Ligatures Ligatures: am I missing something?

[stephanie]

I normally play alto with a BG wrapround lig (with a gentle aroma of Hobgoblin after it was dropped in a pint a few weeks ago, but that's another story from the evening my avatar comes from...), but this morning, I swapped it for a rubber band. A ?0.00000001 rubber band, or unknown origin and manufacture, and one that probably had no inclination that it would ever adorn a saxophone.

My alto now sounds better than I think it has ever done.
:S

Have I lost it somewhere down the line, or do we make things too difficult for ourselves? (BTW: Selmer S80 D mpc & rico royal 4 reeds)

 

[Mamos]

I would start selling them on ebay :laugh:

Start a new trend

We are going to need much better specifications on your new find but unfortunately now you have told us it is deemed to be in the public domain and so un patentable.

mamos

 

[stephanie]

Mamos wrote:
I would start selling them on ebay :laugh:

Start a new trend

We are going to need much better specifications on your new find but unfortunately now you have told us it is deemed to be in the public domain and so un patentable.

mamos

*comes off phone to rubber planatation owners*

Oh bother. Back to the day job then....

😛

 

[Mamos]

Nice pint by the way. Wychwood I believe.

They do a nice cider Green Goblin as well

mamos

 

[stephanie]

Mamos wrote:
Nice pint by the way. Wychwood I believe.

They do a nice cider Green Goblin as well

mamos

Yes - Wychwood. Haven't tried the cider one - we get the beer in the Post office here, although the one that christened the lig was in South Wimbledon. It's occasionally a guest beer in Skipton, but not sure the last time I saw it. Will look out for the cider one since I often drink that instead of beer. *grins*

 

[AlbionLass]

I love most all of Wychwood's brews. Used to down copious quantities of Fiddler's Elbow. Goliath is my current favourite.

I might try the laccy band thing just for a larf.

 

[stephanie]

AlbionLass wrote:
I love most all of Wychwood's brews. Used to down copious quantities of Fiddler's Elbow. Goliath is my cuurrent favourite.

I might try the laccy band thing just for a larf.

That's pretty much why I did it... I wasn't actually expecting it to work! I've got it wrapped round three times - twice and the reed slipped too much once it got a bit, um, lubricated...

Will look out for other Wychwoods then... Have to see what other ones the PO stocks!

 

[Taz]

Stephanie wrote:

the reed slipped too much once it got a bit, um, lubricated...

Will look out for other Wychwoods then... Have to see what other ones the PO stocks!

I'm still trying to work out which was more lubricated :laugh: you are the reed? :laugh:

 

[Mamos]

I see what you did there :laugh:

mamos

 

[TomMapfumo]

My teacher went through a phase of using anything and everything as a ligature, but went back to his Rovner as it was just easier to put on and off.

It's a very controversial subject for a lot of people, and it is a lot easier to sup ale than worry about fixing your reed to a bit of hard rubber/metal. FWIW I prefer a Francois Louis Basic lig at about ?18.00 a throw, having used Selmer & Vandoren (Masters & Optimum) metal, and Rovner EVO-5 (best Rovner IMHO), Dark and Light, and both Branchers. I am aware of clear enough sound differences when I swap them over, but am less sensitive otherwise - still prefer the FL though.

Cheers, just putting a bottle of Weston's Vintage Cider in fridge so counting down to post music time 😉

Kind regards
Tom 8)

 

[Mamos]

Now I do like a Westons organic cider. Asda sell in in a box 😉

mamos

 

[stephanie]

Taz wrote:

Stephanie wrote:

the reed slipped too much once it got a bit, um, lubricated...

Will look out for other Wychwoods then... Have to see what other ones the PO stocks!

I'm still trying to work out which was more lubricated :laugh: you are the reed? :laugh:

Today: the reed.
When the lig slipped into the beer: definitely me!
*sporfles*

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

 

[stephanie]

TomMapfumo wrote:
My teacher went through a phase of using anything and everything as a ligature, but went back to his Rovner as it was just easier to put on and off.

It's a very controversial subject for a lot of people, and it is a lot easier to sup ale than worry about fixing your reed to a bit of hard rubber/metal. FWIW I prefer a Francois Louis Basic lig at about ?18.00 a throw, having used Selmer & Vandoren (Masters & Optimum) metal, and Rovner EVO-5 (best Rovner IMHO), Dark and Light, and both Branchers. I am aware of clear enough sound differences when I swap them over, but am less sensitive otherwise - still prefer the FL though.

