What Reed Strength Should Beginners Start On?

Ed Dumas

Reed strength is an issue that plagues new clarinet and sax players, and sometimes band teachers feel unsure how to respond. This is a debate that has been going on for decades, and will probably go on a fair bit longer. I would like, though, to offer some common-sense suggestions on how to deal with this topic to help your students experience better development, not just in the first year, but also in the years to come afterwards.

First Reed

There is an old notion that has been around since I was in high school, back when dirt was a new thing. That idea was that you started on a 1 ½, went to a 2 and on up as you developed in skill and strength in your embouchure. Higher was better, so a 4 would be better than a 3 ½ IF you could practice enough to sustain that reed.

This view is far too simplistic to be effective today, and could very well be counter-productive to the development of many students. The fact of the matter is that the ratings on the various brands of reeds simply do not equate. You can test this idea by giving a Vandoren 2 ½ to a first-year player who is used to playing on a Rico Royal or Juno 2 ½. Then watch their face as their eyes explode out of their head! Get ready for a few nice comments from the student, too.

Starting a student on a 1 ½ might be okay IF you started them on a Vandoren. A good plan, though, would be to start beginners on a Rico Royal or Juno brand  as they are much more affordable for students in the early stages when they are learning how to NOT break the reeds. I have seen students go through an entire box of reeds in a couple of weeks, not because they wear out, but because the student has not yet learned to be more careful. Parents having to pay that bill for a box of reeds every week or two will quickly teach the students why it is important to be careful!

But, a student quality reed, like a Rico Royal or Juno, at 1 ½ would be MUCH too soft for most beginners to start on. The reed will close off too easily, and in that case, the students will get no sound whatsoever.

Here are some other challenges with starting on reeds that are too soft. 

• Poor tone
• Pitch is flat
• Poor embouchure development
• Very little dynamic ability (cannot play loud and softs)
• Poor range, especially going over the break. 
• Poor ability to tongue
• The student does not develop a concept that resistance on the reed creates the sound. This understanding of resistance is critical to future development.

As opposed to that, I have always found that starting students on a Rico Royal or Juno 2 ½ created very few problems. Very few students could not get a sound right away. They did have to work a bit more to create that initial resistance, but very soon would find that the sound was worth the effort. Success getting the sound would still be nearly as quick, but more importantly, would be a much closer approximation to the kind of resistance and tone that should be developed on a reed.

In addition, the students starting on a Rico Royal or Juno 2 ½ showed:

• Better tone
• Easier to play on the pitch
• Better range
• Better tonguing
• Better dynamics
• Better embouchure development
• A better understanding of how the sound is created on a reed mouthpiece

Rarely did I experience significant problems with a 2 ½ student quality reed due to the reed being “too hard.” In my opinion, it was well worth starting all beginners on a student model 2 ½ and only adjusting from there if a student needed to.

A Plan for Reed Development

Another common problem I see with beginning reed players these days is that of staying on the same starting reed strength much, much too long. Many players even stay on that initial reed strength indefinitely, and this seriously hinders their playing development. Here is a plan for reed development that I would present to the clarinet and sax players within the first month or two of playing.

• First 6 months - Rico Royal or Juno 2 ½ 
• Second 6 months - Rico Royal or Juno 3
• 2^nd year - Vandoren 2
• 3^rd year - Vandoren 2 ½ 

By the time students have reached the third year of playing, they are now fully in control of their reed development and need little if any guidance from the music teacher. Many students will stay around the Vandoren 2 ½ level, though some might go up slightly from there, depending on their own needs and abilities.

I have at times made small changes to the development plan above. Sometimes reed players will need to stay on that initial starting reed strength for an extra term as they are not quite ready yet to go up to a Rico Royal 3. Often those students were in elementary school and were still quite physically small. In that case, just wait another term and move them on in their second year of band. 

Also, sometimes a student is not quite ready yet for the Vandoren jump. In that case too, just wait another term or so, and move them up next term. It is important, though, that they understand that they should not indefinitely stay where they are on entry-level reeds, but should get themselves ready for that switch.

Senior students who learn the lesson that quality of reed affects the quality of sound will begin to look around at other options as well. This is okay too and will pay off huge dividends in improved sound with high-quality reeds such as Zonda. 

Ideas for Reed Conservation

Years ago a story floated around about a baritone sax that was taken in for repairs to a Lower Mainland repairman. The student was complaining that the sax would no longer play. No sound was coming out at all. When the store sales rep looked in the case, he found a mouthpiece with the reed still attached. Taking off the mouthpiece cap, he found that the top of the reed was completely sheered off, and the stump that was left did not even approach the tip of the mouthpiece.

