2. What to Expect from the Reed
-In order to work properly, reed must be thin at the front end
-must also be stiff and elastic, keeping identical vibration qualities
-right and left sides of reed must only gradually change
-reed will, of course, get wet, which is disaster for wood, so one
must be careful
Clarinet and Saxophone mouthpieces generally
look the same, but are different sizes. There isn’t a
mouthpiece for the Oboe or Bassoon-the reed is
the mouthpiece

3. How reeds are made
-Made from a plant called Arundo Donax, more commonly known
as reed cane
-about 20 feet tall, which is similar to bamboo
-Usually harvested after 2 years
-Dried and aged for vary lengths of time before made into reeds
-Cane is then split, cut to length, and carefully crafted into the
final shape
-Samples from each batch are tested by experienced players
before being packaged

4. The Reed Areas
-Whole planed area of the reed is called the cut
-The colors show areas of equal strength (similar to height lines on a map)
-The tip (white) is the thinnest and most sensitive area, and is responsible for the high
frequency swinging and the attack behavior of the reed
-The area edged in black is the raised crest (sometimes called the “heart”). In the raised
crest, you don’t sand except if the whole reed’s surface must be redone
-The sides or flanks next to the crest are important for the balance
-The area below the crest is sometimes called the shoulder. Here the reed is strong and
rarely swings
-The unplaned area of the reed is called the blade

5. Structure
-made of reed grass that grows in the Mediterranean
-grows to full size within a year
-left for several months before harvested
-stored in a dry place for 2 years-becomes as yellow and nearly as hard as bamboo
-inside is made of long, hollow, elastic fibers –lay in parallel motion
-glued together by lignin
-gives reeds their elastic qualities and high strength
-reed grass can withstand the strongest storms
-bend, but not break
-since natural product, no two are exactly alike, but some are nearly identical

6. Significance
Affect the player’s experience with instrument
Reeds that are too hard-difficult to make pleasing sounds-Frustrating
Warped or cracked reeds-usable, but will make inferior tones
A good reed can make all the difference

7. What Role Reeds Play When Creating a Tone
-typically places on the mouthpieces of clarinets and saxophones
-keep only a narrow opening between the tip of the reed and mouthpiece
-when closing lips around mouthpiece and reed, air blown into the
instrument, vibrations create tone
-technically, the reed and mouthpiece work together to create a opening/closing valve
-air presses reed against the opening of mouthpiece so the stream of air is blocked
-reed is elastic, so it bounces back.
-this “swinging” of the reed creates the tones we hear

8. Choosing Reeds
-different brands-everything from beginner to blanks that experienced players
can use to craft their own custom reeds
-a highly popular and economical choice for beginners is Rico
-Rico Royal reeds are of slightly better quality for a little higher price
-as playing progresses, experimenting in other reed brands is recommended
-notices in different tone qualities, ease in playing upper registers
-Several different brands: Rico, Rico Royal, Reeds Australia, and Zonda reeds
-don’t give up after the first time-break ‘em in-give time to adjust

9. Types
German Reeds-thinner in the center
-smaller and narrower than French or American Reeds
-function best with German-made instruments
-players find it difficult to play w/them
-dark, rich sound when successfully played
French Reeds-produce bright, versatile sound
-musicians also find difficult to use
-thinner than German reeds, but thicker than American reeds
-often used by more experienced musicians
American Reeds-user friendly, universally preferred by students
-try to combine the best of both German and French attributes
-rich tone with plenty of flexibility

10. Reed Classes (Hard/Soft)
-depending on manufacturer, the names and classes will be different for reeds
-1=softest, 5=hardest
-”normal” mouthpiece, normal training, and “normal” jaws and teeth= using a 2 ½
or 3 starting out.
-work way up to 5 in ½ step increments
-make sure you can play on that strength for at least an hour, due to performances
being about that long
-classes are not defined strictly, same reed brands can have different individual
reed classes
-even in mass production, differences are surprisingly small
-manufacturers try out every single reed on a tested reed

11. Identification
-Reed manufacturers produce reeds to fit different types of players and budgets
-Synthetic reeds made of plastic-made for outdoors. Much more expensive
-Last longer than natural cane reeds
-Natural reeds made of canes are cheaper, but produce warmer sounds
-Identification of reeds by numbers : 2-2 ½ softest, 5 hardest
-The higher the number, the harder the reed will be

12. Misconceptions
-Misconceptions, especially among new players, is that new reeds are
preferred to old reeds
-Professionals know that a reed needs to be broken in
-Also, if a reed is green, or has not cured, it will not perform well
-A full box of reeds should be rotated regularly, and each reed should be
used for at least 10 minutes a day
-This helps to break in reeds and keep players from getting frustrated

