choppers

[berniesax]

can you still play a sax with false teeth ?
or is it game over ! and goodnight vienna !
bernie

 

[yoyojojo]

I would have to guess as I have no personal experience, but I would imagine it will be strange at first, but one would get used to it and find ways around any problems that arise.

 

[ch_boogie]

Col's mum has just started to play and she doesn't seem to have a problem with her false teeth infact I think she found it harder without them!!

 

[Tenor Sax]

Having no practical experience but with logical thought I would say its not going to be a problem. The Lower lip curls over the lower teeth, so that's them sorted. The Upper set rests on the mouth piece, Jobs a good un.

 

[TomMapfumo]

You can play a sax perfectly well with false teeth! You just have to remember to put them in first 😛

I am sure Pete and Ed will work on a specific false teeth/mouthpiece combo given time, and if the average age of late bloomers continues to rise on BR. In my day a late bloomer was just over the age of 25 - now its the Sax equivalent of the Tory Party out there, all playing Dixie and Trad nonsense to their pacemakers' content!

"Was Occurring?", as Ornette Coleman was rumoured to have said at a gig in Barry Conservative Club, though nobody actuall was able to hear it.

Its time we had a BR 70's plus Big Band - Ellingtons Wellingtons!

Anyway back to my trumpet, and Eric Truffaz impressions.
Kind regards
Tom 8)

 

[Semiquaver]

My father played for years with false teeth. He just said, you just got to get a dentist who is sympathetic to your needs.

I have heard that Ronnie Scotts depression was connected to him not be able to play because of his teeth.

 

[peedee]

Good question this, often wondered myself as my choppers are slowly disappearing, on average 1 every dental visit, i.e. 2 per year.
Luckily I still have me two rabbit teeth, and bottom front all intact, but there will come a day......
Last visit I had to get me dentist to grind a bit off one of me rabbits, 'cos a bit had chipped off (an old filling) and made a sharp tip which kept ruining my mpc pads by boring a hole in it, but now all tickety boo. Mind you, with the super tough Graftonite, or is it Cryptonite? mpc no threat.
But I don't imagine falsies would be too much of a problem. Maybe a little gel on the gum to cushion the pressure. Or has anyone tried playing without their teeth out, gum to mpc, could produce an interesting new sound effect. Something mpc designers have been trying for for years :x
Quite a few of the old jazzers still around and playing, and they are probably all wearing false teeth by now, so it's looking good.
As a pipe smoker, I know you can get special pipe mpc's with an extra large lip to prevent the pipe from falling out of the mouth, so maybe there is a sax mpc on the market for pipe smokers 🙂
Hey Tom, stop knocking the Dixie and Trad. How many good saxists started there with their clarinets!!
Anyway, I think I'll put me Ball, Barber and Bilk LP on, to remind me of the roots of jazz, and a soggy New Orleans 🙂

 

[jonf]

I'm going through an absolute nightmare with my teeth at the moment. I had six extracted about seven years ago due to gum disease. Lower dentures have been no problem, and make no difference whatsoever to playing. However, I've found the upper ones to be a real problem. I just can't get to grips with playing with the upper plate in, so I always take it out to play, as it's just the one false tooth on it. Now though, the gum disease has reared it's ugly head again, and I'm really worried I'll lose my two top front ones. If I lose these I don't know whether I'll be able to adjust and get to grips with playing with the dental plate in. I've already lost one canine tooth, and another is about to go. Frankly, it's really, really depressing me. :cry: I just hope I can get it sorted.

 

[DaveW]

OK I have to declare a vested interest here.

For some considerable time I have had an upper palette with two molars on it, not a problem playing the tenor...playing being used in its loosest sense :laugh:

About one year ago I lost one of my front teeth and that has been added to the upper palette. I have not found it a particular problem, just a loss of 'feeling' and may be a slight compression if pushing hard on the m/piece which wouldn't be there with real teeth.

I have heard it said before that you can't play sax with false teeth but I'm sure it's a myth.

 

[Pete Thomas]

berniesax wrote:
can you still play a sax with false teeth ?
or is it game over ! and goodnight vienna !
bernie

I remember a great Dixieland clarinetist in Leeds (Al Potts), who took his teeth out to play.

 

[AlbionLass]

'Chopper' is one of my favourite movies...








:whistle:

Ho hum...

 

[peedee]

AlbionLass wrote:
'Chopper' is one of my favourite movies...
:whistle:

Ho hum...

:laugh:

Come on now, this is serious, there's a lot of geriatrics, like me trying to be a young man sax player 8)
Good innit? I wonder who's gonna be next to admit to having falsies
:laugh:

 

[young_col]

Yeah OK.... I've got slightly uneven front uppers and that left a big mark on my previous mpc. I now use a patch on my Selmer mpc. I asked my dentist about it and he said it was my fault for having a nefarious hobby.

Bunk Johnson only used his false teeth for playing trumpet (whether you think he was any good or not is a matter of opinion...and taste) - Sidney Bechet's brother made the plate BTW. George Lewis, when first discovered, wrapped a loose lower front tooth in brown paper to support his lip.

Squeamish people don't read on - but my dentist showed me my x-rays a few weeks ago with the just the first signs of gum disease. He said I could lose teeth if I just brushed normaly or else I could clean scrupulously with mouthwash, floss and interdental brushes and I'd keep my teeth the rest of my life. So I chose the latter course which might give me another 30 odd years worth if I'm lucky! (and I'm not blowing junk down my horn!)

YC

 

[Tenor Sax]

Young Col wrote:
Yeah OK.... I've got slightly uneven front uppers and that left a big mark on my previous mpc.
YC

Now the Tooth's coming out, Sorry Truth!

 

[young_col]

ouch! Was that my teeth or your joke that hurt!

 

[Mikec]

I have what's called a "Maryland Bridge" on my front lowers and have had it for more than 25 years and uneven uppers which means my bite mark is off centre. I'd never given it a thought until I saw your post!