Reeds by the same brand and with the same number can vary dramatically. But often they look pretty similar.

Not too long ago, I made up a system for organizing my reeds. It changed a bit as I started using it and seems to work decently at this point for me.

Basically, I put a small mark in pencil on the end of the reed.

So it starts off blank. Then if I put a mark in the middle, it means that reed is about right.

If it’s a too hard, I put a mark on the right. Those reeds may get worn in and become better or I may use a tool on them, like a Reed Geek, to get them more to where I want.

If that reed does become better, I then put a second mark in the middle.

Likewise, if a reed was good and then becomes too soft or worn out, I put a second mark on the left.

This reed started with a mark in the middle and then has a second mark on the left.

Potentially a reed could start with a mark on the right, get a mark in the center, and then get a third mark on the left. But I have not done that yet. The most likely scenario for that happening would be if I had done some work on a reed that was too hard to change it.

Regardless of how much I like a reed, it will eventually wear out. This system helps me keep track of what I have and not mix them up. And if a reed breaks on stage or during practice, I’ll know a reed I can replace it with quickly.

Go ahead and try out the system if you would like, let me know how it goes.

If you’re using synthetic reeds, you probably won’t need a system like this, but I almost always like a good cane reed over a synthetic, although they’re harder to find and do not last as long.