C# to Bb on a Yani Tenor 901

[andyb1970]

I recently purchased a Yani 901 (Tenor), and the ergonomics on it are great, really fits me better than the Selmer MK VII I was playing previously.

However I'm struggling to work out how to get my little left hand pinky from C# to Bb smoothly, once the key is down it seems a bit of a kludge to try and push it downwards, over the roller and depress the Bb smoothly.

Any tips welcome

 

[kevgermany]

Have you tried rolling your little finger, rather than sliding it?

 

[andyb1970]

Have you tried rolling your little finger, rather than sliding it?

I've just tried rolling it and it is working better, but needs work Certainly sort of collapsing my little finger and rolling at the same time gives more success, so I'll keep on trying, certainly wasn't getting anyway sliding it! When you say rolling you mean the finger goes left and forwards until resting on its side?

 

[kevgermany]

yep, that's what I was thinking of

 

[fredbart]

You may think I'm out of my mind but I have heard several professional players over the years suggest that you take your little finger and rub it on the side of your nose, thereby picking up some oil which will lubricate the finger and allow these kinds of slides to be accomplished more smoothly. I don't know whether this might be detrimental to the finish on the sax or not.

 

[Two Voices]

I had this problem when I first got my 901 and learnt to place the finger at the bottom of the C# and just gently roll my finger onto the Bb key. The Pad is very light and has a very fast action compared to many saxes so try not applying too much pressure and let the keys do the work

 

[andyb1970]

I had this problem when I first got my 901 and learnt to place the finger at the bottom of the C# and just gently roll my finger onto the Bb key. The Pad is very light and has a very fast action compared to many saxes so try not applying too much pressure and let the keys do the work

I'll give that a go too, I am definitely pressing too hard out of apprehension so I'll back off and give it a go. Thanks.

 

[andyb1970]

You may think I'm out of my mind but I have heard several professional players over the years suggest that you take your little finger and rub it on the side of your nose, thereby picking up some oil which will lubricate the finger and allow these kinds of slides to be accomplished more smoothly. I don't know whether this might be detrimental to the finish on the sax or not.

If all else fails I'll give this a go

 

[TomMapfumo]

You may think I'm out of my mind but I have heard several professional players over the years suggest that you take your little finger and rub it on the side of your nose, thereby picking up some oil which will lubricate the finger and allow these kinds of slides to be accomplished more smoothly. I don't know whether this might be detrimental to the finish on the sax or not.

You are quite correct - it is a very useful tip which some teachers pass on. If you want a Vintage sax, you should do this as often as you can......................:shocked:;}

Kind regards
Tom

 

[Stephen Howard]

If all else fails you could have the table keys realigned. Out of the factory they tend to be set level with one another, but some players prefer a bit of bias.
For example, if you have the low C# spatula set higher it becomes easier to push across to the B and the Bb. It's harder coming back from a Bb to a C# or a B to a C#, but then you're dragging your finger back rather than pushing it. It does make going from G# to C# a bit trickier, but the mechanism is articulated...so you'd simply go straight for the C# anyway.

Regards,

 

[andyb1970]

Thanks for the info Steve, if I continue to have trouble after practicing the other suggestions I'll consider having the realignment. Hope all is well, sold my MK VII Selmer to someone who lives in Petersfield, so you'll probably be seeing it again at some point