Klarinet Archive - Posting 000256.txt from 2006/10
From: "thomaswinds" <thomaswinds@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Re: Kinda OT: Saxophone Mouthpieces?
Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 11:16:04 -0400
Wow, thanks for all your responses! I will try and answer/comment on all of
them in one email. It might get kinda long.....
>>You don't give enough details. What happens when he tries to go lower than
>>E? Does the reed close off? Throat closes up? Jaw too tight so he either
>>cracks it up an octave or squeaks? <<
Sometimes he gets the harmonic. Sometimes it squeaks, sometimes it comes
out for a second and stops Entirely which is breath and then we try again -
he blows harder then something entirely different happens.
I really think it's not entirely the embouchure. While it's not perfect
yet, it's still not the reason the notes aren't happening. For sax
embouchure, I usually use the "Whee-Too" approach - keeping the firm chin
(not as firm as clarinet) with the lips focused around the mpc.
>>I'll take a wild guess here and speculate that when he puts his RH ring
>>finger down he shifts his
hand position and hits one of the RH palm keys (or maybe even the LH ones).
He used to do that once in a while, but we worked that one out. Changing
one's right hand position works great. ;)
To those who say it might be leaks - I have played this sax, and it was Just
worked on by Vince Marinelli. There were no leaks two weeks ago when I last
played it; I will check the ones that you all mention anyway just to be
sure. This has been going on since I started teaching him. As a matter of
fact, the Mark VI was at Vince's (along with the Selmer mouthpiece) and he
used a school tenor. He *was* getting the low notes out on the school tenor
with the Bundois stock plastic piece and the 3.5 reeds.
I truly feel the mouthpiece is "too much" for him and is a big part of the
problem (my husband also says mouthpieces can be "too much" for a kid - the
little guy is only 11). Not every mouthpiece is right for every person. He
has to practically swallow the mouthpiece to get any low notes out. If a
clarinet student did that, I'd say the facing was either too long or too
open, or a different reed size was needed.
Maybe the reed Isn't right for the mouthpiece. I really don't know much
about sax facings and how they affect reeds and reed strength for tone and
production. It's a lot different than clarinet. I will try a softer reed
with him again, in any case. The teacher had him on a *2* and it was like
playing on paper. We tried each size on the way up and the 3.5 seemed to
suit him best.
>> Meyer is the mouthpiece most recommended by high school jazz band
>> teachers. you can get it for under $100 at musicmaster-online.com
What facing number would be good? I used to have my high school alto
players get Meyer 4's and 5s.
Any more mouthpiece suggestions are appreciated!!!
** Let me ask something else - what's a good angle for a tenor player to
use? He's not a big kid. When I see sax players, they seem to play with
their horns slanted back on an angle, or right in front. We are trying to
get him to play more so that the mouthpiece is parallel, he was slanting it
down a lot and closing off the reed. That just hampered tone production in
general, not just low notes. When he straightens his right arm out, he
tends to play a lo better. Problem is the thing is SO heavy for him!!
Thanks so much, gang! BTW when he is ready, I do plan to send him off to a
pro. He will be one of those students you can do that with. I am not one
of those who keeps a good student for the sake of ego! I just don't want
to screw him up in the meantime!!!
Lynn
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