Saxophones New Baritone experience

[Punchysax]

Evening,
After my previous posts re trying to find out the origin of my London Selmer Pennsylvania baritone , I thought I would ask some tips on playing the beauty.

I love it , the tone size it’s raw old dented but beautifully charming . I’m using the original unbranded MP and also a Brilhart Ebolin , I prefer the unbranded Map tbh. Reeds are either Hemke 2 La voz sof or Rico 2 so trying a few out . Alls good but struggle playing from the low notes C , D Bflat etc low down . I can play them when going down from high to low but when starting low it either plays in high octave or squeaks. Just freshly serviced so no leaks , think it’s me not putting enough air through or my chops need working on?
Any ideas

 

[turf3]

Same things I wrote last month.

...

What's far more important, is AIR. What you think is a nice big tenor sized breath is way too small for baritone. Always strive to feel as if each breath is going all the way down to your navel. Don't hike your shoulders up and puff out your chest to try to get more air, that just increases tension.

I recommend - everyone who reads my posts will know what's coming next - an intensive course in LONG TONES. From pppp to ffff and back to pppp, over the FULL RANGE of the horn, done with INTENTION and ATTENTION, and always striving to maintain a consistent tone quality and hold pitch; from so soft the tone drops out and has to be restarted, to so loud the tone breaks up and can't be controlled and you have to back up and re-establish it.

I also recommend a middle of the road design mouthpiece. Baritone has enough presence just from how much air you are setting in motion, that you don't need a buzzy flappy duck-call tone to be heard over (under) everything else. Meyer, Link, these are the kinds of MPs I would recommend.

...

 

[lydian]

Here are a couple of other things to try.
- Take in more mouthpiece
- Loosen embouchure, no biting
- Start the note more toward the middle of the tongue, like making a "thuh.." sound, and support with plenty of air like turf said

I'm thinking it's probably the tonguing and air. All of the above is done differently than you're used to on alto/tenor.

 

[mark_addy]

All the above advice sounds right IME of going from alto to baritone. Incidentally, going back (to alto) now and again recently, is a revelation - such speed, such control (well, for me at my level). It's like people who train by running at altitude, or when I borrowed my Dad's (very average family saloon) car when I had my old van, or the old joke about wearing shoes a size too small 🙂

 

[thomsax]

Lots of good tips .... . As a happy woodshed honker I do ...

Overtones: Finger and blow low Bb and the try to blow the octave Bb and move up on the horn. Then do the same for low B, C#, C ..... . The flexibilty of the lips/emboucure is important.

Reeds: I just work on bari reeds. To reach and play low is the thing for me so I do some preparation on my reeds to meet my needs. I play unfiled cane reeds on bari. I play LaVoz but Vandoren V16 is also fine. I play LaVoz because they are less money. Medium or Medium Soft.

Visualize the tone: Get the tone you're going to play in your head and think how nice and good you're going to play it.

This time of the year I play the bari a lot. I like to play Darlene Love "Christmas, Baby Please Come Home". I play it in concert E so I'm in C#/Db. I don't read ...... so I talk in sharps. After the solo I play a low tone with full volume and timbre. To visulize this tone helps me. A good practice song; lots of long tones.

View: https://youtu.be/tNPpBMTeHUI?si=U-nck1Yparp55ziM

 

[Punchysax]

Same things I wrote last month.

...

What's far more important, is AIR. What you think is a nice big tenor sized breath is way too small for baritone. Always strive to feel as if each breath is going all the way down to your navel. Don't hike your shoulders up and puff out your chest to try to get more air, that just increases tension.

I recommend - everyone who reads my posts will know what's coming next - an intensive course in LONG TONES. From pppp to ffff and back to pppp, over the FULL RANGE of the horn, done with INTENTION and ATTENTION, and always striving to maintain a consistent tone quality and hold pitch; from so soft the tone drops out and has to be restarted, to so loud the tone breaks up and can't be controlled and you have to back up and re-establish it.

I also recommend a middle of the road design mouthpiece. Baritone has enough presence just from how much air you are setting in motion, that you don't need a buzzy flappy duck-call tone to be heard over (under) everything else. Meyer, Link, these are the kinds of MPs I would recommend.

...

Hi thanks for this , i have a Brilhart Ebolin from the 50,s great conditon how does this compare to your suggestions?

 

[turf3]

Hi thanks for this , i have a Brilhart Ebolin from the 50,s great conditon how does this compare to your suggestions?

Brilhart Ebolins are good mouthpieces for alto and tenor; I don't have any experience with them on baritone, but I expect yours will be a good one. Again, what I would call a "moderate design".