Colour
Colour is the overall tone of the reed, in terms of how It sounds. Because of the difficulty in describing sounds with words, many people use terms that are common in visual arts like painting, or as general physical sensations. Some examples of this include:
Bright
Brightness in a reed is a quality of tone colour. Some brightness in tone can lead to having an edge, and a clearness in sound. Too much brightness in tone can sound shrill, or piercing.
Dark
Darkness in a reed is a quality of tone colour. Some darkness can feel like a depth in the sound. Too much darkness in tone can sound muddy, and undefined.
Warm
Warmth in sound refers to tonal colour and a fullness and richness in sound.
Brilliance
Brilliance in a reed is a quality of tone colour. Some describe brilliance as a “shimmer” in the sound.
Presence and/or Spread
Presence is the amount that the sound of an instrument feels it ‘fills the room’. The wider range makes a tone feel like it ‘takes up space’ in a more physical way, but not defined by volume or loudness.
Core
A reed’s core sound is a function of its tone colour and production. When a sound has core, many feel it has a consistent tone production with clarity and warmth.
Vibrance
Vibrance in a reed’s tone is the presence of more overtones. More overtones in sound lead to what can be thought of a richer tone.
Flexibility
The flexibility of a reed is the ease of playing notes at different volumes, expressions and playing styles
Projection
Projection in woodwind instruments refers to the degree to which a reed can produce stable tone without sounding weak or bad from over-blowing.
Attack
Attack is the sound of the reed when it begins vibrating. Attacks can vary, and have qualities varying in terms of strength from weak to strong, tone from light to heavy, and other elements like percussive quality.
Response
Response in a reed refers to the speed the reed begins moving, or the ease and feel of a reed’s attack. For example, an attack that is easy to play is said to have a fast response.
Resistance
Resistance in reeds refers to the amount the reed feels it “pushes back” when playing. Reeds with low resistance tend to feel “free-blowing” and have an easier time making a sound. Reeds with higher resistance tend to need more wind control to produce the same stable tone. While lower resistance can produce higher volume sound easier, it limits control over finer elements of performance.
Stability
Stability in a reed refers to how the reed vibrates and produces tone without difficulty.