Vandoren Alto
What is best to do with your reeds (for sax)?
Ok, well i have had much mixed advice.
Some people say just suck on them before you use a new one, others have been saying soak for 12 hours before any use.
Is there any other teniques that might be better?
I’m using 1 1/2 vandoren for and alto sax btw.
You should soak the reeds for warm water for 10 minutes, but honestly, they work fine if you just use your mouth while you are setting up your instrument and music.
Don’t just suck on new reeds, suck on any reed before you play it, new or old. When you put it in your mouth, you should put the bottom part (the non-filed end) in your mouth and make sure that part gets to be the most wet. This is because reeds are made from cane, which is a plant. You might have learned in biology class about xylem and phloem, where plants and trees use capillary action to send water upwards.
That might have been more scientific than you wanted, but the point is this- if you soak the bottom of the reed, the moisture will get absorbed up to the top of the reed on its own.
If your reeds are still difficult to play on after soaking them, you should probably try a different brand like Rico (Rico is cheaper, too). Some people say Ricos are bad, but that’s typically because they are associated with beginner players. I really dont have any problems with Rico. Although I do prefer Vandoren for clarinet, I use Rico for alto sax.
Vandoren Alto A5M