The rep then asked the student the obvious question, “How long has it been since you replaced this reed?” The answer was, “You mean I am supposed to replace the reed?” It turned out the student had been playing a couple of years on the same reed without ever changing it or even taking it off the mouthpiece, while the reed continually deteriorated down to a stump that could not make any sound at all! When the rep tried to remove the reed, it was found to be permanently bonded to the mouthpiece and would require some serious work to sand off the remnants. The rep then tossed the mouthpiece into the nearest trash can, grabbed a new mouthpiece, and said, “Let’s just start again!”

That story illustrates how common reed problems can accumulate with students very quickly. These include not keeping a mouthpiece clean, not rotating the reeds, keeping the reed on the mouthpiece overnight, playing on the same physical reed past its lifetime, and playing on too soft of reeds for far too long. Let’s look at the last issue first. 

I have noticed that many clarinet students who resist learning to play over the break are also the same ones that are still playing on too soft a reed. Learning to go over the break just becomes next to impossible on a reed that cannot vibrate at the speed and intensity required to get that sound. Instead of talking to them about the break, encourage them to get a harder reed, and the break will come soon enough. A month or so before you begin the first break discussion, check everyone’s reed strength just to make sure they are following the plan and are ready with a reed strength that will work.

Have your students purchase their own reeds, one box at a time. They should have more than one reed available to them at any given moment. Putting the students in charge of their reeds is the best way to ensure their preparedness each day and their development for the future.

There is just about no way that any band program can afford to stock all the various brands and strengths of reeds out there on all instruments to cover off all of the student options, one reed at a time. The students should learn to be responsible for themselves, rather than living by the request, “Teacher, I need another reed.” The first thought that goes through my head when I hear that statement is not, “Yes, you need another reed,” but rather “So many problems. Where do I begin?”

I would just about never leave the podium to get a student a reed, even in a beginning class. If a student was desperate for a reed (which shows a lack of planning), I would ask what they play on, and then ask the section if anyone else played on the same reed, and had a new sealed reed to loan out. Then I would make sure that the student “borrowing” the new reed understood to get a box of reeds ASAP, and needed to return a new sealed reed out of that box. This also demonstrates to the students that band is NOT a competition, it is cooperation, and that we are all better when we are responsible for everyone else as well as ourselves. 

If I had to leave the podium to get a reed because there were no other options, I made sure to give the student a reed that was not what they wanted. For older experienced players, they would get an intro-level reed, like a Juno or Rico Royal. For beginners, they might get a reed that is too hard. Natural consequences for lack of planning will encourage them to get that new box of reeds!

Also, keep a few reeds on hand as giveaways for students to try. Some students like to try the next step up in the development plan before they commit to a box of reeds, and this solves that problem. Whenever students stop playing in the band for whatever reason and before the instrument goes back into the store, keep any new reeds you find in the case as help to cover off these kinds of requests. Throw out the used ones! 

Have your students purchase a 4 slot reed-guard. Understand that this is much more than just protecting the reeds. Label the reed slots as 1, 2, 3, and 4. Put a new reed in each slot. Every day that you play, move up one number to rotate the reeds. Students that do this will find the reeds last much, much longer.

With a reed guard, the reeds chip less because they are protected, and the tip will not get that “waffle edge” when it sits on the mouthpiece overnight. The reeds will also experience less mould and “yuk” growing on them because they are constantly coming off the mouthpiece and drying. The reed will get three days of rest for each day of playing. That box of 10 reeds, then, should be able to comfortably last through one term. A small investment in a reed guard will pay for itself in that first box of reeds that is extended in life. Then, there is a financial bonus after that in every box of reeds protected with a 4-slot reed guard!

Finally, remind your beginners to wash their mouthpieces often, at least weekly. A mouthpiece that is filled with yuk will destroy the reeds at a much faster pace, even if the reed comes off at night. Show the students what a proper woodwind mouthpiece brush looks like and that it is different than a trumpet mouthpiece brush. Instruct them to use dishwashing hand soap (NOT dishwasher soap!), and warm (not HOT!) water. Not only is it good hygiene, but it is also important for Mom and Dad’s wallet to keep that mouthpiece clean! 

A Picture of Reed Growth for Students

The starting reed strength is an issue that has been debated for what seems like decades here in BC. While there is some merit in discussing this issue, the question opens the door for teachers to talk to students about many much larger problems. These issues include reed development, reed care, reed rotation and mouthpiece cleanliness. If any one of these issues is missed by students, the remainder of the issues will grow ever more problematic. An investment of a class or two in the first term of playing will pay off in future years with dramatically improved players. In another article, I will discuss step-up mouthpieces and ligatures for reed players as well, as this is a place of huge growth in sound.

Ed Dumas, B.Ed., M.A.Ed.