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Jazz reeds are designed to give more brilliance and projection. They enable musicians to stand out in a jazz or rock band, cutting through brass and amplified instruments.
Compared to traditional reeds, jazz reeds generally have a slightly thicker tip and a less pronounced core, favoring higher harmonics for a brighter sound.
A musician playing with a jazz reed benefits from an energetic response, greater flexibility, and more pronounced color variations.
This enables the musician to accentuate their playing with clearer articulation and more powerful blowing, something better supported by the thicker tip of the Jazz reed. This also makes it easy to cover the entire tonal range, delivering an effective and expressive performance.
Filing of the reed is another important characteristic to consider..A filed reed means that it has been filed down to the bark. This filing is carried out just above the cutting area
Classical musicians generally prefer to use filed reeds, as this makes them more centered, allowing a slightly freer vibration in the low register, while preserving the warm, dark sound characteristic of classical music. Jazz musicians, on the other hand, prefer unfiled reeds, as they offer a little extra resistance, resulting in a brighter, more energetic sound.
The overall thickness of the reed (taken on the non-bevelled part), plays an essential role in reed strength. Contrary to what you might think, for a given model made from the same cane, a reed with a thicker blank will actually be less hard. This is due to the very characteristics of the cane used to make the reeds, which is less dense in the middle and harder in the bark. Reeds from thicker blanks are therefore cut from the less dense part of the cane (fibers, parenchyma cells), making them better suited to jazz.
Depending on their preferences, classical musicians generally favor a reed cut from a thinner cane, as this offers them greater resistance and a more focused sound. Jazz musicians, on the other hand, generally opt for a reed cut from thicker cane, giving them a softer sound.
Some listeners or spectators may be able to notice differences between a jazz reed and a traditional reed, depending on the mouthpiece/reed combination used and the musician's style. A traditional reed will generally give a more focused, warmer sound with precise articulation. A jazz reed on the other hand will give a broader sound with more pronounced upper harmonics, lending the sound a bright, powerful quality.
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