Saxophone beginners C# but no higher?

[jbtsax]

If palm D with the octave key does not go to the high octave:

• Put on a 2 or 21/2 reed
• Press down with the top teeth on the mouthpiece
• Pretend your mouthpiece is a sour lemon
• Raise your eyebrows
• Blow fast cold air

 

[Colin the Bear]

Not necessarily Colin. At my level, I think I would make anything Squeek and honk a bit. Ask me again in year 😉

I'm pretty happy with the way it sounds for the time I've had it, and to be honest, not heard anything else in the flesh to compare it to. To me it sounds a bit "buzzy" sometimes but most probably down to me as sometimes it sounds a little warmer. Mostly I find it easier to play the 1.5 reeds, but sometimes find myself blowing too hard and getting the buzz. When I switch to a harder reed, it sounds warmer, but harder on the embouchure at this stage..

I was being facetious.

The saxophone has very little input to the sound. It's mostly you. I play a G4M alto. I gig it. It's a very good instrument, at any price. A lot of the professional level saxophones have features that are for easy maintenance and reliability/longevity. The stick my horns get, I'd need some of the paint they use on the Forth Rail Bridge.

That buzzing with a 1.5 sounds like over blowing. It's an effect you can use later. Try the 2. It may be harder but it sounds like what you need right now. It takes a long time for your embouchure muscles to develop, so little and often. Two half hour sessions will be easier than a straight hour and probably do you more good. Chopping and changing kit will confuse your embouchure at the moment. Pick something that works and stick with it for now. There's a lot to learn that you can't force or rush. Let it come to you. We all squeak and honk. Sometimes on purpose, sometimes it just happens. The trick is to squeak in tune .

It's a good idea to record yourself. Progress happens in little steps that are easy to miss and if you don't think you're progressing it can be dis heartening.

Right ...................back to being facetious

 

[jimmylh]

Just out of curiosity I tried playing a D2 with the palm D and octave key. I had to lower my airstream quite a bit to get it.

 

[Colin the Bear]

The intonation with palm key D2 is a little off but it's handy for a trill or if you need to adjust your sling or the volume knob or grab the mic to sing or scratch something.

 

[ChillyMike]

Ok, today I finally managed to start hitting the high notes above the top C#

D - Check
E - Check
Eb -Check
F - Check
F# - Check
🙂🙂🙂

A harder reed did do the trick. Tried a Legere standard 1.73 (between a 2.5 and a 3 Rico equivalent)

Yes, It is now a bit harder to hit the bottom notes. 🙁🙁🙁

So, when you go up in reed strength as your embouchure and strength get better, do you compensate with a larger mouthpiece as you progress and get better? I already think the tone from the harder reed is nicer and less 'Buzzy' if you know what I mean.

 

[kevgermany]

Congrats. Maybe you went a little too high in reed strength.

No need to compensate with bigger mouthpieces, but many of us do. It's more a case of picking a reed that makes both ends easy to play.

 

[Rob Pealing]

From one beginner (albeit a bit more experienced beginner) to another I would say stay with your Yam 4C, but generally you use harder reeds on narrow tip and softer reeds on wide tips. Yam 4c is fairly narrow. See here under product line up

 

[Lesley]

Ok, today I finally managed to start hitting the high notes above the top C#

D - Check
E - Check
Eb -Check
F - Check
F# - Check
🙂🙂🙂

A harder reed did do the trick. Tried a Legere standard 1.73 (between a 2.5 and a 3 Rico equivalent)

Yes, It is now a bit harder to hit the bottom notes. 🙁🙁🙁

So, when you go up in reed strength as your embouchure and strength get better, do you compensate with a larger mouthpiece as you progress and get better? I already think the tone from the harder reed is nicer and less 'Buzzy' if you know what I mean.

I know what you mean Mike. Encountered the same thing about 2 months after I started on the sax. I started with a 2 then 2.5 then a 3 Ricos. I've been put onto a 2 Vandoren by my music teacher and although the chops are working overtime my tone has improved 🙂

 

[Colin the Bear]

Wider tip = softer reed. Narrow tip = harder reed.

Tip opening and reed strength are not numbered to denote progress. They are for comparison. Whatever suits your chops when you've developed some.

 

[Rikki]

Not necessarily Colin. At my level, I think I would make anything Squeek and honk a bit. Ask me again in year 😉

I'm pretty happy with the way it sounds for the time I've had it, and to be honest, not heard anything else in the flesh to compare it to. To me it sounds a bit "buzzy" sometimes but most probably down to me as sometimes it sounds a little warmer. Mostly I find it easier to play the 1.5 reeds, but sometimes find myself blowing too hard and getting the buzz. When I switch to a harder reed, it sounds warmer, but harder on the embouchure at this stage.

I'm not blaming the instrument, but it would be good to have it properly checked at some time just for peace of mind.

