Reed Strength Calculator

Recommended Reed Strength starts from a base position set by Instrument -- oboe and bassoon start highest, clarinet sits in the middle, and saxophone starts lowest -- then adjusts up or down from three factors, and finally reports the result in whichever format real reeds for that instrument are actually sold in. Clarinet and saxophone reeds really are sold in half-step numeric increments, so for those two instruments the output is a number rounded to the nearest 0.5, clamped between 1.5 and 5.0. Oboe, English horn, and bassoon reeds are not sold on any numeric scale at all -- real double-reed strength is labeled Soft, Medium-Soft, Medium, Medium-Hard, or Hard, so for oboe and bassoon this calculator reports one of those five words instead of inventing a number no maker would print on the box. Underneath either display, the same adjustment logic runs: Mouthpiece Opening moves the underlying strength position by half a point in either direction -- a wide-open (Open) mouthpiece needs a slightly softer reed to speak easily, while a Close (narrow) mouthpiece can handle, and often plays better with, a firmer one. Playing Level nudges it the same half-point per step, since more advanced players typically develop the embouchure strength and air control to handle a harder reed comfortably, while beginners usually do better starting softer.

Air Support Level makes a smaller, continuous adjustment (0.2 points per step away from the middle "Average" setting), reflecting that stronger breath support lets a player push a slightly harder reed. Break-In Period follows the standard week-long schedule most players use regardless of strength -- a few minutes on day one, building gradually to about an hour of playing by day seven. Expected Lifespan (2-4 weeks) is driven mainly by total playing hours, which this calculator doesn't ask for; Playing Level is used here as a rough stand-in for playing volume, since more active players typically log more hours per week, not because their ears wear reeds out faster. Adjustment flags whether the underlying calculated position sits toward the stiff or soft end of the working range: clipping the tip slightly firms up a reed that reads soft, and sanding the back gently softens one that reads stiff.