How do you tell if your reed is stuffy or free-blowing?
Resistance describes how easily your reed accepts your air. If you are playing with a normal embouchure and your normal air expectations, you want your reed to vibrate well. If it feels off, your reed can be described as either stuffy or free-blowing.
Your reed is stuffy if it doesn’t have an ideal air capacity and flow. If getting the reed to vibrate feels like blowing through a coffee straw, your reed is resistant.
Your reed is free-blowing if it has more than ideal air capacity and flow. When you play on a reed like this, you might stop and react by saying, “Wow, this reed is lively.” Playing free-blowing reeds feels big, loose, and easy.