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how saxophone reeds are made ?

Updated: Mar 8, 2021

Saxophone reeds can be expensive,unless you choose an artificial reed. Cane reeds are made up of natural products (incidentally they're not wood, the things they're made up of is really a grass) and most manufacturers seem to come short when it involves internal control .



Interesting Facts About Saxophone Reeds by Jimmy Sax Black


1. The differences between the brands isn't as big as you would possibly think.


One of the primary things to think about when purchasing a saxophone reed is which brand to shop for . Every saxophone player has their personal favorite, but in terms of sound quality, the differences between the brands are minimal. Personally, I started with Vandoren reeds and have always come to them as a private choice. However, I even have had success with Rico and Vandoren reeds. Rico and Vandoren reeds are a touch bit costlier but they are doing have quite good percentage of fantastic reeds per box.



2. There are ways of predicting which reeds will play best.


Saxophone reeds became quite pricy so it’s important to understand what to shop for before you create a sale . Some music stores won't allow you to pore over reed boxes to seek out the simplest reeds, but if they allow you to , there are a couple of signs of a nasty reed which you ought to remember of:


Discoloration of the grain

One side is thicker or thinner than the opposite (look at the blunt end, not the tip)

Fluctuating widths of grain

Rougher than normal grain on the cut side of the reed


3. Playing on hard reeds doesn't cause you to a more advanced player.


A common misconception about saxophone reeds is that the softer reed you play on, the less experienced you're playing the saxophone. the reality about saxophone reed thickness is that the upper you ascend in thickness, the better it becomes to play altissimo notes and play loudly. However, harder reeds can make twiddling with vibrato and note bending remarkably difficult.

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Working with softer reeds has helped many professional saxophone players with developing a far better embouchure plus overall range and dynamic adaptability.


4. an honest reed cannot play to its full potential if it’s not properly matched to the mouthpiece.


The best saxophone instructor I even have had taught me a crucial , and commonly overlooked, fact: an honest reed cannot play also to its full potential if it's not an honest fit with the mouthpiece. Mouthpieces with narrow tip openings usually work better with harder reeds and mouthpieces with wider tip opening work better with softer reeds.


5. Saxophone reeds play better when wet.


There are several different methods during which to wet a reed. Some players will just soak them in their mouth before playing. Others carry around alittle container of water and let their reeds soak within the container before they play. A reed may become warped from drying out too quickly. an easy remedy to the present ailment is to soak the reed in water. If this does fully solve the matter of the reed being warped, soaking the saxophone reed in alcohol has been known to try to to what water cannot.


6. If all else fails, an artificial reed could also be the simplest solution.


Another alternative to buying natural saxophone reeds is that the synthetic saxophone reed. However, there's a general consensus among professional saxophone players that synthetic reeds sound different (ie: worse) than natural reeds. One plus of buying synthetic saxophone reeds is that they won't warp, crack, or wear over time. it's up to you to make a decision whether you


would like a far better sounding or a longer-lasting reed.



One synthetic saxophone reed

that sounds on the brink of the giant cane is that Hahn Fibre Reed. With the Hahn Fibre Reed, some players have experienced difficulty playing altissimo and better notes are flat consistently.


No matter which saxophone reed you select , make certain to, above all- celebrate playing saxophone!


Jimmy Sax Black








23 views1 comment

1 Yorum


samael senja
samael senja
08 Mar 2021

Really interesting, Thanks Jimmy.

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