From tenor to soprano

[Moz]

I am test-driving a second-hand John Packer soprano with a view to buying it from a friend. I normally play tenor but want a small sax so I can practise away from the house without carting the big beast tenor around. It does the trick size-wise but not musically as I can't seem to hit high notes (and by that I mean upper register d and above) and the low notes are dual-toned and a bit quivery.

Before I commit to buying the thing I need to know if it is ok and that it is just me that can't play it properly yet.

Does the jump between tenor mpc's and reeds and those of the soprano mean that I have to adjust my embouchure far more than I would have thought, afterall that sop mouthpiece is incredibly small compared to the tenor?

Cheers

Moz

 

[tommy_ng]

I think it would be fine if you don't switch from Tenor sax to oboe

 

[griff136]

Hi Moz,

you do need to adjust your embouchure to play the soprano, IMHO however, as a sax player you should at least be able to play every note from low Bb to upper C.

palm key notes should also speak but with any sax especially the sop, the upper register from palm D and higher will take some getting used to.

can you remember when you first started playing the sax? I bet the bottom and top ends were difficult to achieve.

I would get a repairer to take a quick look at it with a leak light to confirm that there are no leaks making the bottom notes sound strange.

If you're near Croydon pop it in to John Myalls on a thursday before 3 and I'll put a light down it for free.

 

[Linky Lee]

I found when I first got my Soprano that I had trouble from the top Palm key D.

I'd never played one before and it took a while longer than expected to get used to it. Once I'd got my embouchure sorted for it though the instrument really came to life and the full standard range was at my disposal. They're beautiful instruments once you get them singing sweetly. I think very similar in that respect to violins.

 

[Moz]

griff136 wrote:
Hi Moz,

you do need to adjust your embouchure to play the soprano, IMHO however, as a sax player you should at least be able to play every note from low Bb to upper C.

palm key notes should also speak but with any sax especially the sop, the upper register from palm D and higher will take some getting used to.

can you remember when you first started playing the sax? I bet the bottom and top ends were difficult to achieve.

I would get a repairer to take a quick look at it with a leak light to confirm that there are no leaks making the bottom notes sound strange.

If you're near Croydon pop it in to John Myalls on a thursday before 3 and I'll put a light down it for free.

Since writing my note, things have improved. I have myself some Rico Jazz Select 3M reeds, big improvment. Found a piece of cork stuck down one of the tone holes (was probably a tuning aid that came loose) -- even bigger improvment!

Perseverance I think will help and, my god, it's convenient to carry around; what a shame tenor saxes with their luscious sound could not be so small -- damn you, laws of physics!

Can't quite make Croydon even for free check, bit far from Cornwall but thanks anyway.

Thank you all for your encouraging replies.

Cheers

Moz

 

[griff136]

Moz wrote:

Can't quite make Croydon even for free check, bit far from Cornwall but thanks anyway.

Thank you all for your encouraging replies.

Cheers

Moz

Moz, my workshop and home is in Exmouth - I only work in Croydon on Thursdays.

If you're ever up Exeter way then feel free to pop round - just email or pm me first.

 

[sparrow]

I had exactly the same problem - coincidentally, with a Packer sop. I lent it to a mate so I haven't really got to grips with it yet.

Then I bought my Walstein alto. Same problem, but less so, and pretty much went away after a couple of hours.

 

[Moz]

griff136 wrote:

Moz wrote:

Can't quite make Croydon even for free check, bit far from Cornwall but thanks anyway.

Thank you all for your encouraging replies.

Cheers

Moz

Moz, my workshop and home is in Exmouth - I only work in Croydon on Thursdays.

If you're ever up Exeter way then feel free to pop round - just email or pm me first.

Griff,

I will surely do that. Only been to Exmouth once and that was in a huge articulated lorry which I had to drive through the town centre to get to a builders merchants in mid-summer! I have never been so unpopular with the local drivers (and many of the pedestrians), it was such fun!


Cheers

Moz

 

[peedee]

Moz wrote:
I am test-driving a second-hand John Packer soprano with a view to buying it from a friend. I normally play tenor but want a small sax so I can practise away from the house without carting the big beast tenor around. It does the trick size-wise but not musically as I can't seem to hit high notes (and by that I mean upper register d and above) and the low notes are dual-toned and a bit quivery.

Before I commit to buying the thing I need to know if it is ok and that it is just me that can't play it properly yet.

Does the jump between tenor mpc's and reeds and those of the soprano mean that I have to adjust my embouchure far more than I would have thought, afterall that sop mouthpiece is incredibly small compared to the tenor?

Cheers

Moz

was interested to read your experiences with the soprano.
I have been having the same trouble with the high and lows, and a little flat in the high register. I don't know how long you have been playing the tenor, but there does seem a big difference between the two saxes. In my case I have only been playing the tenor for ten months, so am probably a bit premature trying the soprano, so have decided to put it away for a year or so, enough to do to concentrate on getting the tenor to sound right!
Probably nothing wrong with your sax, just needs practice.
Good luck

 

[Bobby G]

Those high notes on sop can take a bit of getting used to, but a harder reed can help. It seems to me that although I tend to use 2 to 2.5 on tenor or alto, a 3 is equally comfortable on soprano and definitely helps with any wobbles.

 

[Moz]

PeeDee wrote:

Moz wrote:
I am test-driving a second-hand John Packer soprano with a view to buying it from a friend. I normally play tenor but want a small sax so I can practise away from the house without carting the big beast tenor around. It does the trick size-wise but not musically as I can't seem to hit high notes (and by that I mean upper register d and above) and the low notes are dual-toned and a bit quivery.

Before I commit to buying the thing I need to know if it is ok and that it is just me that can't play it properly yet.

Does the jump between tenor mpc's and reeds and those of the soprano mean that I have to adjust my embouchure far more than I would have thought, afterall that sop mouthpiece is incredibly small compared to the tenor?

Cheers

Moz

was interested to read your experiences with the soprano.
I have been having the same trouble with the high and lows, and a little flat in the high register. I don't know how long you have been playing the tenor, but there does seem a big difference between the two saxes. In my case I have only been playing the tenor for ten months, so am probably a bit premature trying the soprano, so have decided to put it away for a year or so, enough to do to concentrate on getting the tenor to sound right!
Probably nothing wrong with your sax, just needs practice.
Good luck

In the end, after a week of trying, I decided that the high notes are not for me and declined to purchase said soprano. Maybe another time and probably a better (much better) quality sax will provide the answer. In the meantime I have bought harder reeds for my tenor for a more breathy sound and if I ever do decide to buy another type of sax it will probably be a baritone, a good one...anyone got two grand they don't want? No? Oh well.

Moz