Reed Strengths, FAQ's and General Comment

Reed Strengths, FAQ's and General Comment

(The following is adapted from an article for Reeds Direct Cambridge)

I hope that this page and some of the FAQ’s that follow will help you to gain confidence in making the choice of reed, finding the right strength and assisting in the search for reeds.

First things first –

If you are new to playing, or buying for someone who is, softer reeds, often strength 1.5 or 2 are your best bet. Using lower strength reeds at first is more encouraging to the younger player, easier on the lip and less demanding for air support. You may also wish to purchase less expensive reeds at first, as without careful handling they can be easily broken. As players learn to better handle their reeds then the expense of higher quality reeds can be justified as they will last longer and be more enjoyable to play. As a player learns to blow better, learns more notes and expects more from the tone of their instrument then they should be encouraged to move up in strength of reed and experiment with what different brands have to offer. Manufacturers offer strengths usually starting from 1.5 (or even 1) and extending to 5 (or more). These numbers represent an increasing strength of resistance. Most players will settle on strength 2.5 or 3 after a number of years of playing – this is very standard, though some advanced players or those with particular mouthpieces will require both higher and softer strengths than this. Teachers can help decide the appropriate time to change strengths.

One practice that will definitely help to keep your reeds in use for longer is to rotate them from one practice session to another. Keeping 3 to 4 reeds going at all times will allow each reed to recover from use and will highlight when one reed is beginning to lose its quality in relation to the others. We recommend purchasing cane reeds by the box and working in new reeds as old ones need replacing.

FAQ’s

• What is the difference between different make of reeds?

Each manufacture tries to offer a unique cut and quality of cane in their product. As these factors are crucial to sound and response the player will find reasons in time to prefer one make over another. 

• How do I know when to try a harder /softer strength?

When sound suffers beyond what the player can adjust for is the time to examine the strength being used. If upper register notes are thin and unstable a harder strength may help. If low notes cannot be produced in spite of one’s best efforts then a softer reed may help. The ideal is an comfortable control and even response throughout the range with a gratifying musical sound. 

• Why are reeds difference sizes for different instruments?

 As each size of instrument uses a specific size of mouthpiece the reed used must fit. Reeds are an integral part of the production of the sound through the vibration they provide to the air column and must be designed specifically for the mouthpieces. 

• What makes a reed a ‘Jazz’ reed, what makes a reed a ‘Classical’ reed?

 In general, a ‘Jazz’ will be a slightly more flexible and vibrant reed intended to allow higher overtones to be present in the sound – producing a so called ‘brilliant/punchy’ quality often associated with jazz music. A ‘Classical’ reed will be more resistant and is intended to produce a greater concentration of lower overtones in the sound – the so called ‘dark/rich’ quality associated with symphonic or classical music.

• Why are some reeds more expensive than others?

 Cane is selected by manufacturers for the intended product market – the highest of selection criteria means that fewer canes are suitable, more wastage occurs and more care is taken in finishing – contributing to higher cost. 

• Why are some reeds less expensive than others?

Some lesser expensive reeds are made from lower qualities of cane, cut more simply with less concern for final finishing. These can be well suited to players at any level but are often associated with initial years learning. 

• What are some reed brands more popular than others?

 Some products have been around for a century or more – ample time to become well known and respected. Some are more widely available therefore easier to recommend by teachers and some have a proven track record for specific mouthpieces and/or types of use. Successful products have a following in different regions around the world so what is well known in one country may be very differently regarded elsewhere. 

• Why have I been recommended to a particular brand of reed when there are so many different brands available? 

Perhaps because a player or teacher has had a very good experiences themselves with a product, perhaps a name has been well established and is easily available or perhaps because a certain brand is believed to constitute good value. In the end every player will want to find their own best answer and should sample a variety of reeds. 

• Why don’t all reeds correspond in strength? 

 This is a bit like ‘Why don’t all cars look alike?’ They just don’t and for a variety of reasons. Strength guides are generally relative and roughly proportional to each other but each manufacturer wishes to do something unique to meet the perceived requirements of the musician. Experience of different reeds will lead someone to a personal understanding of the relationships between brands and strengths – in the meantime a strength comparison chart and some background reading will help to fill the gaps in knowledge.