13. Use and Care
-Extend the life of the reed by wiping the moisture off after playing
-storing them in a proper reed guard-prevent warping or other damage
-don’t continue to play on your “favorite” reed
-make sure you have 3 or 4 of your “favorite” reeds, that way if one cracks or
breaks, there’s backup
-not only will the reed wear out overtime without rotation, but your embouchure can
weaken as well

14. Fiberreed, Carbon, and Similar Developments
-Have been experiments with different materials
-aimed at replacing the sensitive, naturally grown wooden reed
-Reliable, long-lasting synthetic reed
-show same perfect properties under all conditions
-experiments with plexiglass and similar products generally fail
-don’t meet minimal requirements
-last 20 years, progress has been made with composite materials
-hollow carbon fibers, glued together by resins-similar to wood in their structure
-composite has a restricted life, but will last 10-20 times longer than natural wood reed
-plastic coated reeds
-market for natural reeds covered in a thin coat of plastic
-protects from fluid
-favorable most among sax players than other classical artists

15. How to Treat Reeds
-several different options, some very specific, others not so much
-most experts agree that “breaking in” a reed should be mandatory
-don’t play on new reeds for longer than 15 mins at a time, don’t use them fresh for
performances
-Oboe players suggest soaking their double reeds in water before playing
-double reeds are of little value before being soaked
-better than soaking in mouth because enzymes in one’s mouth will break down the
proteins in the cane, which then will weaken the reeds
-Oboe players especially careful with their reeds, due to the expense double reeds are
versus single reeds

16. Storing and Transporting Reeds
-Reeds should be treated as carefully as possible
-When not playing, one should keep reeds in boxes to prevent environmental effects from
happening
-must be stored so the thin, still moist tip does not “crinkle” or develop waves
-It hasn’t been fully proven, but climatised cases are a nice way to present reeds
-especially to those who still use the little plastic cases
-moist wood can’t dry in these, and eventually, reeds will begin to rot

17. Trying Out New Reeds
-make sure instrument is in perfect condition
-otherwise, blame for possible hissing or squeaking can be blamed on the reed
-when taking a reed out of the box, it’s been dry for a long time-moisten it
-3-5 minutes in a glass of water
-tip will be moist on the inside, too
-bottom must be perfectly flat and tip must not show any curves
-place reed on mouthpiece and try the tuning notes
-should sound well, even in piano dynamic, without hissing or squeaking

18. Flatten the Bottom
-check to make sure the bottom is absolutely flat and smooth
-often there is some dust, surface is sticky, or not absolutely flat
-make the reed wet-only work with wet reeds
-put the reed on the finest sand paper possible, put index, middle, and ring finer on top
of blade and push it over surface away from tip.
-never move a reed towards the tip, because fibers on the tip will break
-not as easy as it sounds, because it’s hard to get ahold of the reed
-cannot press harder on one side than the other

19. Make the Reed Softer
-Simplest way-if very small correction-Pull the reed face down over a fine sheet of sand
paper (with the crest looking down) in an acute angle with only very little pressure
-keep reed absolutely horizontal
-Stronger effect: Take the spatula or the horsetail and make the tip a little thinner. -
Move the horsetail towards the tip, not the other way
-Fibers can’t be ripped out of their structure
-The areas on the sides are the most sensitive of the reed
-Make sure to stay balanced between the sides
-Check for balance by fixing the reed by trying reed out on mouthpiece
-Listen for balanced responsiveness on both sides

20. Make Only the Lower Register Softer
-Work further away from the tip.
-Reed is stronger, can sand away more at this part of the reed before it reacts

21. One Side is too Soft
-Press reed against one side of lower jaw so specific side doesn’t swing more than the
other anymore
-Compare both sides , try to balance them
-Can always put the softer side onto the sandpaper, pulling it carefully away from the tip
-Make the reed narrower, up to a half a millimeter is okay
-Due to non-symmetry, must keep checking balance issues

22. Make the Reed Harder
-The reed plays easily, but it squeaks for no reason and is difficult to keep the tone
constant
-Forte is clatter and when playing fortissimo, press the reed against the mouthpiece and it
shuts and blocks
-Reeds being too soft mean the reed just swings too much

23. Squeaking
-State the obvious, reeds squeak
-tip is too thin, crest too strong
-Limited ability to swing back and forth
-Press reed at a 45 degree angle on a sheet of glass
-Sufficient reed will quickly bend back fully
-Reeds that are too old or thin will stay bent-time to throw away

