Playing the saxophone Keeping up playing in confined areas

[wooster]

Hi all,

I'm pretty new to the Sax and I'm loving it. I am about to go on holiday for the next several weeks on a boat on the Broads. I'm pretty sure the Sax isn't going to be appreciated by my neighbours ( or anyone in about 1/2 mile range the way I blow it!

I don't want to lose the work I've put into developing my embouchure muscles. I thought of taking the mouthpiece with this silencer along then I thought of taking the neck as well which is a bit more musical. I can't use the silencer with the neck but OTOH I find using it really takes so much blowing it's not much fun and I don't know how useful it would be .

Any ideas?

 

[Wade Cornell]

There are a number of posts here about this topic. Have a search and you'll find lots of answers. It's possible if you wish to take the sax to quiet it down quite a lot. I use loose gauze in the neck which needs replacing often, but it's cheap and effective. Some are OK with the mouthpiece and neck sorts of solution. I (personally) find that very uninspiring and a total drag as it's anything BUT musical. The ducks on the water might be amused.

 

[Dave Dunn]

A Little Sax perhaps? You'd probably still need to muffle it a bit, but it's really just an extension on the mouthpiece and neck idea, only you'd be able to play songs, you just don't have side keys, the main fingering is the same. They use alto mouthpieces, so if you play alto sax, you'd still be able to take your favourite mouthpiece. (The shorter one is in C, the other Bb btw)

 

[6441]

I thought of taking the mouthpiece with this silencer along

For exercising your embouchure, that JazzLab Silencer is excellent. I've taken mine to conferences where I could use it in a hotel room.

 

[thomsax]

I can rest the saxophone for 2-4 weeks wo problem. Ok, the lips hurts a little bit and the musclues in my face also get "tired". If you want to keep up the embouchure and you're playing more than one sax you should practice with all your mouthpieces.

When I played foot ball and went for vacation I just rested. And when I got back to training the muscles in my leggs were still there. I think it the same with the muscles in the face (embouchure).

But we shouldn't overlook that it's cool to be a saxplayer. When I've picked up my friend at the airport we use to have a something to eat and drink. I recommended him that we should find a storage box. "I'm fine with carring my saxophone. Some kind of promotion you see ...."

 

[wooster]

Thank you. My main interest at the moment is progressively strengthening my embouchure muscles. I'm only been playing about 4 weeks so I'm reluctant to stop for 3 weeks now. Also I'm likely to be up and down to Norfolk in the warmer months so I need to find a solution. I reckon I will give the Jazz Lab Silencer a go. I know it isn't musical but it will at least give me some exercises I need.

 

[eb424]

Cant you park up and take the sax for a walk in the fields......only need 30 mins...just a thought...

 

[Targa]

Cant you park up and take the sax for a walk in the fields......only need 30 mins...just a thought...

Don't be silly, he can't 'park up' in Norfolk, there is no 'up'.
As Noel Coward wrote in 'Private Lives', "very flat, Norfolk".

 

[eb424]

Lucky really if the canal went up the boat wouldnt get far....

 

[Rob Pealing]

How about a jSax?

jSax | NUVO

www.nuvoinstrumental.com

 

[wooster]

I wont be able to get far enough away to avoid potential distress 😉

I'm going to stick with he silencer and mouthpiece to keep my mouth muscles in shape or at least avoid regressing

 

[Dave Dunn]

I wont be able to get far enough away to avoid potential distress 😉

I'm going to stick with he silencer and mouthpiece to keep my mouth muscles in shape or at least avoid regressing

It's probably best for that situation, but you really should consider a Little Sax for keeping the embouchure muscles going, it really gives you a work out that a tenor doesn't provide. If there is a drawback, it's trying to get your embouchure loose and flabby enough to play a tenor straight after the Little Sax! As you can tell, I really like mine! I wouldn't buy any cheap ones but HiXing, Zebra, or the Ammoon(?) version of those. The $10 or $20 ones are crap, I bought a few different types, only the ones above could possibly be called instruments. They're around $60 aud, the next price bracket is $200+.
Enough rambling, I just enjoy mine and think you're missing out, you'd put your favourite mouthpiece and reed on, and be able to play songs immediately, much better than a mouthpiece alone! 🙂