It can be confusing, but its a great idea to try a few different brands. There are specific reeds designed to meet these requirements. by Matthew | Oct 1, 2018 | How To Play The Saxophone | 2 comments. Extremely versatile, good value for money, Free-blowing, played by many top jazz, funk and R&B players. (Primarily Boehm vs Deutsche, but the Deutsche come in two tenon sizes). For example, to achieve a deeper, dark tone, many players choose a mouthpiece with a large tip opening and a thick reed. This is sometimes a concern, so, recently, convenient resin reeds that are easy to maintain and last a long time have appeared. The thickness of the reed will affect the tone and how easy or difficult the instrument is to play. To me, it is the LIP STRENGTH that decides the reed match for the player. FREE Ultimate Saxophone Toolkit If you have any questions about saxophone reeds, please let me know in the comments below. In general, a thinner reed, say 2 or 2.5, will have a brighter tone. Questions or comments? you, especially if you are a saxophone beginner. Our product catalog varies by country due to manufacturer We would recommend Rico as the best reeds for beginners because they are cut from the most flexible grade of cane and are very thin. And its often down to their reed choice. It can be confusing, but its a great idea to try a few different brands. With the higher notes, it can come down to lip / embouchure strength and control, as opposed to reed strength. Alto Sax Fingering Chart: A Beginners Guide, Best Alto Sax Mouthpiece Upgrade for Beginners, McGill Music Sax School. Thus, there are many different opinions about mouthpiece and reed combinations, and there is an infinite number of combinations. I hope this helps you choose the best beginner saxophone reed for you! and they dont change over the life of the reed unlike cane reeds. Instagram https://www.instagram.com/howtoplaythesax/ sound on their saxophone. . Here are Taylor from Canada is our Student of the Week! Not every brand uses these numbers to show the strengths, some use soft, medium and hard instead. tenor, baritone or alto), then look at the brand (ie. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window). Have Fun. A harder reed, in general, might be worth experimenting with if you find yourself in a situation where volume and oomph are required. lots of different strengths and brands of reed to find the one that suits you. Youll probably find that you move onto the next size up pretty quickly, but a 1.5 is the best beginner reed. Its a synthetic reed that avoids all the unpleasantness associated with cane and sounds pretty good. Even if the mouthpiece is a little too loose or too tight, the cork can be easily shaved or replaced, so you can choose any mouthpiece you like. Many different reed variations are available, with each having a strength marked by a number, 2 to 5 in half steps, with 5 being the hardest for Rico and 2 being the softest. These are all signs that its time to switch to a slightly harder, Struggling to get the high notes, or palm, A breathy, airy sound because air is escaping around the mouthpiece. My first mouthpiece was a Yamaha 4c which is a great mouthpiece to start on. JavaScript is disabled. And, just like shoes, size 2 in one brand or style does not translate exactly into what is called size 2 of another brand or style. Most reeds are made of cane they are actually made of a piece of shaped wooden reed. To make the reed longer lasting, you should handle it delicately and dry it gently every time after playing it. The so-called reed is one of the most important pieces of woodwinds just like the clarinet or the saxophone. It may not display this or other websites correctly. If you play a much stronger reed, it takes a massive amount of control to maintain your tone and sound on your saxophone. However, until you get to that point it might be worth buying in smaller quantities (some brands offer boxes of five, or you could buy a few individual reeds), although reeds can vary noticeably, even within a box, so you should try a few of each type before making a decision either way. Learn more about the Jazzfuel affiliate policy, this list of 10 essential saxophone accessories, The Saxophone Reed What You Need To Know, Royal by D'Addario Tenor Sax Reeds, Strength 4, 10-pack, Steve Coleman, Walter Smith III and Tia Fuller, Medium-thick heart which is more than JAVA but less than Traditional, Thicker tip than the traditional Vandoren reeds and has a longer palette, Produces a more brilliant and percussive sound. Dispensing with the usual numbering system, they have an unusual strength grading: soft, medium soft, medium, medium hard and hard. In comparison to the Java, this is intended to offer a richer, darker sound, whilst still offering the projection and zip required for the style; this is marketed as the perfect all-round jazz reed, ideal for both small group playing and section work. Cane reeds are a great choice for beginner players. However, more advanced players can play the more difficult-to-play combinations, and so they can choose the combination of