There’s a lot to learn when it comes to reeds! (If you haven’t read my “3 Reed Tips for Beginners” post yet, I recommend you read this post first and then come back to this one!) I’ll be sharing tips and knowledge on these little fellas in small dosages throughout my blog so that all this reed talk is easier to understand.
Have at least 2-3 reeds in your rotation
Beginners often like to just stick to using one reed. But I like to encourage my students to get in the habit right from the start of having 2-3 that they rotate throughout the week. Reeds are quite fragile. The tip of the reed is very thinly shaved and so it’s very supsetible to chipping and cracking. At the start of your clarinet playing journey you will probably chip and crack many reeds unintentionally. So you always want to have several reeds you can choose from in case it’s time to say bye bye to you’re chipped reed! Reeds can also change from one day to the next, so you are setting yourself up for comfort if you have a few reeds to play through and pick from.
Get in the habit of throwing out non-playable reeds
When a reed is no longer playing it’s best and it’s giving you a hard time playing, it’s time to say “thank you for what you’ve done, goodbye my dear reed.” Many times students hold on to the reeds that no longer work and they get confused with what reed is good and what reed is bad. It’s an unnecessary stressor. Keep your reeds tidy and getting yourself going with your playing will be a smooth process.
Always do your best to have plenty of brand new reeds stocked
This is a biggie! As a beginner you will go through reeds fast- you will break many by accident and you’ll be doing a lot of playing. It’s important to keep track of how many new reeds you still have left in your box so that you replenish your bounty before you’re left with only one sort of working reed that’s got a big chip in it and you’re praying all night long that it’ll still play tomorrow! (This happens way too often, believe me.) A box of reeds typically comes with 10 reeds. Once you get down to 3 brand new reeds left in your box, it’s time to order a new box. *You can always check in with your teacher at this time before you place an order. Ask if you should still order the same reeds. They might recommend that you get something different or keep you on the same reeds.
How are you doing with your reeds? Comment below and feel free to reach out with questions. You can also book a lesson with me here!
