Forum of the Saxes

jazzbaby · Guest

what size reed do you guys use? lol i've been playing for six years and yeah...i use a three....is that bad? I"m going to work on strengthining my chops. OH and what style of reed is best for jazz? i'm totally clueless guys HELP ME PLEASE!!!

JPSaxMan · Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2005 10:58 am Post subject:

I got seven years and play on a three. Three is probably the most used size of reed IMO anyway. David Sanborn uses 2&1/2's. Whatever fits your bill. Now I've heard that thicker reeds might aide in altissimo, but don't tell me that b/c I've been working on altissimo with a 3 just fine. But that's my reed size. Cool

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JP
Student of Saxophone
Music Education (BME) Major-2011
Mansfield University of Pennsylvania

Bleeding Gums Murphy · Guest

Currently, i'm using mostly alexander 3's, which are about equivalent to a Vandoren 3.5, or a rico 4. Lately I've been experimenting a lot with reeds, and it seems that I tend to use harder reeds than most people. A few months ago I was using Rico Royal 5's on my JodyJazz 8 mp. And different reed strengths are more suited to different music. I have a box of 3's at home for blues, big band, and ballads, 3.5's for bebop, and 5's(Rico) for altissimo practice.

Use what strength of reed is comfortable for you. If you are looking to strengthen your chops, go and get some 3.5's and 4's to screw around with. Usually, for jazz, 2.5-3's are what most people use.
I say most because there are the people who are different, like me and Bird(used FIVES on a regular basis) Shocked

JPSaxMan · Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2005 11:29 am Post subject:

That's quite a mouthfull of cane, isn't it? Shocked

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JP
Student of Saxophone
Music Education (BME) Major-2011
Mansfield University of Pennsylvania

Bleeding Gums Murphy · Guest

Yeah, I played on fives for a while just to see what it was like. It was murder on the chops, but after I got used to them, they were awesome. It's pointless to get 5's because you often have to special order the decent ones, and it costs twice as much.

altosaxgeek5 · Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2005 5:35 pm Post subject:

I've been playing for about a year, andI play 3's and 2.5's, Took me a while to go up from 2.5 to 3, but I got used to it...

Whoa... 5's... Why don't you just go to a hobby store and buy some of those reaally wide popsicle sticks, and season them for a while? :D
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Smile

Antigua Winds 520-LQ Alto Sax

Lisa · Guest

I have myself 5 years and i play on 3s. When i went up to 3s, it was really easy and surprising, but then i tried to go straight up to 3 1/2s. too hard. that was in 7th grade so as soon as i finish my 3s, I'm going to 3 1/2s. Laughing

tenorsaxman · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 52 Location: Indiana

In 8th Grade my teacher suggested that I move from 3.5 to 4. It was hard but not anymopre. Now I use Medium Hard
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Tenorsaxman!

Currently playing:
alto/tenor saxes
Bb clarinet (LeBlanc rocks!)
piccolo
flute
oboe
piano
organ( vintage Hammond M3)
electric/acoustic guitars
mandolin

Thomas · Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Posts: 223 Location: Alberta, Canada

For three years, from grade 7 to 9, I used 2.5's. I then switched to 3's for one summer, but switched to 3.5's a few months later. I have been using that ever since the start of grade 10. With Vandoren reeds, there isn't a huge gap in between 2.5's and 3's, so that's why I almost immediately went to 3.5's.
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Thomas Hay
Sax player, music student, composer, Finale user, and part-time slacker/procrastinator.

Doc Frazier · Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2005 10:09 pm Post subject:

I've been playing since 1974 and was playing on 5 and 5 1/2 when I could find them until I suffered a severe case of Bell's Palsy in 1985. I couldn't even play a note again until 1991. Now, it is 3 on 'nino and soprano, 2 1/2 on alto, 2 on a straight C melody, 1 1/2 on tenor, 3 on bari and 4 on bass.

Doc
www.JandJWoodwinds.com

CMelodyMan · Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2005 10:12 pm Post subject:

Oh, yeah, you have that customized straight c mel :D . That's awesome.
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Alto: Yanagisawa (880), Morgan 6M w/ Rico
C Melody: c.1919 Martin Inspiration
York soprano

Doc Frazier · Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2005 10:29 pm Post subject:

Don't worry, I have a curved C as well.

Doc
www.JandJWoodwinds.com