mouthpiece and reed to achieve a particular sound. Grab it. A cane reed might last between one and two weeks, although this will depend on various factors, including how frequently it is played. I never had knowledge of sax players replacing their sax reed every two to four weeks. This typically gives the player a brighter sound, which might be more appropriate for jazz or big band playing. An important point when choosing a reed is the compatibility with the mouthpiece. The higher the number, the harder the reed is and in most cases the harder it is to play. They are priced slightly lower than rival brands like Vandoren jazz reeds, offering strong value for money. Thank you in advance for a response.Ron B. Get started on your saxophone journey today ! Or at least read the review I wrote about them here. The most important factor in selecting a reed is the reed thickness. So join below to try out our lessons completely risk free. A newer Java Filed Red cut offers even more flexibility and power, making it particularly suited to rock and funk. If its not for you, simply cancel your membership within 90 days and contact support for a full refund. Join the mailing list for more free content, or become a member of Jazzfuel Manager (members.jazzfuel.com) for 1-to-1 support & feedback. Slide the reed underneath the ligature, so that the flat side of the reed fits. Shoes can be used for different things such as sports, or dancing, or formal wear, or casual wear. ), but DAddario Jazz reeds allow the player to be more picky in that regard by offering strength gradients rising in thirds: each strength number has a soft, medium and hard option (2S, 2M, 2H, 3S, 3M, 3H). For beginners it is generally recommended to start with a 2. The saxophone reed can make a surprisingly big impact on your sound and style, especially whensetting up to play jazzor other modern genres like blues, soul, funk and pop music. If you change the Ship-To country, some or This may be why many beginners become confused on this point. They do wear out from continuous use sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. Due to their low cost and delicacy, Rico reeds will most likely be used by students. However, they do trade a part of their core tone for a boost in volume, as well as essential overtones needed for the saxophones extended range. also break a lot of reeds when youre starting out! When youve been playing the alto saxophone for a while, youll notice that the muscles around your mouth will develop and get stronger. Unlike the unfiled orange box Rico reeds, these have a traditional French filed cut, providing clarity of tone and a swift response. All Rights Reserved. we'll send you some useful sax hints, tips - and your 7 free beginner saxophone lessons - delivered directly to your email inbox :-). You'll want to know a few things before making an order. , so it is even on the mouthpiece and just below the tip of the mouthpiece. Essential for beginner and advanced players. Heres our guide to how to buy the best beginner saxophone for you. Bari (Baritone) saxophone reeds ONLY fit on bari saxophones. The opening at the mouthpiece is called the "tip opening." Ever. They will feel different, sound different and each will take a few practice sessions or more to get used to, if you are used to playing the other. The main sizes easily available for purchase are 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3. But - a lot of this is control and learning not to clamp down on the reed is important.[/QUOTE]. all provided by an experienced saxophone teacher who can help you to play the music that YOU want to play quickly and easily. Famous works for saxophone: Chamber music. These reeds last for months, and they're fairly consistent due largely in part to the material consisting of plastics. And just to make things worse, there are different type of mouthpiece for the different types of Bb clarinet. Looking back, a 6c would have suited me better to begin on. You should not longer use it if some parts are splintered or if the colour gets too dark. Youll probably find that you move onto the next size up pretty quickly, but a 1.5 is the best beginner reed. Rico and Vandoren are both highly regarded brands. The exact implications of these options are somewhat mysterious and open to interpretation, but reports suggest that, whilst the difference is not massive, the filed version gives a brighter sound with faster vibration, whereas the unfiled cut offers slightly more resistance as a result of the bark from the reeds shoulders remaining intact. The vibration of a thin reed has higher amplitude, and so the vibrating reed will completely cover the mouthpiece, blocking the air channel and possibly suddenly interrupting the sound of the instrument. Please feel free to share this article on your social network of choice using the sharing buttons below , P.P.S. P.S. First and foremost, make sure that you get the correct Instrument Sized Reed for your saxophone. Sax/clarinet mouthpieces aren't interchangable as the clarinet has the tenon on the mouthpiece, and the sax mouthpiece is female. Alto saxophone reeds ONLY fit on alto saxophones. However, again from a beginners perspective, Rico saxophone reeds are the best place to start. These are all signs that its time to switch to a slightly harder saxophone reed size 2 is perfect. Most saxophone players will begin on a 1.5 reed and settle on a 2 or 2.5 reed. all neatly organised in the one convenient location. Enter your name and email address and receive 7 free beginner saxophone lessons ! Although they are not specifically made for jazz playing, these are extremely versatile reeds that are used by many advanced players and professionals in both jazz and classical settings. Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-play-the-sax/id1527900715 restrictions. Twitter https://twitter.com/howtoplaythesax Most beginner saxophone players, through no fault of their own, do not have strong embouchures (face and mouth muscles). I often get questions from students about how to get a better. No a clarinet reed does NOT fit onto a saxophone !! and how to make sure its set up correctly so you can make great progress on your saxophone. You are using an out of date browser. [Experiment2]What happens when the length of the instrument changes? A softer reed, in general, makes it a little easier to be quiet and breathy with your playing. I started playing in March and my tutor recommended a Rico Royale for a soprano, strength 1.5. HowToPlayTheSax.com - Have Fun. Given that a reed costs about the same as a cup of coffee, and a fraction of the price of a saxophone or mouthpiece, its worth taking your time and thinking carefully in choosing the right reed in terms of both the model and the strength for you. What does it mean for a reed to look like a mountain? To get an overview about which clarinet or saxophone reeds we also sell, please click on the respective links down below. A saxophone is useless without a reed, other than perhaps as a fancy but inconveniently oversized paper weight. Grab it here. It is possible to get sizes bigger than a 3, but not as easily as wandering down to your local music shop and expecting them to be in stock. A box of 10 is usually a much cheaper cost per reed option, than an individual reed or a three pack. Hold your mouthpiece with the flat part facing you. A harder reed will offer more resistance, requiring a more developedembouchure, sosaxophone beginnerswill generally play on a softer a reed (perhaps a 1.5 or a 2). Your reed is THAT Important. I never changed mine unless I accidently nicked it and used a standby until I could trim it using a 25c (quarter dollar) under it and a match to burn a round tip as it made the reed without a nick again. Its also important to remember that it can take time to break in a new reed. Reeds have a limited lifespan and will need to be replaced when they no longer feel responsive. If it isnt, please go out and buy a Yamaha 4C mouthpiece. Find us also at: Nigel from Sax School Online tests the Yamaha 4C and shows you why its the best saxophone mouthpiece upgrade for beginner players. Looking for more sax? Education can be expensive. The wooden / cane reeds are easy to find, easy to buy and easy to play. When youre starting out on saxophone, getting your reed wrong can make the difference between making great progress, wasting money, getting frustrated and even giving up. And both need to be matched to mouthpiece and player and sax. Learn more about the Jazzfuel affiliate policy here. A suggestion would be to buy them in bulk, rather than one at a time. The space between the tip of the mouthpiece and the tip of the attached reed is an important factor affecting the performance of a reed instrument. Reeds are normally sold by the box, in 5's, 10's or 25. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. To me, it is the LIP STRENGHT that decides the reed match for the player. They feature a thicker tip with a thinner heart (the centre of the of active part of the reed, in the middle of the vamp), providing vibration over a greater surface area and a more flexible palette. This space determines the "channel" that the player's breath follows. What are the best saxophone reeds for beginners ? is a question that I get asked quite often. Immediately. Affiliate Disclosure: as an Amazon Associate we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases. Again as a hideously and outrageous general rule, saxophone mouthpieces with narrow tip openings (a narrow gap between the tip of the mouthpiece and the tip of the reed) are best if they are paired with harder reeds (higher size numbers). If you are unsure about which reed and mouthpiece to select, consult the staff at your local music store. Updated hourly. