Sax mouthpeice/reeds?

[BrettB]

Hi all

I played over 10 years of classical sax in the local music school when I was a kid, not realizing that there was such great music as funk and Jazz (and those classical teachers ain't telling you that)

I stopped playing it before I really got into jazz and funk a couple of years ago, but now I want to play again. Unfortunetaly I have classical mouthpeice and reeds and have no idea which brand I better switch to.

Any ideas?

 

[Roel]

I'm following classical sax lessons and play jazz every once in a while. I even play kinda rock'n roll-kinda stuff with my band. All with the same mouthpiece and reeds. I have 2 different ligatures, one sounding warmer with more bottom, and the other more cutting thru... I always us the warmer sounding one, unless I really have to cut thru in a solo in an ensemble. With my band I'm amplified, and I'll get thru anyway. Really haven't tried the other ligature in my band. Lazy me...

But it really is what you play that makes it jazz. Not the sound you have. A very big part of your sound also is your embouchure etc, but I guess you know that...

Anyway, just blow that horn. It's a very cool instrument, and hardly gets used in local bands over here. Just in jazz-bands and the bigger cover-bands... Go show the world which instrument is closest to sex.

For more info, look on here:
http://forum.saxontheweb.net/
http://www.bobrk.com/saxfaq/

 

[Roel]

DUDE! Just noticed your in Belgium too. Cool. Where are you?

(I could start talking dutch, but it wouldn't be nice towards other members...)

 

[Lt. Bob]

re: mouthpiece and reeds

I'm been a pro saxophonist for 38 years (jazz,blues,and rock). I'm playing a super action 80 with a Santy Runyon spoiler with plasticover reeds, no.4 because that's as heavy as Plasticover's get. I usually clip them so they will be stiffer. The thing is, eveyone's throat and mouth structure is different so what works for one is not always gonna work for everyone. I use a very open lay (about 11star) and heavy reeds for 3 reasons. 1. Most bands are pretty loud now-a-days so I need as much volume as I can get. If I use anything smaller I just blow the reed closed. 2. Also you get better tone. 3. I play a lot of altissimo notes. I can play chromatically to a high D above the sax's normal range and you need the heavy reeds to do this with any control. I'd recomend you start with a metal mouthpiece, maybe around a 7 or 8 lay and then either VanDoren, La Vaz, or plasticover reeds of a hardness that makes you strain just a LITTLE bit to play them. Stick with it and you'll be suprised how quick they'll seem normal to you. As you can, go to heavier reeds. As for brands of mouthpieces, Santy Runyon, Dukoff and Brihart are all good. Their are surely others but since I've been using Runyon's I haven't tried any of the new stuff. Hope this helps, (fellow saxy guy).

 

[Roel]

Cool. A sax thread.

I play a cheapo dixon alto sax, hope to get a better one soon. I use Vandoren 2.5's (I'm a sissy ) and a selmer C** beak. I used to play a C* and Vandoren 3's, but my teacher taught my (classical) sound would be better with a bigger beak and softer reeds. And it is. I'll get harder reeds when I get a decent tone out of this...

The ligatures are both BG, I think it's the super revelation, and some gold-plated metal one. Don't know the name, bought it on a sale...

Bob, with your altissimo high D, you mean an octave above the high D, or another octave above that? (My ex's father can get over 4 octaves out of his alto. But then again, he's one of Belgium's most famous contemporary(classical) saxplayers. Teaches at Brussels conservatory...)
Which horn do you play?

I can easily get the C (fifth above high F) with my 2.5 reeds. Probably higher too, if I get to studying the fingerings... hehe...

So, you gonna teach us homereccers to growl and scream?

 

[BrettB]

Hey Roel,

yeps, I noticed earlier you were also from Belgium. I live in Heist-op-den-Berg, but I study for producer in the conservatory in Ghent, and I rent a room over there. I recentely replied your thread about Sax effects, but you didn't notice that I guess. I was talking there about the cool effects of Belgian top saxophone player Johan Vandendriessche, who plays with Marc Moulin and his own great band 'The Demagogue Reacts'.

To come back to the sax thread: I also own a selmer C** mouthpiece and play 3 Vandorens, but several people tell me it's quite a lot of different when you play with other reeds. Vandoren would have a shorter decay and sustain. I also know that playing any style is due to yourself in the first place, instead of the material, but often it gets you on the way.

Thanx Lt Bob for the great advice! I'll search for the equipment you recommend me. And Roel, I'm gonna do some research on those websites.

 

[Lt. Bob]

Lets hear it for the sax guys

The growling is easy. All you have to do is hum while you're playing. Humming louder or softer will control the amount of growl you get. Sometimes after a rock gig I'll actually be hoarse from humming so loud almost as if I were singing. Actually, humming probably isn't the right term. It's more of an ooooooh, but you get what I mean.Roel, I play mostly alto these days 'cause it cuts through electrics better than tenor. When I say high D I mean D above the high D palm key. Yes I can go higher but I like to be able to use the high notes as fluently as normal notes in terms of control and facility That high D (6 ledger lines above the staff) is as high as I can reliably go in a chromatic fashion. But up to there I can play the same as with any of the lower notes. And Brett; people are telling you right when they say other reeds are different. There is a tremendous difference between brands in terms of tone and even stiffness. I like the plasticovers mainly because they're so consistant. For the most part they all play the same so I don't spend as much time looking for a good one and I don't get as bummed when a good one finally dies. But I'm sure a classical teacher would hate them. Oh well. I'm glad to see a sax thread started and let's remind the guitar guys that what the ladies really like is sax.

 

[BrettB]

Well, besides a sax guy I am also a guitar guy Kinda betting on 2 horses let's say.

Btw, I noticed girls just adore great trumpet players. Maybe I should learn taht as well.

 

[TimOBrien]

Sax mouthpieces are a religion. One of the better places to check out is Sax-On-the-Web at http://forum.saxontheweb.net/

On my Selmer Mark VI alto I still use the C* mouthpiece that came with it. I was using Rico reeds but just recently switched over to LaVoz TENOR reeds on the alto (I heard about this tip and tried it out - gives a really mellow sound to an alto.)

On my tenor I'm using a metal Otto Link with LaVoz and Rico JazzSelect reeds.

On both I've switched over to Rovner ligatures and am quite happy.

 

[Roel]

Yo Bert! You're studying producer in Gent? Cool!

We've recorded at your Live Demo Recording Week in November! (With my band Tracthor)

I'm gonne study composition next year. Probably not in Gent, but I'll be there on the open door. You know anything about composition in Belgium? I've been thinking about producer too... Might end up there after a few years anyway.