The clarinet reed we buy from a music store or supplier is made from a living organism--it is a variety of cane.

Although more than 600 varieties of cane exist, only one--the Arundo Donax grown in Southern France--has become the principal source for woodwind reeds. This is a pity, since exploitation of other growing regions and experimentation with other varieties of cane might well yield interesting and innovative new sounds for the clarinetist.

However, commercial feasibility and, perhaps, artistic conservatism have so far prevented experimentation with other varieties of cane. The commercial reed is the end result of a long process of growth, harvesting, seasoning and manufacture. Cane is typically harvested in December or January of each year, and then left to dry for an extended period of time--about two years. Circular tubes of cane are then sliced horizontally to the length of a reed, in the same way that we might cut a stalk of celery into smaller sections (1a).

Next, the circular tube of cane is cut three times to obtain pieces of cane with one side flat and one side curved--the curved side is the outside of the circular tube (1b).

The pieces so obtained are called reed blanks (1c).

The final step is to cut the reed blank from a point slightly below the half-way mark, gradually tapering to one end. The result can be recognized as the commercial reed bought from a music store (1d).

The way any reed sounds and plays, then, is the result of two factors--the natural tonal quality of the cane, and the way the reed blank has been cut. To get a good tone quality the reed should have been well seasoned--it should never appear unseasoned and green, although beyond this statement there is no definite correlation between the color of the bark and what will become a fine reed. One usually reliable physical test of a good reed is to tear the reed in half lengthwise from the tip toward the scribe mark. The fibers in a good reed will feel woody while those in an unacceptable reed will usually feel mushy. (Needless to say, don't try this test on your current best reeds.)

Given the tonal quality of the cane the way a reed plays is then determined by the way the reed has been cut--its width, length, thickness, the shape of the tip, the area behind the tip, the shape of the heart, and the strength of the sides--all these features are intertwined.

In a fundamental way a reed operates as a three-dimensional combination of forces: width, thickness and length. The narrower the reed, the more responsive it becomes; the wider the reed, the more resistance it provides.

As to thickness, a thick reed blank will have a softer tip and a warmer sound; a thin reed blank will have harder wood at the tip and a harsher sound. This difference follows from the fact that the wood at the center of the core of the cane is younger (softer) wood than that near the outer bark.

When considering thickness and width, a thicker and narrower reed blank (left) is preferable to a reed blank that is thin and wide (right).

Thus quality of sound and accuracy of pitch go hand in hand. Now that we understand what to look for in a reed, what should we be on guard against? One temptation for the clarinetist is to try to obtain a powerful sound by using a reed that is too stiff. This idea is mistaken because a stiff reed is tiring to play and does not allow enough flexibility in pitch.

An opposite ploy is to try to attain nuance and delicacy by using a reed that is too weak. Surprisingly enough, a weak reed is also very tiring to play, because when playing a weak reed the embouchure must pinch the reed in order to try to get a good sound.

If you find yourself forced to play a particular reed with special strength or porcelain delicacy instead of playing in a natural manner, the reed is at fault and should be discarded.

The clarinetist makes another common error if he adjusts reeds to sound well in a small room. A reed must project a strong and clear sound that will reach to the back row of a large hall, and be able to cut through the sound of a piano, string quartet or orchestra.

Thus the player must learn to tell the difference between the sound that a good reed (mouthpiece and instrument) makes when heard close by as compared with the sound heard by a listener in the back of a large hall. Since one cannot listen to himself play far away, this distinction requires some education.

However, if the sound is large and absolutely clear under your ear, you can be assured that it will be small and thin in the hall. Paradoxically enough, there is a distinctive sound that seems rather small and perhaps a bit noisy close by, but projects outward as a large and lovely sound in the hall.

Back to That Elusive Good Reed or forward to A Good Reed: What Does It Look Like?

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