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/HowToPlayTheSax made from cane are the most common type of reed. Rico and La Voz are popular reed brands, and come highly recommended to younger players. For example, what would result from a mouthpiece with a narrow tip opening and a thin reed? However, given the relatively low price of a box of sax reeds, as soon as you start to make progress, our best advice is to buy a selection of different brands and compare them for yourself. Some of the links in this article are affiliate links, which may result in me getting a microscopic or possibly even non-existent commission, yet cost no more for you if you happen to purchase. However as mentioned above, not all size 1.5 saxophone reeds are created equal. If youre a new beginner, go for the lowest strength possible until you are more comfortable with your fingers. There are loads of different reed brands out there to, . By using our website, you agree to our use of cookies. These generalisations are aimed at intermediate or advanced players. With a thick spine and a longer vamp, these aim to help the player to produce afatter soundwith greater projection and flexibility, making them ideal forjazz. by Matt Fripp | Last updated Jun 30, 2022 | Saxophone. Rico or La Voz), then choose a reed strength. The best way to find the perfect reed for you is to experiment with different products and strengths: find out what feels and sounds best with your skill and experience level, the type of music you play, andthe mouthpiece you use. This is a nice soft reed, and its the easiest reed for you to get a nice clear sound on your saxophone. It is easy to break or split a reed by bumping it, or brushing it against your shoulder or your sleeve, or your lips or your teeth, or your cat or on the chair that you are sitting on. They tend to be a little on the soft side, meaning that they will blow freely straight out of the box, although the flip side of this is that some users have found their life span to be shorter than other brands. Therefore it is easy for beginners to play their first notes without too much effort. There are more than enough choices to consider when searching for a saxophone reed. This offering from Vandoren is another one of their four reeds that are specifically designed for jazz playing (the others are Java Green, Java Red and ZZ). Soprano saxophone reeds ONLY fit on soprano saxophones. You might feel as though your sound is a bit thin and weak, and you might even struggle to get the high notes on your saxophone. Fred, decisions about reed choices come down to 2 things, playability and sound. This post may contain affiliate links. From there, size still comes into play. As there is such a broad range of reeds below are some recommended products for beginners. FREE Ultimate Saxophone Toolkit. to get the great saxophone sound youre looking for. So whilst the question of best saxophone reed for jazz will be personal to each individual player, there are some industry-leaders and well take you through 5 of them in this guide. Saxophone reeds are similar, although admittedly the differences are not as pronounced as, say, the difference between a hiking boot and a fancy high heeled shoe and a ballerinas slipper. has everything you need to get started on the right track. Also, consider experimenting withyour ligature too; it can have a surprisingly big effect on the sound. Your email address will not be published. In answer to your question, yes, softer reeds are easier to hit the lower notes with. Then its down to strengthening your embouchure by working on long tones, for example,to get the great saxophone sound youre looking for. Reeds with a thickness of 4 or 5 are harder and thus require more skill to sound, but the tone is fatter, bigger, and warmer. More difficult to correct the pitch or playing low pitches softly, Easier to correct the pitch, the reed 'speaks' more easily. If a beginner would start with a 1 or 1 1/2 reed, there may be some difficulty with playing very many notes because the reed is too weak to support the playing. Important mouthpiece characteristics in addition to the tip opening are the table, where the reed attaches, and the facing, the angle of the curve near the tip of the mouthpiece. The tip opening of your mouthpiece will also impact which reed works for you, but more on that another time. A good option for players of all levels, they are available in strengths ranging from 1.0-5.0. P.P.S.S. Be Awesome. Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com.au/HowToPlayTheSax/ To sum it up, my personal recommendation for jazz saxophone players is the Vandoren V16 reed. If you are brand new to the saxophone and have never played it before, then the best saxophone reeds for beginners is a size 1.5. The saxophone is a conical-bored instrument. Play Saxophone. Music publisher Schott has released a range of new music books for beginner to intermediate players. Thank you for visiting HowToPlayTheSax.com and for your wonderful explanation. The bestsaxophone reeds for beginners are going to be made by Rico. It is necessary to choose a reed that fits the specific shape of the mouthpiece. There are several other brands who all make perfectly functional saxophone reeds for beginners. Players of popular music or jazz often prefer this brighter tone and thus use thinner reeds. If youre looking to understand some of the basics about what makes a great reed (and how to keep them working as long as possible) then youll find that at the end of this article. Plus we'll