How to Choose the Right Reed for You

Every reed player wishes they had access to a Reed Genie! A Reed Genie would be the magical granter of all your personal reed wishes. They would be the mythical locator of the “best reed ever” or the ultimate musical problem solver, solving challenges with the right length of cane for every circumstance.

If you haven’t found a Reed Genie yet, read on to explore the key factors to consider when selecting the right reed for you!

Reed Selection

As you will read, the selection of reeds can be complex.

Reed selection is a very important part of playing woodwind instruments particularly oboe and bassoon as the double reed is also the mouthpiece for the instrument. However, Saxophone and Clarinet players find reed choice equally important.

Each reed is unique as it is made from natural cane. 

Cane density is determined by the growing conditions of the region or season where the cane was grown.  Choosing the best cane for each type of reed is done by the reed maker.  You then select the best kind of reed to suit your needs from the variety of different reed “makes” available.

Reed Selection for Beginners

A Reed Genie for a student or beginner player would certainly grant them an easy blowing reed made from cane that is soft and light. This reed would allow the new player to produce sounds easily and be no barrier to music reading, learning foundational embouchure and breath support.

In the absence of a Reed Genie to grant reeds magical powers, the new player will find that softer reeds made from soft cane may not last as long as the harder reeds. 

It is best to use the reed that you or your student / child can play rather than pushing towards a harder reed too early in the journey of learning.  Playing on a reed that is hard and difficult to blow can be demotivating for the learner.

As a new player, parent or teacher, generally you will be looking for reeds that indicate they are soft, or medium soft. Some reed brands specify the strength of their reeds, so this is easy! For brands that don’t actively specify the strength, its important to read the listing to understand what the reed is designed to do. Reed descriptions will generally give clues like “suitable for beginners” or “will suit more advanced players”.

Reed Selection for Intermediate Players

Intermediate players will be looking for a number of things. The first is your preferred reed strength; ie. which is the best strength for you and for your instrument. The second is for performing needs and seasonal factors.

Your preferred reed strength will be something you’ve learned along the journey so far. You would have started with an easy blowing reed and you may have graduated to something harder as your embrochure and breathing has matured and strengthened. This will be balanced by your equipment. For example your reed preference will be determined by your instrument, whether it is a little leaky, free-blowing, well-sealing or resistant and so on. For bassoonists the metal used in your bocal (or crook) will also potentially have an impact on your reed choice. Some instruments might have tuning issues on some notes, which the right reed can minimise.

The second thing you’ll be looking for, is a reed that will grant your musical goals. For example, you might need it to articulate fast passages, so a lighter reed will generally give better flexibility of articulation. You may be performing an orchestral work, requiring your instrument to speak softly on low notes or to slur intervals without cutting out or splitting notes. You’ll be looking for a reed that is good in the low register of your instrument, or that is flexible across different registers and notes. It may be too simplistic to say a light reed will grant this musical wish, instead, at this stage, the reed that gives you the opportunity to meet your musical goals might have less cane on the tip and more on the back, or some other combination! However, a heavier or harder strength reed will usually reach the higher notes with a little more ease and give you a warm tone. You might be playing in a concert band and need a lot of volume to cut through, so a harder reed may help here also.

Seasonal factors can also impact on reeds, some will feel harder or softer depending on the humidity, temperature or other environmental factors! Like having a seasonal wardrobe, some players swap their reeds around when the weather changes!

Experienced players

More experienced instrumentalists will know more accurately what they need from a reed and will have skills in shaping a reed to suit their needs. These players are more likely to purchase a harder reed or a reed blank, where they can trim a little cane here from the reed to suit them. Experienced players can also be skilled in making their own reeds! If you are an experienced player at this level you may have become your own Reed Genie!

At Sweet Reeds we can help give you access to information that will assist you in finding the right reed strength, cut, shape and brand for you! Whether it is the brand and strength of reed that you discover is perfect for your needs, or a range that you can rely on, we bring together the best reeds from the reedmakers we love so that it makes your choice easier! And although we are not Reed Genies, we welcome the opportunity to become your reed partner and assist you to find the elusive ‘best reed ever!”

• Category: Reed Selection