RayL
Member
The situation (tenor sax): I'm playing B, then A, then G, softly in the second octave. B and A play OK, but when I close the G key it 'burbles' (the reed vibrates at a low frequency which modulates the G note) instead of playing a clean note. I continue down to F and the burbling stops. My embrochure has not changed through this succession of notes.
I can overcome it by a) blowing harder and b) moving my lips nearer the end of the reed so less of it is available to vibrate. This of course changes the character of the note.
Now I realise that for G in the second octave the octave hole on the crook closes and a different octave hole opens at the top of the body but if it was that that was causing the burbling, why does it stop when I play F?
It is not a function of a particular reed or mouthpiece - I've changed both but the effect is still there.
As I say, I can overcome it by blowing harder, but that's not really the point - I don't want to have to play a soft passage loudly just to get one note to work properly.
Any thoughts?
Ray
I can overcome it by a) blowing harder and b) moving my lips nearer the end of the reed so less of it is available to vibrate. This of course changes the character of the note.
Now I realise that for G in the second octave the octave hole on the crook closes and a different octave hole opens at the top of the body but if it was that that was causing the burbling, why does it stop when I play F?
It is not a function of a particular reed or mouthpiece - I've changed both but the effect is still there.
As I say, I can overcome it by blowing harder, but that's not really the point - I don't want to have to play a soft passage loudly just to get one note to work properly.
Any thoughts?
Ray