How To Put A Reed On A Saxophone

Putting together an musical instrument properly is something a lot of music teachers and musicians take for granted.

It's also something where little mistakes could mess up your entire playing experience.

One of the most mutual mistakes I see is when people put reeds on their sax mouthpieces.

That'due south why I wanted to come up with this guide onhow to put a reed on a saxophone.

To put a reed on a saxophone, yous need a reed, mouthpiece, and ligature, and follow these steps:

Moisture The Reed
Have Ligature Off
Line Upwards Reed With The Tip Of The Mouthpiece
Put Ligature On And Tighten
Double-check Alignment

More than details follow in the residue of this guide, including common mistakes I see when people put their reeds on their saxes.

Annotation:This article and examples are geared toward the alto saxophone, but the steps employ to every type of saxophone, including the tenor saxophone.

What You lot'll Need

Here's a quick rundown of what you'll demand with links where relevant:

Proficient reed for saxophone (Check choice on Amazon)
Saxophone mouthpiece (Cheque selection on Amazon)
Ligature (Bank check option on Amazon)
Your tongue (no option on Amazon here!)

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Step Past Stride: How To Put A Reed On A Saxophone

Past the fourth dimension you've got this adept, y'all'll be able to put your reed on in minutes or seconds.

Merely to make sure you do it correctly, we need to break it down and talk about each stride of the process.

For people who prefer to watch a video or check out a visual, nosotros have both of those as well after on in the article.

#i Moisture The Reed

Wood and cane reeds are naturally stiff, and stiff things have a harder fourth dimension vibrating.

This is why reed instruments need to wet their reeds first thing.

By adding some moisture, the woods or textile gets more flexible and makes a better sound (and information technology's fashion easier, too!).

The all-time mode to wet your reed is to just put it in your mouth!

Y'all don't want to soak information technology or annihilation like that; backlog moisture isn't dandy.

Yous simply desire to go far a niggling moist.

Put it in your oral cavity and allow it sit down at that place for well-nigh 1 minute before y'all play.

Yous'll frequently see a saxophone player look like they lick it on either side a couple of times before letting it sit there.

They're not tasting it or anything weird like that.

They're just getting it wet!

Do nigh xxx seconds on one side, and and then turn it around for some other 30 seconds.

What near a plastic reed?

The jury is out on plastic reeds or constructed reeds.

Does the moisture actually loosen it upward?

Not really, but some sax players adamantly believe it makes a big difference.

Logically, it'south non going to practice much, if anything.

#two Take Ligature Off

After yous wet the reed for a infinitesimal, keep it in your mouth.

Take off the ligature on your mouthpiece.

It'south critical yous practice this before putting the reed on your mouthpiece.

If you lot don't, you dramatically increase the chances of chipping the finish of the reed.

This ruins the reed and makes it unusable.

The exact method for removing ligatures depends on the blueprint, but about accept some screws you loosen to take off the mouthpiece.

The ligature is the part that wraps around the mouthpiece and holds onto it.

(Reference the image at the offset if you lot demand to.)

#3 Line Up Reed With The Tip Of The Mouthpiece

Place the reed, apartment surface side downward, thin side to the top, on the mouthpiece.

Make sure the reed is lined up in the heart of the mouthpiece from side to side.

The reed tip should either be exactly in line with the tip of the mouthpiece, or it should exist slightly beneath even with the mouthpiece.

The back of the reed is less important than the tip, and so don't worry virtually it.

It shouldn't be over the tip of the mouthpiece at all.

When the reed is too far over, it's not a skilful thing.

It'll exist harder to brand your sound.

Reed placement is critical to become correct.

#4 Put Ligature On And Tighten

Supersede the ligature over the mouthpiece.

Take great intendance non to hitting the tip of the reed as you put information technology on.

Often, I take to adjust the reed a fiddling fleck subsequently I put the ligature on.

A lot of people apply ane hand to hold the lesser of the reed in identify while they apply the other to motion the ligature into place.

Pro-tip:Tighten the ligature slightly once in place, and and so readjust the reed earlier tightening information technology completely.

The ligature that comes with your mouthpiece is probably fine, but if you're serious about the sax, a lot of players discover that using a dissimilar i (unique to each player) results in amend playing.

#v Double-cheque Alignment

Once everything is in place, I nonetheless do a quick cheque to brand certain the alignment is right.

Ane of the things I similar to do is turn the mouthpiece around, then the reed faces away from me.

And then, I line the tip up with my eye-line and brand sure I don't run across any reed poking over the terminate.

I'll also exercise another quick check to make sure the reed is centered left to right.

If information technology isn't, I'll adjust.

These are also the steps I know my wife uses when she works with her showtime saxophone students.

If information technology's good enough for them, it's plenty adept plenty for me!

Now, it's fourth dimension to put the mouthpiece on the sax and start playing!

Video Example Of How To Put A Saxophone Reed On A Mouthpiece

Common Bug In Putting A Reed On A Saxophone

I brand a lot of mistakes, and I see kids (and adults) making the same ones with their instruments too.

I even asked my ring manager friends about saxophone and reed problems, and nosotros all agreed on these things nosotros see over and over again.

Read these to make sure you don't make the same mistakes!

