Playing the Clarinet?

I believe it's player's choice. I started playing the clarinet in the 3rd grade, my sophomore year in high school I was first chair in the All State band. I am now a college student with an AA degree in music, woodwind instruments and I've never gone any thicker than a 2.0 myself. I'm impressed with your use of a 3.5, you go girl! I had a music teacher that would whittle her own reeds, I have no idea how thick hers were.

With good posture, embrasure, tonguing, and fingering I don't see why you can't get as good as you want to be with the reed size you're comfortable with. =)

Size 9? That's a roof shingle!

The thickest I've seen is a 5 but professionals often make their own so the thickness can change.

When I was teaching I always started my students off on a size 2 because 1-1/2 is too light to learn to produce a good sound. 3-1/2 is probably a good size for your playing level.

In reality the size of the reed really depends on the mouthpiece. They are not independent of one another. The face of the mouthpiece (the part that the reed is on) differs in opening size. This basically means how far away the mouthpiece curves away from the reed. For a mouthpiece that has a closer opening you would generally play on a harder reed since the lighter one can "pinch off" and not produce a good sound. A more open face is usually played with a lighter reed since heavier ones don't vibrate as well. This is a very basic explanation and is something that you don't generally worry about until college but it's interesting to know.

While thicker does not necessarily mean the player is more experienced or skilled, younger players should start out with softer reeds. Once you're older, you will experiment with different reed brands, like Vandoren, Rico, Mitchell Lurie, etc. Different thicknesses are different for different brands. I've been playing for seven years and a music major in college and I use a strength 4 in one type of reeds and a 4.5 in another. It also depends on what mouthpiece you're using. :-)

Learning the facts about what will be good for yourself is all about the experimentation.

I don't play, but my lil sis does.

She playes with a 1 1/2 reed (she likes the fit better. If it gets to thick, the sound degrades because she can't handel it) on her wooden clarinet (I'm not sure which tone). She's going into the ninth grade, too. but she's been playing for a good 4-5 years now (they started her in 4th grade).

Pathetic that I know all of this... I'm a guitarist...

i have been playign for about 7 years, and use a 2 1/2 reed to a 3, and that is purely false what you have been told, the reed size is realative to yoru mouthpice, you need to look it up to see what size facing it uses and form there you can find otu the ideal strenght you should be using,

As a few professionals have told me why waste yoru breth and lips with playing on a reed that is to think fo ryou jstu because someno told you that thicker is better.

I've been playing clarinet for 5 years and I onlyuse a size 3. It's what I'm coforatable with and i've made first chair at honor bands. I'm in 10th grade.

Playing 4 years--size 3.5. It's not only the reed but the ligature. A jewel strap (more flexible) can give you more vibration and better sound.

i'm going to 8th grade and i started on 7th grade too and mine is 3 1/2 so i've only played for 1 year

i use size 2.5 but i am younger and i have been playing for 4 school years

i played from 4th to 6th grade.

but i quit in 7th but i am going to start again

&& i am going to ninth.

in 6th grade i had a size 4 =]