How do you soften a clarinet reed?

If the reed feels too hard generally and you can't bring it down anymore without it affecting the response then you can flex the reed against a hard, flat surface to soften it a little. Put it flat on the surface (text side up) and cover the tip with your thumb and lightly 'flick' the reed up.

1. What to do if a reed is too hard?
2. How do I know if my clarinet reed is too hard?
3. How do you break in reeds faster?
4. How do you tell if your reed is too soft?
5. When should I move to harder reed?
6. Are softer reeds quieter?
7. How hard should my reed be?
8. Should you soak clarinet reeds?
9. How do you break in a Vandoren Clarinet reed?
10. Can you fix reeds?
11. How do you keep reed moist?
12. How long do you soak a reed?

What to do if a reed is too hard?

If the reed is too hard or if the sound is too dull, move your ligature down and your reed up slightly. This makes it easier for the reed to vibrate against the mouthpiece. If the reed is too soft or if the sound is too edgy, move the tip of the reed up slightly and then move the ligature down a little bit.

How do I know if my clarinet reed is too hard?

A reed that is too soft will sound excessively bright. The tone center will also be very unfocused. A reed that is too hard will sound airy and muffled. In some cases, certain notes won't be able to speak.

How do you break in reeds faster?

Breaking In A New Reed

We suggest that you break the reeds in by first soaking them for about 2-4 minutes in lukewarm to warm water, and making sure that the whole vamp, and not just the tip alone, gets wet (a reed that is too dry or only wet at the very tip might tend to squeak).

How do you tell if your reed is too soft?

If you're playing on a 3, then move down to 2.5. When the reed is too soft, you'll get a buzzy sound right out of the box. People compare this to playing on paper.

When should I move to harder reed?

Recap: when to move up a reed size

If it takes too little embouchure effort to make a sound and the tone is edgy and bright, try a harder strength reed. If it takes too much embouchure effort and the tone is fuzzy and dull, try a softer strength reed. Remember that all of this works in combination with your mouthpiece.

Are softer reeds quieter?

All things considered, it's usually easier for most beginners/intermediate players to learn to play more softly by using softer reeds that vibrate more easily with less air (= less volume) than by using harder reeds.

How hard should my reed be?

(Most professionals find that somewhere in the 3 - 3.5 strength range on a premium brand reed works best for them!).

Should you soak clarinet reeds?

Your reeds will last longer, and play better when you soak them first in plain tap water, rather than holding them in your mouth, before using them. Once the cell structure is filled with plain tap water, you can keep them wet in your mouth."

How do you break in a Vandoren Clarinet reed?

Don't soak it thoroughly – just treat it like any other reed that you'd play on. Use your warm up to break in reeds. Long tones are an especially good time to do this, since you're focusing on good air support and embouchure. This will let you hear and feel what a reed is capable of.

Can you fix reeds?

If a Légère reed is broken, there is no way to fix it.

How do you keep reed moist?

Take the reeds out of the individual plastic covers that come with the reeds. Fill a plastic jar with warm water and soak the reeds in the jar for 2 hours. Put the reeds back in their plastic covers. Dump the water out of the jar, but leave just a little bit at the bottom to keep in some moisture.

How long do you soak a reed?

You should soak your reeds for about one minute with saliva. This ensures that the reed is moist enough to play well without being so wet that it becomes waterlogged. If the reed is brand new, you may want to soak it more thoroughly with water for about twenty minutes before working with it.