For many years I believed the myth that using a reed of a harder strength means you are a better saxophone player. One day, my friend (who has much more money than I do), stopped by with a gallon plastic bag full of all sorts of brands of reeds for tenor that she had tried out and decided weren't for her (we're talking about $400 of reeds here). What a gift! I tried each brand and size out one-by-one with my Jody Jazz Custom Dark 8* for my tenor. I have become pretty good using a Reed Geek to work on my reeds and realized that I prefer softer 3's with a little Reed Geek work on them to make them more consistent (although I find D'Addario to be more consistent than most brands) . Ultimately, I ended up preferring D'Addario Select Jazz Filed reeds in a 3S and manipulating them with the Reed Geek when needed. Musicians in the two jazz bands I play in keep commenting on my gorgeous dark sound so I guess I have found the right set up for me as that kind of sound is my preference!
@saxombie8614 Жыл бұрын
By the way, synthetic reeds changes all the equation you mentioned: i can play very excellent, stable and effortless altissimo with my soft °2 synthetic reeds. So their functionally already surpasses the natural cane reeds because theyre really balanced now. I think they are here to stay already.
@eugeniaavilava58410 ай бұрын
What brand do you use please ?
@saxombie861410 ай бұрын
@@eugeniaavilava584 I'm using ones that are made in my country (Argentina) called "G-Reeds". They're pretty good and cheap too.
@antondraganits6567 Жыл бұрын
Thank you Thomas, today was one of these days. I was kind of frustated and blaming mostly me, but at least have of it was the reed!
@ThomasHaehnlein Жыл бұрын
Hi Anton, yeah, I do know your pain ;)
@vincescuderi7 ай бұрын
Yes. In college, as a Classical clarinetist, there was a kind of macho one-upsmanship going on as far as who played number 5 reeds. Harder reeds do give you more precise articulation, but hard work in continuing. I presently play 2 reeds on both clarinet and sax. Not playing classical music any longer, but enjoying playing and studying jazz. The horns don't resist me much any longer! ;-)
@MartyKeil3 ай бұрын
I've been frustrated with mouthpiece numbers not being consistent across brands. Why do we use arbitrary numbers to represent tip openings rather than an actual measurement in inches or mm? For example, an Otto Link 7 is not the same tip opening as an Otto link Florida 7. In my opinion, I think it is best to know your actual tip opening, my most comfortable being 0.100 inches (or 2.54mm). I find reed hardness is also not consistent across brands of reeds. A #3 can vary widely between Rico, Vandoren, LaVoz, and every other manufacturer of reeds.
@vloervalentijnpeters Жыл бұрын
I currently play a 5* tone edge with La Voz Medium reeds, i find this gives me a great balance of ease with low and high notes
@thomasbadocchi3008 Жыл бұрын
Thanks for the video, I really needed something like this, I've been playing for 5 moths with a 7* opening mouth piece and with a number 2 reed and lately I feel like I could give have much more sound, I'm talking about the beauty of the sound it self but more about the mass of sound I can produce, with such a soft reed I truly feel limitated even tough I really like the sound that I have I think is about time to change my reed, this video is the thing that I needed to convince my self, thanks
@ThomasHaehnlein Жыл бұрын
Hi Thomas, I’m glad the video helped! :) enjoy your new life with 2,5 reeds
@felipemendozar9 ай бұрын
How is it going? I've tried but it feels terribly hard.
@thomasbadocchi30089 ай бұрын
@@felipemendozar it's going great I trully needed to change now I have reed that makes me feel much more comfortable and is helping me develop a better sound
@tavaresjoo6 ай бұрын
Great topic !!! GS•Reso 7 tenor with Java Red 2.5 on my MKVI five digit ( 1955 ) 👌
@bluessax5089 Жыл бұрын
Are use a size 7 mouthpiece on tenor and a 4 soft reed. I usually think that I reed is pretty stiff but honestly some of them come out the box something like paper they are so thin feeling. Good ol D’Addario
@mhaas17 Жыл бұрын
Tenor GS Reso FG 7* 2,5, Alto WCW select 0,80 2,5 both with BSS-Reeds.
