How does the reed work on a saxophone?
Making sound by vibrating the reed The sound of a saxophone is generated by vibrating the reed attached to the mouthpiece, which the player puts in his mouth. Instruments that make sound in this way are called reed instruments. The oboe and clarinet are also members of the reed instrument family.
What kind of reed does a saxophone have?
Saxophone Reed Material – Natural or Synthetic? Traditionally, reeds have been made of a special type of grass called Arundo Donax. These are called cane reeds, and they became the preferred material because of their rich tone.
What do different reed numbers mean?
Reed thickness is most often expressed as a number. The normal range for reeds is 2 to 5: the lower the number, the thinner the reed, and the higher the number, the thicker the reed. The thickness of the reed will affect the tone and how easy or difficult the instrument is to play.
How does a reed make sound?
reed instrument, in music, any of several wind instruments (aerophones) that sound when the player’s breath or air from a wind chamber causes a reed (a thin blade of cane or metal) to vibrate, thereby setting up a sound wave in an enclosed air column (in reed pipes) or in the open air (usually free reeds).
How does a reed work?
Reeds are made of springy cane and can vibrate on their own. Attached to the instrument, they are (usually!) forced to vibrate at the natural frequency of the air in the tube. When the pressure falls, the reed tends to close and to let less air in, when the pressure goes up the reed opens a little and lets more air in.
What is the best reed strength for alto sax?
The best reed for beginner saxophone is a size 2 or size 2.5 reed. Most beginners start with Rico, Rico Royal, or Vandoren Brand Saxophone Reeds. Your teacher will usually recommend one of these types of reeds to start with. Reed sizes vary in half measures from 1.5 to 4.
Does reed go on top or bottom of sax?
Over the Top If you’re looking for a crisp, poppin’, and edgy sound as well as highly percussive articulation, keeping that reed just a hair up above the tip of the mouthpiece will get you there. Doing this will move your pitch up a bit as well.
What are the parts of a reed?
Staples, in which you can see the two parts: the cork that is seen in the finished reed and the brass that is later inside the thread….The oboe reed parts are:
- The blades, which in the upper part carry the scrape. The 2 blades are the piece of shaped cane folded in the middle.
- Wire.
- Thread.
- Staple or tube.
What are sax reeds made of?
Reeds are actually made from the Arundo Donax plant, a member of the grass family, sometimes referred to as “giant cane.” It grows naturally in the Mediterranean Basin, where Vandoren also manufactures their reeds to keep them in their natural climate from start to finish.
How can you tell how old a reed is?
On a new reed if the surface is rough, use a little really fine sandpaper to smooth it out. Old reeds that play mushy you should throw out. New reeds that play mushy, Clip. New reeds that play stiff, sand a little to soften.
How do you break in a new reed?
5 Steps to Break-In Your Reeds:
- Take the reed out of its packaging.
- Dip in water and massage the cane to seal and close the pores.
- Do this for 3 days.
- On the 4th day, play for only a few minutes.
- Gradually increase the time playing the reed by a few minutes each day until a week has passed.
How long does it take to break in a sax reed?
Breaking In Reeds Each day that playing period can be extended until the reed has adjusted to being played and can be played for extended periods of time without worry. I find that this occurs after four to six days of moderate playing.
How long should I soak a new saxophone reed?
You should soak your reeds for about one minute with saliva. This ensures that the reed is moist enough to play well without being so wet that it becomes waterlogged. If the reed is brand new, you may want to soak it more thoroughly with water for about twenty minutes before working with it.
How do you make reed sound less airy?
Try placing your reed higher or lower on the mouthpiece, and see if that makes a difference. Also make sure that the sides of the reed are aligned with the sides of the flat section of the mouthpiece. Failing to do so will cause air to leak out of the mouthpiece.
What reeds are best for beginner saxophone?
– Reeds are normally sold by the box, in 5’s, 10’s or 25. – Natural cane reeds contain slight differences in each. – A certain number of reeds in every box will not work very well or very long.
Why are Saxophone reeds so expensive?
This whole process gets done by hand to make sure you get a box with 10 top quality reeds. So yes, reeds are expensive to buy. But clearly, they’re also very expensive to produce. The process takes years, AND it requires large amounts of land located in a very expensive part of the world.
What are the best tenor saxophone reeds?
Combines medium-thick heart,spine and rounded tip of V16 reed with the flexible platte design of the JAVA reed
How many reeds does a saxophone have?
two reeds Click to read in-depth answer. Keeping this in view, how many reeds does a saxophone have? There are usually only four or five reed players in a pit orchestra who perform on all woodwind instruments (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, saxophone). One may also ask, does an oboe have a double reed?