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The bass player's playing my sax!!

Nick Wyver

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Well, he's affecting my playing of it at least.
Occasionally I play in bands that are quite loud. Fortunately not too often but last night was one of those times. I was sandwiched between the bass player and the drummer. When I was playing quietly (that is, backing rather than soloing) the reed seemed to be responding - in a rather off-putting manner - to the bass notes coming from the cab a couple of feet behind me. It's something I've noticed before and I don't think it's my imagination (but you never know).
Has anyone else noticed anything like this?
If it's at all relevant, I was playing tenor with a 10* PPT and RJS 3S.
 
Instrument could be resonating at a frequency or harmonic from the bass cab, e.g fundamental, octave, 12th, 15th of what the cab is pushing out.
 
That is what I guess is happening. It's a bit of a weird feeling.
 
Could be you're playing the same note as the bass - or one of its harmonics so the sax goes into sympathetic resonance?
 
Could be you're playing the same note as the bass - or one of its harmonics so the sax goes into sympathetic resonance?
Unfortunately, testing that hypothesis was not uppermost in my mind at the time, but next time...
Well, yes. when doing fill in parts I would have been playing roots a fair bit.
 
Nick, if you are playing just a few feet from a speaker in a "quite loud" band, i feel you should be more concerned about your hearing than about impact on your reed.

If you are not already wearing ear plugs, I would seriously suggest you invest in some, promptly.

If you already are wearing them, ignore me !!
 
Thanks for your concern, but this was a one-off. My usual bands aren't quite so loud and I can't say I'm worked to death with numbers of gigs anyway.
I do have some nice customised earplugs which work very well if I'm watching another band. I can't play in them though.
Hearing loss is endemic in my family and doesn't appear to be related to exposure to loud music (although I suppose it doesn't help). Mum ending up deaf as a post and she led the quietest of lives. I've already lost some degree of high frequency stuff which I correct for in everyday use with a couple of hearing aids.
 
The vibrating thing has happened once or twice in my band

My guess is it happens when you're positioned at a node that takes hold of any object that'll vibrate at the same frequency or harmonic thereof
 
The reed vibrates at the resonant frequency of the length of the body tube, unless that resonance is weak and the player's oral cavity takes charge. An interesting experiment is to remove the mouthpiece and put the end of the crook (neck) up to one's ear like a stethoscope. Then finger different notes and listen as the body of the saxophone picks out those resonant frequencies from the background noise in the room. A fan or appliance running in the background helps this experiment.
 
Nick be careful mate. I used to play for years in ultra loud settings with a garage punk group. Result ---> Tinnitus.
 
The reed vibrates at the resonant frequency of the length of the body tube, unless that resonance is weak and the player's oral cavity takes charge. An interesting experiment is to remove the mouthpiece and put the end of the crook (neck) up to one's ear like a stethoscope. Then finger different notes and listen as the body of the saxophone picks out those resonant frequencies from the background noise in the room. A fan or appliance running in the background helps this experiment.
Taking this a stage further with a loud external sound, the interior of the sax will be pressurised from the external sound waves coming in through the bell and open tone holes. This may well cause sympathetic vibration in the reed if Nick's trying to play quietly.
 
Taking this a stage further with a loud external sound, the interior of the sax will be pressurised from the external sound waves coming in through the bell and open tone holes. This may well cause sympathetic vibration in the reed if Nick's trying to play quietly.
Pressurised?
 
Low intensity standing waves being crated in the horn from external sound energy passing over the bell. Sympathethic body tube vibrations creating same. Interesting experiment to see which it is or if its both
 

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