Part 4:
Placing the Reed on the Mouthpiece

Getting back to putting the reed on the mouthpiece in the right way--I had mentioned that the larger the facing the farther over the tip of the mouthpiece the reed should be placed to compensate for the shortening of the reed that occurs as the reed follows the curve of the mouthpiece facing. If the reed (when you press it down) covers the entire tip rail, you will observe that the tone becomes clearer and more solid--even a little darker. In turning the mouthpiece around (looking at the top of the mouthpiece), and pressing the reed down with the finger, you should see a miniscule hairline of the reed sticking out. It also tells you if the tip of the mouthpiece has been shaped to fit the contour of the reed properly. However, the tips of the reeds are not all the same, so it really doesn�t matter as long as the reed covers the entire tip rail. If it only covers a tiny amount of the tip rail--result--squeaks, no doubt.

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