I've been a classical guitar player and teacher for many years and have just started learning the alto sax. Your videos are incredibly good packed with useful practical advice and information. Thanks Dave.
Dear Hans Mathia! Get a washing water stone with 4 and six thousandth grit. Slap your reed on it with distilled water and get that baby flat and shiny! Then slap it on your M.P. do the vac test. It should cling for approx one to 4 seconds. If it does good. If it doesn't your rails may be chewed up or worn, get a new mouth piece. It should stay glued for 3 to 4 seconds then pop. Take a fifty cent piece and slap the reed on it at the tip. Adjust to a hair overhang and burn using fifty cent piece as a burn shield with a match or lighter. Brush off the ash, now place it on your m.p. your reed should be a little firmer. Repeat until the reed at least stays stuck 3 to 4 seconds. This way you can adjust your reed strength and get a good seal. Happy tootling! Santa Clause!
No mention of cork grease? Routinely greasing the cork prior to attaching the mouth piece allows the mouth piece to glide on without much of a struggle. I apply a generous amount of grease and rub it in with my fingers. I then coat the other end of the neck with the residual cork grease from my fingers which allows the neck to glide into the sax body. This preserves the cork integrity, and precludes xs pressure that might bend the neck. I perform this each and every time I play.
Thank you! I’m a decades long autodidact so I haven’t been trained in this properly. I do put the neck on first but have always pushed the mp on without any angle pressure on the neck. Also I find it helps to lick the table before placing the reed. I’ve become an adherent of taking a milling scraper and removing a microscopic layer of the face. Sometimes it’s just the oxidation that is scraped away. I’ll then scrape the top of the reed to help the heart be symmetrical. This has brought the number of reeds that play well from maybe 50% to 80%.
Thanks! I'm in a layover since about 2011. Last known venue at home. Sax seized up lower register. It was my grandfather's Buescher E flat alto which I had restored from when he was in the Islands. The lambskin keys were all dryed out the whole.instrument was taking on a turcouse PA t Ina. Mom wouldnt.let me play it because my grandfather had tuberculosis. She passed away in 87 . I dragged it out from the closet and commenced to become an elephant caller. I used grease to seal the neck I got into reed.making. those were the good old days! Maybe I'll run across anther one and take.up where I left off. Thank you for the tips now I just gotta find me another one. Here's a tip for you! Never make an alto sax swab from a chamois and salmon hook! The hook will gouge the barrel and your high frequency will suffer! Never ever use a fish hook for a sax swab you'll permanently deface the polished bore! Nuff said happy playing go to it. Little toot out. Namasdei!
When I have put the Reed in the right place, and sucking, it’s impossible to make it to create a vacuum, it’s leaking. Otherwise it works fine. Otto Link 7*, Legere Signature #2.
Great question -- actually, the lig is upside-down, not backwards. The reason? Less metal touching the reed. Does it make a difference? In my head, yes. In reality? Probably not.
Always good to remember the fundamentals. Thanks.
Agreed - that's the foundation to a good sound.
I've been a classical guitar player and teacher for many years and have just started learning the alto sax. Your videos are incredibly good packed with useful practical advice and information. Thanks Dave.
Thank you, and I hope this stuff helps. I'm here if you have questions....
Yes cork grease is a good idea! Chap stick is good substitute or Vaseline. Don't use too much or you may inhale it!
Dear Hans Mathia! Get a washing water stone with 4 and six thousandth grit. Slap your reed on it with distilled water and get that baby flat and shiny! Then slap it on your M.P. do the vac test. It should cling for approx one to 4 seconds. If it does good. If it doesn't your rails may be chewed up or worn, get a new mouth piece. It should stay glued for 3 to 4 seconds then pop. Take a fifty cent piece and slap the reed on it at the tip. Adjust to a hair overhang and burn using fifty cent piece as a burn shield with a match or lighter. Brush off the ash, now place it on your m.p. your reed should be a little firmer. Repeat until the reed at least stays stuck 3 to 4 seconds. This way you can adjust your reed strength and get a good seal. Happy tootling! Santa Clause!
@@ChrisEbbrsen wow....this is a wealth of how the old-school guys did it. Thanks Chris!
Good advice! Or like I do, you also can use a Reed Geek to make the reed flat and shiny.
No mention of cork grease? Routinely greasing the cork prior to attaching the mouth piece allows the mouth piece to glide on without much of a struggle. I apply a generous amount of grease and rub it in with my fingers. I then coat the other end of the neck with the residual cork grease from my fingers which allows the neck to glide into the sax body. This preserves the cork integrity, and precludes xs pressure that might bend the neck. I perform this each and every time I play.
Good point, thanks. Grease up when needed, friends.
Thank you! I’m a decades long autodidact so I haven’t been trained in this properly. I do put the neck on first but have always pushed the mp on without any angle pressure on the neck. Also I find it helps to lick the table before placing the reed. I’ve become an adherent of taking a milling scraper and removing a microscopic layer of the face. Sometimes it’s just the oxidation that is scraped away. I’ll then scrape the top of the reed to help the heart be symmetrical. This has brought the number of reeds that play well from maybe 50% to 80%.
Thanks! I'm in a layover since about 2011. Last known venue at home. Sax seized up lower register. It was my grandfather's Buescher E flat alto which I had restored from when he was in the Islands. The lambskin keys were all dryed out the whole.instrument was taking on a turcouse PA t Ina. Mom wouldnt.let me play it because my grandfather had tuberculosis. She passed away in 87 . I dragged it out from the closet and commenced to become an elephant caller. I used grease to seal the neck I got into reed.making. those were the good old days! Maybe I'll run across anther one and take.up where I left off. Thank you for the tips now I just gotta find me another one. Here's a tip for you! Never make an alto sax swab from a chamois and salmon hook! The hook will gouge the barrel and your high frequency will suffer! Never ever use a fish hook for a sax swab you'll permanently deface the polished bore! Nuff said happy playing go to it. Little toot out. Namasdei!
Thanks for the good advice!
Fine thanks ♥
When I have put the Reed in the right place, and sucking, it’s impossible to make it to create a vacuum, it’s leaking. Otherwise it works fine. Otto Link 7*, Legere Signature #2.
thanks
Enjoying your videos. Why did you put the ligature on backwards. I've never seen that before.
Great question -- actually, the lig is upside-down, not backwards. The reason? Less metal touching the reed. Does it make a difference? In my head, yes. In reality? Probably not.
Thanks!