Best woodwind instruments reeds according to redditors

R13s are still considered a great intermediate/professional-level clarinet, but they have plenty of competition now! Yamaha is their main competitor, and Backun (Ricardo Morales backs them) is getting pretty successful, too.

You might have to find new reeds... D'Addario bought Rico, so what used to be Rico Reserve is now D'Addario Reserve. They still make the orange box Ricos and blue box Rico Royals, though. My favorite reeds are theD'Addario Reserve Classics, but they just started making a new line called D'Addario Evolution that a lot of my friends are playing now. Vandoren V12s and v21s are popular, too.

Thumb supports have gotten really popular, like the Ridenour Thumb Saddle and this Kooiman thing that transfers a lot of the weight to your hand rather than just your thumb. I have the Ridenour, and I love it because it makes your hand more open, like a c shape rather than a pinch.

Good luck and have fun! It might be worth bringing your clarinet into a shop to have the pads checked out, and after you've gotten into the swing of things, maybe take a lesson or two and get some pointers to stop bad habits from forming.

I'm actually at a similar point... I just graduated college (not for music), and I'm hoping to find an ensemble to play in now so I keep my skills up. I loved being in the wind ensemble at my school!

There's D'addario and Vandoren sample packs you could try first. Definitely try the jazz packs. If you've been playing on a 4 Rico, then try the 3s and 3m, or 3 and 3.5.

Vandoren mix pack

D’addario jazz sampler pack

Rhat's not a reed it's for people who want to cut their own which is not many people. This is a box of 10 so they're about $3.50 each

I think these are what you're looking for

Like /u/AltoSaxGuy123 said - they're owned by D'Addario now.

Try the plastic Bari reeds. They'll make your tone a tiny bit harsher/brighter than you might want, but they'll let you project like crazy.

http://www.amazon.com/Bari-BRASM-Alto-Reed-Medium/dp/B001DK0RHC

Source: Former Drum Major of a high school marching band and saxophonist.

The second unknown thing is a reed clipper used for trimming reeds. This

But wait, there's a newer model.

I got one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Rico-Black-Leather-Strap-Baritone/dp/B003IX93E0 and pried the Rico logo off of it. Very low profile. I usually wear it on top of the shirt collar but underneath my jacket collar.

It's a bari sax sized reed, but yes, do get a case with a glass table in it. I have the Selmer case, but they have disappeared from the market, so you're going to have trouble finding that. If you do buy a case for a smaller instrument, remember that you're going to be putting your reeds in canted or flat-out sideways. I haven't done the math, but I'd just go for a 10 reed soprano case.

What are you using to flatten the back of your popsicle sticks contra reeds at the table interface?

Here’s what I’d recommend:
-Opperman Elementary Velocity Studies https://www.amazon.com/dp/0825833337/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_WEKBCbVBNYPNY

-Rose 32 etudes https://imslp.org/wiki/32_Etudes_for_Clarinet_(Rose,_Cyrille)

-Rose 40 studies https://imslp.org/wiki/40_Studies_for_Clarinet_Solo_(Rose,_Cyrille)

-Baerman Complete method for clarinet https://www.amazon.com/dp/0825801702/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_cEKBCbHPQ40J3

One more thing,
Especially when you are starting out, try different reeds.
These are a great thing to buy.

Good luck!

Another good step is D’Addario Reserve tenor sax reed. The thickness is a little different from Vandorean, but still a good reed to look into :) I personally play on them and they have a very wonderful sound on my mouthpiece. Definitely a good reed to start on if you don’t want to mess with Ricos (which is a good reed to start on in and of itself, just a you preference). It also depends on the money you want to spend

D’Addario Reserve

Amazon has some Vandoran Jazz Reed Samplers which come with a V16, Java Red, Java Green, and ZZ reeds. Get one of those and see what you like. I would get it after the concert though. Adjusting to a new type and strength of reed (I would go for a Vandoran 2.5 which is a step up from the Rico 2.5 so that you can build up your embrocure muscles.) can be hard right before a concert.

I have a blue box of old vandoren reeds that Iwant to get to before I try out the v12 that everyone on here praises. I want to get the most bang for my buck (poor grad student here and $25 is a lot) but not sacrifice over working myself because of a bad reed.

It’s this box
https://www.amazon.com/Vandoren-CR1035-Clarinet-Traditional-Strength/dp/B0002E1P0I/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1542825533&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=vandoren+clarinet+reeds+3.5&dpPl=1&dpID=41r1Y0ZNnfL&ref=plSrch

https://www.amazon.com/Hodge-3BRC-3-Reed-Bassoon-Reed/dp/B002BOACCE

I used this one for 3 years in high school and I loved it. Simple but effective, hard enough to keep the reeds safe from minor bumps or drops, and theres enough room to add some sort of moisture absorber if you don't think your reeds are drying well enough. Hope that helps some and best of luck on your journey!

Fixed. I was actually one of the trial testers for these back before they were released.

I'm probably the worst person that you can ask about reed maintenance, but I'll give it a shot.

First of all keep your reeds in custom cases, like these (I just got a random example. Plenty of cheap ones out there). ROTATE YOUR REEDS. My high school band director told us that we should never use the same reed two days in a row. Reeds usually last about two weeks of regular playing, so be sure to throw out the old ones.

Secondly, make sure you understand that each reed is made differently, and if you need to feel free to sand down the reeds if they are too hard to play on(use very fine sandpaper). Oh and when you are trying out reeds mark on them with a pencil a little note about it. If it is relatively easy to play on or not, whether it has a good sound or not.

That's all I remember for now, sorry if I couldn't be of more help.

Bari reeds are overlooked because they're a cheaper brand (if you buy on amazon). They do have a moisture problem but I dont think it is as bad. That's just one drawback of synthetics in general.

This is the reed I have. You have to make sure your mouthpiece will fit it well though.

https://www.amazon.com/Bari-Synthetic-Clarinet-Medium-Strength/dp/B0002F596S#aw-udpv3-customer-reviews_feature_div