How to Install a Reed on an Alto Sax Mouthpiece
A reed is a small, lightweight wood piece that is necessary to produce the vibratory sounds for instruments like the alto saxophone. If you have a saxophone, you will need to install many new reeds, since they wear out and chip and break after several days of use. Fresh reeds are necessary to keep the instrument sounding good. There is no such thing as the "perfect reed," but there are some things you need to look out for before you purchase reeds.
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Instructions
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Open a package of new reeds and take one out to inspect it. It should be golden in color and not green, which indicates wood that has not been properly aged.
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Stick the slender end of the reed in your mouth and soak it with your saliva for five minutes. Reeds should be moist when you go to play your instrument. A dry reed will make the saxophone sound strange.
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3
Remove the mouthpiece cap on your saxophone. Unscrew the ligature, which is the metal band on the mouthpiece of the saxophone that holds the reed in place. Pull out the old reed and discard it.
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Stick the flat end of the new reed against the mouthpiece and replace the ligature. You should not be able to see the mouthpiece hanging over the reed's tip.
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5
Tighten the ligature to hold the reed in place, but not too tight, or the reed may split.
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Replace the mouthpiece cap on the mouthpiece if you are storing the instrument.
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Tips & Warnings
Throw away reeds that are chipped or split.
