Klarinet Archive - Posting 000547.txt from 2003/02

From: Richard Bush <rbushidioglot@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Quick query on the soprano sax
Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 20:49:19 -0500

Adding to Mike's advice: hold the sax out much straighter than you do
on clarinet. Bring the mouthpiece into the mouth at almost a right
angle to your face.

RB

On Wednesday, February 19, 2003, at 02:47 PM, Michael Cudahy wrote:

> Bill,
>
> I recently bought a soprano sax, after years of playing mostly
> clarinet. Mine is
> new, so it's a different scenario, but I've already been through
> several rounds
> of having adjustments made, including an adjustment to the G# key that
> was
> necessary in order for me to play the lowest notes. (Not sure what you
> mean by
> "low G," though; low notes on Bb saxes are Db-C-B-Bb.) Saxes often need
> adjustment, especially if they are either (1) new, or (2) old. (In
> between,
> things hang together pretty well.) Anyway, my advice would be to have a
> technician look at the instrument--he or she could quickly see if it's
> leaking
> by putting a light inside. Then you'll know whether your embouchure is
> causing
> the problem.
>
> One thing I've discovered that's helped me in the transition from
> clarinet to
> soprano sax is to keep in mind the more relaxed sax embouchure *all*
> the time,
> in all registers, rather than just thinking about it when I go for the
> low
> notes, as I was doing at first. In the higher registers you can get
> away with
> using your clarinet embouchure, so it's natural and tempting to do
> that and then
> try to change the embouchure just for the low notes. Bad idea. Using a
> true sax
> embouchure all the time gives better results in all registers and
> helps you be
> ready for those low notes.
>
> Mike Cudahy
>
>
> Bill Semple wrote:
>
>> I have played the clarinet, and only the clarinet, for forty-three
>> years.
>> Recently, my dixieland band asked me to play the soprano sax on a few
>> tunes,
>> using an instrument built in the 1920's and gifted to the band by its
>> long
>> time reedman, who unfortunately succumbed to cancer last year.
>>
>> I've managed to get some decent sound out of this thing (it's a
>> Conn), but
>> when I hit low G, it lets out a honk like a goose and jumps an
>> octave. If I
>> am extra careful, and distend my embouchure just so, I can get that
>> lower G.
>>
>> Is overblowing a soprano sax easily done, and is this the problem, or
>> do I
>> have leaks? Of course I know I should check for leaks, but I am also
>> interested in the acoustical properties of this instrument and its
>> penchant
>> for doing oddball things.
>>
>> William T. Semple
>> Office: 202-364-2466
>> Home: 540-364-4823
>> Cell: 540-903-6645
>
>

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