Tutorials
Shop
Supporting special needs music education
About
Forum guide
Rules
Support the Café fundraising
Mailing List
Pete Thomas
Forums
Forum list
Start a discussion
🎷 Saxophone Discussion
📖 Articles
Tutorials
More info
Saxophone Info
Beginners
Beginners impro
Impro & Theory
Mouthpieces
Saxophone Effects
Improve your Tone
Patterns & Exercises
Shop
NEW
Unfiltered
Latest activity
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
Note
By:
Forum list
Start a discussion
🎷 Saxophone Discussion
📖 Articles
Menu
Log in
Register
How to install the app
How to install the app on iOS
NB: For Safari start at step 2
(Firefox only) Tap on the hamburger menu at bottom right
Tap on the share icon
(bottom of page)
Scroll down and tap on
Add to Home Screen:
Note:
This feature may not be available in some browsers.
Forums
🎷 Main Discussion 🎷
Saxophones: gear, playing, repair, impro
Sax pain
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Pete Effamy" data-source="post: 520627" data-attributes="member: 7201"><p>I used to say to students that playing a saxophone should be as close as possible to standing upright and relaxed with good posture without a sax. Essentially bend the elbows and raise forearms keeping everything relaxed. Add a saxophone.</p><p></p><p>Weight is supported via a sling from the neck, or something around the shoulders. Not the thumbs. They can play a large part though - the lower thumb can push away from the body in a horizontal plane. The left (upper) thumb does similar. They act as stabilisers and work with the sling or harness hook providing a 3-point holder/stabiliser.</p><p></p><p>Can a wind instrument be played in a completely relaxed way? I'm thinking neck. Blowing to any sort of volume I've certainly never achieved this, though the rest of me is fairly relaxed - shoulders down etc. Of course, some people are just bigger too, with big shoulders and necks - so Paul Desmond for example is going to have a tougher time physiologically playing a tenor sax than Clarence Clemons or Andy Snitzer. It does weigh 3.6kg...</p><p></p><p>Some people play with the horn further away from the body - meaning that the sling is more slack and the lower thumb is pushing away from the body more. Difference? The angle of mouthpiece into the mouth, and consequently the airflow into the mouthpiece. More angle of mouthpiece will possibly also mean more pressure on reed due to "crowbar" effect if lower jaw is kept "in place". This also depends upon the angle of the head too - towards downwards will mean less pressure.</p><p></p><p>Compare Paul Desmond to Eric Marienthal. Not sure that there is much difference between the two, unless perhaps you go from one extreme to the other extreme, and even then...</p><p></p><p>Edit: I have long had problems with my neck after playing. I did have two "minor" whiplash injuries in my 20's. They have certainly had a marked effect - though not so much when I was a "gym guy" and also not so much when constantly playing.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Pete Effamy, post: 520627, member: 7201"] I used to say to students that playing a saxophone should be as close as possible to standing upright and relaxed with good posture without a sax. Essentially bend the elbows and raise forearms keeping everything relaxed. Add a saxophone. Weight is supported via a sling from the neck, or something around the shoulders. Not the thumbs. They can play a large part though - the lower thumb can push away from the body in a horizontal plane. The left (upper) thumb does similar. They act as stabilisers and work with the sling or harness hook providing a 3-point holder/stabiliser. Can a wind instrument be played in a completely relaxed way? I'm thinking neck. Blowing to any sort of volume I've certainly never achieved this, though the rest of me is fairly relaxed - shoulders down etc. Of course, some people are just bigger too, with big shoulders and necks - so Paul Desmond for example is going to have a tougher time physiologically playing a tenor sax than Clarence Clemons or Andy Snitzer. It does weigh 3.6kg... Some people play with the horn further away from the body - meaning that the sling is more slack and the lower thumb is pushing away from the body more. Difference? The angle of mouthpiece into the mouth, and consequently the airflow into the mouthpiece. More angle of mouthpiece will possibly also mean more pressure on reed due to "crowbar" effect if lower jaw is kept "in place". This also depends upon the angle of the head too - towards downwards will mean less pressure. Compare Paul Desmond to Eric Marienthal. Not sure that there is much difference between the two, unless perhaps you go from one extreme to the other extreme, and even then... Edit: I have long had problems with my neck after playing. I did have two "minor" whiplash injuries in my 20's. They have certainly had a marked effect - though not so much when I was a "gym guy" and also not so much when constantly playing. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Forums
🎷 Main Discussion 🎷
Saxophones: gear, playing, repair, impro
Sax pain
Back
Top
Bottom
(bottom of page)