24. Tools to Work with Reeds
-Sand paper, very fine (wet sand paper-it says on the back of package that it can be used
wet)
-The fine sandpaper should be made wet before used on reeds
-It is crucial that the surface you put the sandpaper on is absolutely plane
-sheet of glass is good
-wooden board doesn’t stay 100% plane if it becomes wet often
-Spatula (from the pharmacy) with fine sandpaper glued to it-similar to a finger nail
sander
-Dutch rush or horsetail –dried stalks of very ancient, wild growing plant
-can be found in boxes at music shops and pharmacies
-can be collected and dried wildly-doesn’t hurt reed fibers
-A reed cutter-found in music shops
-strong light that will shine through reed-way to control work
-glass of water to moisten sand paper

25. How to Buy Reeds
-traditional way=purchase from music store
-single reed or full box of favorite brand
-most will have VanDoren, Rico, and other national brands
-good thing about buying single, salesman takes them out of the box
-if the reed is of bad quality, can throw them out.
-buy an entire box, get stuck with bad ones too
-perfectly normal to find 3 in a box of 10 that are unusable
-can order on the internet as well-reeds are standardized products

26. Reed Instruments

27. History of Early Reed Instruments
-Greeks used double reeds
-pair of aulos reeds were made from single internode of cane (6-9 inches)
-cut in two, made into two reeds, ends formed the “mouth” of the “tongues” of each
reed; aka the opening of the blades
-cane for the aulos was cut from the same plant as reeds are made from today
-best cane-around Lake Copias, forty miles north of Athens
-50 cane pipes found in Egyptian tombs
-nearly all double-pipe, three or four holes
-fragments of straw-like matter
-thought to be the remains of reeds

28. Oboe
-Smallest and highest pitched double reed instrument
-Cylindrical wooden body with keys along the length of its body
-Has a range of about three octaves but is extremely difficult to play
-Requires a lot of air, and proper breathing techniques
History of the Oboe
-Was invented in the 17th century by Jean Hotteterre and Michel Philidor, two
French musicians
-Modified the louder shawm into a new instrument, the hautbois
-Hautbois had a narrower body than the shawm and was split into three sections
-By the 18th century, most orchestras has incorporated oboes into the ensemble
-Several composers have written solo pieces for the oboe, including; George
Frideric Handel, Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van
Beethoven

29. English Horn
-Part of the Oboe Family
-Also called Alto Oboe, tuned one-fifth lower
-Similar shape to that of an Oboe
-Often played by third Oboe player in an orchestra
History of the English Horn
-Prototypes appeared at the end of 17th Century
-Were curved and leather covered with holes in the body
-Holes were usually bored at an angle to accommodate the stretch of the fingers
-Believed that the oboe da caccia (hunting oboe), used by Bach was almost identical
to the English Horn
-Distinctively dark and plaintive tone has been featured by composers such as Hector
Berlioz, Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky, and Richard Wagner

30. Bassoon
-Is a double reed instrument made up of about eight
feet of cylindrical wood tubing
-Four joints: the bass joints, tenor joint, double
joint, and bell joint
-The bell joint is slightly flared and is attached at the
bottom to the bass joint ; set in turn to the tenor joint
and double joint
-Double reed mouthpiece is attached to crook in the
tenor joint
-Usually has about ten key controlled holes on the
body as well as eight finger holes
History of the Bassoon
-Was developed in 1650 from the curtal, a similar instrument which was made from a
single block of wood
-German bassoon was perfected by Wilhelm Heckel, a German Manufacturer
-Each type of bassoon was played in different parts of Europe

31. Clarinet
-Usually consists of a long tube with a mouthpiece at one en and a bell-
shaped opening at the other end
-Usually made of wood, has tone holes that are covered by small metal
levers
-Musician blows on a flat cane reed attached to a mouth piece
-As the reed vibrates, creates a full, rich tone
-By pushing the keys to close and open the tone holes, the pitches can be
changed
-Manufactured in 4 keys, most common B-flat, and has a range of about 3
½ octaves
History of the Clarinet
-Was invented in the early 18th century by Johann Cristoph Denner-a German
Flute Maker-as a modification of a folk reedpipe, the chalumeau
-By the 1840’s, two complex systems of keywork had been developed for the
instruments
-Became common in orchestras by about 1780
-Overatures/Concertos have been written for Clarinet/Horn combos

32. Saxophone
-Four types: Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass
-It combines a single reed and mouthpiece of a clarinet, a metal body, and a
winded version of the bore of an Oboe
-Most are curved and resemble a bass clarinet, soprano looks similar to a clarinet
-Body contains 20 openings covered by keys
-Keys can be opened/closed in groups by depressing and releasing 6 studs, or
finger plates
-Two additional holes are located on the body to produce notes an octave above
or below
-Most common have a range of about 2 ½ octaves
History of the Saxophone
-Was invented in 1840 by Belgian instrument maker, Aldoph Sax
-In 1844, saxophones first appeared in symphonic orchestras
-Pieces were occasionally written to include saxophones
-Wasn’t until the 20th Century in America when saxophones became popular
-Association with development of Jazz