Reed (instrument) - Citizendia

Alto and tenor saxophone reeds. The saxophone (commonly referred to simply as sax) is a conical- bored transposing Musical instrument considered a member of the Woodwind

A reed is a thin strip of material which vibrates to produce a sound on a musical instrument. A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. The reeds of woodwind instruments are made from Arundo donax or synthetic material; tuned reeds (as in harmonicas and accordions) are made of metal or synthetics. Types of woodwind instruments See also List of woodwind instruments Single-reed instruments use a reed, which is a thin cut Arundo donax L ( Giant Reed) is a tall perennial reed growing in fresh and moderately saline waters A harmonica is a free reed Wind instrument which is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes (reed chambers or The accordion is a portable box-shaped Musical instrument of the hand-held Bellows -driven free-reed aerophone family sometimes referred to as a Squeezebox The M acro E xpansion T emplate A ttribute L anguage complements TAL, providing macros which allow the reuse of code across

1 Single reeds
2 Double reeds
3 Materials
4 Commercial vs. hand-made reeds
5 Reed players
6 See also

Single reeds

Single reeds are used on the mouthpieces of clarinets and saxophones. The mouthpiece of a Woodwind instrument is that part of the instrument which is placed partly in the player's mouth The clarinet is a Musical instrument in the Woodwind family The name derives from adding the suffix -et meaning little to the Italian word The saxophone (commonly referred to simply as sax) is a conical- bored transposing Musical instrument considered a member of the Woodwind They have a flat (back) side which fits against the mouthpiece and a top side which tapers to a thin tip. They are rectangular in shape except for the thin vibrating tip, which is curved to match the curve of the mouthpiece tip. Although all single reeds are shaped similarly, they vary in size to fit the appropriate mouthpiece. The mouthpiece of a Woodwind instrument is that part of the instrument which is placed partly in the player's mouth

The most obvious variation in reeds designed for the same instrument is a variation in thickness ("hardness" or "strength"), generally measured on a scale of 1 through 5 from softest to hardest. This is not a standardized scale and reed strengths vary between manufacturers. The thickness of the tip and heel and the profile in between also affect the sound and playability. Cane of different grades (density, stiffness), even if cut with the same profile, will also respond differently.

Double reeds

Bassoon double reeds. The bassoon is a Woodwind instrument in the Double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and Tenor registers and occasionally

Double reeds are used on the oboe, oboe d'amore, english horn, bassoon, contrabassoon, and bagpipes. A double reed is a type of reed used to produce sound in various Wind instruments The term double reed comes from the fact that there are two "Hautbois" redirects here for the strawberry variety see Hautbois strawberry. The oboe d'amore ( oboe of love in Italian) less commonly oboe d'amour, is a Double reed Woodwind Musical instrument The cor anglais, or English horn, is a Double reed Woodwind Musical instrument in the Oboe family The bassoon is a Woodwind instrument in the Double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and Tenor registers and occasionally The contrabassoon is a larger version of the Bassoon sounding an octave lower Bagpipes are a class of Musical instrument, Aerophones using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag They are typically not used in conjunction with a mouthpiece; rather the two reeds vibrate against each other. However, in the case of the crumhorn, bagpipes, and shawm, a reed cap that contains an airway is placed over the reeds and blown without the reeds actually coming in contact with the player's mouth. The crumhorn is a Musical instrument of the Woodwind family most commonly used during the Renaissance period Bagpipes are a class of Musical instrument, Aerophones using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag The shawm was a Medieval and Renaissance Musical instrument of the Woodwind family made in Europe from the late 13th century until Reed strengths are graded, as an approximate guide to users, from 1 through 5, as with single reeds. A single-reed instrument is a Woodwind instrument that uses only one reed to produce sound

Materials

Most reeds are made from cane, but synthetic reeds made from various substances are used by a small number of clarinetists and saxophonists. Synthetic reeds are generally more durable than their natural counterparts, do not need to be moistened prior to playing, and can be more consistent in quality. Many players consider them to have poor sound, or use them only in a context where tone quality is less important, such as a marching band. In Music, timbre (ˈtæm-bər' like timber, or, from Fr timbre tɛ̃bʁ is the quality of a Musical note or sound that distinguishes different A marching band is in the broadest terms a group of performers that consist of instrumental Musicians and sometimes dance teams / color guard who generally perform

Recent developments in synthetic reed technology have produced reeds made from synthetic polymer compounds[1], and as technology in this area has progressed, synthetic reeds have gained more acceptance. Synthetic reeds are useful when the instrument is played intermittently with long breaks in between, during which time a natural reed might become dry.

The dizi, a Chinese transverse flute, has a distinctive kind of reed (a di mo), which is made from a paper-like bamboo membrane. The dizi ( is a Chinese Transverse flute. It is also sometimes known as the di ( 笛) or hengdi ( 橫[[wiktionary China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National A transverse flute or side-blown flute is a Flute which is held horizontally when played The dimo ( 笛[[wiktionary 膜|膜]] pinyin dímó; lit " di membrane" is a special membrane applied to the transverse Bamboo is a group of Woody perennial Evergreen Plants in the True grass family Poaceae, subfamily

Commercial vs. hand-made reeds

Musicians originally crafted reeds from cane using simple tools, a process which was time-consuming and painstaking. Specialized tools for cutting and trimming reeds by hand reduce the time needed to finish a reed.

Today, nearly all players of single-reed instruments buy manufactured reeds, although many players adjust them by shaving or sanding. Some professionals make single reeds from "blanks", but this is time-consuming and can require expensive equipment.

Among double reed players, advanced and professional players typically make their own reeds, while beginners and students often buy reeds either from their teachers or from commercial sources.

Reed players

Especially in musical theatre orchestras, woodwind players are commonly referred to as "reed players" or "reeds". Musical theatre is a form of Theatre combining Music, Songs spoken Dialogue and Dance. Types of woodwind instruments See also List of woodwind instruments Single-reed instruments use a reed, which is a thin cut These players are not restricted to one particular woodwind instrument group, but play ("double on") several different instruments. (Although the flutes are not reed instruments, they are included as well. )
There are usually only four or five reed players in a pit orchestra who perform on all woodwind instruments (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, saxophone). A basic reed part usually has three or four instruments (flutes, clarinets, saxophones being the most common), but can include up to eight instruments, such as the "Reed 3" part in Bernstein's West Side Story, which calls for the player to use piccolo, flute, oboe, cor anglais, clarinet, bass clarinet, tenor, and baritone saxophones. West Side Story is a musical by Arthur Laurents (book Leonard Bernstein (music and Stephen Sondheim (lyrics Through intricate doubling, the arranger can emulate the sound of a much larger woodwind section. (The West Side Story woodwind section would need twelve "classical" players instead of five "reed" players. )

Contents

Single reeds

Double reeds

Materials

Commercial vs. hand-made reeds

Reed players

See also