Beginner Spittle and reed strength

[MonkeyBaby]

When I practice my tone is pretty decent (considering my newbie status), but after about ten minutes it goes all to hell and some notes , G especially, start honking something awful. I seem to generate a lot of spit. So much so that it oozes out some where and makes the keys slippery. Could my tone problem be related to the reed getting saturated? And if so, would I benefit from moving up to, say, a number 3 reed. I'm using Vandoren #2 reds at the moment.

 

[lydian]

Even a Vandoren 2 is usually too hard for an absolute beginner. Congrats on developing chops of steel so quickly.

My first thought is embouchure fatigue. The prescription is long tones. Make the most beautiful tone you can using long notes up and down the horn. But I wouldn’t have an absolute beginner playing a high G until they have a year or so under their belt. So stick with the middle register until your tone is consistently good for a long period of time. Also get a teacher.

Good luck

 

[MonkeyBaby]

Thanks. Yeah I have a teacher. I started at the end of January. Reading music is proving very hard. I forget which note is which no matter how hard I practice. My age, I think, might have something to do with it (61 and never tried to learn a musical instrument before)...so the Eubank book is kicking my ass! I do think I've been short-changing the long tones and will pay more attention to that. It's just the sheer volume of spittle! It drips out and forms a little puddle! I guess I literally just have to suck it up!

 

[mizmar]

no matter how hard I practice

At (our) age, it's not a matter of practicing hard, but smart. It just takes longer.

This chap - piano, but same difference - nails it.

View: https://youtu.be/CrNNfGoz1Hc

 

[Digger2054]

It's not all down to reed strength, tip opening may have a bearing on this.

What sax are you playing & what mouthpiece?

When I was playing a JS 6M mouthpiece I had similar issues, but now using a smaller C*, I don't.

I'm not biting as much which I think was part of the problem.

 

[lydian]

Thanks. Yeah I have a teacher. I started at the end of January. Reading music is proving very hard. I forget which note is which no matter how hard I practice. My age, I think, might have something to do with it (61 and never tried to learn a musical instrument before)...so the Eubank book is kicking my ass! I do think I've been short-changing the long tones and will pay more attention to that. It's just the sheer volume of spittle! It drips out and forms a little puddle! I guess I literally just have to suck it up!

This is exactly why you shouldn't learn another note until you can recognize and play the first note without thinking. If you were my student, I'd give you a beginning band method book (even though they're written for children) and teach you one note per week. If that's not enough time, you keep working on that one note and move on when you're ready. You definitely will learn your notes that way. If you had done that from the beginning, you'd be a solid reader. I'm your age and have recently learned clarinet and trumpet using the method above. Within 3 months, I was a quite good reader. I still have notes to learn. But that's ok. The notes I have learned so far are very solid, good enough for me to perform in bands on paid gigs.

As far as the spittle goes, it comes with the territory of playing a wind instrument. You are not unusual in this regard. The only time you should suck it up is if you get a frying sound, and that's just a quick thing, like a kiss. Otherwise, just blow it through. It's also possible you aren't blowing hard enough. I can't tell without hearing you play. There's a difference between an airy sound and a frying sound, and each has different causes and solutions.

 

[Vetinari]

I found my tenor sax is a pain for wet left hand. Bari, alto and sop don't do it

 

[lydian]

I found my tenor sax is a pain for wet left hand. Bari, alto and sop don't do it

A lot of this comes down to the angle the horn is held and shape of the different horns. Since a tenor is usually held at an angle, moisture is going to drip out of the tone holes before it reaches the bow. Soprano angle is the opposite, so moisture makes it all the way out the bell before hitting tone holes. Alto is held more vertical, so moisture usually makes it all the way down to the bow. On bari/bass, most of it collects in the crook/pigtail.

Also keep in mind that the vast majority of the moisture is not spit but simply condensation. Most of the moisture comes from the warm, moist air in your lungs condensing on the cold metal of your horn, not the saliva in your mouth flowing through the mouthpiece. The only opportunity for saliva to enter your mouthpiece is during articulation. Every time you tongue a note, a very tiny amount of saliva transfers to the reed, not a river of spit.

 

[MonkeyBaby]

It's not all down to reed strength, tip opening may have a bearing on this.

What sax are you playing & what mouthpiece?

When I was playing a JS 6M mouthpiece I had similar issues, but now using a smaller C*, I don't.

I'm not biting as much which I think was part of the problem.

I have a YAS-23 with a Yamaha 4C mouthpiece

 

[MonkeyBaby]

A lot of this comes down to the angle the horn is held and shape of the different horns. Since a tenor is usually held at an angle, moisture is going to drip out of the tone holes before it reaches the bow. Soprano angle is the opposite, so moisture makes it all the way out the bell before hitting tone holes. Alto is held more vertical, so moisture usually makes it all the way down to the bow. On bari/bass, most of it collects in the crook/pigtail.

Also keep in mind that the vast majority of the moisture is not spit but simply condensation. Most of the moisture comes from the warm, moist air in your lungs condensing on the cold metal of your horn, not the saliva in your mouth flowing through the mouthpiece. The only opportunity for saliva to enter your mouthpiece is during articulation. Every time you tongue a note, a very tiny amount of saliva transfers to the reed, not a river of spit.

I really do need to work on my articulation. I feel I'm tonguing the reed too hard. The reed does get absolutely soaked, so it's way more than a tiny amount of saliva. This must be due to my 'technique' (or lack of it).

 

[Colin the Bear]

After six decades of anything going in your mouth being food, it takes time for the brain/mouth to realise that what you're putting in your mouth, is not food.

Remember that this is a journey, with no destination. I've been playing longer than you've been alive and am still an improver.

We play because we enjoy playing.

You've picked the most wonderful yet frustrating, instrument there is. It can enthral just as easily as it can stink up a room. It doesn't play in tune and when it does it squeaks for no reason and the tone changes with the weather.

I accepted a long time ago that it can't be mastered, just enjoyed.
Here helps a lot, to learn, to remind of things you've forgotten and to share the joy and pain.

Play daily and don't let the child virtuosos discourage you.

 

[mizmar]

After six decades of anything going in your mouth being food,

Any possible response to that is probably ageist and/or gender conformist, so I say nothing.

Edit.
Toothbrush. Of course. Toothbrush.

 

[Digger2054]

I have a YAS-23 with a Yamaha 4C mouthpiece

Sounds like a sensible set up, so would take the others advice

 

[Colin the Bear]

Uh oh!

 

[Ballymenaboy]

Thanks. Yeah I have a teacher. I started at the end of January. Reading music is proving very hard. I forget which note is which no matter how hard I practice. My age, I think, might have something to do with it (61 and never tried to learn a musical instrument before)...so the Eubank book is kicking my ass! I do think I've been short-changing the long tones and will pay more attention to that. It's just the sheer volume of spittle! It drips out and forms a little puddle! I guess I literally just have to suck it up!

Don't let age influence you..many on this site,including me,are a fair bit older than you. Keep at it as some generate more liquid than others when playing..