I am a total newbie so this is probably a completely idiotic question. All the informartion I have read say that reed strengths of about one an a half are best for beginners. What I cannot see is what the advantages of higher strength reeds are.

I presume the lower strength reeds are easier to play but do the higher strength reeds give a better sound? or what?

Hi psionpete

The subject of reeds has often led to discussion so it's not an idiotic question at all and welcome to the forum

I think you are right about the lower strength reeds being easier to play. I think most beginners probably start off with 1.5, maybe some with 2.0. I didn't go on to 2.0 until I started learning the upper register, when a stronger reed is desirable. Generally the higher the reed strength, the better the tone - all other things being equal of course. But if you try to play on a reed that's too strong for your current level, it won't sound good and it will make playing quite difficult. It's a matter of trial and error sometimes. But you might find that when you are ready to move up a strength, it will be obvious to you and your teacher that the time is right.

As well as the strength of the reed, there's the manufacturer to consider. I started off with Rico Royal 1.5 but there's Vandoren and other manufacturers. They're all slightly different, even though the strength might appear to be the same. It's worth experimenting to find a reed that you can get the best sound with.

It's also worth bearing in mind that even if you buy a box of 10 reeds, every reed will sound different and some will sound better than others, although there are ways of altering a reed so that it sounds better.

As you can see, there's more to reeds than meets the eye! But I'm not much more than a beginner myself, so you might get better replies from people who are more experienced

Look forward to seeing you around, hope you enjoy yourself here.

Welcome to the forums!

The first thing i would say about clarinet reeds is that it is not necessarily the case that the better you are as a player the higher strength of reed you use. Yes, it is true that a beginner starts on a weaker strength, but, as others will hopefully agree, this is purely as your embouchure would not be strong enough otherwise.

The strength of reed that you use depends on your demands. Generally, a beginner will use a closed tip mouthpiece with a weak reed as it is easier to play. If you use an open-tip mouthpiece you will generally use a weaker reed in comparision to a closed-tip mouthpiece in which you will use a harder reed. The type of mouthpiece aldo bears no relation to the standard of the performer, only that closed tip moutpieces with weak reeds seem to be the best for beginners. You will also need a stronger reed for the higher notes, especially into the altissimo range, as a weaker reed will just not give you the support that you need. But you will realise this as and when you get there.

As skylark said, the strength of the reed also depends on the manufacturer. I have found you a comparison table. It is not the one I was hoping for but it should act as a guide.

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=h...%3Dqmy%26sa%3DN

As others will say, have a play around with which reeds you find suit you best. Some swear by vandorens, while others prefer ricos. It is just a matter of personal choice.

Have fun!!!

I've never heard of open-tip and closed-tip mouthpieces!!! I've just searched the forum to see if they've been mentioned before but I can't find anything. Do you know of any site which can remove my ignorance

Ii'm not too sure about this, but I think that an open tipped mouthpiece gives a more jazzy sound, as well as the weaker reed making it easier to bend notes etc. Whereas a closed tip gives a darker, more classical sound. Thats probably a huge generalisation if its right though!

Erm...

I think Barry or Neil will know more detail than me, or Stevensko (I think it was him who first explained them all to me anyway!).

On the vandoren site there should be something showing different openings.

I've come across plenty of websites where all this is explained. Just do a google search for 'mouthpiece open tip closed long short' etc.

Also, go to www.woodwind.org and ask. They know everything there.

Your reed has to go with the mouthpiece. It's not just the tip opening. It's also the 'lay' or 'facing'. A short facing means that more of the reed is held absolutely flat against the mouthpiece and there is less of the reed that's off the MP and can vibrate. A good example is the Vandoren 5RV MP which is great for beginners.

The best thing is to try your mouthpiece with different strengths/makes and choose those that sound right. Don't get too hung up on increasing strength. There's been discussion on the other board about students who seem to think that to be good, they have to play the strongest reed possible. It's not true. The reed is just one factor. The others are MP opening, facing, shape, internal shape and size and of course, your own embouchure and control of the reed.

Steve

very similar comments would apply to sax.
And lots of places to find info. Probably your best source of info should be your teacher -

You might agree, Stevensfo, that to start it may be best to stick with the mouthpiece supplied and a soft-ish reed until you have a reasonable tone then you can develop an obsession with reeds etc ? As you say, there are a lot of factors - strength of embouchure perhaps the most important.

Just to make a change I'm going to disagree with you SaxFan - it's getting boring agreeing all the time
I reckon air support is more important than embouchure. I think if the air support is there the embouchure gets easier, if you lack air support the inclination is to try and compensate with the embouchure and get yourself into all kinds of trouble.

no worries TSax.
that hadn't come into my head as I typed - so I will agree with you, maybe putting embouchure a close runner-up

Glad to know we're still in agreement!