One mistake that I have made for years is using mouthpieces with a tip opening that was too large. Then I discovered that Baptiste Herbin plays a 5, that Eddie Daniels advises to reduce the tip opening to where it's comfortable and followed Sirvalor's advice to switch to an outer lip embouchure. Less reed bending, less stress on lips and mouth muscles, (somewhat) better playing !

@ScottPaddock

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, there are a lot of variables between tip opening, chamber size, baffles, materials, etc. so it's important to figure out what works best for you and your style.

@saxophonick6719

Жыл бұрын

I play a 5 opening on Alto When I switched to tenor I went up to a 7 opening. I’ve always felt it was too large

@ScottPaddock

Жыл бұрын

@@saxophonick6719 I play a size 2.25 reed on alto and a 3.25 on tenor. Alto & tenor are two completely different beasts!

@Eniral441

Жыл бұрын

Same. I have a small mouth, as many dentists have attested to. So, I struggle with putting more of the mouthpiece in my mouth. Which makes a bigger difference for me because I play Bari. Don't get me wrong...I use a Selmer C*. It's a big mouthpiece, but it's closer to a 5 and isn't so far back in my mouth.

Spot on advice, Scott. I kept changing set up on my tenor, frustrated with my sound and instrument. Then, I got it properly serviced and all the issues went away. Now I have two setups; one classical, one jazz. Perfect.

@ScottPaddock

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, two very different sounds require 2 very different setups!

Thanks, Scott, great video. Easy for Beginners to fall into these traps. I'm especially guilty of #3. I've spent enough money on the tools. Time to learn how to use them before spending any more.

@ScottPaddock

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, searching for a sound through gear can become pretty expensive pretty quick.

People think they just have to go to a harder reed as they progress, but my first teacher (who has a degree and ~50 years of playing) was still using a 2. Just said "I don't want to have to work" lol. Did a lot of research when I upgraded mouthpieces bc I wanted it to be a one time expense. Mindset going in was basically: if really good players can make whatever set-up you buy, work for them--then you will be able to, as well (with practice).

@ScottPaddock

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've had to explain that the strength of the reed has nothing to do with your playing level. People are often surprised to hear that I use a soft reed on alto with how big my sound is and how easily my altissimo pops out. It's all about the setup and the air flow.

Excellent information Scott. Thank you. I'm a lifelong musician, who started on sax 3 years ago, after decades on other non-wind instruments. My development on sax has been rewarding. I've had three years of practice where I was focused on sound/tone as much as I could. I play every day. What I would add to your advice is that the shape of the inside of your mouth, and how your lips address the mouthpiece are very important. For example: when playing low notes (I play soprano), gripping the mouthpiece with both lips rather than lip/teeth is excellent for pitch and tone. But it might have more to do with how I reshape the cavity of the interior of my mouth to get the sound (and pitch) that is needed. But for sure I do get a difference. The shaping of the interior cavity of the mouth is surely a big factor, and the concept of warm air and cold air, as talked about in the classical (at least flute) world is a factor big factor in sound. Here's Johnny Hodges, who played with no teeth touching the mouthpiece, at least some of the time. Caveat: I'm a novice. Comment Scott? Best regards to all my woodwind-playing brothers and sister! kzread.info/dash/bejne/Y2yGj6ejla66kag.html

Thank you, Scott Paddock! I have been telling my students the exact same things for 20 years. I will be sharing this video with them.

@ScottPaddock

Жыл бұрын

👍👍

Great advice. I upgraded my sax & mouthpiece (D6M) around 6 months ago, only the past few weeks I realised I was putting pressure on the reed, closing the tip, confirmed by my tutor, now playing on a smaller tip (C*), but the sound is amazing, with wider range of dynamics. Some players can make a horn scream, and then be playing a delicate classical piece all on the same set up, just shows how important the player & technique is.

@ScottPaddock

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, closing the tip with pressure can definitely cause some issues. Glad to hear you found your mp!

Your second point is apt!!! Thank you 🙏

@ScottPaddock

Жыл бұрын

👍👍👍👍

The joke's on you; I got the Barkley Kustom based on your sound! Actually, I needed something a little punchier to work through the stringed instruments at church and took your recommendation. 30 seconds into playing my new mouthpiece, my wife came in angrily asking why I was playing so loud, so I think it works! Appreciate your tips.

