Best description on reed placement on TH-cam as I have watched all of them and none mention the beveled edge at the top of the mouthpiece. Which is quite important. Thanks Paul for your honest approach.
Thanks Visionventure! That's very kind to say. I know my videos are sometimes a little long winded in the explanation section but i'm a firm believer that having fuller understanding of things is a better way of learning, so i try not to gloss over too much detail if i can. :) Anyway, really glad you enjoyed the video and thanks again for commenting! :)
Brilliant...thanks for the closeup and the topic of fitting the reed on the small flat part of the tip to make the seal...haven't heard that one. Enjoying your lessons. Never thought I would be learning the sax but here I am and will add it to my Gospel Blues Music when I have learned how to play some pentatonic scales.
I will second the opinion that this is the best explanation of reed placement on youtube. While I feel the detail on the tip placement has been the biggest benefit to me, I still hear Paul’s in my head every time I place my reed on the mouthpiece table “Keep it central” lol.
Ligature position also has an affect on the reed. I'm finding that I'd rather have the ligature a little further back toward the base of the mouthpiece. It's amazing how subtleties can make big differences. Good video! Thank you.
Hi Phin, thanks for the comment. You're right it certainly does seem to have an effect. On my metal Beechler mouthpiece i use on my alto i also like to have my ligature quite far back. It feels like it lets a little more of the reed vibrate freely. Did the subtitles work properly for this video? I hope so. I uploaded the video 12 hours in advance so TH-cam had chance to process everything properly and have the subtitles available. :) Really glad you enjoyed the video!
Thank you very much for this detailed run down of reed set up. In regard to getting the tip of the reed just right, instead of squeezing the reed toward the tip of the mouth piece, I gently glide a thin piece of paper over the tip of the mouth piece. If the reed is too high, I could hear the reed comes into contact with the paper. If I wanted the reed to be slightly lower, I just angle the piece of paper slightly downward until they come into contact.
Hi Joshua! Thanks man! It's great to be able to share all these little things i've picked up over the years. Thanks loads for your continued support and viewing! :)
@@PaulHaywood It's me who should thank you, as I have said before, your videos and Better Sax's have always been my favorites. Especially now that my country is on quarantine. Have a good one Paul!
I found that I had to work on various positions until the playing was loud, clean and without resonant vibrations occurring. I was taught to place the reed at the top of the mouthpiece as you say here, and had nothing but trouble, to the point I was ready to quit the instrument, until I started making minute adjustments to the placement of the reed, and that made all the difference. So I suggest you try various positions within a 16th of an inch either way, as this can really help or hinder your playing. I suspect the exact best placement is based in part on the reed you are using (both brand and size) as well as the type of mouthpiece you are using, and also your own playing preference. There is no one size fits all "perfect" placement that will be best for every situation.
I think you are definitely right that there is no perfect placement for everyone, a close look at the reed and mounthpiece while the reed is gently pressed to touch the mouthpiece will help get the reed aligned to the point where the equipment was manufactured to work best though, and then as you say, minute adjustments form there to fit personal preferences and playing physiologies. :) Thanks for watching and the interesting comment!
I've been using this sort of approach for a while but using my embouchure to close the reed and the tip of my tongue to feel the position. Helps with the clear Legere reeds. I think your technique is especially important for large tip opening mouthpieces as the curve in the surface increases its length and a normal sort of sight across doesn't account for it.
Very important and focused the position and precision testing of the position of the reed as good if not better then when performing fibrooptoscopic surgery using the silk or catgut on the abdomen internal organs of the body😊
Hey man, thanks for all these comments! :D Its really interesting to hear about others experiences with the reed game. I tried synthetics for a year bit they came with as many, but different, problems as cane reeds. Happy with my compromise now. :)
Cool, this is the way I line up my reeds too, and for the same reason. I do find it more difficult with Legere synthetic reeds to see due them being clear, though that might not be an issue with everyone.
Hi Lyle, sax reed lineup technique buddies!! haha. Your right, it is a little trickier with the transparent legere reeds. Need good lighting for those. I got a pretty accurate feel of where they should sit and used to look at the profile view from the side held up against a light-source to check position if the ambient lighting was too low.
