Accept the fact that the saxophone does not play perfectly in tune, but console yourself with the thought that people in the audience won't hear minor tuning imperfections of 5 or 10 cents or even more.
I do try to warm up the saxes by blowing warm air through them, playing them etc. but I've had situations that reflect JBT's formulae where I've walked on to the stage with a perfectly in tune horn that I think is warm, to perform the first solo only to be massively sharp by the time I'm half way through it because the temperature difference has been so great between back stage and the stage itself, with no way to stop and do something about it. Not too massive a problem in a jazz context, where you can stop for a second to move the 'piece, but rather more troublesome when you're playing a specific melody that everyone in the theatre knows backwards.
In the old days, pre LED pars etc., this must have been a much bigger issue, which is why I thought there might be a simple trick the old guys used that is so obvious it's taken for granted ... as long as you know it.
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I was wondering if you, or anyone else, has tried leaving the horns on stage to acclimatise and then spend just a few minutes warming up back stage immediately before you go on to combat this initial temperature problem?
I keep thinking this would be a good idea if you're playing on almost every song but not if you're only playing on occasional tracks as you can't just meander on stage and grab your horn during the song before the one you're playing on to check the tuning before you start.
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This is going to be my first time as part of a horn section playing at serious volume - the shows I did for the Bacharach thing were a totally different world of laid back lines played at relatively low volume (for a theatrical gig), where you could naturally hear yourself and had all the time in the world to make changes if required. In comparison, a stress-free gig.
Recent experience of recording as part of a section at a studio that had constantly varying room temperatures, how that kept throwing out the tuning between the sax and trumpet and how dreadful it sounded has brought out the paranoia. The tuning was never out by more than 15 cents but you could really, really hear it. It was painful.
I've spent two years bringing this show together. I'm not prepared to let anything ruin it.
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Know your instrument and mouthpiece and their intonation characteristics inside out, so that you get a feel for where on the cork it tunes for a range of stage temperatures and how far you have to move the mouthpiece to adjust for say 10, 20 and 30 cents flat and sharp.
That's a talent I'd kill for.
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I think you know all this Dave and are probably just asking if anybody has found a Eureka fix.
That's precisely what I'm hoping for.
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Again, I'm sure you know that there isn't one - just experience that keeps you close and mouth/throat etc that sorts it out if needed.
Except I honestly didn't. I really thought there was something I didn't have the experience to have worked out yet.
This is the sort of thing I would think horn players would've talked about after a show at the local musicians' pub/club back when there was a scene. Most of us sadly don't have access to other players anymore so rely on tutors (who can't always be relied upon
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In the real world I only know one sax player (except for Jules, but being close to three hours away he isn't exactly local for hanging out with), who only plays jazz pub gigs and who has some unusual ideas about a lot of things, so not necessarily a good source of information.
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