@ScottPaddock

7 ай бұрын

The Barkley Brazil Kustom mp DEFINITELY projects. Yeah, gear can make you louder or softer for sure, but the sound still comes down to how you are putting air into the sax!

Excellent advice, Scott. Do you have videos you can recommend on airstream or air control?

Thanks for the info. I started saxophone from scratch about 11 months ago on a soprano. I kept hearing about how "difficult" it is to learn how to play a soprano sax. I can't rate the difficulty of learning to play a soprano since I don't know any other saxophones. I have been having a lot of fun with it and the woman who lives above me says that she likes the "noise" that I make with it. I'm choosing to take that as a compliment. Shortly after I started, I concluded that I didn't like the 4C(S?) mouthpiece that came with the sax so, I went with a Yamaha 5C and have stuck with that since. Shortly, I am going to give an Otto Link 6S a try and see how that works out. Since I've started playing, I've been using Rico (red box) 2.5s. Maybe later, I'll experiment with different reeds. I'm in no hurry.

@ScottPaddock

Жыл бұрын

I haven't tried the 5C. What was the difference in the 2 for you? The 4C has been a really common starting mp for years. Glad to hear that your neighbor is also enjoying your soprano playing 😁

@HahnJames

Жыл бұрын

@@ScottPaddock It seems like the 5C is way more easy for me to move air through. With the 4C I felt like I was getting a whole lot of back pressure. The only thing that seemed to help with the 4C was a 2.5 Bb clarinet reed but, it was uncomfortable on my lower lip. It did make a sound, though, that I really liked.

@ScottPaddock

Жыл бұрын

@@HahnJames Hmmm, I'll have to check out that 5C, and see how it compares.

One thing I noticed that was affecting my playing, especially with my Soprano sax was that I was using a reed that was a bit too hard and I didn't really notice that the reed could be the issue. I started on a Selmer Concept with my straight soprano and I played it for a year and ended up using a Legere Signature 3.25 reed but I always felt a bit of resistance (I had tried softer reeds) and notes wouldn't always come out, so I put it down to the narrow tip. A few months ago I upgraded to a Selmer Super Session E. I liked the more open tip, and I tried it with a Legere Signature 2.75 reed on it. I could get a good sound, notes came but I felt a bit of resistance still and noticed going from A to middle D, I would sometimes get a warble/gurgle sound. I had the saxophone checked and it is sealing well. At first I thought it could be the ligature, so I changed to a different one but I found while it played better, it added more resistance, especially to low notes and didn't solve the issues I was having so I went back to the original ligature I was using. Then after a while I thought it could be the reed that was too strong. I actually figured it out as I had sent my alto sax to my repairer to get a full check and overhaul and when I got it back, I played a new reed and found it ever so slightly more resistant than I like, so went down a reed strength and it solved the issue, so I tried the same on my soprano. The only softer reed I had was a Legere Signature 2. I played it and instantly all notes played far more easily with much less resistance. Tuning was good, I didn't haven the warble/gurgle sound anymore and my bottom lip felt fine after an hour of playing. I think the reed is slightly too soft, but I now know the issue and just have to try different reed strengths until I find the one that suits me, then just play with those.

@ScottPaddock

Жыл бұрын

Hey Dave! Yeah, the correct reed size is super important. If it's too hard, you will have all of the problems you described, and if it's too soft notes will come out flat and whiney. Also, worth mentioning - some reeds just work better than others in different setups. For example a legere might work great with a Syos mouthpiece, and not as well with a Theo Wanne. It's all a matter of mixing and matching and seeing what works well together.

This is very good information. I used the same set up for fifty years in the music business, hard rubber Meyer 6 (?) legere #2 signature reed. About a month ago I started feeling that I needed to try a metal mouthpiece. I am now very happily using a Runyon Spoiler metal mouthpiece. When I tried it out in the store I removed the baffler and got a nice sound with more ease in playing altissimo. It was only when I tried using the insert at home that I was amazed by how it made the altissimo range like liquid, it was so smooth and easy. It does require going back to long tones so you can get used to the new air flow requirements, but after a few weeks I am very happy with the change.

@ScottPaddock

Жыл бұрын

I played a doctored Meyer 6 for about 15 years. I never thought I would switch, and a company sent me a high baffle mp, and I loved it - then I made the switch too. It's amazing how much more power those mps can give you!

