Mouthpieces Got a new tenor mouthpiece

[Vlad]

Damn! I thought you wouldn't see through my disguise 😎
View attachment 31154

No chance mate, you might try a false beard and a funny hat 😉

 

[JSL]

Hey @cappers, listening to those last 2 clips you posted, I can give you one piece (well, two actually) of advice. The first one having to do with articulation; how you are starting each note. You are starting your notes with a somewhat 'mushy' sound. Far better to go for a crisper attack, maybe using your tongue if necessary. And secondly, a little more attention to the meter/timing. Working with a metronome should help.

 

[davidk]

Whenever I get a new mouthpiece I try all sorts of cuts and strengths of reed to see what works best with it. For example, I use Vandoren green box Javas on my jazz mouthpiece and V12s on my classical. The Soloist is more of a classical mouthpiece, the RR and DC reeds that you tried are more jazz-orientated. There are probably reeds that will work better with your Soloist.

Try the Selmer classical reeds with your Soloist, they should be a good match. The classical cuts come in the natural-coloured cardboard box. I’ve ordered single boxes direct from Selmer Paris to the UK and they came in under the price at which customs / handling charges kick in. They have quarter strengths available so you can zero in on your ideal strength.

Tenor saxophone reeds

Experience exceptional sound with Henri SELMER Paris saxophone reeds, ensuring unparalleled acoustic quality. Carefully crafted from organically sourced cane, each reed combine musical performance with environmental responsibility.

www.selmer.fr

 

[Pete Thomas]

Try the Selmer classical reeds with your Soloist,

This is worth trying, and also be aware that because they are called classical, that doesn’t mean they are only suitable for classical, they will be fine for any genre.

 

[cappers]

Try the Selmer classical reeds with your Soloist, they should be a good match.

This is worth trying,

As per advice I'll stick to reeds that work for me (ditto sax and mpc!) and not swap around too much.
Since I have run out of RR and DC I have ordered some Selmer Classics in strength 2 as they seem to be a tad harder than the RR according to the charts, and appear to be recommended.

 

[cappers]

Hey @cappers, listening to those last 2 clips you posted, I can give you one piece (well, two actually) of advice. The first one having to do with articulation; how you are starting each note. You are starting your notes with a somewhat 'mushy' sound. Far better to go for a crisper attack, maybe using your tongue if necessary. And secondly, a little more attention to the meter/timing. Working with a metronome should help.

Embarrassing!
I've barely practiced Georgia and don't know why I chose it apart from I like it.
My timing isn't usually that poor. Combination of performance nerves and poor technique.
Concentrate on getting the breath right and I miss out articulation, speed up and lose breath support!
Back to basics for me.
Cheers.

 

[mizmar]

Embarrassing!
I've barely practiced Georgia and don't know why I chose it apart from I like it.
My timing isn't usually that poor. Combination of performance nerves and poor technique.
Concentrate on getting the breath right and I miss out articulation, speed up and lose breath support!
Back to basics for me.
Cheers.

That's just what it's like. The thing is, in part, experienced players can just hear finer details.
My last flute homework was with a backing; to my ears, I nailed it - I was with the other instruments in time and couldn't hear any clash in tuning... He still said it was a bit shaky in time and a little flat ...
... But massively better than a while ago 😀

It's a never ending spiral onwards and upwards

 

[Colin the Bear]

I'm having success with D'Addario reserve French cut on my Soloists.

For an E facing you might want to come down to a 2 or 1.5. Thinking about it I'm not sure they do a 1.5.

It's worth noting that Royale are very soft for their number rating. Charts rate them a half step softer but I find them a whole step.

Don't dismiss Vandoren blue without trying them. They have been around forever for a reason. They can have consistency problems from box to box so go a half step softer than you think. I'd go1.5 or 2 for an E facing.

 

[cappers]

It's a never ending spiral onwards and upwards

As long as it's not a downward spiral I'm cool 😎
Practice makes perfect! Will get it eventually.

 

[cappers]

For an E facing you might want to come down to a 2 or 1.5. Thinking about it I'm not sure they do a 1.5.

Cheers @Colin the Bear
Selmer Classic #2 on order.
Tried VD Blue and wasn't that impressed but that was months ago. Switched to RRs on teachers advice, then DCs a couple of months ago.

 

[lydian]

My philosophy for beginners is reduce as many variables as possible for at least the first year. No gear changes, no reed changes. Learn your basic skills on what you've got. So I'm glad to hear you've returned to the original mouthpiece and plan to stick with it a while. You're taking lessons, playing in a band and have gotten even more good advice here in this forum. Just keep doing what you're doing, and resist the urge to change gear, and you'll do great in the long run.

