How to Use Tenor Saxophone Reeds for Beginners

Other than learning basic fingerings and learning to read sheet music, one of the most important things for tenor saxophone beginners to learn is how to use reeds. The sound of a tenor saxophone comes from a reed, so properly selecting and managing reeds is crucial.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Choose a good reed. Inspect a reed before you buy it by holding it up to the light and looking for any hairline cracks, holes or chips. A good new reed should also be stiff because a reed which is already loose may be out of balance. Get the stiffest reeds you can find to eliminate this issue.

2. Break in the reed. At first, the reed will be too stiff to play. You can soften it up by soaking it for several hours in water or by putting it in your mouth and sucking on it gently. Once the reed is softened, put it in the tenor saxophone and start playing to break it in further.

3. Ensure the reed is balanced. A properly softened reed should be stiff in the center and equally soft on both sides. If one side seems stiffer than the other, soak the side which is stiffer to make it even. Advanced tenor saxophone players can purchase a reed brush at a music store to help balance reeds, but beginners should soak reeds to balance them.

4. Use the reed for one to four weeks. If you play the tenor saxophone everyday and are a refined player, you should change your reed once a week. However, most beginners only need to change reeds once a month.

5. Switch to a new reed when your reed is damaged or wears out. Throw away a reed if it's chipped or cracked. Tenor saxophone reeds wear out gradually over time and when they become too thin they start forming holes. Throw away reeds when they reach this point.

6. Store tenor saxophone reeds in a safe place when not in use. Place them in a flat, dry container. You can purchase a reed holder at a music store.