@chg5802

4 ай бұрын

​@@ScottPaddock 지금사용하시는 피스 리드 궁금해요

Nice Fender Rhodes! 🙂

@ScottPaddock

Жыл бұрын

Thanks! 😁😁😁

👀🎷...good information, gracias.

@ScottPaddock

Жыл бұрын

Thanks!!

Good advice

@ScottPaddock

Жыл бұрын

Thanks!!

Hey, Scott, when you began going over the misconception that same equipment=same/similar sound, though I agree, I do think there is a very small example regarding the sound of somebody like Paul Desmond, he is the only saxophonist that's sound seems to be borderline impossible to properly replicate without almost the exact same equipment. I went through multiple different E. Rousseau mouthpieces (NC4, RC4, etc), multiple different Otto Link mouthpieces (Tone Edge, etc), and more or less 15 different reed brands, with 2/3 reed strengths tested among each brand, all ranging from 4 - 1 (Excluding my Legere reeds considering I don't use anything of theirs beyond 2.5 American Cut), and it seems I can only properly replicated his beautiful sound with an exact replica (The Morgan Dry Martini Model 18). It is obviously an obscure, specific example, but it is just an observation made by myself with no hyper-in depth research. Do you agree, or do you think it is just much easier to replicate his sound with his equipment?

@ScottPaddock

Жыл бұрын

Hey! Gear will help get you in the ballpark when it comes to the sound you are looking for. Desmond is a perfect example! If you want to sound like him, you have to use gear that will move the air similarly to him. His sound is almost a classical jazz sound to me. Another example would be David Sanborn. You would not be able to get close to his sound with a Paul Desmond setup. However, the point was don't expect to sound like another sax player just by using the same gear.

@rwandanstarbux1494

Жыл бұрын

@@ScottPaddock Ohhh, I completely misunderstood, I thought you meant that same gear doesn’t equal same sound, but you meant that you shouldn’t expect the same sound by using the same gear. I am silly, thanks for the reply!

Youre preaching the gospel. I wish you was my coach. That 2nd rule definitely made me laugh.

Great video 👍. Whenever I hear of anyone buying gear to chase someone else's sound, the old drumming adage comes to mind, "To sound like Bonham, first you must play like Bonham!" I've only changed mouthpieces twice and ligature type once. I'm using a Bonade inverted ligature and was surprised it made some difference to the tone (a ligature is just a clamp, right? 😉). I bought a cheap Rico A7 for a laugh just to try a 7 but I really like it for the sound I want. Maybe some time I'll try a "better" 7 but for now it's fun to say the ligature cost more than the mouthpiece! 😀

@ScottPaddock

Жыл бұрын

I've seen some great teachers/players on here do ligature tests and say they don't really hear/feel a difference. For me, I can feel a huge difference when I switch ligatures. I also put a lot of air into the sax, so that might have something to do with it. One of my sax teachers, Chris Vadala, played on a classical Selmer C star as his main jazz soprano mouthpiece. He loved the sound and feel and never switched. Gear is 100% subjective to what sounds and feels great to the player.

I've been playing on a steeper, metal roll over baffle for about a year now and I've playing for 7 years now. I've been considering going for a step baffle mouthpiece to go for the sound I want, but after seeing this I was wondering if should wait.

@ScottPaddock

Жыл бұрын

Gear can definitely help you get closer to the sound you want - so if you think a step baffle will help you get there, give it a try! Just don't expect that a step baffle will make you sound the exact same way as someone else who uses that same setup.

@jpizzie3885

Жыл бұрын

@@ScottPaddock Thank you for the advice!

Some useful tips here Scott! 😁👍I’ve been sticking with the same cheap tenor until it became unusable recently ,using Legere 2.25 reeds but with a Jody Jazz custom dark mouthpiece (5 *) & power ring which I really love…but now I’ve got the YTS 62 ( only yesterday) but the same reeds don’t seem to work well on it! Had to use D’addario Organic Select 2S as I had some I’d never used, and it worked much better. However, during my songs I was getting high pitched squealing that I just couldn’t account for ( like I’d hit the palm keys) but I know it wasn’t that! Any further tips for me? Do I need to get the sax checked over or do something else? I play alto too with a similar set up on a 2 Legere Reed with Jody Jazz mouthpiece without many issues so am a bit baffled by this! Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. Jilly

I love to play with soft reeds but it is not possible to play lowest Bb to C with that. I need a reed strength 3 to not have this gurgling sound on the low notes. Do I do something wrong. Do you know what this might be?