send you some other useful sax hints, tips - as well as your 7 saxophone lessons - delivered directly to your email inbox :-). Here are a few things to think about when choosing cane or synthetic reeds. Feel free to drop me an email! What information do I need to find the right reed? Online Saxophone Lessons to help you learn faster! Repeat. Suite 33, 6 Queen Street, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire HD1 2SQ. How can you tell if your reed is too hard, or too soft? As a brand new beginner, youll want to start out on cane reeds until you find the right strength for you then, you can try synthetic reeds. There are different strengths and cuts of reeds from different brands, all of them could unfortunately be a good or bad choice. While the majority of saxophonists play with basic cane reeds, synthetic reeds are also used every so often. They arent too expensive, so you can try out and choose lots of different strengths and brands of reed to find the one that suits you. Thinner reeds vibrate more easily, so they are good for beginners. For this reason, it's best to go with a medium strength reed, then as time passes, try other reeds, and better understand how each one can benefit your performance. The price of reeds and $10 & $12 a gig was part of why the kind of dealing with my reeds. When youre starting out on saxophone, getting your reed wrong can make the difference between making great progress, So Im going to show you how to choose the best beginner saxophone reed for. Note if you are using the default mouthpiece that came with your sax, please check that it is a Yamaha 4C. What feels good in a reed is a very personal thing:Cannonball Adderleyplayed a fairly soft reed (around a 2), while its been suggested that Charlie Parker used a hard reed (possibly even a 5!). The best saxophone reeds for beginners are going to be a smaller size, such as a size 1.5 or maybe a size 2. So the best place to start getting a reed is by looking at your feet. Vibrato for a beginner might be a bit tricky. Top subscription boxes right to your door, 1996-2022, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Crafted from premium cane with an unfiled cut,La Vozare played by many top jazz, funk and R&B players, and were the reed of choice for the late, great jazz saxophonist Michael Brecker. Constructed from reed plants, there are also synthetic reeds and hybrids available, which we'll briefly touch on in this article. When buying a reed, you should begin with the saxophone itself (ie. Youll find that reeds from different brands will play differently, even if they dont vary based on size, so its best to try a few brands to find the one that is best for you. And therefore, it really all relates back to how often you play your saxophone. The smaller the number, the softer the reed is and in most cases the easier it is to play. Most beginner saxophonists would like to make playing their sax as easy as possible. I get mine from Jonathon Myall Music (Just Flutes) Ordered a box of reeds yesterday afternoon and they were delivered this morning. Learn how to put your sax together and find your first notes ready to play some fun tunes. I host Jazzfuel to provide resources and info for both professional musicians and jazz fans around the world. Do Not Sell My Info (CA Only) | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Accessibility Statement. The saxophone is a transposing instrument. They have a subtly different shape (known as a French cut) and suit a slightly stronger and slightly more experienced embouchure. You need to get some reeds if you actually want to play some music or make a noise with your sax. In fact, it could even have more of an impact on your sound than the saxophone itself, at least initially. In Sax School, I often get questions from students about how to get a better quality sound on their saxophone. Reed thickness is most often expressed as a number. Be Awesome. When making an order, all of this information will be needed. We would like to help you with this by giving you some tips. Various other brands and special cuts are for more skilled players who like to experiment. We recommend that beginners start out with a standard mouthpiece (for Yamaha, this is the 4C) together with a 2 1/2 reed, and practice the basics of playing long tones, making sure to get their embouchure (the shape and action of the mouth and lips that controls the sound using the muscles around the mouth) correct, and from there go on to choose something that fits their taste. Whatever reed youre playing on, youll want to strengthen your embouchure and develop your technique so you can make great progress. As a young saxophonist studying at one of the top music schools, you might be surprised how often the topic of reeds dominated conversation. Is A Used Saxophone Better For Beginners? It depends on your level which reed you should choose. The main brands of reeds are Rico (and Rico Royal), Vandoren,DAddario (who actually own Rico) and Legere. Natural cane reeds contain slight differences in each. Booking gigsReleasing MusicCareer PromotionDiscover Jazz Music.