@saxombie8614 Жыл бұрын
I had the thickness = strength misconception too for long time, until i needed 2 1/4 reeds so i directly talk to my local reeds manufacturer (Gonzalez Reeds, im on Argentina) if he can make a box of "thinnered" 2 1/2s for me then he teach me that it's not how its done: all reeds are cut the same size and then flexibility check with a special machine, one by one. I think part of the misconception cames from, besides the pure ignorance, the way we can customize or fix our own reeds by sanding. So we told to ourselves: if i can sand it and it becomes softer, then strength = thickness, which is in fact partially true. So we made ourselves partially right. heh
@ThomasHaehnlein Жыл бұрын
Interesting! I played Gonzales reeds for a while too. I also thought that the idea about thinner and thicker reeds might come from times when people built their own reeds. Then you’d manipulate the reed strength by changing the thickness, just as you mentioned we still do when we don’t like a reed
@chaisax9 Жыл бұрын
Thank you ❤❤❤
@CodexHtml-im1ie11 ай бұрын
I make use of a 2 and 3 reed size Not sure of my ligature though But having issues playing high notes mostly in D when moving to the next octave
@joshcharlat850 Жыл бұрын
I recently got an Ottolink New York metal #8. I was doubtful, but I have been happy with it. A new 2.5 Vandoren is a little tough at first while very used #3s are easy to use. It is a moving target it seems. I am going to try a synthetic reed based on all of the favorable reviews. If the reed could be as constant as a tip opening, tgat target would stop moving.
@ThomasHaehnlein Жыл бұрын
Hi Josh, unfortunately the synthetic reeds are also not constant in the long run, they slowly lose their strength too. But definitely more stable than natural reeds :)
@joshcharlat850 Жыл бұрын
@@ThomasHaehnlein Thank you. That is important to know.
@williamedmundson6626 Жыл бұрын
My reeds are all kinds of whack: I use 4 Clarinet V12 reeds on my soprano sax with an s90 180 tip 3-2.5 on alto with a Brilhart 5* (modern 6) 2 on tenor with a 8* Bss R series 2.5 with v16 7* for bari Strenght 3 1/2 + to 4 for Clarinet with a BD5 strength 2-2.5 for bass clarinet with a B45 Not a single setup is consistent between horns
@ThomasHaehnlein Жыл бұрын
Interesting setups, especially with the clarinet reed on the soprano!
@nickmartorano6766 Жыл бұрын
Excellent suggestions! :)
@ThomasHaehnlein Жыл бұрын
thanks Nick, glad you enjoyed the video!
@davidsmusic Жыл бұрын
great video! greetings from Germany!
@ThomasHaehnlein Жыл бұрын
Thanks David! Greetings back from Germany (Berlin) ;)
@guillermogonzalez6346 Жыл бұрын
I play my tenor with Otto Link 6* NY and Rico Royal 3
@47EMAIFB Жыл бұрын
tnx for the tips
@ThomasHaehnlein Жыл бұрын
You’re welcome Eric!
@benjamincorrington8768 Жыл бұрын
I’m on a legere 2.25 right now, and it felt a little too soft (tone started to feel hollow and thin, but I could always play decent altissimo on it too) so I tried out their 2.5. It was like a whole other world, I was constantly running out of breath and I felt like I was biting. I had to return it, I couldn’t play anywhere near as soft as I wanted or as high as I wanted (I couldn’t get past an altissimo G#, despite having altissimo d consistent for a while). I’m back to the 2.25, and still feel like I want to play on a harder reed, but not as hard as the 2.5. Any suggestions?
@ThomasHaehnlein Жыл бұрын
Hi Benjamin, which mouthpiece and tip opening are you currently playing?
@slawekpezda Жыл бұрын
I switch few years ago from 9* tip opening and Vandoren java green reeds nr 3,5 to 8 and 2,5 reeds, much better!
