Jane M L
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 258
- Location
- Newcastle Emlyn, Ceredigion
Hi everybody! Episode 2 of hired Elkhart curvy 300 vs the World. I'm afraid that the World has won. But pleased too, as the Elkhart was so handy - comfortable, small , light. Easy to play sitting down and very pretty - and I know so little really that I could not imagine what an initial better sax for me might be.
But with the kind encouragement of Tom Mapfumo [
] on a quick phone call, I put in a bid for a JP043G [ ie straight sop John Packer warm goldy colour ] and got it for much less than I will pay longterm for hired Elkhart. And I'm posting to try and describe why it is a better sax altogether - except for size and cuddliness - it just isn't cuddly unfortunately, but it plays more easily, all the notes are clearer and somehow distinguished from one another, and need much less change of embouchure/throat to go from the lowest to the highest. Above all it's easier to play softly and its the soft tones of the bigger saxes that literally enchants me.
I'm getting the feel for what the best sax in the world could be, but I know from the guitar how far one would really like to go and that finding a model that cures the gas, must have gas, more gas addiction takes enormous patience and musicality. I went first for a soprano because I loved the music of Charlotte Barbour Condini on recorders and Sam Newsomes A Love Supreme both reminding me of the songthrushes I like to record in the garden. But last night I watched the clip on John Surman , The Wizards Song, and he actually included explicit birdsong and turns out to come from a folk song background - absolutely beautiful .
It looks like I should aim for a bass........
But with the kind encouragement of Tom Mapfumo [
] on a quick phone call, I put in a bid for a JP043G [ ie straight sop John Packer warm goldy colour ] and got it for much less than I will pay longterm for hired Elkhart. And I'm posting to try and describe why it is a better sax altogether - except for size and cuddliness - it just isn't cuddly unfortunately, but it plays more easily, all the notes are clearer and somehow distinguished from one another, and need much less change of embouchure/throat to go from the lowest to the highest. Above all it's easier to play softly and its the soft tones of the bigger saxes that literally enchants me.I'm getting the feel for what the best sax in the world could be, but I know from the guitar how far one would really like to go and that finding a model that cures the gas, must have gas, more gas addiction takes enormous patience and musicality. I went first for a soprano because I loved the music of Charlotte Barbour Condini on recorders and Sam Newsomes A Love Supreme both reminding me of the songthrushes I like to record in the garden. But last night I watched the clip on John Surman , The Wizards Song, and he actually included explicit birdsong and turns out to come from a folk song background - absolutely beautiful .
It looks like I should aim for a bass........
