PPT mouthpieces

Horn too hot?

jeremyjuicewah

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Costa Blanca Spain
Hi All. Hope eveyone is well and getting all they want from this world.Taken a break from it (the world, I mean) but have been working away at that thing, the tenor, and am making really satisfying progress in improv. I have become aware of a problem though. I keep my old alto in the car for those odd 15 mins that every good salesman manages to make for a nap or in my case a few scales and arpeggios. I dont know what temp it gets to in the car but I dont have air con and the temp on the dash often reads 38, but I am not sure where it is measuring. In my music room this morning, at ten, it is 28 with the blinds down. I think it can get to the 30s later in the day, but this is the first time I have measured it cos last night I had thought. I have been enraged in the car and just about every night now by my reeds misbehaving, octave jumps, squeaks and horrible playing experiences. I occured to me that Sat morning, in the empty factory at work, airconditioned to 18 degrees, I had had a really really good session at full blast running all the right scales and passing notes together and producing a good, sweet sound. Its poss I imagined it as it wasnt recorded but I am paying close attention to what I play now and am pretty sure it was pretty good. (for me at least) Could the heat be making the horn and the reed go weird? I am not as in control of my breathing as I ought to be, it comes from trying to play quietly since we moved to this appartment, but even when I pay real attention to embouchure and breathing, I cant seem to control it. Plenty of guys play sax in summer here, but the heat seems to be the newish factor in my practice. What do you think? By the way I have been using Rico Orange for a few months, nice and cheap and seemingly reliable. It SEEMED to me that when I switched to plasticised last night it got a little better. Not that sure though.
Cheers
Mike

Going radge of Jalon.
 
Hi Jeremy,
Be aware that in a car parked under the sun, you can easily have 50º. Reeds dry out, pad may swell, shrink or even fall down, and I heard of a warped mouthpiece.
 
Fill the bell with ice cubes!

No don't! It was humour!

Just an idea but what about one of these humidifier reed cases? You'd probably end up changing the cartridge a lot quicker but might keep the reeds stable, can't say for the big shiny bit!

Rgds Lee.
 
I think we are going to be inundated with disappointed people who have misunderstood the thread title.
 
I think we are going to be inundated with disappointed people who have misunderstood the thread title.

Once, in Virgin, a guy was wandering in the Blues section, among BB King and Robert Johnson, looking desperately for "Blues" as in blue movies. He was even upset because staff (all immigrants) did not understand him.
 
And here's us UK residents trying to get to grips with playing underwater!

Dave
 
Eeeee, behave! Its overcast today, only mid twenties, so if it plays ok today, I know.
 
And here's us UK residents trying to get to grips with playing underwater!

Dave

I haven't seen a sunny day like today since 2004. My reed dried out: beautiful.
 
Eeeee, behave! Its overcast today, only mid twenties, so if it plays ok today, I know.

Don't knock it! Today is the first hot sunny day round here for at least 6 weeks. Went to RHS flower show at Tatton today and it was sunny and 25C at 5pm. It was 14C last Sunday.
 
Sorry for all you water babies but its no joke over here. Scorchio, and the beer is full of bubbles. Now, didnt get too hot in here yesterday and playing went ok. I know for sure cos I recorded it. Back on the ordinary reeds, no real prob. Not enough data for a mathmetician to give a verdict but as an engineer type its clear enough to me that heat hurts. The reeds I could understand but though there doesnt seem much dif between air density at 20 deg and 30 deg at the same altitude, I say it makes a difference and its compounded by my poor breathing. What to do is obvious. More breathing excercises and only drink vodka.

I have very happy memories roaming around of RHS Wisley in years gone by, Dont know Tatton but would have enjoyed that.
Thanks all,
Mike
 

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