 

[JSL]

Embarrassing!
I've barely practiced Georgia and don't know why I chose it apart from I like it.
My timing isn't usually that poor. Combination of performance nerves and poor technique.
Concentrate on getting the breath right and I miss out articulation, speed up and lose breath support!
Back to basics for me.
Cheers.

Nothing to be embarrassed about, cappers. You are doing just fine for such a short time playing. Probably far better than most in that amount of time.

As to the articulation, what you're doing is very common early on. It takes time to get a clean & clear 'attack' on a series of notes. I think air support is the main thing. You need that support right from the start of a note. A subtle tonguing can help. As an exercise to get the hang of it, try starting the note with your tongue on the reed, give it some air, then pull your tongue off to start the sound. But I'm not saying you have to tongue every note (save that for a staccato effect). You can start a note cleanly with breath with full air support, and crisp fingering. It's hard to explain, but easy to hear when you get it right. So, give it a go.

All of this takes time & patience, and you seem to have the right attitude, which will make all the difference. Keep it going and all the best to you.

 

[Woodpad]

resist the urge to change gear

There is need for a self help group like the AA, including a chip you have to break after changing gear.

 

[cappers]

Just keep doing what you're doing, and resist the urge to change gear, and you'll do great in the long run.

I think that I've been very restrained so far gear wise.

One horn (plus a back-up) and only two* mpcs (original 5C and a Soloist E).
Some messing with reeds to find the ones I like.
So it's the YTS-25 and 5C/Soloist until further notice 🙂

Changing reeds and working more on breath support might be starting to bear fruit, the B/L told me last night that my tone is improving

(* I did try a Bari Esprit but didn't like it.)

 

[cappers]

Had a great lesson today. Since posting my last nasal squawkings I have been really working hard on long tones and breath support and it's beginning to bear fruit. My teacher said that for 11 months playing my tone isn't bad and getting better all the time.

With a strong bellyful of air there's a great improvement in my tone and sound. I think when I get excited my breathing becomes shallower with a tendency to puff rather than blow and articulate properly leading to a weak tone and a choppy feel. I knew this intellectually but wasn't really putting into practice.

Did some overtones today and managed Bb1-Bb2-F and a squeak rather than Bb3.😱 Raising my eyebrows helped! I joked about that and he said there could be some truth in it.
I wonder if raising the brow and forehead changes the muscle tension around the mouth and shape of the oral cavity?

We also discussed my mpc dilemma He suggested that as I've been using the Soloist for three months and I sound ok on it to stick with it and develop good breath support. I played a bit on the 5C and he said I sounded fine on the Soloist. Some may disagree with his suggestion but as he's my face-to-face teacher and has taught me from day one I think he knows best.

So its YTS-25 and Soloist E mpc. I have some RicoRoyale #2, 2.5 & 3, Selmer Classic #2 and Alexander DC 2.5 reeds. I think I like the Selmers the most and might get 2.5 next.

Thank you

 

[Jeanette]

squeak rather than Bb3.😱 Raising my eyebrows helped! I joked about that and he said there could be some truth in it.
I wonder if raising the brow and forehead changes the muscle tension around the mouth and shape of the oral cavity?

My first tutor used to do that when demonstrating and also said think high happy thoughts 😁

 

[Ivan]

With a strong bellyful of air

Full marks on posting your progress @cappers ... keep it up... at one point you use the word 'embarrassing '. Good word... it's unavoidable when playing to others, but playing to others is such a good way to progress

Erm...

On the topic of a "bellyfull of air"

One doesn't want to be too anatomically picky... but... your lungs fill with air. Your belly muscles (and muscles between the ribs) push air out through the mouthpiece

Try blowing hard but steadily through a straw to find which muscles (abdomen and chest wall) are pushing that air out. Those are the muscles you now know you should master to control your airflow

 

[cappers]

Thanks @Ivan

I didn't literally mean a "belly full of air" although I did have chilli con carne for dinner 😱

More correctly, 'diaphragmatic breathing', but I'm sure you now what I meant 😉

 

[Ivan]

Thanks @Ivan

I didn't literally mean a "belly full of air" although I did have chilli con carne for dinner 😱

More correctly, 'diaphragmatic breathing', but I'm sure you now what I meant 😉

Yes, I do know what you meant

A belly full of supper and a lubricant flow of homebrew has me thinking in literal terms

Importantly... keep playing, listening to yourself and listening to others

 

[ghostler]

In line with the flow of this discussion, found this interesting video:

View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/o4gA7mzNRy8