How Do You Choose A Reed For A Clarinet?
• Choose a brand. Choose a brand. There are many to choose from, and all brands make and sell their reeds a little differently. Rico, a US brand, is popular with all clarinetists, and is often recommended for beginners. It also makes reeds under the LaVoz and Mitchell Lurie names. Vandoren (which also makes mouthpieces) is a popular French brand. Other French brands, some lesser known than others, include Selmer (which also makes clarinets), Rigotti, Marca, Glotin, and Brancher. Some other (and more uncommon) brand names are Alexander Superial (Japan), Reeds Australia, Peter Ponzol (also makes mouthpieces), RKM, and Zonda. If you’re still relatively new to playing, Rico and Vandoren are both highly recommended brands. • Decide what strength you’ll need. Most reed manufacturers sell reeds in strengths from 1 to 5, often in half-steps. A 1 would be the softest, and a 5 would be the hardest. Some brands use “soft”, “medium”, and “hard” instead. For a beginner, a 2, 2 1/2, or 3 (or “medium
