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“Lip My Reeds”

© Chris Mindel

One thing every saxophone player must have is a good reed. How do you find a good reed? Well, before I answer that, let me give a little information on the reeds themselves.

A reed is made from cane. It is shaved down in to the shape we all know and love. There are two types of reeds: American and French. American reeds (like Rico and Rico Royal) are best suited and mostly used for jazz or wind ensemble situations. The second type, French, (like Vandoren) are best suited for classical. Can they overlap? That is, can a Rico be used for classical playing? Hey, a good reed is a good reed.

How can you tell if the reed is a good one? Well, you just have to see the light! First, though, look at the color of the reed. If it looks dingy, dirty, or stained, throw it out: the cane is bad. Next, hold the potential reed up to the light with the flat part pacing away from you. See the dark cane near the middle of the reed? That's the heart of the reed. Make sure it is a rich color and symmetrical. You may have also noticed little lines running up and down the reed. These are good! The more channels, the better (also look for a symmetrical appearance). Once you have found a good reed, what's next? Reed preparation and care!

I have found a few styles of reed preparation in my years of playing the saxophone. I have come to the conclusion that what I have been doing is not all I can to prepare the reeds. So, I present here a revised version of my reed preparation, which seems to be the most common.

First, soak all the reeds in water overnight. This is the step I have never done before. I haven't found out why this is beneficial to the reed (so if you know, write me), but it seems to help. Next, play each reed for a few minutes, looking first at the channels and heart as mentioned above. When you find a few that are good, put them on a flat surface to dry. The others can go on a flat surface to dry elsewhere. Remember, if you are lucky you will find 2-4 good reeds out of a box. If you have the choice, as I have read some do, examine each reed first, looking for the heart/channels. I haven't found a music store that will let me do this, though.

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