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The tips and comments above are the result of many years of providing help and advice, my personal interest and study, and the teaching that I have done during my career. I have many colleagues and teachers to thank for sharing their thoughts and suggestions on this and other topics. In addition I am indebted to Woodwind & Reed, Cambridge ( www.wwr.co.uk ) where, in the course of helping customers, many of these concepts have been refined and have proven helpful.

Thomas Dryer-Beers

 

Tonal Differences Between Makes of Flutes

Tonal Differences Between Makes of Intermediate 

and Professional Flutes

While there are a myriad of makes and models sharing similar specifications and much confusion regarding their quality of performance it is possible to make some useful observations on the differences, both intentional and anecdotal, between different flutes. These might help interested players to find the type of instrument most likely to suit their playing expectations.

Manufacturers of popular and well respected ‘Step-Up’ or Intermediate levels include:

Altus, Azumi, Pearl, Trevor James and Yamaha

Manufacturers of highly respected ‘Top Range’ or Professional levels include:

Miyazawa, Muramatsu, Sankyo and Yamaha

While there are many additional makes, some of which are excellent, for the purposes of this blog entry I will concentrate on these well respected names.

Of the above makes flutes from Altus, Azumi, Miyazawa, Sankyo and Trevor James all tend to have brighter tone colours and are more immediately responsive. This is due to the concepts underlying the design of the embouchure hole and the cut of the lip plate / chimney as well as the metal composition, the weight and dimensions of the walls of the headjoint and body tube. These flutes will tend to be attractive to and suit well the player who wishes a fine result for little effort.

Flutes from Muramatsu, Pearl and Yamaha tend to have darker or ‘richer’ tone colours and it is often remarked that a player has to ‘work a bit harder’ to draw out the sound. While this might potentially be viewed as an negative observation the result of the willingness of the player to support and direct the airstream with a bit energy is that the tone achieved is likely to have more carrying power and projection with a richer and fuller spectrum of harmonic colours in the sound. The ‘core’ of the sound will be better perceived.

Further:

Azumi and Altus flutes are closely related – Azumi flutes are supplied with an Altus cut headjoint – and perform similarly – the Altus being the entirely ‘Made in Japan’ instrument. Miyazawa instruments are highly responsive, wonderfully engineered and innovative with Brogger system keywork options (making the key action more stable and reliable as well as beautiful) and various body tube metal silver contents from which to choose. Sankyo and Muramatsu have long established reputations and offer features and characteristics quite different from one another. When comparing these two brands one can clearly see that though each flute may have a silver headjoint or a silver body tube and headjoint, the shared specification does most certainly not mean that they will perform the same. At the highest end of flute production it is individual craftsmanship that often sets instruments apart as well as their ability to convey a ‘musical personality’ to the user.

Flutes supplied in yet greater higher silver content specifications than the above (including solid silver keywork and additional precious metals) as well as further possible keywork options are available and the differences will be noticed by experienced players but the perceived benefits tend to diminish and tend to be more difficult to quantify as the costs increase. If one is looking at the purchase of a professional 'tool' for solo or orchestral playing or wishes to simply be rewarded by owning the 'best money can buy' then these finer points are perhaps worth the additional expenditure and will certainly contribute to the enjoyment of any instrument.

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The tips and comments above are the result of many years of providing help and advice, my personal interest and study, and the teaching that I have done during my career. I have many colleagues and teachers to thank for sharing their thoughts and suggestions on this and other topics. In addition I am indebted to Woodwind & Reed, Cambridge ( www.wwr.co.uk ) where, in the course of helping customers, many of these concepts have been refined and have proven helpful.

Thomas Dryer-Beers

CASS Article - Choosing a Saxophone - Incorporating How to Trial an Instrument

Choosing a Saxophone

 Written for the Clarinet and Saxophone Society Journal of Great Britain

an article by Thomas Dryer-Beers

Choosing a saxophone, either to begin one's studies, to indulge a long nurtured wish to play or to invest at the professional level on 'an instrument for life' has in many ways never been easier. The quality of the various models available is generally high at all price levels - the differences between similarly priced saxophones are not huge and even the variation between starter instruments and top of the range models is relatively small. This means that in many ways it is difficult to make a truly bad investment as long as one is aware of a few important points.