When I can get to grips with Audacity I will later post up some clips for the more experienced players opinions of the sound it makes. Might get the basic Zoom H1 if it is not a worthless buy.

I think you are simply getting ahead of yourself. When I first learnt to play I simply stuck to the scale of C for the first month or so. I used a 1.5 rico reed for a couple weeks then switched to a 2 and still played only the C scale, but with longer tones, I did have a sore embouchure (this is normal) but would stop playing when it got to the point I could not play bottom C. or it actually hurt. I remember I got to the point when I could play every day for 20 minutes without my mouth hurting, it was then after about a couple of months that I began to try the scale of D.

 

[jbtsax]

When the tone production and control are well established with a "student" mouthpiece throughout the regular range of the the saxophone from low Bb to high F, then it is time to move up to a mouthpiece with a wider tip opening. The benefits will be a wider dynamic range, and more flexibility to do jazz scoops and other stylistic effects.

The mistake some players make is to move up to the more demanding mouthpiece before the tone production is well controlled with the student mouthpiece. The expression "trying to run before you learn to walk" fits this scenario quite well.

 

[ChillyMike]

I ask the questions because I really don't know the answers. I'm pretty happy with my Yam 4C, but have absolutely no idea how it differs from a say 5C or a 3C.

I do usually get ahead of myself with things, that's just me and part of my learning process, but I am a pretty self motivated person like a sponge for knowledge so am able to benefit from the wealth of experience on here and the varied responses are great as it shows we all think a little differently.

So far the help and advice from this forum have been absolutely great, public, and private conversations.

After my first month ended yesterday, I now have a path to follow and plenty of material to learn from for now.

I can't read every new post (there are so many) but do check in as much as possible.

Thanks to all so far that have replied and offered your comments, they are all welcome and mulled over, digested etc and tried to make sense of.

 

[Alice]

I ask the questions because I really don't know the answers. I'm pretty happy with my Yam 4C, but have absolutely no idea how it differs from a say 5C or a 3C.

I do usually get ahead of myself with things, that's just me and part of my learning process, but I am a pretty self motivated person like a sponge for knowledge so am able to benefit from the wealth of experience on here and the varied responses are great as it shows we all think a little differently.

So far the help and advice from this forum have been absolutely great, public, and private conversations.

After my first month ended yesterday, I now have a path to follow and plenty of material to learn from for now.

I can't read every new post (there are so many) but do check in as much as possible.

Thanks to all so far that have replied and offered your comments, they are all welcome and mulled over, digested etc and tried to make sense of.

I'm the same with my learning. It will be a year in June that I've been playing and this forum and the members have been invaluable to me for things that I didn't even know I needed to think about such as reeds and mouthpieces - I know that sounds silly... Just reading the conversations in the threads here has helped enormously.

 

[ChillyMike]

I have Yam 4C and 7C, neither I nor my wife can detect any difference in the character of the notes, the 7 with its wider tip gives more volume and takes more air.
To see the specs go here under product line up.

I would like to, I think the term is "Swoop" up to notes more. (like bending strings on a guitar for example). Is this easier, or better on a wider tip, or is my thinking way off?

 

[Alice]

I can scoop notes with a 4C if that's what you mean by "swooping"? But I haven't technically been taught to do so, however that's what my tutor says I'm doing sometimes (when the music isn't actually saying I should) so I'll take his word for it ... And if that's what you mean then yes, it's possible with a 4C but I don't know whether it's easier or harder with a wider tip.
Edit: I think I mis read your question sorry... I blame my sunglasses, I can't see anything through them.

 

[jbtsax]

I would like to, I think the term is "Swoop" up to notes more. (like bending strings on a guitar for example). Is this easier, or better on a wider tip, or is my thinking way off?

Your thinking is right on. The greater distance the reed can travel facilitates swooping as you call it.

 

[Colin the Bear]

I play quite close mouthpieces and have no problem swooping. I find it's more to do with changing the shape and volume of the oral cavity. I have had very little formal training so maybe I'm way off.

Mouthpieces are usually numbered. Selmer use letters. The number on a yam 4c denotes the tip opening and the letter the chamber size.

This is quite a comprehensive comparison chart but not universal.

Bahnöffnungen - Altsaxophon - Mundstücke

 

[ChillyMike]

I play quite close mouthpieces and have no problem swooping. I find it's more to do with changing the shape and volume of the oral cavity. I have had very little formal training so maybe I'm way off.

Mouthpieces are usually numbered. Selmer use letters. The number on a yam 4c denotes the tip opening and the letter the chamber size.

This is quite a comprehensive comparison chart but not universal.

Bahnöffnungen - Altsaxophon - Mundstücke

Thanks Colin, that is one hell of a list!

It must be a nightmare trying to choose combinations of mouthpiece/reed!

Where is the Marshall Mouthpiece on that list? That one would be an 11 😉