Reeds Legere reeds fry

[Phang]

Just been trying a legere reed on a Otto link 6* baritone.
It fries( makes sort of frying noise) when I blow. Can stop and dry reed and it's ok for a while.
Any ideas for a fix? As I love the reed. So much better than cane.

 

[Jeanette]

Hi Phang

Welcome to Café Sax

I'm sure you will soon have some answers, meanwhile why not go and introduce yourself in the doorbell section of the forum

Jx

 

[kevgermany]

It's probably moisture. Suck it back

 

[Fraser Jarvis]

Yes it's moisture sure enough and created by any number of things, as a beginner I'm guessing your embouchure has not had time to develop sufficiently yet so what's happening is this: the human body will naturally produce excess saliva when it feels fatigue within the facial muscles or sences a unfamiliar object within the mouth, so it could be the mouthpiece doesn't feel right, your reeds slightly to strong causing fatigue (or sharp edges to the reed giving the trouble) or more than likely you've over done it a bit, just be patient the more you play the less you will notice it and in the short term and as the above poster suggests "suck it back" disgusting yes but at the end of the day it's your spit no one else's.

 

[Phang]

Thanks for suggestions. However unpleasant!

 

[Jeanette]

Bear in mind whilst you can hear it an audience probably wouldn't.

Jx

 

[Fraser Jarvis]

Bear in mind whilst you can hear it an audience probably wouldn't.

Jx

Our old bassist used to be able to hear it when i used to do it in the practice room, probably due to the cold in that instance though, another thing that i used to find was back at the old house the sax used to sit there on it's stand all the time in an unheated studio then when it came time to play my warm breath would condence on the inside of the instrument making everything very wet sounding and also produced lots or residual moisture that would run out of the upper tone holes onto my left hand.

 

[Phang]

Thank you for that Jeanette. It's not a problem for me with cane though. Greater absorbency I suppose.

 

[Phang]

Thank you Frazier. I suspect something like that is the cause.

 

[Jeanette]

Thank you for that Jeanette. It's not a problem for me with cane though. Greater absorbency I suppose.

I have had the problem on cane

Jx

 

[Jeanette]

Our old bassist used to be able to hear it when i used to do it in the practice room, probably due to the cold in that instance though,

I could well be wrong Fraser or perhaps he had good hearing suppose it depends on the room as you say and what else is going on, how close etc

Jx

 

[Fraser Jarvis]

Yeah in all fairness he always stood right in front of me and facing me so i supose he could hear everything, used to get some funny looks though and comments like "whats that orible noise?"

 

[jbtsax]

That "sizzling" sound is caused by water accumulating on the back of the reed. An easy solution is to rub the reed in the direction of its grain back and forth on a stiff piece of paper like the cover of a method book sitting atop a perfectly flat surface. As you rub with pressure back and forth about 50 times you will begin to hear a click. When that occurs, turn the reed over and inspect the surface. It should be shiny like a mirror.

The effect when you play will be the moisture that used to stay on the reed now forms small beads of water like on a newly waxed car and rolls off leaving the sound "sizzle" free. Since moisture makes the fibers of the reed swell, this process may need to be repeated from time to time. An added bonus is that reeds tend to last longer and play better using this technique.

 

[Colin the Bear]

Warm the mouthpiece and crook by blowing through them till they feel about body temperature, before you fit the reed and start playing. That will help with condensation. Make sure you're playing in the right position. If you're playing down into the instrument , juices will follow gravity. Shorten the sling and keep your head up. It's a liitle more pleasant to swallow it fresh and warm.

 

[Phang]

Colin,
Thanks for advise. Will try it. But ......ewh!

 

[Jeanette]

Actually talking about condensation, playing in the concert at Christmas I came back after the interval and saw there was a round damp patch on my chair as there was on the clarinetist's too. Took me a minute to realise it was because I'd been resting the sop on the chair when I wasn't playing, always use the stand now

Jx

 

[Colin the Bear]

Actually talking about condensation, playing in the concert at Christmas I came back after the interval and saw there was a round damp patch on my chair as there was on the clarinetist's too. Took me a minute to realise it was because I'd been resting the sop on the chair when I wasn't playing, always use the stand now

Jx

Yeah right. Perhaps you should take up Tenna lol

 

[Justin Chune]

I think the change from cane to Legere has upset your embouchure and that you will soon get used to the new reeds.

Jim.

 

[Fraser Jarvis]

Yeah right. Perhaps you should take up Tenna lol

Wot? not Tenna Man....

 

[Phang]

Hope so Jim as I really like the tone I am getting and the straight to play nature of the synthetic reed