If your reed is too hard, the safest thing to do is play it until it softens up. It can take a long time to break it in, but then you don't have to tamper with the reed. Plug up the drones and play as long as you can. It may take a week or so, but eventually you will add the drones in one at a time.

If it's still too hard after a few weeks, you may have to try something else. If you're not using a Piper's Pal, then your reed may be too dry. Dip the reed in water for a second, shake it off, dry it, then play it. Don't soak the reed, and don't lick it! Pinching a reed with your fingers may temporarily ease it. Only pinch towards the top part of the reed to avoid damaging the sound box. Don't overdo it! You can use a tiny rubber band to wrap around the staple (just past the hemping). If none of the other tips work, you can pinch the staple with needle nose pliers (make sure the ends are wrapped so they don't damage the reed). As a last resort, you can scrape the reed. This may change the sound of the reed or could damage the reed beyond use if not done properly. There are many places to avoid scraping (the top strip of the reed, the sound box, etc.) so we don't recommend trying this if you are not a pro)  
 

If your reed is too soft, pinch the edges to open the reed's mouth. If that doesn't work, moisten it and then pinch the edges. You can use a reed mandril to open up the staple and forces the mouth open. Be sure that you keep the blade symmetrical. As a last resort, you can trim the tip off the reed. This will increase the pitch. Using a sharp blade, slice even small amounts.

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