Mouthpieces reed and mouthpiece

[gary]

Hello'
I am picking up my tenor (Bundy II) after ovre than 10 years I was a beginner then and am still a beginner. I abandoned it then, because of work and other priorities. I am disappointed at my self because I have forgotten almost everything that I had learnt. Its feels like I am starting all over. I am not able to make proper sound, even though I do remember some fingering.

1) I have some unused #2 reeds left over. Should I use them or buy new ones? What softness and brand should I consider?

2) In this forum I am reading a lot about the importance of finding a right mouthpiece. The Bundy mouthpiece is black & shiny so I believe it is some kind of a plastic. Should I invest in a new mouthpiece? How do I go about it finding the right one?
Thanks in adbvance for your advice,
Gary

 

[Musicrocks]

I think no2 reeds should be fine even if you are getting back in the game.

No harm in trying out old reeds, just check that there is no growth (biological) on them after all this time.

As far as mouthpieces are concerned, if you feel you are starting again, see how comfortable you are with the mouthpiece you have and if you can blow a decent range (basic scale), then it should be fine. Take you're time and don't rush for the moment. Remember the breathing exercises and embouchure and if possible get atleast one class to start you off. That should be reasonable to get a sound out. Can't see your location atm (sorry if you posted in doorbell but am too dazed to check there), other members would be able to give you advice on some basic mouthpieces to start off with.

 

[gary]

Thanks Musicrocks. I am in Southern California USA, outkirts of Los angeles. The reeds have no growth and look quite good to my untrained eye.
Gary

 

[Musicrocks]

I think it should be fine to use the reeds, just be sure to practice basic warm ups and simple scales using breath and embouchure.

Am using a basic mouthpiece on Alto and Tenor and they are both fine, but yea, get atleast a class in if you can so that you know what you are doing is right or not before investing in any more gear.

Am based here in Oz so can't help with your locality but other members would be able to when you decide you need more gear.

One thing for beginners is that as long as the basic stuff works fine (sax, mpc and reeds) should be alright, no point getting anymore as we won't be that sensitive to variations in tone or other subtle differences but you may be different.

 

[kevgermany]

Reeds keep well, so as said, they'll be fine.

Don't mess around with other mouthpieces, blow what you've got. Should be fine. Get a teacher. Much better than teaching yourself bad habits. And it helps with the motivation if you get tempted to drop it again.

Have fun

Kev

 

[gary]

Thanks Kev and Musicrocks. I am lining up a teacher. Its a coincidence that I just came across one today.
Gary

 

[kevgermany]

Thanks Kev and Musicrocks. I am lining up a teacher. Its a coincidence that I just came across one today.
Gary

Great on the teacher. Make sure it's one you can work with. And who knows what they're doing. It's not like school where you're stuck with whoever the head assigns to your class.... You're paying the bills. Be prepared to find another if needed. And also be prepared to direct the lessons to where you want to be.

A trial lesson before signign up to a course of lessons is a very good way to work through some of these things.

 

[Colin the Bear]

The thing about the right mouthpiece is, it has to be right for YOUR embouchure. So blow the one that comes with the horn till yours develops. You may never need anything different, but if you do you'll need to try different ones and the lifelong search will begin.

The best can be the cheapest and the most expensive can be unplayable. Other peoples recommendationss are useful only in that they give you an idea where to look and what to try.

Any reed that plays well is a good reed. Regardless of make, age and strength. But if it tastes funny, yuk, bin it

 

[TomMapfumo]

Reeds should not deteriorate with age, so old unused ones are perfectly playable. As it is a Bundy mouthpiece it could be a plastic one which retails at around $18 or it could be the more expensive hard rubber one at around $60. Do make sure that you soak the whole of the reed for a minute or so- should help with playing, flexibility and minimising squeaking. If you ever fancy trying an alternative mouthpiece do get a Bari Esprit which can be found for under $20 and is excellent.

Good luck! Also, just start by playing notes from the middle range of the sax and getting a nice tone - from C to C below the octave key - don't rush it, but allow your embouchure and breathing to gradually come - just focus on three or four notes at a time so that you can develop well in certain areas before moving on.

Kind regards
Tom