Good lesson and good advice. My mouthpiece, however, provides very little choice because it has almost no tip rail. A mere sliver...well delineated, but a sliver. It's a terrific mouthpiece, but not very forgiving.
It's great fun experimenting with things like this isnt it. Are you playing the legere signature reeds? INterestingly i stopped playing them because they were cutting into my lip as i played on a narrow metal tenor mouthpiece. I might try out the legere ALto reeds on that narrow tenor mouthpiece and see if they work! Haha :)
The type of ligature and also the position of the ligature (further up or down) on the mouthpiece (also how tight you do up the ligature) all have an effect on the sound too. But the biggest effect happens when the reed isn't positioned correctly. People fine tune their sound with things like ligatures etc. As long as your ligature is done up enough that the reed cant move around and that it sits somewhere on the end part of the reed you should be good. Once youve got the reed in the best spot you can experiment with having the ligature a bit further up or down the mouthpiece or tightened or looser etc.
My tutor said the ligature should be just tight enough, so when you put the reed in you shouldn't be able to move it with your thumb. This means the reed has more 'warmth' don't clamp it down, also I tend to push the lig to the bottom more than a mid position. Again to get more vibration. Any comments / pitfalls? PS I play a lot of latin, samba bossa etc.
Having the ligature less tight can definately affect the sound, it just depends on what sound you're really after. I'd just experiment with it and find your favourite sound. Here's a tip, stand really close to and facing a wall while you experiment with tone. You'll hear much more clearly what your sax really sounds like cos the true sound bounces right back at you.
Thanks for this video. I'm still always wondering how far down on the mouth piece the ligature should sit, and if it impacts tone or playability. Any thoughts on that?
It does a bit but not as much as reed position. The ligature sitting anywhere on the unfilled part of the reed is fine, the rest is down to your personal preference. To really hear any of these subtle differences in tone you should play close to and facing a wall so your true sound can reflect right back at you. Hope that helps!
@@PaulHaywood Thanks for your response. I've never been much in the way of subtle, and I'm trying to improve, now that I'm getting back to playing sax (after a 40 year absence). As long as I'm not doing it wrong, I'll play with it.
I know what you mean. Just experiment with covering different amounts of the front edge and corners to see what gives you the best tone and ease of playing and do it with a few properly soaked reeds to find the best average. Theres no set perfect position for everyone. It's very personal.
@@PaulHaywood wow... Is it real.. Really got goosebumps when i saw ur reply... Bro thank u soo much . I want to be a good friend n brother of u.. Hope u will ..... From india
3:08 "tip of reed has to be TOUCHING the mouthpiece or ALIGNED with it" Which is it ? "touching" or aligned " 6:45 "go too far it will be 'rubbish' How about more specific info than "rubbish" ? I.e. will the tone go flat ? .. sharp? It would be great if you moved the reed around from the "ideal" position, to the extreme "ok" position ... and beyond .... while actually playing so we can hear the result. As a beginner, still trying to get my embouchoure / first notes going, it would be great if I can eliminate / isolate the variables in what is a very complex instrument.
Hi Amstram, if you are a beginner then use the "ideal position". Tip of the reed needs to be aligned with the tip of the mouthpiece. If you use the technique of gently pushing the reed against the mouthpiece to see where the tip of the reed lands on the mouthpiece then the reed should be touching the part of the tip of the mouthpiece i described in the video. If you go too far in either direction the sound will be rubbish. in this context that means it will be bad. it will affect different people in different ways because of all our biological differences, but it will negatively impact the sound, it can either go really harsh, really hard to make a sound at all, affect your ability to properly tune the instrument. etc. There are so many variable on the sax, i know it can be frustrating to take them all into account all the time. I think you just have to start with everything in the "correct" position and then experiment with the more fine tuning variables once youve made progress. I hope that helps a bit. I can hear from your tone of your comment that your a bit frustrated with all these considerations. Remember i made this video to try and remove some of those frustrations, sorry if it's not perfect but it's info that wasnt shared with me at all when i started playing 30 years ago, so you've got a head start on me at least! ;)
Haha, yeah here I'm using my old mouthpiece which I played from age 11 till university, and never used mouthpiece protectors till i bought my first proper mouthpiece in uni. So i managed to chew through this one pretty far, plus it's a super cheap starter mouthpiece so no very resilient plastic. 🤣
I've been playing sax for 30yrs but I don't remember where to put my mouth piece on for a good tune, I'm a drummer as well and I can't play both instruments at once
Best description on reed placement on TH-cam as I have watched all of them and none mention the beveled edge at the top of the mouthpiece. Which is quite important. Thanks Paul for your honest approach.