Saxophones seem to be offered from all corners of the world these days. Gone are the times when the only choice seemed to be to buy French or American. Very successful instruments are now also being manufactured in Japan, Germany, the Czech Republic, Italy, the numerous workshops of Taiwan and in recent years China, and one can become overwhelmed indeed! Added to this there is increasing globalisation of parts manufacture, assembly and sourcing of the accessories that come supplied with an instrument.

Improving designs and standards of manufacture in student saxophones and fierce competition in professional pricing have meant that the notion of an intermediate instrument, in anything other than price, is almost completely gone. Many models that were considered to be of professional standard 30-50 years ago would no longer be recommended by teachers as adequate for learning. Many once rather expensive student models have been supplanted by better-designed and less expensive new models.

In order to form an unbiased opinion of the performance of an instrument (indeed even models by the same maker) each saxophone should be evaluated on its own merits, not necessarily by its name or past history. Responsible music shops undertake just such evaluations on a continuing basis in order to be able to offer their customers the best of all the available models. This helps to ensure that as much as possible, your choice of saxophone will be of the correct standard to do the job for which it is being purchased.

Beginner Level Choice

Since so many makes of student instruments have borrowed (even directly copied) features of dominant professional instruments, it is now possible to experience the feel of many top name saxophones in some budget priced models. Some recent models have borrowed keywork design, others body tube proportions, and others attempt to reproduce the weight or mass in the brass alloy used.

So, how can a new player begin to select their sax? A good way to start perhaps, is by conversing with knowledgeable sax playing colleagues, teacher to be, school etc. Then select a recommended specialist shop in which you can have confidence. A definite plus will be a shop with in-house repair technicians as their contribution is vital in ensuring a good experience.

When you visit you should explain your situation and ask to view recommended models within an affordable price range. Having been provided with a selection of instruments to hold, or better yet to play, however inexpertly, players will almost always to be able to identify something that will help them form preferences and eventually lead them to a selection. All the many contributing factors which make up the instrument contribute to a 'feel' and players will often separate themselves broadly into two categories - those who, particularly at the earliest stages, wish to experience playing as easily as possible, and those who are looking for something more than just ease of blowing in the character of sound. I should quickly say that such a comparison test will be most useful if the same mouthpiece and reed are used across all the instruments tried. More on that later.

Any good quality beginner model is likely to see a young player through at least grades five to six. If they are keen to continue to play then their investment in a good student instrument will then have prepared the way for a smooth transition to a professional instrument when the time is right. As a result, I feel that a new player's early preferences for sound and feel can be indulged largely without adverse consequences. What really matters is that the instrument selected be well made and that a suitable, good quality mouthpiece is obtained. It is now possible to invest well at the beginning, upgrade a quality student instrument with a 'professional' mouthpiece and later purchase a 'top-grade' pro model after a few years of experience (perhaps around grade seven to eight level) with neither your learning opportunities or your bank balance suffering inordinately. I feel that this development should be very encouraging to players and might inspire greater confidence in parents with children eager to learn.

What Constitutes Good Value?

Ask a good repairer and they will confirm that even the best pads, properly seated, will not perform well if there is motion in the fit of the keywork or poor regulation. It is worth checking closely how much long key rods (such as those used for the G key, high E and bell B and Bb) are able to 'move about' when pushed sideways. Similarly, check how much lateral travel short keys like side Bb, high F and palm D experience under stress. As the fit of these keys is dependent upon both the quality of materials and good construction standards (contributing to additional expense for the manufacturer) many cheaper instruments will not pass this 'fitness' test. Such an instrument will probably have other manufacturer related problems and will be likely to become unreliable and expensive to maintain in the future. If regulations, particularly those which govern the articulated G# key, the left hand C correspondence and the related closure of the bis Bb key are not correctly set, then the finest instrument will perform little better than the worst. If an instrument is soundly made and well set-up it will be much more likely to play satisfactorily for longer and, when maintenance work is required (as it surely will be in time) the job will go much better.

Professional Level Choice

This brings me to the vexed topic of professional models. How does one choose with confidence? In the broadest terms a musician selects a saxophone at this level as a 'tool of the trade'. Does it do what he/she wants it to do? Will it be respected in musical circles? Does it fit the image of what an instrument should be? All of these points are valid ones but for me the bottom line is much simpler.

