Woodwind Reeds

In my previous post, I explained the workings and mechanics of an oboe reed. This time around I will be discussing saxophone and clarinet reeds. Unlike oboes and bassoons, saxophone and clarinet reeds are single-reed instruments. The reeds for these two instruments are much more similar to each other than to any other reeds. The way they are designed makes it easier to change between the two instruments since they are fairly similar. Many saxophone players can also play clarinet very well and many clarinet players are able to play saxophone.

Instead of just relying on the reed alone to produce vibrations, the single reed is placed in a mouthpiece that holds it in tightly. This is done by placing the reed against the mouthpiece and then sliding a piece of metal called a ligature around both the reed and the mouthpiece. The ligature is then tightened and it holds the two pieces together. Sound is created when the player blows air into the mouthpiece and the reed rubs against it, producing vibrations that make sound. Much less air pressure is required to play clarinet and saxophone than oboe or bassoon. It is easier to get the reed to vibrate against a mouthpiece, so you do not need to blow as hard to make a sound.

Unlike oboe reeds, you do not adjust saxophone or clarinet reeds at all with your own tools. The reeds are bought in a store in packages and you can simply pull a reed out and start playing without any adjustment. Due to this, these reeds also last much longer than oboe reeds. Students have claimed to have used the same reed for the entire marching season in past years. In my opinion, this is an absolutely gross habit and I do not recommend doing the same. When buying packages of reeds, there are many different strengths you can choose from. The strengths range from one to five in half increments. The lower the strength, the softer the reed will be. The higher the strength, the harder the reed will be. Generally younger students start out on softer reeds and build their way up to harder ones as they mature as a player.

The top section of saxophone and clarinet reeds are similar to oboe reeds. The top section contains a tip, a heart, a set of rails, and a shoulder. The shoulder is equivalent to the back on oboe reeds. This is the entirety of an oboe reed. However, this is only the top section of a saxophone/clarinet reed and it has a whole second part below that. The majority of the bottom section is plain bark that has been untouched and left on the reed. This is called the stock. At the very bottom of the reed, there is a short edge called the heel of the reed.

While many reeds are fairly unalike, saxophone and clarinet reeds are extremely similar in mechanism. They are also complex and interesting to analyze.