@biz-learning Жыл бұрын
I play with classic Vandoren blue 3 reeds with a Selmer S80 C* mouthpiece (On a YAS-62)
@ThomasHaehnlein Жыл бұрын
A classical saxophone player then! :)
@biz-learning Жыл бұрын
@@ThomasHaehnlein just a beginner... with a second hand sax ;-)
@hezigler Жыл бұрын
Meyer 5M with most 3s or medium reeds on alto.
@Jaujau9332 ай бұрын
These tip openings and reed strengths are not really "standard" big top opening/softer reed I've played a 7 mouthpiece with a 2 reed for years on Alto & Tenor and it works well for me. 😎
@jazzman_107 ай бұрын
I just found out your channel and would like to ask you a question that nobody has ever been able to answer with true knowledge, icluding Chad LB himself. I play a Jody Jazz HR 8* with a 2.25 legere American Cut or 2.5 on regular reeds. When I play I blow at 80% of the total volume I can play and it sounds loud enough if I am playing with other accoustic instruments, but I cannot play much louder so I end up taking a microphone pretty much everywhere otherwise I cannot come through. I have heard that Joe Henderson had the same issue but I do not know why and how to improve my projection. Here it is not a matter of the quality of the sound, which I am comfortable whith, but of quantity. Any thoughts?
@ThomasHaehnlein7 ай бұрын
Hey, about Joe Henderson: He had a mouthpiece with very narrow tip opening and very soft reeds and on a setup like this, you can't project too much. As far as I know he usually played with a microphone. But your setup sounds fine. You could think about getting a brighter mouthpiece with a baffle since that makes it easier to cut through (I don't know your mouthpiece very well though so I don't know how bright it might be already). Working on your breathing technique can help to increase the volume you can get from the mouthpiece too
@jazzman_107 ай бұрын
@@ThomasHaehnlein My secondary mouthpiece has a narrow chamber with a step baffle, it sounds a bit more but the difference is not that great... Thanks for answering!
@stevekeller4814 Жыл бұрын
This video is nonsense. Harder reeds are NOT thicker than softer reeds. All reeds of a given style and brand are cut exactly the same on the same machines. The strength rating is applied after the reed is cut, by testing it on a deflection machine. The rest of the information basically amounts to “use a medium strength reed on a medium mouthpiece”. Which, while generally good advice, is not very helpful. I will not be subscribing to this channel.
@ThomasHaehnlein Жыл бұрын
Hi Steve, you are absolutely right about the reed strength, I indeed had this wrong and another commenter already pointed that out. Apparently a very common misbelief, even among pros. However, since there are in my experience a lot of saxophone players out there that are not aware of the downsides a very hard or very soft setup brings, I do not agree with you that this video is not needed. There is a reason why Chris Potter and Dave Liebman also considered it an important enough topic to address it. Maybe you’ll find other videos on my channel more interesting that go more in-depth on different topics.
@BsktImp Жыл бұрын
Typical number of reeds to have on the go at any one time, and when to retire a reed? Any thoughts on synthetic reeds?
@ThomasHaehnlein Жыл бұрын
Hi Silacai, there's unfortunately no definite answer to your questions. Having several reeds available is definitely a good thing, I usually have a reed case with 8 reeds with me. When a read is worn out can vary quite a bit, but usually if you've played your reed for let's say 2 weeks everyday for 30min, it's time for a new one. I tried synthetic reeds a long time ago and was not really satisfied, but I would imagine they improved a lot. On the clarinet they can be great for students since they offer more stability, on the saxophone I don't have any experience with that so far. I'd say if it works for you, why not. It's just a challenge to realize when to change the synthetic reed since they go softer and softer very slowly.
@BsktImp Жыл бұрын
@@ThomasHaehnlein Thanks. I've only ever played on natural reeds so was just interested in your thoughts on synthetics if you had tried them. Thanks again.
@carmencurto9939 Жыл бұрын
If I had a JodyJazzHR* Custom I know it would help me sound better!
@ThomasHaehnlein Жыл бұрын
Hi Carmen, what mouthpiece are you currently playing?
