Tip - The tip of the reed is responsible for vibration and is where the strength is tested. The thicker the tip, the more resistant the vibration and larger the number. Hence a number 2 1/2 reed has a thinner tip and would vibrate with less resistance than a number 4 reed.

Heart - The heart of the reed is the tone color of the reed. The thicker the heart, the darker the tone quality - the thinner the heart, the brighter the tone quality. In general, jazz players desire less wood in the heart for a brighter sound and classical players prefer a reed with more wood in the heart for a darker sound.

Stock - The stock of the reed, which can be a number of different sizes, has a bearing on how the ligature sits on the reed and around the mouthpiece.

Table - The table of the reed is the bottom area of the reed. It must be flat for the reed to vibrtate properly.