Hello scott many thanks for your info but could u explained what is gear please

@ScottPaddock

Жыл бұрын

Gear is the term used for the type of saxophone equipment you use: sax, mouthpiece, reeds, ligature, etc.

My college professors (all clarinet players) had me change my set up almost weekly. I used different brands/ strengths reeds, a variety of mouthpieces, and different saxophones all trying to fix a tone that sounded like a towel stuck in the horn. They had me play soprano, alto, tenor, and bari - same problem regardless of horn or set up. Never found the problem. Maybe if I stuck with 1 horn/ set up for a few months may have helped.

@ScottPaddock

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, if you have the same problem on everything that you play, then the gear (or type of horn) usually isn't the problem.

@trevorwille8874

Жыл бұрын

Agreed. One teacher said the mouthpiece was set too straight between the lips and needed to pull the saxophone back to increase the angle. Another had me curl my upper lip over my upper teeth then pull the corners like I was trying to smile. Of course neither worked.

Also one of the problems that has happened to me is to be obsessed with wanting to buy different mouthpieces to sound “better”, or to sound like a saxophonist, that makes me not focus on really practicing my instrument for wasting time on it.

@ScottPaddock

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, that's what the 3rd gear mistake was all about. Besides not being very effective, it can also get expensive, pretty quick!

I blame my mouthpiece. Is there a easy test to see if the reed works well with the mouthpiece. Like Holding the vacum when you suck. Or ?

@ScottPaddock

Жыл бұрын

My test is to just play it 😁 There are suction tests you can do as well as looking at the grain and cut of the reed, but what it comes down to is how it sounds when you play it. If you're using cane reeds, then there may also be some reed work you need to do to bring that reed up to it's fullest potential.

When did reed STRENGTH become reed SIZE? Is it an American thing to confuse strength with size? Did that happen the same time people started calling tunes/melodies (instrumental and without lyrics) 'songs'? I've seen this confusion increase over the past decade or so. Reed strength is typically measured in numbers (1 to 5) or abbreviations (S, MS, M, MH and H) and physical size (or dimensions) is dependent on the different instruments the reeds are for (sopranino sax/Eb clarinet through to bari sax/contrabass clarinet).

@ScottPaddock

Жыл бұрын

Strength & Size have been interchangeable terms forever. In the video I specially say " When were talking about reed sizes, we're actually talking about the strength...."

@chrisperyagh

Жыл бұрын

@@ScottPaddock Must be an American thing then as that's never been the case here in the UK and Europe until the KZread generation.

@garyboyd3255

Жыл бұрын

@@chrisperyagh a lot of us assumed, wrongly, that the reeds were different thicknesses based on the strength numbers/references. Too late to change the misperception

@bluegoose555

Жыл бұрын

@@garyboyd3255 wrong again ..the reeds thickness IS what determines its strength ( a #3 is thicker than a #2 (hence stronger etc) this is 5th grade stuff .. in no way confusing

@garyboyd3255

Жыл бұрын

@@bluegoose555 no. It is the tensile strength of the reed itself

If you give a beginner a Selmer C star you will hear the difference right away.

@ScottPaddock

Жыл бұрын

Hmmmm, I generally give a beginner a Yamaha 4C until they figure out the airflow. When I was teaching mainly school-aged kids, I'd often time then step them up to a C star, but with adults - almost none of them want a classical sound, so doing a step up to a classical mp that costs $150 doesn't seem very practical. I usually have them on the 4C until they have a really solid clean sound, and then switch them to a meyer 5m hard rubber. That generally gets most people closer to the sound they are looking for after a beginner mp. After that, they have free reign to try what they want.

Never mentioned sax necks. Hummm...

@ScottPaddock

Жыл бұрын

I ended up editing that part out of the video because it didn't line up with all of the other info.

Guilty on all counts! And yes, it doesn't work.

@ScottPaddock

Жыл бұрын

🤣 don't worry, you're not alone!!

Thanks, Scott. Always great advice. Only problem I found, finding the right m/p and reed can be an expensive mission !! All sax gear is expensive.

@ScottPaddock

Жыл бұрын

Agreed!!! Mix and matching gear can add up really quick.