 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: derf5585
Date: 2015-06-21 19:34
I was at a school concert where the saxes stuffed stuff (towels?) in the bell. I asked the director what was going on and she said the saxes were too loud and tried to mute them.
This sound ridiculous. Thoughts?
I realize this is a clarinet forum however there are some doublers here.
fsbsde@yahoo.com
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Author: pewd
Date: 2015-06-21 20:39
I saw a band director do that once. That particular director didn't last long at that school. The problem is with the director, not the kids. Students can be taught to control their sound if you know how to teach.
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: gwie
Date: 2015-06-21 21:52
What a great opportunity to teach students how woodwind instruments work, though! :P
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2015-06-22 01:40
If you do want to effectively mute alto and tenor saxes, then there are these:
http://www.bestbrass.com/stf/e-sax.html
Shoving a towel in the bell isn't going to do much apart from take some of the edge off the tone (plus you'll stifle the Ds and lose the low Bb, B and C altogether) but it won't reduce the volume.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-06-22 03:14
Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Paul Desmond use a cloth, or wad of cloth in the bell?
...........Paul Aviles
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Author: clarinetguy ★2017
Date: 2015-06-22 06:06
Larry Teal discussed sax mutes in The Art of Saxophone Playing. He mentioned using a handkerchief in the bell as one acceptable way to do it, but this wasn't his favorite approach. The type he liked best was a mute "introduced into this country by Marcel Mule [that] consists of a wooden drapery ring wound with velvet ribbon sewed in place." (p. 53) This mute could be adjusted so that it could be in a closed, half open, or open position.
When I was in high school in the early 70s, I saw these mutes used frequently. I haven't seen one in a long time, but perhaps some classical players still use them.
When I was getting started back in the 60s, it was quite common to see school bands with large clarinet sections and small sax sections. Today, saxophones outnumber (or almost outnumber) clarinets in many school bands. This director might have been in this situation, but as Chris and others correctly pointed out,
towels or handkerchiefs in the bell will do little or nothing to reduce volume.
Post Edited (2015-06-22 06:19)
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