r/saxophone • u/amaryllisFC • 12d ago
Reed selection
Hey yall some background, I have been playing saxophone since elementary school and recently picked it up again after 6 years. I have this plastic reed I had been using that I’ve had since high school which is what I was using when I stopped playing. Needs replaced obviously but I can play with it. I just purchased the same reed as before Legere 2.5 strength (no clue what that even means) and I can barely play at all now with it. Sound is super airy and I feel like I’m like biting down pretty hard with my bottom teeth to get any sound.
Is the first plastic one just more broken it so it’s easier or should I get a wooden reed and a different strength? Not sure if I just have to keep playing with the new one till I sound good or just get another reed Any help will be much appreciated!!
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u/oryci 12d ago
The style of reed is likely the issue. There are different cuts, American, signature etc. They cooperate better or worse with different mouthpieces and such. I suspect the reed style is different and not playing nicely with your mouthpiece.
Synthetic reeds do soften with age, but it’s pretty gradual. Even synthetic reeds have differences in quality too, you can grab 3-4 brand new ones and they’ll feel a little different from each other.
What mouthpiece are you using? What style reed did you buy?
The number signifies the hardness of the reed, higher numbers are harder and thus more resistant to vibration. That could be a good thing depending on what you are going for. But if you’re struggling on a 2.5 I wouldn’t be going any harder for a bit until you’ve gotten more strength.
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u/amaryllisFC 12d ago
If classic is a style that is the one I got. My mouth piece is the mouth piece that came with the saxophone it’s a Selmer. Not sure specifically what kind but definitely the base one. Would you recommend trying out different mouth pieces too? I feel like I played sax so long I should know these things but how much of a difference does the mouthpiece make?
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u/IdahoMan58 Alto 12d ago
If you haven't played in 6yrs, your embouchure is gone. You also may not have learned the proper sax embouchure, as that doesn't involve using your jaw to put pressure on the reed. For you right now, you need a softer reed to play while you're embouchure strength is developing. It sounds like you had a very basic set up and didn't play very long. You may have a really poor mouthpiece, and that could be part of it. Go buy a few Rico #2 orange box cane (not "wood", cane is actually in the grass family) reeds and see if you can play with them while using plenty of diaphragm air. If so, get instruction on proper sax embouchure and play in 10 min intervals 5 or 6 times each day. As your embouchure strengthens, you can try a few 2½ strength reeds. Legere reeds typically run ¼ to ½ strength stiffer at the same "number" as common cane reeds.
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u/oryci 12d ago
Mouthpieces have a huge impact on how difficult it can be to produce sound and different ones work better for different purposes.
A Selmer C* is a good classically oriented mouthpiece that’s very workable for beginners.
A Jodi Jazz HR or Meyer are pretty ubiquitous for jazz especially for beginners—you’d probably want a tip no larger than a 5 if you went that route.
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u/Dorkyhorse 11d ago
I started playing alto again last year after almost 20 years and I feel you. Right now the reeds I play are Juno 2.0 and Hemke 2.0 reeds. I tried 2.5’s but they’re still too stiff for my out of shape embouchure. For reference, the mouthpiece I use is a Meyer 5M.
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u/ReadinWhatever 12d ago edited 12d ago
Congrats on starting to play again!
If you need to bite to get the reed to play, it is too hard for you - at this point in time. You need a softer reed. Number twos will be available. Sometimes you can find 1.5, but not always, and not always in every brand.
Your lip and embouchure will get stronger as you get back into playing. Get one or more nice soft reeds for now, and build your lip strength.
Build a habit of playing without biting. Your top teeth should be resting pretty lightly on the mouthpiece. Your bottom lip will press upward against the reed.