Reeds Reed Help Reqd

[AndyW]

Right I've been playing for a couple of weeks now, My sax came with 2 reeds,The first one I tried was really hard to get a note out of and the second I managed to get quite a nice sound (well the dog doesn't howl as much anyway), Is there any way I can tell the strength of each reed or is it that one of them may just a duff one, Many Thanks Andy

 

[AndyW]

Sorry

This has been the longest 3 days of my life !!!!!!!!!!!!!, I posted this question as one of my first posts, So it has taken a few day to appear, Do you how much of a fool you feel when you know there post coming out on the forum with a really stupid question on it and there's nothing you can do about it. The reeds I got with my sax had no markings, I went and bought some and there it is written on he end, Really really sorry, will try harder next time Thanks for understanding, Andy

 

[dooce]

You probably did well to get a note at all - unmarked reeds are probably cheap nasties that were thrown in as part of the sax package. You might find the same is true of the mouthpiece.

 

[AndyW]

Looking through the threads the Yamaha 4c seems to be a popular choice for beginners, and about 30 quid, will look into that, thanks for the advice. Andy

 

[Phil Edwards]

Looking through the threads the Yamaha 4c seems to be a popular choice for beginners, and about 30 quid, will look into that, thanks for the advice. Andy

It'll be £30 well spent Andy if you're struggling with a no-name cheap mouthpiece. Of course you won't know you're struggling until you try a 4C, but they are a very reliable benchmark.

Take as many variables out of the equation whilst you're learning - the trusty 4C will put you on a solid footing as far as the mouthpiece goes, so will a decent make of reed.

What reeds did you buy?

regards. Phil

 

[AndyW]

Bought a couple of Vandoren, a 1.5 and a 2 ,I suppose its just a matter of finding the make and strength of reed that suits me, Would you think it would be worthwhile getting a new ligature as well ? Andy

 

[TomMapfumo]

Hi There!

1. Reeds. Always best to start off with a reed of 1.5 - 2.5 hardness. There are plenty of shops online that deliver a box next day (sets of 10 normally). Lots of people have different favourites - recommended reeds include Rico Royals, Vandoren Java, Marca Jazz. See what takes your fancy, but just go for no more than a 2.5 would be my recommendation. Its a good idea to soak it in some water for a minute or so before playing it.

2. Ligatures. Again lots of opinions. Importance is that the ligature holds the reed well, but not too tightly. Lots of people start off with a Rovner Ligature which is made of a black, leather like material, and holds the reed very well (a Rovner Light/EVO-5 would cost under £20 and be a solid investment.

Should mean that notes will be easier to produce than your current set up, and be a worthwhile investment.
Kind regards
Tom

 

[kevgermany]

Just over a year since I started. Mouthpiece is a good choice, I started with a rico graftonite B5.

Suggest you stick with one mouthpiece for at least a year, even if you're tempted to try others. Also don't try a wider one.

Suggest you don't buy reeds by the box yet. Or try other makes. Concentrate on leearning to blow what you have. Use the 1.5, until you find it's too soft for you, this'll let you learn to control it whilst developing your muscles. Shift up half a strength at a time when either the reed closes/locks up too easily - or you can't get a decent high note. Harder reeds make low notes difficult. I used 3. maybe 4 1.5s before needing to go to a 2, and then used 2s until the teacher suggested I try a 2.5 to get cleaner high notes. About 6 months. Have still got 7 1.5s and a half box of 2s.... But am starting to think about them for the new mouthpieces, which are wider and need softer reeds, so no waste there.

But - learn to play what you've got. Only change when you run into limitations. Otherwise you end up going sideways - or backwards... And listen to your teacher.

 

[Justin Chune]

I use Rico Royal #2 reeds and they work great for me.

Jim.

 

[Andante cantabile]

You are on the right track with a Yamaha 4C (or similar) and a soft Vandoren reed. Rico, Rico Royal and others will also do. I wouldn't worry too much about a new ligature unless the old one doesn't fit properly or is damaged. There may be a place for these cheap unmarked reeds, but it is not the practice room of a beginner.

 

[griff136]

Ive got a yamaha 4C for sale as new £20 I'll throw in a rovner style lig if you donate a fiver to Pete's charity on the site:
https://www.paypal.com/uk/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=GOnp8JR3xZQazz0e7WHdXY7lLm43fg8ds7mz5G1cq7xCysSDG9mVEYl3vK0&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f22d2300ef60a67593b79a4d03747447e1e8d0f800ad65e80

If you dont get on with it you can post it back within a week and you can have your money back (less your donation).

is that a deal or what?

I am of course assuming that it is Alto saxophone you are playing?

 

[AndyW]

Ive got a yamaha 4C for sale as new £20 I'll throw in a rovner style lig if you donate a fiver to Pete's charity on the site:
https://www.paypal.com/uk/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=GOnp8JR3xZQazz0e7WHdXY7lLm43fg8ds7mz5G1cq7xCysSDG9mVEYl3vK0&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f22d2300ef60a67593b79a4d03747447e1e8d0f800ad65e80

If you dont get on with it you can post it back within a week and you can have your money back (less your donation).

is that a deal or what?

I am of course assuming that it is Alto saxophone you are playing?

Thanks for the offer Griff, but I have odered one last night while I was working nights, Sometmes this internet is too handy, once again thanks for the offer, Andy

 

[MandyH]

I have a Selmer C* loaned (...I must get round to paying her sometime...) to me by my sax tecacher, as I really struggled to get a note out of the mouthpiece that came with my Jupiter 500.
She also suggested Rico Royal 2.5, which I have been playing ever since - for the past 16 months.
I bought a Yani 901 about 4 months ago and haven't even tried the mouthpiece that it came with as I am happy with the Selmer C*.
I also swapped the standard metal ligature from the Jupiter for a Rovner leather-type ligature about 7 months ago. As others have said, I'm not sure that it makes much difference, but I liked the look of it better than the tatty metal one I had, so I just feel better about it

 

[griff136]

The mouthpiece that came with your yanigasawa 901 assuming that it is new should be as good as your selmer. I like the yanigasawa mouthpieces.

 

[stefank]

I have a Selmer C* loaned (...I must get round to paying her sometime...) to me by my sax tecacher, as I really struggled to get a note out of the mouthpiece that came with my Jupiter 500.
She also suggested Rico Royal 2.5, which I have been playing ever since - for the past 16 months.
I bought a Yani 901 about 4 months ago and haven't even tried the mouthpiece that it came with as I am happy with the Selmer C*.
I also swapped the standard metal ligature from the Jupiter for a Rovner leather-type ligature about 7 months ago. As others have said, I'm not sure that it makes much difference, but I liked the look of it better than the tatty metal one I had, so I just feel better about it

I like my Yanagisawa HR mouthpiece much more than my Selmer S80 C*. Mind you (we're talking classical stuff here) I love my Morgan 3C much more than both of them put together.