Alto Saxophone Essentials
Whether you're playing your first note or getting ready for your hundredth recital, playing the saxophone should feel fun, not frustrating. That’s why D’Addario makes sure its Woodwinds essentials are ready to play straight out of the box. That means no hassle, just the reliable quality that keeps students practicing, progressing, and performing.
Simplify Your Reed Selection
Match the reed to the player’s level and tone goals.
Beginner: Rico Reeds
The best reed on the market for students and newer players. Beloved for decades by music educators for their easy response, supportive feel, and great tonal quality. These reeds are perfect for clarinetists and saxophonists alike.
Intermediate: Royal Reeds
A favorite among intermediate and advancing students and beloved for decades my music educators. Royal offers ease of response, promotes the feel of support and stability, and added tonal warmth and clarity across all registers.
Advanced: Reserve Reeds
Reserve reeds feature our most sophisticated reed design and is ideal for advancing and advanced players. Reserve features a richer, more complex tone and more flexibility to enable musical nuance.
Recommended Accessories
This is the gear we’d recommend for anyone who is starting out and looking for the best way to play, maintain, and love their instrument.
Saxophone 101
From reed and mouthpiece selection to maintenance tips, teaching techniques, and more, our Saxophone Survival Guide covers all the essentials.
Artists and Educators
Professionals in classrooms and concert halls around the world choose D'Addario to bring out their best. See what they have to say about the gear they trust.
Beth Fabrizio - Woodwinds Educator
“I can’t imagine using anything other than D’Addario. The Reserve and Reserve Classic as well as the Venn reeds are simply elegant in their sound, response and consistency. The D’Addario Reserve XO and X5 mouthpieces yet again bring about a clarity, warmth and resonance I have not been able to replicate with other brands."
Austin Day - New York Middle School/High School Band Director
“As a band director, I am often tasked with working with students at the most critical stages of their musical development. Finding success on an instrument early can have a huge impact on a student’s motivation to continue practicing their instrument. For this reason, I choose to use D’Addario reeds in my classroom. The quality and consistency of their reeds are a critical factor in my students’ sound development. I can trust that any reed my students take out of the box will help them produce and control the best sound possible and have fun making music.”
Rachel Allen - Middle School Band Director
“As a middle school band director, I’ve trusted Rico and Rico Royal reeds for over 20 years. These reeds provide the perfect balance of consistency, playability, and durability—especially for beginners. I know when I hand a student a Rico reed, they’re getting a product that sets them up for success from day one. It’s the brand I recommend without hesitation, year after year.”
