Introduction Hello from Manchester

[SageSmith]

Hi guys,

I'm a relative newbie to sax - currently playing a Yamaha YAS-280 and Selmer Bundy Alto.

Big jazz fan. All the obvious stuff - Cannonball Adderley, Miles Davis, Hank Mobley, John Coltrane, Art Pepper etc. Really huge fan of Lee Morgan and Donald Byrd. Add to that my love of 70s/80s rock, decent indie music, EDM and a massive soft spot for Canadian rock band Rush.

Decided I needed to learn to play sax so picked up a couple of student alto saxes recently. Yet to book lessons with a real teacher (its on my 'must-do' list) and have been getting by since Christmas with YouTube videos and a little musician's intuition. My wife is somewhat bemused as I'm already a guitarist/singer in a band and not exactly in the flushes of youth. Anyway, in for a penny. I figured you guys might be a decent investment in my sax journey. Nothing like a good forum to set you on the right path, is there?

Thanks so much for allowing me in. Much appreciated. I'm looking forward to the sage wisdom/disagreements re synthetic or cane reeds/fist fights about which mouthpieces deserve my time and general chit-chat which undoubtedly will be heading my way.

 

[Jeanette]

Welcome, a few members from in and around Manchester.

Have fun

Jx

 

[Digger2054]

Welcome, I'm a fellow Manc too.

If you can read music already, and have a grasp of Chords, you're not in a bad spot.

 

[Tenor Viol]

Hi, welcome. Many of us on here were late, or very late, to sax. Lots of us dotted around the NW.

 

[SageSmith]

I'm still trying to work my way around how to use palm keys properly...but I've got a few scales sorted. Major and pentatonic are pretty much there. Embouchure is a work in progress. My neighbours are sick to the back teeth of my 'Baker Street' warm-up routine.

 

[Pete Thomas]

Hi and welcome to our Cafe.

 

[Tenor Viol]

I'm still trying to work my way around how to use palm keys properly...but I've got a few scales sorted. Major and pentatonic are pretty much there. Embouchure is a work in progress. My neighbours are sick to the back teeth of my 'Baker Street' warm-up routine.

Palm keys generally take time to get to sound on demand. I was having lessons and working on grade 3 pieces which required a top E... it took me ages to be able to get that to sound on demand without having to go through approach notes etc. The sax/mpc/reed combination can help/hinder as well.

 

[Vlad]

Perfect if you're in a band already, you can shoe-horn a bit of saxophone in a couple of your songs, ( a bit of echo/reverb on the mic and you're away ! )😉

 

[SageSmith]

Perfect if you're in a band already, you can shoe-horn a bit of saxophone in a couple of your songs, ( a bit of echo/reverb on the mic and you're away ! )😉

Yeah - that's what I figured. I've been playing guitar for 40+ years (mainly electric) so my sax skils lag somewhat behind. But a few Alto notes here and there to highlight stabs etc is not too far beyond me..

 

[SageSmith]

Palm keys generally take time to get to sound on demand. I was having lessons and working on grade 3 pieces which required a top E... it took me ages to be able to get that to sound on demand without having to go through approach notes etc. The sax/mpc/reed combination can help/hinder as well.

I'm using a Yamaha YAS-280, D'Addario Select Jazz 5M mouthpiece and either a D'Addario Select Jazz 2.0 (soft) reed or a Legere American Cut 2.0 (depending on mood). Not sure how that measures up for a beginner set-up but seems to be working for me so far. I really like the ease of play (and the sound) of the Legeres (I realise this might be controversial). But the Select Jazz cane reeds really do sound lovely and warm when you get a good one. I'm curious about a wider tipped mouthpiece - would it be too much of a jump to go for a 6 or 7 mouthpiece (in the D'Addario Select Jazz series or one of the JodyJazz models) as I'm still relatively new to the sax? Or should I just stick with what I have for now and stop chasing Sax Nirvana until I've earned my stripes on what I already have? Inconsistency is my arch enemy so far. But I guess that's the tale of the tape for most newbies.

 

[Tenor Viol]

Personally, I'd stick with what is working for you - change things around later when you've got everything where you want it to be. Some people like wide tips... generally they're much tougher to get working for the less experienced. I tend to avoid them, but some people love them.

 

[PigSquealer]

@SageSmith welcome to the Café. Congratulations on your continuing musical journey. Does your wife play anything?
As a friendly suggestion. Have your horns reviewed by a knowledgeable player or technician. This rules out issues not related to player. You have two units. Each will have different character traits with the same mouthpiece. Learning on both at the same time can hinder your progress.

 

[Digger2054]

I use the same mouthpiece on my Alto, but play on Lupifaro #2 or 2.5's

I've been told I can get a decent sound out of most of my horns, but as I'm still learning embochure and voicing are important. I'm surprised the difference it makes.

 

[SageSmith]

@SageSmith welcome to the Café. Congratulations on your continuing musical journey. Does your wife play anything?
As a friendly suggestion. Have your horns reviewed by a knowledgeable player or technician. This rules out issues not related to player. You have two units. Each will have different character traits with the same mouthpiece. Learning on both at the same time can hinder your progress.

Thanks for the reply. I've had both my horns checked and set-up by a pro sax technician so, we're all good there. My wife is currently learning how to play trumpet.