What is reed resistance?

• A. The magnitude of air pressure
• B. The amount of embouchure tension required to keep the reed behaving and sounding with good tone
• C. The reed's water content
• D. The reed's thickness

Answer: (B)

Reed resistance is the amount of embouchure tension a player must apply to the reed to keep it vibrating and producing a steady, good tone. It’s about the effort the mouth muscles exert to control the reed’s vibration and dynamic, not just how much air you blow or the reed’s material properties. When you tighten the embouchure, the reed resists more and requires more air pressure to sustain vibration; loosening the embouchure reduces resistance and changes the tone and response. So the best description is that reed resistance is the amount of embouchure tension needed to keep the reed behaving and sounding with good tone. Air pressure matters for producing sound, but reed resistance specifically refers to the playing effort from the embouchure; reed water content and thickness influence response, but they’re not the definition of resistance itself.