A very elegant man has a terrible car crash with his red Ferrari. He gets out of the car, looks at the car and shouts: "OMG! My Ferrari!" Another man pops up and tells him:"Sir, you miss an arm!" The Ferrari man looks down and shouts: "OMG! My Rolex!"
So that's why my low C goes wawawa; my 35 year old Gigliotti ligature has two screws. The whole time I was thinking it was the light I can see peeking through when the key is closed.
Kenneth Fleming I was only joking. I don’t have light coming through any pads, and I don’t have a wawa on any notes. My old ligature may be outdated, but any bad sounds coming from my horn are from me.
One screw just makes it harder to tighten the ligature unevenly and have your reed slip when you adjust your mouthpiece. It's basically for convenience, and that happens to be Jay's preference. But I personally use 2 screw ligatures on most of my mouthpieces. Good 2 screw ligatures when tightened properly are just as good as some 1 screw ligatures.
This is why you are one of the most popular sax bloggers and teachers on the internets. You cut right to the chase, and cut out the bullshit, and are entertaining to boot. Keep up the great work!
I am a 72 year old playing in a concert band where all of my colleagues made me feel lower class - since my ligature (which has lasted my life time to date!) is the original one that came with my 57 year old Selmer Mark VI Alto Sax. Thanks for the video, since I will continue to use my antique without prejudice.
Your colleagues suuuuck! ALL of my instruments (four flutes, two piccolos, a clarinet, two tenor saxophones and an alto, my three kids and I are all musical) are Selmers/Bundys!! They're amazingly well-made, and they sound great!!
I too have a ‘63 Selmer Mark VI Alto, bought new, with the original Mouthpiece and Ligature. I haven’t played since I got out of College but after seeing this site and subscribing, have decided to start playing again. My thanks to JM.
Man my sides hurt. Its like when producers would ask for a different bass tone and I fake-flipped a switch and played with my nails until they walked off. They always swore that was they tone the wanted. You rock Jay!
I recall playing the sax as a beginner with my grandpa - I forgot my ligature, so he gave me his and he used a hose clamp. Made no difference whatsoever.
Frpm Kaj to Jay: You know a lot, and you talk a lot, too much talk and too little showing in closeup on the items you are talking about! When you hold a ligature, half hidden by your hand and in front of your face, in the size of your baird, how can I get any good impression of the thing!!? Rather, take picture of the thing so it occupies at least half of the area of the picture, so that we can see the details! Yours is a one man job, I imagine; Why not take help of another curious cameraman, who is eager to make the pictures ”talk” of what you say? WeAll love your programmes, but show and play more and talk less, is my humble wish! d
It changes the feel of playing, but tone-wise, it’s always seemed like a placebo effect to me. One of my favorites is a piece of cheap 8 inch long Velcro.
5:00 "The colour of your car will make it go faster" It is true, that if you paint your car with racing stripes you get atleast twenty more horse power. That's just a fact.
That's not the hat but rather specific underwear that will change the way you sound. That's actually the hardest part to figure out: you can glance at the Stan's mouthpiece or ligature but his underwear or his socks... not everyone can figure that out but once you do... wow! - The sky is the limit for you in saxophone playing!
Everything in life is a compromise. Underwear thst lets you get the mellow bass subtones won't work for altissimo . Conversely underwear that helps with altissimo puts you at risk for a hospital stay. What does everyone think about a Sherlock Holmes deerstalker cap ?
The new clone-lig.. they took a cast of Stan's lips and molded into real life like Getz lips to place over your own with included $3.59 ligature made in Taiwan Walmart factory
I'm 60 years old, and have been playing saxophone for 50 years, 44 years professionally. 23 years with USAF BANDS. I went through a 10 year phase were I used hand tied string, and it really is wonderful! Like a Silverstone but even better and way cheaper! Preferred string was nylon boot lace and parachute cord. Today I use on Alto sax a German silver C melody sax ligature. It fits perfectly and looks cool too on my Meyer 7MM. When I was at North Texas Lab Bands I used for lead alto, a Meyer 7MM and now 40 years later I still use a Meyer 7MM,for bebop jazz alto.
