What strength should a beginner reed be?

For beginners it is generally recommended to start with a 2. If a beginner would start with a 1 or 1 1/2 reed, there may be some difficulty with playing very many notes because the reed is too weak to support the playing. Please keep in mind, the strengths could be different from brand to brand.

What strength reeds use professionals?

Professional musicians usually play anywhere between strengths 3 &5. So, don’t feel like the goal is to achieve playing on a strength 5 reed.

What are the best sax reeds?

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.

What is the strongest saxophone reed?

Model	Features
Vandoren ZZ Reeds	All-round jazz reed with a rich, dark sound.
Royal by D’Addario	Extremely versatile, good value for money
Rico Select Jazz	Great projection and flexibility, making them ideal for jazz.
Vandoren Java	Brighter sound, particularly good for big band playing

How do you choose reed strength?

The thickness of the reed will affect the tone and how easy or difficult the instrument is to play. In general, a thinner reed, say 2 or 2.5, will have a brighter tone. Thinner reeds vibrate more easily, so they are good for beginners.

Are Rico reeds good?

Rico reeds are consistent and play well right out of the box. They are cheaper than Vandoren, come in a variety of styles for classical or jazz, and work well for marching band. More advanced classical players prefer Vandoren, but D’Addario (Rico) reeds are gaining popularity for their quality.

What strength sax reed should I use?

In general, a thinner reed, say 2 or 2.5, will have a brighter tone. Thinner reeds vibrate more easily, so they are good for beginners. Players of popular music or jazz often prefer this brighter tone and thus use thinner reeds.

What reed does Kenny G use?

For all saxophones, Kenny G uses Hemke reeds, which are known to be reliable, professional-quality reeds.

Are Boston sax shop reeds good?

I’ve been playing my way through a box of Boston Sax Shop tenor reeds. They aren’t right for me, but they are excellent reeds! All five in the box play/ feel exactly the same. A nice vibrant and reponsive reed.

Are Rico reeds any good?

Rico reeds are consistent and play well right out of the box. They are cheaper than Vandoren, come in a variety of styles for classical or jazz, and work well for marching band. It takes some time breaking the reeds in, but then you have reeds that produce a beautiful sound, with clean articulation and good projection.

What’s the difference between jazz reeds and regular reeds?

MF: Compared to reeds designed for classical playing, jazz reeds typically have a slightly thicker tip and thinner heart. On the flip side, the thicker heart and thinner tip of a classical reed provides players with a darker sound with quick and precise articulation.

What are the best saxophone reeds for beginners?

Finding the right reed strength for each saxophone player is a process, and highly individual, but there are some common reed types and strengths that are time-tested and proven to work well for beginners. Most beginners start by using La Voz or Rico reeds, because they are the cheapest brands.

Do reeds come in different strengths?

Once you have all of that figured out, reeds also come in different strengths. Most reeds use a number system from 1 to 5, with increments of 0.5, although La Voz uses S, MS, M, MH, H. Reed strength isn’t universal between brands and a size 3 of one brand or style is not the exact same as a size 3 of another brand or style.

Are Plasticover reeds good for saxophones?

However, they do trade a part of their core tone for a boost in volume, as well as essential overtones needed for the saxophones extended range. Plasticover reeds work exceptionally great for alto, tenor and baritone saxes. There are more than enough choices to consider when searching for a saxophone reed.

What are the most important parts of a saxophone?

One of the most significant parts of a saxophone is the reed. Experimenting with reeds can not only change the sound of your saxophone immensely, but it’s also one of the least expensive parts of the instrument.