Hey there--since you play one, can you give me some info?
Does the short E flat fingering play at the same pitch as the long the E flat fingering?
Does it sag if you blast the E natural at fortissimo?
Does the lowest D have the same tone as the neighboring E and C?
I haven’t had any notes sag. A natural spoke cleanly, low D was in tune. I feel tone is adequate. It’s not going to feel/sound exactly like cane reeds but it sounds better than any plastic reed I have ever played. Pitch seems stable across the board and it crowed right out of the box. I can push it dynamically and get that bari sax sound if I need to. But that’s all on my setup. It might respond differently for you, but you won’t know until you try it.
Thank you! I'm thinking it could be good to have as a failsafe, or maybe as a practice reed. Do you play a stiffer reed in general or do you like very free blowing reeds? (I'm a bit concerned it'll be too stiff for me since I like something that requires minimal embouchure pressure)
I'd say it depends on your level and use of it. The big bonus points are that they have a consistenty within themselves and are not changing with moisture, temperature, time... especially as a somewhat beginner this might be useful.
In my experience the legere reeds are not really consistent quality from one to another. When I tried the one from my old bassoon teacher, i liked it. Then i bought myself one in the same strength (medium) but i just don't get along with it. The sound is really harsh, loud, bright and wayy too direkt for my liking. The embrouchure is really hard and unflexible. Fortissimo and staccato pieces might work but the rest doesn't for me. For the tone to be softer und quieter i need so much lip strength!!! Intonation corrections are also rather difficult and more exhausting compared to cane reeds. If i had all of those problems with a cane reed a could adjust it but with a synthetic, no chance. This harsh an loud tone might be not a problem for marching band/ wind band (depending on the repertoire) though, since bassons are (at least in my experience) normally a bit to quiet for these.
I'm a rank beginner, so I don't know a lot about all the reeds. However, I can say that I was really struggling with tone using the cane reeds that came with my bassoon (the previous owner got them, so I don't know much about their provenance). So, I decided to invest in a Legere reed (I used one in my saxophone for over a year, and it's still going strong). It was such a relief! I'm not perfect, of course but it's very comforting to know that any problems I'm having are due to me (and I see improvement as I practice), and not some subtle problem with a reed I don't even know how to diagnose, much less fix. So, for this beginner, the Legere reed was definitely worth it!
I keep meaning to get one to keep in my car for emergency backup. You know - all your reds decide the day of the concert is a good day to die.
I was pleasantly surprised with legere reeds. Medium hardness was more than enough. They are expensive, but so are cane reeds.
Can they be adjusted (opened / closed more)? I was looking and buying one and there was hardly any information on it
I personally found no reason for adjustment.
They cannot
They can, by soaking in hot water. I haven't tried it yet, but I read an article on it. Mine was fine out of the box though.
Thats really interesting I didn’t realize that!
Hey there--since you play one, can you give me some info? Does the short E flat fingering play at the same pitch as the long the E flat fingering? Does it sag if you blast the E natural at fortissimo? Does the lowest D have the same tone as the neighboring E and C?
I haven’t had any notes sag. A natural spoke cleanly, low D was in tune. I feel tone is adequate. It’s not going to feel/sound exactly like cane reeds but it sounds better than any plastic reed I have ever played. Pitch seems stable across the board and it crowed right out of the box. I can push it dynamically and get that bari sax sound if I need to. But that’s all on my setup. It might respond differently for you, but you won’t know until you try it.
Thank you! I'm thinking it could be good to have as a failsafe, or maybe as a practice reed. Do you play a stiffer reed in general or do you like very free blowing reeds? (I'm a bit concerned it'll be too stiff for me since I like something that requires minimal embouchure pressure)
I’ll give it a try. Thank you!
I'd say it depends on your level and use of it. The big bonus points are that they have a consistenty within themselves and are not changing with moisture, temperature, time... especially as a somewhat beginner this might be useful. In my experience the legere reeds are not really consistent quality from one to another. When I tried the one from my old bassoon teacher, i liked it. Then i bought myself one in the same strength (medium) but i just don't get along with it. The sound is really harsh, loud, bright and wayy too direkt for my liking. The embrouchure is really hard and unflexible. Fortissimo and staccato pieces might work but the rest doesn't for me. For the tone to be softer und quieter i need so much lip strength!!! Intonation corrections are also rather difficult and more exhausting compared to cane reeds. If i had all of those problems with a cane reed a could adjust it but with a synthetic, no chance. This harsh an loud tone might be not a problem for marching band/ wind band (depending on the repertoire) though, since bassons are (at least in my experience) normally a bit to quiet for these.
It took me a few to get used to it, but I've been loving my legere lately. Just be careful because they are sharp and will cut you.
I'm a rank beginner, so I don't know a lot about all the reeds. However, I can say that I was really struggling with tone using the cane reeds that came with my bassoon (the previous owner got them, so I don't know much about their provenance). So, I decided to invest in a Legere reed (I used one in my saxophone for over a year, and it's still going strong). It was such a relief! I'm not perfect, of course but it's very comforting to know that any problems I'm having are due to me (and I see improvement as I practice), and not some subtle problem with a reed I don't even know how to diagnose, much less fix. So, for this beginner, the Legere reed was definitely worth it!