Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2020-02-11 21:48
You don't mention his mouthpiece. IMO a #2 Rico (the usual starting reed) is too soft for any of the entry level mouthpieces around unless the mouthpiece is defective.
The trouble with too soft a reed isn't that it *can't* be played in tune, but that it *allows* the kind of sloppy, unformed embouchure that produces flat pitch and spready tone. A slightly harder reed, plus some kind of instruction to close the lips more firmly around the reed and mouthpiece, will bring the pitch up. Once I've gotten a student to firm up a little and they hear and feel the difference, all I need to do to keep them from reverting is to remind them not to let the tone get flabby.
I disagree with Paul that a shorter barrel is a reasonable solution unless you find when you test the instrument that it's flat even when played correctly. If the problem is a flubby embouchure, (1) I doubt that 2 millimeters will bring it up enough and still won't improve the tone quality and (2) even if it does improve the pitch, you're masking the real problem, which is immature technique. Better to try to develop the embouchure.
Karl
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