The Saxophone Reed Explained

[@SomeoneAbstruse]

Man. This vid is on point. The editing. The writing. The acting. The info. Truly a masterpiece of information and entertainment

[@bobblues1158]

When i was touring constantly, I went over to Legere Signature for about 4 years and it really reduced my anxiety/stress level so much so that the other musicians noticed how much more relaxed I was. i stopped touring 5 years ago and went back to cane because I have the the time and the knowledge to make 9 out of 10 play good. I do rotate my reeds and break them in slowly. I also rotated my Legeres and kept them in a reed case and had a system of knowing how many hours each reed was played. I change reeds after 1 set of playing. On gigs and practicing. I see reeds as a hobby, but only because I have the time.

[@DynamixWarePro]

Very helpful guys. Creating "The Tone King" was a great addition to these videos. I use Legere reeds. When I started playing over 4 and a half years ago, I saw an ad for them and started using them as I wanted to make sure any of the issues I was having, were not the reed, but either myself, the saxophone or the mouthpiece. Since then I have tried lots of different reeds, and on my current setup, a Meyer G 5 alto mouthpiece, I have used Legere Signature reeds and American Cut on it and like them on it. I have tried a lot of cane reeds a number of times but I couldn't get used to any of them, even doing what you are supposed to do with cane reeds to get them to play their best. I think I am just too used to the instant playing and sound of synthetic reeds and that they don't get affected by moisture.

[@KaraMessi_]

I am getting a saxophone very soon and I am looking forward into this video so I learn all about the beautiful instruments

[@thierryroullier8401]

Great education on reeds. I love the V21 but did not know why. Now I do!.

[@brigitte546]

Thanks for the detailed information. I totally love your videos, they make me laugh out loud the same as they are informative 🥰

[@wouterdesmedt1736]

Well done, guys. Hilarious and very informative stuff. Every time I bin a reed I'll see the red Wasted sequence from now on.

[@Gyula-Sipos]

Good explanations and valuable content. Three weeks to a month? I have been using the same ~15 reeds for years in rotation. I experimented with multiple options-different boxes, cases and humidity packages. Forget the humidity packages as the reeds grew mould, and you had to throw your precious reeds away. The best is to keep your reeds in a glass jar filled with a bit of palinka. It is way much better than vodka. Only the tip of the reed must be in the liquid less than a centimetre. This keeps your reeds germ free, and the palinka gives a solid fruity flavour as a perk. Wash your reed thoroughly after each session and use single plastic reed cases (like the old Rico cases). No wrapping, fresh tastes, and softly wet reeds are ready to go when you take them out from the bottle.

[@ilachow]

Excellent video!

[@txsphere]

Next level animation going on here.

[@chrisdyson5513]

Very illuminating. Thank you.

[@timwallace7561]

Outstanding analysis Michael - thank you

[@ronhowe5933]

Over my 45+ years I've played so many reeds including plastics. I've been using La Voz for over 30 years although I'm struggling to get them now but, they last a very long time. I also use every reed in the box! Anyway, I keep some for years and at the moment I'm playing 2016 reeds. I break them in, clean them off and store them. Now, a funny thing happens when they're some years old. They turn quite brittle and can be cleanly broken in half; but, they take on a particularly different sound and response at that stage. I do get some wrinkly reeds sometimes but they straighten up after a warm up. So, reeds can last for years if you take care of them. I'm using some Rigotti now (but they're not lasting as long). Worn in reeds are good for sub-tones; I'm sure the 'Tone King' might agree.

[@nickpilgrim1966]

Great video guys. Thx for your excellent work. 👍

[@robbie4585]

Loving these new videos!

[@helengordon-saxophone]

Fun and informative- thanks! 🎉🎷🎶

[@michaeldavis9954]

Fantastic

[@coin777]

I love playing soft reeds. But always play high notes flat on them no Mather how hard i try.

[@enispenvy9174]

That's the problem with a reed that's too soft. That and having it completely shut down to where no sound comes out. I went up in reed strength and it has made a world of difference. Much more in tune. It just takes a little while to get used to having to put more air into the horn.

[@gianlucawork]

Just Michael's intro triggered a "like" ;-)

[@pravi_81]

my heart dropped when he dropped the alto in the trash

[@noepaulet4677]

Hello

[@DustinKreidler]

Where possible, I play Bari-brand plastic reeds. Each one costs as much as a box of 5 reeds... and outplays 10 of those boxes. Find the one you like, and play it until it dies in a year or so. Every single time you put it on, its the same. Humidity? Doesn't matter. Played it last night? Doesn't matter. Find the one that works, and you're home free. Never gets water logged during a long gig. Is it as *great* as a perfect cane reed? Maybe not, but it plays like an 8 or 9 *every time*. Doubling? Worried that one horn you play 1-2 times in a 2 hour gig will have a dried out reed? Not anymore. I haven't tried all the synthetic brands out there. I found Bari brand back in the late 90s (I guess... I had one for bass clarinet that I have no memory of using after graduating in '99, so its gotta be 23-24 years old) and haven't felt the need to move on. They sound great. No one has ever said "that sounds weird, synthetic?" because it sounds like a saxophone. Period. Alto. Tenor. Bari. All awesome. (Oddly, I can't find a plastic Bari-brand reed for soprano: regardless of the strength, something about it makes the high G sound an altissimo C. Every time. I've tried to get it under control and fail. I've tried 3 different strengths with the same results. PERFECTLY fine with a cane reed. I'm stumped.) There's a comment below about someone embracing the joy of working with cane reeds to make them sound and play great. That's awesome, and I envy them the time and money to spend on an already expensive hobby. Maybe someday I'll be back.

[@nickpilgrim1966]

Not that I'm that good but climate / weather is a big factor. If its dry you need to soak repeatedly but if it's humid you just pick up and play. Different reeds are better suited to different conditions. I guess that favours trying a synthetic reed but they've never quite worked for me.

[@nhr27]

If you are a hobbyist with limited time to practice, do yourself a favor and buy synthetic reeds. More time playing, less time dealing with reed maintenance. Trust me, your audience of the family and your dog will not know the difference.

[@gangofgreenhorns2672]

The mouthpiece facing curve > reed...imo, but it's a fairly close second.

[@jambajoby32]

I get mad squeaky reeds I live in a super dry region so it tends to dry out the half NOT in my mouth

[@josecervando786]

Alegría soy principiante uso boquilla metalica num 6,está bien ,caña num 2 gracias.

[@alexeyalizo]

Saludos José. Para comenzar es recomendable una caña lo más delgada posible, para ir poco a poco haciendo la embocadura. Si te sientes cómodo con la número 2 está bien. Recuerda, cómo principio general, entre más abierta sea la boquilla, más fina debería ser la caña, y viceversa.

[@NicooGD]

3 Weeks???

[@eggrollmemer8884]

I would not be able to play on a 1.5 oh my gosh 😭

[@josecervando786]

Que marca de caña me recomienda gracias