Hi
@Roxers,
I'm just an amateur sax player so please don't take my comments as 'gospel' There are many other much more experienced sax players here who can give you you better advice.
I can well imagine that the 'chirping' is driving you mad! For me, it was was more pronounced on your 2nd link than on your first.
Like you, if I start getting odd 'squeaks' on high notes or have difficulty reaching the lowest notes I always initially assume that the cause is 'me' or my 'setup'. TBH I have no idea why the 'chirping' problem only arose a couple of months ago. The first thing I'd do is to get my sax checked out (just to be sure). Whenever I can't trace or fix a problem (despite adjusting/changing reeds, etc.) I've learned to at least get my sax (quickly) checked out for any leaks, the condition of pads, and that all keys (including octave) are working normally. This usually takes about 5-10 minutes. Very occasionally, my friendly 'sax repair lady' does 1 or 2 minor adjustments on the spot (5 minutes) which fixes the problem. Only once did she recommend that I get my top 3 pads replaced because they were cracked. So however the ' quick check' turned out (90% of the time 'fine, no problems'), I could be confident that the playing problem had nothing to do with my sax.
As far as 'chirping' goes - if the sax is not a contributing cause - my gut feeling is that it might have something to do with the combination of:
- your mpc (tip opening) and ligature position
- your reed (strength, selection, preparation, position on the mpc)
- your embouchure, notably, the length of the mpc/reed that you take in your mouth and the amount of pressure you exert the strength of your embouchure
So - if the sax itself is not the problem - the question is: what might have changed?
Mpc en ligature
I assume the your mpc hasn't changed. Has your ligature or ligature position?
Reeds
- Selection
We know that not all reeds of the same strength out of the same box play equally well. I once read (on the cafe) to soak them all, try them all out and to note which ones (1 or 2 from a box of 5) played OK 'out-of-the-box'.And to note what possible 'adjustments' the other 3-5 might need. Either because they're very slightly 'too thick' and need sanding' or because they're very slightly 'too thin' and might need clipping. Some reeds, which - even after adjusting - still don't play well, you might just have to throw away.
Another point on the selection of reeds is the choice of brand/model. For years, I used to play VanDoren V16 'jazz reeds' because I play jazz, right? Until I watched the video below, when I switched to the 'Java Red' series that I've used ever since. Note that I'm
not saying that you should switch to any other brand/model, only that you perhaps experiment. My personal experience has been that 'Ricoh' reeds are slightly softer (easier to play 'out-of the box) than 'VanDoren' reeds (that need more 'working in' but last longer).
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aobCTn4TcE
- Preparation
Pretty much covered: soak and gradually work in the reed. Whenever you play, make sure that the reed and the mpc are wet.
-Position on the mpc
TBH, micro-adjusting the reed on the mpc is probably the most important tip that I've learned via the cafe. And I still use it in each and every rehearsal. What it boils down to is that extending the reed (by 1-2 mm or less) over the tip of the mpc makes the reed sound 'thicker'. Conversely, pushing the reed (by 1-2 mm or less) makes the reed sound 'thinner'. At every rehearsal, I adjust my reed on the mpc to get the 'optimal coverage' between the lowest and highest notes. Very occasionally, I might even tweak the reed position in preparation for a tune that I play predominantly high or low notes.
This
short article (by Emeritus Professor Steven Mauk) was an eye-opener for me.
Embouchure
Only you can reflect on how your embouchure (notably the length of mpc/reed you take into your mouth) might have developed, weakened or changed during the past few months.
FWIW, my own (regular) 'squeaks and chirps' occur mainly when my embouchure eventually - after 1 1/2 hours collapses.