@carmencurto9939 Жыл бұрын
@@ThomasHaehnlein Hi Tom, I went from a 4c to a Jody Kazz 7m and a 3 Rigotti
@ThomasHaehnlein Жыл бұрын
Sounds good! I mean a regular Jody Jazz should be already a pretty decent mouthpiece :)
@robstevens9590 Жыл бұрын
I play 2.5 or 3 (depending on the brand) on my alto Otto Link Tone Edge 7 (but I opened it up, so it is more like an 8). On Soprano I play 3.5 Vandoren (blue box?) or D'Addario Plasti-cover on a Yamaha 4C mouthpiece.
@thomasjoe5594 Жыл бұрын
I have otto link 8, for alto saxophone. I use 2.5 Rico reeds, but that is harder, 2 is sometimes not perfect also. Can you suggest me another brand reed which will be suitable with otto link super tone 8 mouthpiece for alto saxophone
@robstevens9590 Жыл бұрын
@@thomasjoe5594 I never played on a Otto Link Tone Master, but if the Rico 2.5 is too hard I suggest trying Hemke 2.5 or Vandoren Red Box 2.5.
@ThomasHaehnlein Жыл бұрын
Hi Thomas, you could try a Daddario select jazz 2 soft reed, this should be a bit under the 2,5. If it should be possible for you, it might be also a good idea to go down to a 7* or 7 tip opening. It would make the 2,5 quite a bit easier to play
@thomasjoe5594 Жыл бұрын
@Rob Stevens Thank you.
@thomasjoe5594 Жыл бұрын
@Thomas SAX It would be difficult to bring down the mouthpiece as it is very costly. I think I will try with 2 soft reed as you told. Does softer reeds make us a less player?
@demetriolabador39023 ай бұрын
What is the best saxophone reed brand
@ThomasHaehnlein3 ай бұрын
Hmm it depends of course on your mouthpiece and your preferences, but I use Vandoren since many years and find them to be very consistent (much more than D’addario f.e.)
@bluessax5089 Жыл бұрын
JD Allen plays a size 10 mouthpiece and a 1 Rico reed!! A size 1!!! 🤯🤯🤯
@ThomasHaehnlein Жыл бұрын
Oh that’s interesting! I heard that Hank Mobley might’ve used a similar setup: big mouthpiece with a very soft reed. Although I think it wasn’t a 1 :D
@rat4spd Жыл бұрын
I use a Selmer Soloist D (.083 or 2.1 mm) on my tenor with 2.75- 3.25 Legere Signature, depending on the day. I've been taking lessons for a little over a year as an adult.
@MarkPeotter Жыл бұрын
If you haven't tried already, please also try playing on cane reeds. Get a variety of brands in the same strength area as you LeGere reeds. Play each reed for 2 weeks. The cane reeds will give you a better education and more experience. 😊
@rat4spd Жыл бұрын
@@MarkPeotter I dabble occasionally with them. I like the warmth of cane compared to synthetic, however they are much less forgiving with the heavy-handed tonguing I can be prone to do.
@danielorum1918 Жыл бұрын
I’m playing a 6 opening on a vandoren alto MP with a 2.0 legere American cut synthetic reed. And my mouth gets tired after 1 hour of playing.
@ThomasHaehnlein Жыл бұрын
Hi Daniel, this sounds like you might use more tension in your embouchure than you need! You can find tips on how to relax your embouchure in other videos on my channel. Just know that this can take some time, it's usually not something we're able to change overnight.
@matsmanteatern698 Жыл бұрын
I play on a mp with .112 opening. That’s somewhere between 8 and 8* opening. The reeds I use is 2soft by D’addario Select jazz. So quite soft reeds.. but pretty big opening I guess… I like my tone and it’s quite even in all registers. But I still struggle a bit in the low register. I need at least 15 minutes warm up to be able to play the lowest register. But after practicing a lot in the low register a lot I think I start to get control and a sound I like… thinkin about trying some smaller tip openings. What do you think?
