 The Doublers BBoard
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Author: jmberch
Date: 2006-10-17 15:53
My principal is clarinet, and i'm pretty good on it. I picked up alto sax a year ago for jazz, and I !HATE! it. I can't maneuver around at all. I have trouble getting low and high notes out. I'm concidering getting a new mouthpiece, i think that will help with those notes, because i'm still using the factory mouthpiece. Any suggestions?
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Author: Bret Pimentel
Date: 2006-10-17 20:09
A few ideas:
- The saxophone is, in some ways, just more difficult to get around on than the clarinet, due to the acoustical properties of a conical bore. The best way I know to train yourself to play the extreme ranges with finesse is to establish a consistent mouthpiece pitch (A = 440 for alto) and to do your favorite overtone exercises every day.
- Saxophones are also more leak-prone than clarinets. Consider getting your alto professionally checked.
- I like the Vandoren V16 mouthpieces for jazz. They are easy to play and relatively consistent in terms of quality control. I recommend them without hesitation to alto players buying their first jazz mouthpiece.
Hope that helps!
Bret
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Author: jmberch
Date: 2006-10-18 03:01
thanks, i don't know if your a professional or an instructor, but how should my embochure be set? tounge, corners of mouth, ect. and i don't care if the mouthpiece i get is for jazz or not, i do want a dark sound though. I hate bright sounding clarinets and saxes.
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Author: Gandalfe
Date: 2006-10-19 01:05
Lip Position - by Richard Thurgood
http://www.jazz-o-matic.com/Default.aspx?tabid=171
Jim and Suzy
Pacifica Big Band
Seattle, Washington
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Author: Carol Dutcher
Date: 2006-11-21 21:11
I also play an alto sax and my mouthpiece for the sax is a Yanagisawa #3. There is no comparison to the mouthpiece that came with the horn, which is a Spencer sax, not well-known, but it is light and I can hold it easily.
I think your sax might have a leak. This would cause you trouble when trying to hit the low notes.
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Author: Gandalfe
Date: 2006-11-29 22:18
One lesson with a pro should put you years ahead of where you'll be if you try to go it alone. Save yourself some grief and see an instructor who's primary instrument is saxophone.
Good luck to you.
Jim and Suzy
Pacifica Big Band
Seattle, Washington
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