Cheers, just putting a bottle of Weston's Vintage Cider in fridge so counting down to post music time 😉

Kind regards
Tom 8)

I've tried the BG ones on both tenor and alto, and the 'traditional' metal ones, but somehow none of them seemed to suit me. The rubber band just somehow hit the mark. The higher notes take a little more effort to get right, but otherwise... I've also tried the strange lig that comes with the Otto Link metal one. Think I might stick to the rubber band for a bit. Experiment with different thicknesses of band(!)

Enjoy the cider. I have to go and teach criminal law in a minute... drunk and disorderly might be appropriate!

 

[young_col]

That's an interesting one Stephanie. I am going through a patch of frustration with my Rovner lig as it seems so sensitive to get it just right to get the reed to speak easily. Might just try the rubber band. No need to buy any, just go out and pick up the ones off the pavement that postmen discard everywhere. Give it a quick clean; on the other hand, might just leave it and see if it gives a gritty edge.

Just looking back - the Nelson in Wimbledon/Merton is not that far from me. Might give it a look one night.
YC

 

[losaavedra]

My Yam 6C has its reed held on with a rubber band at present because I've yet to get to a music shop for a 'proper' lig that fits it. The only lig I've got at present is the stock metal one that came with my alto's mp which has a larger external diameter than the 6C. I can't get the 6C to blow at all with that lig because it doesn't hold the reed firmly enough for enough of its length. The elastic band (wound on several times) works fine. Since I can change the reed and refit the rubber band in about a quarter the time it takes me to change a guitar string (my other musical activity!) if it breaks the emergency elastic trick works fine for me!

 

[Mikec]

I believe I read somewhere that John Coltrane used a fabric binding as a ligature at one time. Presumably the first ligatures were bindings of some sort.

 

[AlbionLass]

Mikec wrote:
I believe I read somewhere that John Coltrane used a fabric binding as a ligature at one time. Presumably the first ligatures were bindings of some sort.

String traditionally, still used by a lot of German clarinet players.

 

[stephanie]

Young Col wrote:
That's an interesting one Stephanie. I am going through a patch of frustration with my Rovner lig as it seems so sensitive to get it just right to get the reed to speak easily. Might just try the rubber band. No need to buy any, just go out and pick up the ones off the pavement that postmen discard everywhere. Give it a quick clean; on the other hand, might just leave it and see if it gives a gritty edge.

Just looking back - the Nelson in Wimbledon/Merton is not that far from me. Might give it a look one night.
YC

I suspect the one I used had a previous life round letters! It was lurking in a kitchen drawer, just waiting for its moment!

If you do go down to the Nelson of a Thursday night, and see a bloke, probably all in black, with a black hat on, and long black leather coat (he says Keanu Reeves, I say Herr Flick!) - that will be my brother John!

 

[stephanie]

losaavedra wrote:
My Yam 6C has its reed held on with a rubber band at present because I've yet to get to a music shop for a 'proper' lig that fits it. The only lig I've got at present is the stock metal one that came with my alto's mp which has a larger external diameter than the 6C. I can't get the 6C to blow at all with that lig because it doesn't hold the reed firmly enough for enough of its length. The elastic band (wound on several times) works fine. Since I can change the reed and refit the rubber band in about a quarter the time it takes me to change a guitar string (my other musical activity!) if it breaks the emergency elastic trick works fine for me!

Are you rushing to the shop for the 'proper one', then? Or are you happy enough with the rubber band that you'll go in if you happen to be passing?

I thought I'd just stick with the rubber band for a bit & see what happens. Might even try it with the tenor & Otto Link (7*). Nothing like a spot of experimentation!

You know what'll happen next - I'll be posting in floods of tears because my favourite rubber band snapped.

 

[stephanie]

AlbionLass wrote:

Mikec wrote:
I believe I read somewhere that John Coltrane used a fabric binding as a ligature at one time. Presumably the first ligatures were bindings of some sort.

String traditionally, still used by a lot of German clarinet players.

Well, funnily enough it was my seriously dodgy purple clarinet that I was failing to play that gave me the idea - I've seen someone play with what looked like a thick hair band round the mpc. So, when the nino arrives, I might just try it that way straight off rather than the metal one that is bound to arrive with it.