Thanks Visionventure! That's very kind to say. I know my videos are sometimes a little long winded in the explanation section but i'm a firm believer that having fuller understanding of things is a better way of learning, so i try not to gloss over too much detail if i can. :) Anyway, really glad you enjoyed the video and thanks again for commenting! :)
HORRIBLE AND THATS A LIE
I agree with you V V, that tip tip answers a question I have been searching for.
Thanks for this reed placement video-glad the algorithm gods brought me to you🎷
Great video with easy to grasp explanation…good detailed close ups too 👍..
Great explanation of how to figure out where the tip of the rain goes. Very helpful.
Superb camera work provides superb clarity of message.
Brilliant...thanks for the closeup and the topic of fitting the reed on the small flat part of the tip to make the seal...haven't heard that one. Enjoying your lessons. Never thought I would be learning the sax but here I am and will add it to my Gospel Blues Music when I have learned how to play some pentatonic scales.
I will second the opinion that this is the best explanation of reed placement on youtube. While I feel the detail on the tip placement has been the biggest benefit to me, I still hear Paul’s in my head every time I place my reed on the mouthpiece table “Keep it central” lol.
Ligature position also has an affect on the reed. I'm finding that I'd rather have the ligature a little further back toward the base of the mouthpiece. It's amazing how subtleties can make big differences. Good video! Thank you.
Hi Phin, thanks for the comment. You're right it certainly does seem to have an effect. On my metal Beechler mouthpiece i use on my alto i also like to have my ligature quite far back. It feels like it lets a little more of the reed vibrate freely.
Did the subtitles work properly for this video? I hope so. I uploaded the video 12 hours in advance so TH-cam had chance to process everything properly and have the subtitles available. :)
Really glad you enjoyed the video!
Thank you - excellent and clear guidance and advice. Helpful. Now to try it all in practice.
Thank you very much for this detailed run down of reed set up. In regard to getting the tip of the reed just right, instead of squeezing the reed toward the tip of the mouth piece, I gently glide a thin piece of paper over the tip of the mouth piece. If the reed is too high, I could hear the reed comes into contact with the paper. If I wanted the reed to be slightly lower, I just angle the piece of paper slightly downward until they come into contact.
Never thought about the finger pressure method. You're a genius Paul! Keep it up with the great vids!
Hi Joshua! Thanks man! It's great to be able to share all these little things i've picked up over the years. Thanks loads for your continued support and viewing! :)
@@PaulHaywood It's me who should thank you, as I have said before, your videos and Better Sax's have always been my favorites. Especially now that my country is on quarantine. Have a good one Paul!
@@Timelesshero1711 Yes we're on lockdown too. remind me which country you live in?
@@PaulHaywood I live in Ecuador :D
I found that I had to work on various positions until the playing was loud, clean and without resonant vibrations occurring. I was taught to place the reed at the top of the mouthpiece as you say here, and had nothing but trouble, to the point I was ready to quit the instrument, until I started making minute adjustments to the placement of the reed, and that made all the difference. So I suggest you try various positions within a 16th of an inch either way, as this can really help or hinder your playing. I suspect the exact best placement is based in part on the reed you are using (both brand and size) as well as the type of mouthpiece you are using, and also your own playing preference. There is no one size fits all "perfect" placement that will be best for every situation.
I think you are definitely right that there is no perfect placement for everyone, a close look at the reed and mounthpiece while the reed is gently pressed to touch the mouthpiece will help get the reed aligned to the point where the equipment was manufactured to work best though, and then as you say, minute adjustments form there to fit personal preferences and playing physiologies. :) Thanks for watching and the interesting comment!
