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Beginner Clarinet Reed Strength

Posted by Confused on 7/26/2022, 2:48 pm

Hi everyone!

My colleagues and I are debating the best reed strength to start beginners on for clarinet. Thoughts? Reason(s) why?

Thank you!!!

Re: Beginner Clarinet Reed Strength

Posted by Best answer on 7/28/2022, 9:48 am, in reply to "Beginner Clarinet Reed Strength"

Ask your music store who does your rentals to help you out on this. Give them half of a box of 2.5 and half of a box of 3.0. Use blue box Vandoren if you want, I personally prefer the blue box Rico royal at first and then switch to the silver box vandoren V 12.

Re: Beginner Clarinet Reed Strength

Posted by Anon on 7/27/2022, 4:01 pm, in reply to "Beginner Clarinet Reed Strength"

We start beginners on #2 Mitchell Lurie (which are about a 1.5 strength Van Doren strength). Using these reeds will promote firming the embouchure muscles without biting from the jaw—if the child bites at all the tip opening will close and no sound will come out. After a period of 4 to 6 weeks we move the kids to Van Doren blue box 2’s. They typically go through two boxes of these and by the time we reach February or so we move to a single box of 2.5’s then in April/May/June we move to 3’s (promoting the purchase of silver box more than blue). Parents buy all reeds.

Re: Beginner Clarinet Reed Strength

Posted by Clariguy on 7/27/2022, 12:06 pm, in reply to "Beginner Clarinet Reed Strength"

3 on VD blue box. Do not go 2.5 ever.

Re: Beginner Clarinet Reed Strength

Posted by DesertJazz on 7/27/2022, 10:28 am, in reply to "Beginner Clarinet Reed Strength"

Vandoren 3s.

1) People argue to go with softer reeds to make it easier for kids... it'll be 'hard' no matter what. Starting a reed that is closer in correct strength for the mouthpieces they have (mostly M13s) is better in the long run as long as you focus on some longtones on mouthpiece/barrel to begin. (Of course watching faces/embouchures as you do so!)

2) As a young sax player I started on a Rico 2. By Christmas my mom was still buying me 2s and my tone was a typical bad soft reed sound. It wasn't until someone finally got through to my mom (lesson teacher) to stop buying those. Your average parent doesn't think of going up sizes of reeds - they just buy what they've bought before. You may get stuck with kids on those reeds because it's what their parents buy.

3) Harder reeds are also slightly more resilient to chipping. They hold up better than the paper thing 2s.

We move onto 3.5's after they run through their first supply of reeds because that's ideal for their mouthpiece facings. That is the one thing you do always have to be aware of is which mouthpieces kids are on. On average a 3.5 tends to be good on most, but you may have some oddball facings sometimes.

Re: Beginner Clarinet Reed Strength

Posted by Count Bubba on 7/28/2022, 11:43 am, in reply to "Re: Beginner Clarinet Reed Strength"

I started playing on 3's on Saxophone in 6th grade and I couldn't make a sound. It was incredibly frustrating and at that stage only promoted biting and a tight embouchure. I really believe that was too hard a reed to start out on and I don't want my students experiencing that.

I guess it depends on what mouthpiece you start them on. I still prefer a 5RV to an M13 and going by the Vandoren recommendedation chart, a 5RV should use around a 1/2 strength softer. (5RV is 3-4 traditional, M13 is 3.5-4).

So I start them on some Rico 2.5's (I buy and hand them out, they don't buy it) just to start on so they can just focus on forming an embouchure without a need to bite or clamp down. And if they chip it learning to put it on the mouthpiece, it's no big deal. Then we move to Vandoren 2.5's (that they've bought) and I monitor them. When it sounds like they're ready to move up or the 2.5 is sounding too soft I will give them a 3 to try and if they sound good then I'll trade them 3's for whatever 2.5's they have left and have them buy that from then on.

Re: Beginner Clarinet Reed Strength

Posted by Facings on 7/27/2022, 5:10 pm, in reply to "Re: Beginner Clarinet Reed Strength"

Facings are much, much less an issue if you mandate that kids buy a quality mouthpiece. Stock blanks aren't worth the money it takes to recycle them.

Re: Beginner Clarinet Reed Strength

Posted by Me on 7/26/2022, 11:01 pm, in reply to "Beginner Clarinet Reed Strength"

I nearly always have beginners buy VD 3 blue box. I’ve found softer reeds help a bit (2.5) but only for the first couple weeks, and that if you don’t move them up relatively quickly they will be playing on soft reeds forever. I buy 2-3 boxes of 2.5s and hand them out to kids to start and then move them to 3s once they’re consistently making a good tone on the G# on mpc/barrel.

Re: Beginner Clarinet Reed Strength

Posted by MS on 7/27/2022, 3:47 pm, in reply to "Re: Beginner Clarinet Reed Strength"

This is the correct answer.

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