What size reed is best for tenor sax?

If you are brand new to the saxophone and have never played it before, then the best saxophone reeds for beginners is a size 1.5. If you’ve been playing only for a few months, but still classify yourself as a beginner, then it might be worth trying a size 2 to see if this helps you take your playing to the next level.

Are size 3 reeds good?

The normal range for reeds is 2 to 5: the lower the number, the thinner the reed, and the higher the number, the thicker the reed. The thickness of the reed will affect the tone and how easy or difficult the instrument is to play. In general, a thinner reed, say 2 or 2.5, will have a brighter tone.

How do you tell if a reed is too soft?

Some markers of when your reed is too soft:

  1. Your tone is extremely bright, but when you try harder reeds, it sounds darker (like a professional player’s).
  2. Your tone sounds buzzy, like a kazoo.
  3. Your tone sounds thin and weak when you play softly, and it’s very easy to play loud.

Are thicker reeds better?

A thicker reed is more difficult to play but thicker reeds do offer a much better tone production and thus improve the sound of an instrument. Beginners or young students almost always start on a 1 ½ or a 2 reed and progress through the thicknesses as they progress and become more advanced players.

Are higher strength reeds better?

Anything stiffer may make it difficult to produce a sound while anything more flexible may produce a weak sound. As the muscles around the mouth grow stronger with practice, switching to a stiffer reed can help improve tone quality and intonation, especially for high notes.

What is the difference between Vandoren traditional and V12?

Vandoren premium clarinet reeds each offer a slightly different profile and sound from the Traditional Blue Box reeds. V12 – These are cut from a thicker blank and longer palette to give you more color and flexibility in your sound. They’ll also give you a deeper, richer tone.

What is the difference between Vandoren reeds?

Vandoren Java Developed in 1983 for Jazz and Popular music. The Java reeds have a thicker tip and more flexible palette to allow maximum vibration and elasticity. The Java reeds are more flexible than the V16 or Traditionals and create a bright sound with immediate response.

What reed size should I use?

Thinner reeds (between 2 and 2.5) are good for beginners since it vibrates more easily and it has a brighter tone; preferred among Jazz players! On the other hand, thicker reeds with a size of 4 to 5 are harder and need more skill to sounds, but the tone is a lot bolder.

Why does my saxophone sound so airy?

An airy sound is usually caused by a reed which is either too hard or unbalanced. It is also common for an airy sound to be caused by leaks in the instrument.