Does this instrument inspire you to want to practise and play? If so, then you are surely on to a winner. Remember also - If they all seem so good that you cannot choose between them, then you cannot truly consider any choice a mistake.

Every person's experience is bound to be different. Some find the right saxophone early on and then continue to use it out of preference throughout their lifetime. Others find that their changing tastes, the introduction of new products, a change of circumstance, professional opportunities, etc. will dictate that many different saxes be purchased during the course of a career. As long as you are being well served by your instrument you should feel good!

Before closing it is worth mentioning something regarding the increasing diversity of metals being used for saxophone bodies and the many finishes which now proliferate. In my personal opinion these are largely a diversion from the real essence of an instrument. Each reputable manufacturer attempts to create an identity for their products. Each seeks to create a consistency in the feel, intonation, resistance, appearance and tonal colour to unify their models. In general, such identity is achieved through the acoustic design of instruments, through some specific keywork features and very importantly, via the body tube mass/alloy used. Cosmetic finishes on the standard brass tubing e.g. silver plate, enamel of any colour or lacquer have a proportionally minute effect when compared with the more important structural elements. 

Different metals such as bronze, silver or nickel do make more of a difference, as the instrument will actually resonate with different frequencies given prominence by the vibrating metal. Even this is moderated by the fact that, unlike brass instruments, the tube of the sax is not fully engaged at all times in vibration. Patently it has holes in it and with the dampening effect of lots of leather pads affecting every note differently the overall contribution of these various materials is diminished. If looks are very important to you then by all means select from the range of options available with the knowledge that not much benefit comes from the finishes, and the confidence that not much loss occurs either. I'll always go with what really plays for me.

One of my teachers once gave me some very wise advice whilst encouraging me to consider the benefits I might gain from changing my own well-loved instrument for another. He implored me to 'learn to love the saxophone not a saxophone'. These words have proved themselves invaluable numerous times during my own musical career and never has this advice seemed more appropriate than during the preparation of this article.

How To Trial An Instrument

• Play all instruments with a mouthpiece and reed that you know well. Too many variables make attempting comparisons a nonsense.
• Take along or have in mind some music you are familiar with of the type you wish to play - be prepared.
• If you know the technique of over-blowing octaves and twelfths use this to see whether the instrument is 'in tune with itself'. Alternatively find a reliable 'fixed pitch' source and carefully tune to it. You can get a very poor feeling from an instrument if you do not get the mouthpiece correctly positioned on the crook for proper tuning. Be wary of relying on electronic tuners. All saxophones are acoustic compromises. When you use a tuner you are generally learning more about yourself and how you play than about any individual instrument.
• Test a range of volumes. Instruments reveal more of their tonal colour when blown loudly but you will want to know that you can sustain the sound softly as well.
• Other than checking for finger fluency and comfort, fast notes don't inform you nearly as well as sustained tones. A point worth remembering is that spring tensions or keys can be adjusted if they are too strong or too weak. Never reject an instrument because a spring feels odd.
• Test the response at the high and low extremes of the range but don't expect miracles - especially when tonguing. It takes a while to really get to know a new instrument and you may need to make some adjustments (for the better - this is known as 'progress'!). If you select a sax that plays just like your old instrument you have to wonder whether the purchase was worthwhile.
• Compare alternative fingerings, e.g. the several Bb, C, F# options to see if the instrument has been well set-up. This can be an indication of good preparation by the seller.

It is worth considering that you are most likely to choose a sax that suits your own level of ability (as long as finances permit). Therefore, as every individual is unique, not all players will find themselves choosing the same model. What matters most is that the saxophone selected is one that will provide you with the greatest encouragement and inspiration for your musical future.

The tips and comments above are the result of many years of providing help and advice, my personal interest and study, and the teaching that I have done during my career. I have many colleagues and teachers to thank for sharing their thoughts and suggestions on this and other topics. In addition I am indebted to Woodwind & Reed, Cambridge ( www.wwr.co.uk ) where, in the course of helping customers, many of these concepts have been refined and have proven helpful.
 

Thomas Dryer-Beers