Ligatures How tight do you tighten your ligature?

[BUMNOTE]

Was just wondering how how tight other players out there tighten ligatures on there sax when playing,just enough to hold in place or as tight as possible.And does the the tightness make any difference to the sound when playing. thanks Bumnote.

 

[Andrew Sanders]

Tight enough to stop it wandering, but not so tight it stops the reed vibrating.
If you have the ligature in a frontal position towards the tip of the mouthpiece and tighten it too much it can strangle the reed and kill the tone. It's important that the reed stays where you put it.

Andy

 

[Chris]

Just tight enough to hold the reed in place without choking it..

Chris

 

[rudjarl]

Sometimes a lot, sometimes hardly at all. I'm not a good enough sax player to notice any difference in how the reed performs, or how the sax' sounds. It's all the same to me. I do, however, notice a huge difference when adjusting the reed slightly up or down, or sideways.

 

[MandyH]

I do it prettytight, but not silly tight!
Maybe just until the screw starts to resist.
Occasionally I'll add an extra half turn after a few minutes of playing.

 

[jbtsax]

I have always used the phrase "snug, but not tight" with my students. I also teach that the front screw is not quite as snug as the back one. I have also found that if the front of the ligature is at least 1/8" in back of the "cut" part of the reed it helps to free the reed's vibrations.

 

[aldevis]

If you feel you have to tighten your ligature a lot, you might have a problem with the table of the mouthpiece. It happens more often than you think.

 

[kevgermany]

If you feel you have to tighten your ligature a lot, you might have a problem with the table of the mouthpiece. It happens more often than you think.

Or reeds swelling underneath as they get wet.

 

[TomMapfumo]

I tend to tighten a one screw ligature just so. When I experimented with a 2 screw ligature I did quite like the sound when the front screw is just so and the rear screw is quite tight. I tend to try and have it as far back on the mouthpiece as is feasible.