Thank you for the nice information. It's really helps me to do it with my mouthpiece in alto saxophone.
the best advice regarding reed placement I have seen especially placing the thumb on the reed to position it on the upper lip. magic well done
Good tip. I'll try it. Thanks!
I've been using this sort of approach for a while but using my embouchure to close the reed and the tip of my tongue to feel the position. Helps with the clear Legere reeds. I think your technique is especially important for large tip opening mouthpieces as the curve in the surface increases its length and a normal sort of sight across doesn't account for it.
Thank you 👍 made all the difference especially to a newby like me
Very good lesson you taught dear... thank you....❤❤❤
Great tip. Thanks.
Your welcome, glad you liked it! :D
Thank you! Very helpful.
Very important and focused the position and precision testing of the position of the reed as good if not better then when performing fibrooptoscopic surgery using the silk or catgut on the abdomen internal organs of the body😊
Now that sounds precise!! :)
Priceless!!!!!
Brilliant! Really glad it helped! :D
Very helpful, that's a good demonstration and instruction, thanks for sharing.
Thank you for sharing this brother... Love from India
good advice ,l like close to the end of the mouthpiece , although many professionals recomend slightiy below tip.thanks
Hey man, thanks for all these comments! :D Its really interesting to hear about others experiences with the reed game. I tried synthetics for a year bit they came with as many, but different, problems as cane reeds. Happy with my compromise now. :)
Interesting what some professionals recommend...good thing I am not professional. Good to know.
Nice info
Thanks for the tip dude
Hi Ajeesh! Your welcome, thanks very much for watching! :)
Cool, this is the way I line up my reeds too, and for the same reason. I do find it more difficult with Legere synthetic reeds to see due them being clear, though that might not be an issue with everyone.
Hi Lyle, sax reed lineup technique buddies!! haha. Your right, it is a little trickier with the transparent legere reeds. Need good lighting for those. I got a pretty accurate feel of where they should sit and used to look at the profile view from the side held up against a light-source to check position if the ambient lighting was too low.
Thanks Paul - better than hit and hope - :)
Totally agree. The detail is appreciated. Thank you
thank you sir
Good lesson and good advice. My mouthpiece, however, provides very little choice because it has almost no tip rail. A mere sliver...well delineated, but a sliver. It's a terrific mouthpiece, but not very forgiving.
Best information
nice sir
I was amazed to find the Legere tenor reed worked perfectly on my alto ( it is a bit smaller than a cane reed )
It's great fun experimenting with things like this isnt it. Are you playing the legere signature reeds? INterestingly i stopped playing them because they were cutting into my lip as i played on a narrow metal tenor mouthpiece. I might try out the legere ALto reeds on that narrow tenor mouthpiece and see if they work! Haha :)
Thanks a lot. If you could explain how strong the ligature must be tightened it would also be great.
Thank you! I’m just recently getting into tenor sax and I only have 2 weeks until marching band starts but in 4 days we have woodwind sectrionals
But what do u think about ligature? Does matter also the ligature to have a good sound?? Thanks
The type of ligature and also the position of the ligature (further up or down) on the mouthpiece (also how tight you do up the ligature) all have an effect on the sound too. But the biggest effect happens when the reed isn't positioned correctly. People fine tune their sound with things like ligatures etc. As long as your ligature is done up enough that the reed cant move around and that it sits somewhere on the end part of the reed you should be good. Once youve got the reed in the best spot you can experiment with having the ligature a bit further up or down the mouthpiece or tightened or looser etc.
Hi, what brand of ligature is that of your mouthpiece?
It would have been nice to cover also the positioning of the ligature on the mouthpiece.
My tutor said the ligature should be just tight enough, so when you put the reed in you shouldn't be able to move it with your thumb. This means the reed has more 'warmth' don't clamp it down, also I tend to push the lig to the bottom more than a mid position. Again to get more vibration.
Any comments / pitfalls?
PS I play a lot of latin, samba bossa etc.