@ThomasHaehnlein Жыл бұрын
Hi Mats, yeah I know your struggle with the low notes very well, I’ve struggled with them myself for a long time. I’m actually planning to make a video about how to fix that. Did you check that your saxophone keys are sealing properly? Sometimes the issues with low notes come just from that. Trying a different mouthpiece can help too, there can be big differences between mouthpieces when it comes to the lower notes
@matsmanteatern698 Жыл бұрын
@@ThomasHaehnlein Hi Thomas, yes my horn is sealing properly. I leave it to a pro technician every year more or less. But You’re right, sometimes it’s even harder with the low notes and it’s caused by small leaks! Wonder if a 7* mp would make it easier? But it’s also a question of practicing I think. If I put in the work I get good control and sound all the way down. Dr. Wally Wallace on “ The saxophone Academy” with his “ exercise Zero” is a good one for low notes!
@ThomasHaehnlein Жыл бұрын
CORRECTION: the reed strength is not determined by the thickness of the reed, but the flexibility! Thanks to a friendly user for pointing that out. Which reed strength and mouthpiece tip opening are you currently playing? Let me know down here!
@wisconsinmel Жыл бұрын
6 3 Light Rigotti
@somebody9033 Жыл бұрын
on Baritone, Rico M9, tip opening 3.048mm (.115"). Vandoren 2 1/2 reeds.
@QuevedoSax Жыл бұрын
I`m using a Francois louis Sphere Chamber that is like a 10- 10* with a 2.5 strong Rigotti reed on tenor, alto and baritone. but I`m wanting to take it easy and get some new mpc, I`m getting old hahaha
@ThomasHaehnlein Жыл бұрын
aaah isn't that the mouthpiece that Joe Lovano is using too? Or is it another Francois Louis model? I also thought about trying Francois Louis again!
@QuevedoSax Жыл бұрын
@@ThomasHaehnlein you`re right! I think it`s the same chamber but Lovano`s got a handmade one. mine is a signature model that means it is the same factory mpc but final inspected by FL. I think this make a HUGE difference! played on some ground chamber that wasn`t signature model and didn`t quite enjoy as much
@fondobnzovu65566 ай бұрын
i play a 3reed on a 7 mouth piece
@guilhermestudartci1384 Жыл бұрын
As a beginner, how long does it take to upgrade my reeds? About 4-6 months? More?
@ThomasHaehnlein Жыл бұрын
Hi Guilherme, you mean the time from when you first begin to play the saxophone to when you can switch to harder reeds? If so, this depends but usually on alto, you don’t have to worry too much about it - you can change to 2.5 quite early on, especially as an adult. I’d just be a bit more cautious when it’s about younger students that are 10 or so, then it can be better to stay with a nr. 2 reed for longer
@guilhermestudartci1384 Жыл бұрын
@@ThomasHaehnlein Perfect! Thank you so much for your attention. Regards!
@thomasfontin468811 ай бұрын
I play a 8* with Rigotti 3 Hard
@6strings5904 Жыл бұрын
5* 2.5
@Jwellsuhhuh Жыл бұрын
The video has good intentions but I’m not really happy with you spreading misinformation about what reed strength is. Higher = thicker is a myth that has been debunked ages ago, and people should really stop bringing it up. Reed strength is measured during manufacturing using a device that applies pressure to a reed, measuring how flexible it is. Flexibility is a characteristic determined by the density of the reed which can vary depending on the harvest. All reeds of the same brand should have similar dimensions and thickness. Lower strength reeds are more flexible and less dense, but not necessarily thinner.
@ThomasHaehnlein Жыл бұрын
Hi Jewells, thanks for your comment, you’re right about the reed strength, other users pointed that out too (I’ve corrected myself in the description of the video).
@Jwellsuhhuh Жыл бұрын
@@ThomasHaehnlein oh I see! that's great. keep making content!
@JorisPosthumus Жыл бұрын
the reeds are not thicker, all the same. Its about the bending the reeds that clasify its strength
@ThomasHaehnlein Жыл бұрын
Hi Joris, you’re right about this, I’ve also corrected it in the description of the video
@lukasalihein Жыл бұрын
Reed strength is determined by STIFFNESS not thickness. Just look at them! Tough way to start the video.
@ThomasHaehnlein Жыл бұрын
Hi Lukas, you’re right about it! I’ve already corrected it in the description of the video after some other people commented on it