temperature and humidity.
This is why it is good to keep the reeds in a sealed plastic bag. If the weather is humid, no need to add a humidifier. But, if the climate is rather dry, I recommend adding a humidifier. That can be as simple as an orange peel, or a small piece of sponge that is moistened lightly.
Keep the reeds in a reed case or a reed guard.
Reed cases that hold 5-10 reeds are ideal. The main benefit to reed guards and reed cases is to prevent damage to the tip of the reed. Loose reeds rattling around in your case are not going to last long! Once the tip of the reed is chipped it is usually finished. The old school method of reed storage is to keep reeds on a small piece of glass (c. 4” x 6”) with heavy rubber bands wrapped around the glass to hold the reeds flat. Then that glass is placed in a Ziploc type bag or a plastic sandwich box. Some affordable reed storage options include:
These are all relatively simple suggestions and certainly worth doing.
For more advanced reed maintenance, here are a few ideas:
- Soak reeds in a solution of 3% hydrogen peroxide for 10 minutes then rinse thoroughly.
- Sand the back or use a tool like Reed Geek to flatten the back and ensure a seal, even as the reed gets older and more warped
- Polish the back of the reed by rubbing it on paper – like sheet music, not a newspaper.
- According to Tom Ridenour, who developed the ATG system for finishing reeds, having a balanced reed will extend its life.
If this is a topic you have researched, you may find that there are a few different theories. For a quick overview of some of these ideas, here is a short paper by Timothy Nunnink that summarizes the main points from books and articles by Larry Teal, Ray Reed, David Liebman, Kalman Opperman, and Paul Berler.
The reed is essential to tone quality and the time it takes to maintain your reeds is worth the effort if you are to have playable reeds at hand!
Currently, I am learning to use the ATG reed system and will write a review of it in another post.
Keep music in your hearts and reeds in rotation!
Susan