Woodwind Players

Woodwinds Players

Clarinets & Saxophones: Minimum two working reeds in a reed-guard (re-stock as needed), cork grease, cleaning swab, pad cleaning paper, and mouthpiece brush.
Oboe: Two working reeds in cases, cork grease, cleaning swab, pad cleaning paper.
Flute: Cleaning rod with cloth (handkerchiefs / bandanas cut in small strips are great!) and pad cleaning paper.

Above (Left --> Right)

One example of a reed guard that protects delicate reeds from chipping (shown is an example for saxophones & clarinets - single reeds).
Silk cleaning cloth (preferred). Different shapes & sizes for clarinet, saxophones, and oboe.
Cork grease.

Below (Left --> Right)

Close Up: A clarinet mouthpiece with a reed. The metal piece is a ligature, which fastens the reed onto the clarinet. Make sure your student has a working ligature - these tend to break when tightened too far!
Close Up: A cleaning cloth and flute cleaning rod.

A note on reed brands and strengths ...

We recommend either Vandoren or Juno brands for clarinet and saxophone players to achieve a mature tone. 6th Graders should start with the strength of 2, and transition to 2.5 when it feels comfortable. 7th Graders may use 2.5 all year, and try strength 3 if it feels comfortable. 8th graders may start the year on either 2.5 or 3, but should transition to 3 by March. (Bass Clarinet and Baritone Saxophone players may want to stay with 2.5 if 3 is too hard to play).

For double reed instruments (Oboe & Bassoon), recommended reed brands are Marlin Lescher, Edmund Nielsen, Jones, Emerald, and the recommended strengths are Medium Soft for Oboists, and Medium Hard for Bassoonists.

See below for what reed boxes look like for the suggested brands

Left: Juno reed box.

Right: Vandoren reed box.

This is what they should look like in the store and / or online. If you reed shop online, send the link to your director to be sure you have the proper brand, strength, and instrument chosen!