Although each part of the clarinet has its own function in producing a good sound, perhaps the most important part of this instrument is the 6 cm long rod called the reed. Reeds come in strengths and cuts, which can mean good or bad. A good reed is very important in producing a good sound so you should be able to choose the right reed.
Step
Step 1. Choose the right brand
There are many brands of reeds to choose from, and each manufacturer makes and sells reeds in a different way. Rico is a brand from the US that is well known among clarinetists and is often recommended for beginners. This manufacturer also makes reeds under the names La Voz and Mitchell Lurie. Vandoren (who also makes mouthpieces) is quite popular in France. There are several other French brands with varying popularity, including Selmer (who also makes the clarinet), Rigotti, Marca, Glotin and Brancher. Some other (less well known) brands include Alexander Superial (Japan), Reeds Australia, Peter Ponzol (also makes mouthpieces), RKM, and Zonda. If you are new, we recommend using the Rico and Vandoren brands.
Step 2. Determine the power required
Most reed manufacturers sell reeds in strengths from 1 to 5, often in half steps. Strength 1 is the softest, and 5 is the hardest. Some brands use "soft" (soft), "medium" (medium), and "hard" (hard) sizes. For beginners, a power of 2 or 2/12 is ideal. However, keep in mind that some brands list 2 as 2 or 3. In addition, 2 reeds also come in several variations, some approaching 2 hard, or 3 soft. You can use this reed comparison chart (PDF format) to help determine the strength scale of each reed.
- Hard reeds provide a heavier, thicker, fuller sound, but are more difficult to correct in tone. However, this also means that pitch variation cannot be obtained easily by simply changing the dynamics. Lower notes are also more difficult to play softly with hard reeds, but altissimo notes are easier to achieve.
- Soft reeds are easier to play; the sound of the reed is clearer, lighter, and brighter. However, the opportunity to play a variety of notes is greater, although the notes are easier to correct using an embouchure (a type of technique for blowing a musical instrument). High notes are difficult to achieve using soft reeds. In addition, the fast tonguing technique (16th note at 90 BPM or above) is difficult to perform on soft reeds.
Step 3. Determine the reed pieces
Reeds can have "regular" or "French file" chunks. Reed cuts are usually not essential for beginners, but French file cut reeds usually have a faster response time, and may be worth buying. Regular cut reeds can be identified from the rattan where the bottom meets the sanded section in a U shape. For the French file cut reed, the “U” section has been shaved slightly so that the thick rattan has a flat edge (see picture). Players with a “dark” mouthpiece (weak in treble) may prefer a sanded reed, while users of a “light” mouthpiece (strong in treble) prefer to use a regular cut reed.
Step 4. Go to a music store and buy as many reed boxes as needed
You can buy 1-2 boxes, but the more reeds you have, the more good reeds you get, and you don't have to go back and forth to music stores when you buy reeds. A box of 10 reeds should suffice for a few weeks, although you can buy more.
Step 5. Take the reed out of the box, and get ready to check everything
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Check for breaks and cracks. Throw away all broken reeds as they cannot be saved.
Choose a Reed for a Clarinet Step 5Bullet1 - The reeds unfolded one by one in the light. You will see an inverted “V” shape. A good reed has a "V" shape right in the middle and is symmetrical. A reed with a bent V shape, the sound can be squeaky. #** However, if the letter "V" deviates slightly from the center, you can correct it by sliding the reed slightly so that the letter "V" is in the center of the mouthpiece (not the center of the reed).
- The uneven grooves (where the small vertical line on the reed points to the letter “V” instead of going straight through it) also makes the reed not playable well.
- Knotted reeds (small dots or dark areas in the grooves) will not vibrate well, and are also deformed.
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Look at the color of the reed. Good reeds are yellow or golden brown. The green reed is still too young, and will not work well. Save the green reed and leave it for a few months. Sometimes the reed will improve on its own over time.
Choose a Reed for a Clarinet Step 5Bullet5
Step 6. Test a good reed
Defective reeds can be discarded or stored for several months, depending on the defect, and you should only use good reeds. Play with reeds to test the quality, and make sure you have at least 3 good reeds ready to use. You can buy a special reed container to store it
Tips
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Synthetic reed (plastic) is a relatively new type and is sold by various brands such as BARI, Fiberreed, Fibracell, Hahn, Hartmann, Legere, Olivieri, and RKM. The price ranges from IDR 70,000-IDR 280,000. This reed does not need to be pre-wetted, lasts longer, and is more consistent. However, some players find the sound of this reed more shrill or harsh. Instead of full plastic reeds, you can try using plastic coated reeds.
Because they are durable, easy to use, and long-lived, synthetic reeds are suitable during marching band season. Because they are often outside and handled, the common reed does not last long during marching band season and is difficult to play. Synthetic reeds are more expensive, but are 15 times as durable as regular reeds, and many people find it more profitable to buy one reed that lasts a month instead of several new reeds each week. In addition, synthetic reeds tend to have a "bright" or even shrill sound, but this is less of a problem when played in a marching band and is easier to produce loud sounds
- You can mark reeds with "+ and -" symbols. After evaluating each reed, mark a maximum of two boxes with a “+” symbol if the quality is very good, or two boxes with a “-” symbol if it is very bad.
- On a soprano, your reed strength is 2 1/2. On the bass clarinet sometimes the power drops to 2, or even 1.
- If you are allergic to rattan, there are layered reeds designed for someone like you, for example Rico Plasticover.
- If you don't like the taste of reed, even though it's tempting (many students do), it's best not to get flavored reeds (e.g. chewing gum) as they are of very poor quality and consistency and a waste of money.
- Experienced clarinetists may want to adjust an ugly reed by slightly cutting off the front of the reed with a reed cutter (for a reed that is too soft) or filing/sanding with a knife or Dutch rush (for a reed that is too hard). Don't do this if you don't understand it well (not for beginners), and remember that some reeds are sometimes impossible to repair.
- Purchase a mouthpiece protector to protect the clarinet from bite marks. Try one by one and choose the one that works for you.
Warning
- DO NOT continually increase in size OR start from a reed larger than 2. This mistake is made by many beginners. We recommend starting with the Rico reed orange square of size 2. A common misconception is that the harder the reed you use, the more fluent your game will be. This is wrong. The hardness of the reed affects the musical style (Jazz players never use a reed larger than 3), the tip of the mouthpiece opening (e.g. the tip of the 7 opening should fit a size 2 -3 'reed for professionals' reed), the thickness of the reed (Rico Reserve vs Rico Royal), and the brand of reed used (some brands are MUCH softer than the ranges listed).
- Be careful when adjusting the reed as it is easy to remove too much. Your reed thins by 10% each time it is cut 1/100 mm, and mistakes made are irreparable.
- Don't complain about the "ugly" reed box. This reed box has undergone a long delivery and the types of rattan vary. Eventually your reed box will be deformed too so it's best not to worry about it, or buy a new one if absolutely necessary. All brands usually have a minimum of 1-2 bad reed boxes (for consistent brands) while others can go as high as 7/10 or 8/10. If you are experienced enough, the reed can be adjusted to function much better than its original condition.
