It well and truly fits into the overall remit of learning how to play the saxophone! How often should one replace a saxophone reed……. Perhaps as a guide how often do you replace yours? A brand new saxophone reed will be a bit of a challenge for the first couple of uses. Sometimes you will get a dud reed.
If after two or three total playing hours you are still battling, throw it away and try another one. I tend to play most of mine for a good few months. Other saxophonists change theirs monthly, or even weekly. It really mostly depends on how much you use each reed. These techniques will age any reed more quickly. This helps the reeds to maintain their shape and protects them from damage — else the corners may bend or splits may appear.
Just like cane reeds, synthetic reeds gradually soften over time. It may feel too easy to play, or the tip may close against the mouthpiece when playing high notes or when trying to play fortissimo.
Some players find that the tip of a synthetic reed eventually develops splits in it as it ages. You can also tell when a synthetic reed needs to be replaced by the way it responds to articulation. Rather than a quick, clear response, the reed may produce a slightly delayed and dull sound when articulating.
If you play on any reed that is too old and is ready to be replaced, your embouchure can become accustomed to playing on a reed that is too soft.
When you do replace it, you will find that the new reed feels too stiff. Then you have to build up your embouchure muscles again. The best way to make your synthetic reed last even longer is to have multiple reeds that you rotate.
Synthetic reed makers often suggest playing on a reed for about an hour, and then rotating to a different synthetic reed. This is because the reed tends to soften as it warms up. Rotating reeds also prevents the possibility that you become accustomed to one specific reed. The company uses polypropylene to make their reeds. Players like the free vibration they get from these synthetic reeds. Many players suggest, if you buy Legere reeds, to get the signature cut ones.
They generally beat the classic cut in terms of tone quality and are worth the extra price. This makes it very easy to find what works best for you. Although deterioration in sound quality can be representative of a variety of issues, in many cases poor sound quality is a side-effect of playing old reeds. For those just starting out, reeds can last up to six months. Still, other clarinetists change reeds depending on the weather.
Believe it or not, some reeds perform better in warmer environments, while others prefer colder weather. Not only do plastic sleeves do a poor job at preventing warpage but, if you store your reeds in your saxophone case, they can easily become chipped or damaged during transport. In addition to properly wetting and maintaining reeds, investing in a quality reed case is one of the most important things you can do to extend the life of your clarinet reeds, regardless of the brand, hardness, or price point.
Thank you for all this great information. Precisely how long that takes depends on how well you are taking care of it as well as how frequently you use it. Most saxophonists and other reed musicians will cycle through their reeds, so that they do not use the same reed every time they play. A good portion of these musicians will practice so frequently that they still use each of their reeds once per day, for a period of about 30 minutes to an hour. The longest that I would expect a reed to last this way is a month, and more realistically it might last about two weeks.
If you are reading this, chances are you might not be the sort of person who has the time to practice for several hours per day. You might only play for one hour every day, and you might use one or two reeds the entire time. It is difficult to give an exact rate at which they will wear, but reeds generally need time to recover usually at least a day from use.
Giving them more time to recover will nearly always save you money in the long run, which is why I always recommend cycling reeds. The first and most obvious thing you can do to make your reeds last longer is to cycle through them. Number your reeds, and each time you practice use the next number in the sequence until you eventually go back to the first reed in the sequence. Reeds always have some moisture in them, but if they are completely drenched then they might become moldy.
Instead of just throwing it back in your case immediately, you might try pinching the reed between your thumb and index finger and moving your two fingers toward the tip of the reed as you squeeze.
This will remove excess moisture. Alternatively, you could just leave the reed sitting out to dry for a while, which is probably the better option if you have the time.
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