Having the ligature less tight can definately affect the sound, it just depends on what sound you're really after. I'd just experiment with it and find your favourite sound. Here's a tip, stand really close to and facing a wall while you experiment with tone. You'll hear much more clearly what your sax really sounds like cos the true sound bounces right back at you.
Blue tac??? I once used a rubber band for a ligature. Worked just as well
Thanks for this video. I'm still always wondering how far down on the mouth piece the ligature should sit, and if it impacts tone or playability. Any thoughts on that?
It does a bit but not as much as reed position. The ligature sitting anywhere on the unfilled part of the reed is fine, the rest is down to your personal preference. To really hear any of these subtle differences in tone you should play close to and facing a wall so your true sound can reflect right back at you. Hope that helps!
@@PaulHaywood Thanks for your response. I've never been much in the way of subtle, and I'm trying to improve, now that I'm getting back to playing sax (after a 40 year absence). As long as I'm not doing it wrong, I'll play with it.
My reed’s top profile does not cover the top profile of the mouthpiece. Ie, the top left and right corner is kinda uncovered
I know what you mean. Just experiment with covering different amounts of the front edge and corners to see what gives you the best tone and ease of playing and do it with a few properly soaked reeds to find the best average. Theres no set perfect position for everyone. It's very personal.
Hai bro how are you
Hi Sandeep, I'm doing well thank you. All safe and well keeping home during Lockdown in the UK. I hope you're well too?
@@PaulHaywood wow... Is it real.. Really got goosebumps when i saw ur reply... Bro thank u soo much . I want to be a good friend n brother of u.. Hope u will ..... From india
@@SandeepKumar-vg7hv Hi Sandeep, great to have you here at the channel. Feel free to ask any saxophone questions in the videos comments. :)
i have a medal mouth piece that i can,t get to blow what so ever.can anyone tell me why.
3:08 "tip of reed has to be TOUCHING the mouthpiece or ALIGNED with it"
Which is it ? "touching" or aligned "
6:45 "go too far it will be 'rubbish'
How about more specific info than "rubbish" ? I.e. will the tone go flat ? .. sharp?
It would be great if you moved the reed around from the "ideal" position, to the extreme "ok" position ... and beyond .... while actually playing so we can hear the result.
As a beginner, still trying to get my embouchoure / first notes going, it would be great if I can eliminate / isolate the variables in what is a very complex instrument.
Hi Amstram, if you are a beginner then use the "ideal position".
Tip of the reed needs to be aligned with the tip of the mouthpiece. If you use the technique of gently pushing the reed against the mouthpiece to see where the tip of the reed lands on the mouthpiece then the reed should be touching the part of the tip of the mouthpiece i described in the video.
If you go too far in either direction the sound will be rubbish. in this context that means it will be bad. it will affect different people in different ways because of all our biological differences, but it will negatively impact the sound, it can either go really harsh, really hard to make a sound at all, affect your ability to properly tune the instrument. etc.
There are so many variable on the sax, i know it can be frustrating to take them all into account all the time. I think you just have to start with everything in the "correct" position and then experiment with the more fine tuning variables once youve made progress.
I hope that helps a bit. I can hear from your tone of your comment that your a bit frustrated with all these considerations. Remember i made this video to try and remove some of those frustrations, sorry if it's not perfect but it's info that wasnt shared with me at all when i started playing 30 years ago, so you've got a head start on me at least! ;)
Omg those teeth marks
Haha, yeah here I'm using my old mouthpiece which I played from age 11 till university, and never used mouthpiece protectors till i bought my first proper mouthpiece in uni. So i managed to chew through this one pretty far, plus it's a super cheap starter mouthpiece so no very resilient plastic. 🤣
@@PaulHaywood that’s groovy…the teeth marks made their groove and you used it well
Can we talk about that chewed up mouthpiece? Definitely not ideal.
to easy
I've been playing sax for 30yrs but I don't remember where to put my mouth piece on for a good tune, I'm a drummer as well and I can't play both instruments at once
Excellent!! Thanks very much
Very helpful. Thank you.
Hi Robert, you're welcome, i'm really glad it was helpful. :D