(Of grade, if you follow the steps above closely, you may not have these bug.)

Reed Too Far Over

The most common (for myself and new players) is putting the reed too far over the mouthpiece.

This limits the vibration of the reed, and without vibration, there is no sound!

Information technology also increases the chances of squeaking.

This is doubly truthful on the clarinet, but it'southward still a problem with the saxophone too!

So information technology'southward a single-reed musical instrument outcome.

Reed Not Directly

Some other mutual problem is when the reed gets beveled from the mouthpiece itself.

This makes it about impossible to brand any sound at all, as the reed won't vibrate when at that place's no room to move.

Most people don't hateful to do this, and they'll make sure it's in line when they get-go put the reed to the mouthpiece.

But if the ligature bumps the reed as it'south put on or isn't tight enough, it'll wiggle and cease upwardly misaligned.

This is why double-checking the reedafterwardthe ligature gets put on is critical.

Push Reed Through The Ligature

Some other mistake I see new players brand is to slide the reed through the ligature while the ligature is still on the mouthpiece.

And every time I see information technology, I die a lilliputian within.

Doing this isn't necessarilybadpast itself, only you lot dramatically increase the chances of striking the tip of the reed on the ligature itself.

This can chip or bend the reed and brand it no good anymore.

(Believe me, I've made this mistake besides!)

The tip of the reed is the thinnest and most brittle part.

It's also the about important part; this is where the wood vibrates and creates the sound in the first place.

Not Wetting Reed

People don't always see the value in wetting their reeds.

To them, it feels like an extra footstep.

But these same people end upwards frustrated because they have a harder fourth dimension playing their saxophones right away.

Often, information technology'll take them a good x-xv minutes of struggling to play before their reed is moist enough to vibrate freely.

But putting the reed in your and intentionally wetting it for one minute, while information technology may look a petty silly, will cut out all that frustration.

Playing On Chipped Reed

I've played on a chipped reed when I had to, but trust me; it only doesn't work right.

Chipped reeds are one of the number ane reasons your saxophone will squeak.

It also breaks off and gets stuck in your mouth (or worse).

If the reed is chipped and yous have some other on hand, switch it out for one of your new reeds.

If yous don't, don't play.

Get buy some more than.

You ever demand to have 3+ on hand when yous play.

If you become low, buy some more.

By the way, y'all should apply a reed case to keep your reeds intact when not in use.

Using A Bad Reed

Dissimilar brands of reeds aren't equal to each other.

The correct reed is kind of like a "wand chooses the wizard" kind of thing.

Reed players always accept a preference, and this comes through practice.

Matching the reed to your play style is important, then experience free to experiment.

But I exercise accept some advice on good brands to cheque out, so it doesn't have such a long time.

Vandoren reeds
Juno
Rico
Legere

Usually Asked Questions

How Tight Does A Ligature Need To Be?

The like shooting fish in a barrel answer is: only tight plenty.

It needs to exist tight enough that the reed doesn't move.

But if it's too tight, it may impact the vibrations.

In some cases, depending on the design, information technology won't motility at all!

I'd err on the side of too tight at first.

Also loose, and the reed moves all around, then you lot have to finish completely and readjust.

If it's too tight, all you demand to do is loosen it a quarter turn at a time until the reed vibrates every bit easily as you want information technology to.

How Does Reed Hardness Piece of work?

The number on a reed refers to the thickness or hardness of a reed.

Saxophone reeds are usually numbered from 2-5, and they use one-half numbers, also (2.5, three.5, etc.).

The harder the reed, the improve sound, and joint y'all'll get, simply information technology's tougher to handle.

If the reed is also hard for your skill level and play fashion, you'll blow difficult and get a few notes out.

A harder reed also sounds blusterous and dull if you can't play information technology correct.

A hard reed helps with the high notes.

Lower numbers are normally easier to play, but you'll sacrifice potential in control and ability over your playing.

Beginners generally beginning on a 2 or 2.5 saxophone reed.

As they get better, a switch to a three or 3.5 is called for.

High-level saxophonists (such as professional saxophone players) will conduct dissimilar thickness reeds to play different styles of music and different pieces.

For the average player, this isn't needed.

Only go with a three or three.v in the middle, and you'll be only fine.

How Long Should A Saxophone Reed Terminal?

The respond to this one is going to shame some of you.

A saxophone reed should only last a calendar week or two with regular playing.

If you play on it less often (merely once or twice per week), then y'all can stretch this to a month.

I know reeds cost some money, but information technology's worth it to your playing to keep them fresh.

An old reed starts to play poorly and makes you piece of work besides difficult.

You'll find yourself getting tired quicker and having a harder time making your notes speak.

Of class, if the reed is damaged, don't wait! Supersede information technology correct away!

How Do I Know If My Reed Is Too Soft?

You lot know your reed is too soft for you lot when the audio gets too bright or "tinny" to your ears.

You may besides start to notice some buzzing, similar a kazoo.

A softer reed likewise struggles in the softer dynamics.

If you play and the tone gets fuzzy, information technology'southward the soft reed.

Loud playing is usually unaffected.

Source: https://dynamicmusicroom.com/how-to-put-a-reed-on-a-saxophone/