I have used the BG ligatures on clarinet and sax. My one gripe with the reed cap is that the plastic will crack if dropped. This has happened to 2 of their ligs. that I own. Also like the Rovner Versa, because of the changeable plate and freedom of using metal touching reed or vinyl. This helps with reeds that are not working as well as when I first begin using them. I have the freedom to customize the vibration of the reed.@@bettersax
I love jazz and my favorite instrument is the saxophone, tenor, alto, bass any sax is good with me. I say this to say I subscribed. One day maybe I'll try to learn how to play the saxophone. I'm over 60, I best get started!
I bought a cheap leather ligature on eBay, well artificial leather, and within a week it had stretched too big. So I took out the screw rod and two small bars and fitted them onto a piece of webbing which I glued in place I placed a small piece of cardboard just to support the reed and .well it plays fantastic, I can't believe it!!! magic my sax now sounds like a super pro model and intonation is so easy.
The ligature that came with my yanagisawa mouthpiece is a 2-screw that BARELY keeps the reed in place when fully tightened- that is until last night. With the ever-so-slightly smaller synthetic reed, it slips. This video came just in time! In for the Kenny G special (through your link!). Thank you!!!!
This beginner kid had a student alto sax, and his ligature would not fit, at all so I looked at it and I said, this is a clarinet ligature. He looked at me with wide eyes, I handed him an alto ligature, "here kid let's trade". Put his ligature on my clarinet, fits perfectly, and he got one of my best vintage AP&M 2 screw, from the 1960's ....
I have a Rovner with my soprano. Bough it + Yamaha 4C mpc. I only play a couple of times a year but when watching these videos, makes me want to play more frequently. Rovner stays in its place and doesn't scratch my mpc. Also very easy to use and when being flexible 'ribbon', contacts evenly and holds its position. Worth its price, definitely. Thank You for your videos.
Jay, my friend... I just want to say, I've been playing for almost a year now, and I started out watching EVERYone! A few guys, I still keep tabs on, from time to time (and let me just add, there are MANY REALLY good instructors on line), but my time is precious and the videos I always find myself watching are YOURS! Keep up the GREAT work, my friend! You rock! You're my 'Go-to' guy!
I've wanted to start playing the saxophone about 15 years ago now (I'm 23) but I don't come from a very wealthy family so never had the opportunity to actually buy one. I've started watching your videos because I was looking to see if there were any cheap ones that could get me started and found yours on the 270$ alto from amazon and now that I am older and have a job I am extreamly impatient to buy it at the end of the month on my next pay check. Anyway its just to say that I don't have any saxes at home but I've been watching your videos non-stop for two months now and I just want to thank you for making my childhood dream reborn inside of me again and reminding me to go out and live that dream! (Yes my childhood dream was to own a saxophone, always been obsessed with this instrument)
I saw a bass clarinet light comparison on utube....he actually used a shoe string at one point and it worked....also g with a rubber band...... C# or Bb :-)
About halfway through the semester, my tenor ligature snapped. I started using rubber bands (or a hair tie in a pinch) and i was so surprised with how natural it sounded that i didn't bother replacing it
Thank you for cutting through all the hype, Jay! I’ve been using a tenor Rovner since I started jamming about 8 years ago, and highly recommend it for the price and functionality. Thanks for making more than one recommendation at different price points!
To some degree I agree with what you’re saying. I do understand however, that the ligature absolutely does have an effect in the vibration of the instrument. Because of this, if the player is sensitive enough to these minute changes, the feeling in the approach is definitely different. If I can feel the “buzz” and vibrations I feel more connected and my sound will surely reflect that
I've been using the 'Kenny G' for a while now, but I still don't my own a gold lamé jumpsuit or aircraft though. I once dropped my lig during a hurried setup and the drummer stepped backwards onto it. Completely funked! Ended up using a couple of winds of elastoplast. Worked fine. Not a bad gig either.
I've used $150, $30, $2 ligatures, shoelaces, duct tape, electrical tape, hair ties, and kitchen elastics...as long as it holds the reed in place it's good. The tone comes from the mouthpiece, the reed, the neck, the horn body.....and from YOU. Can't dodge bad technique with overpriced gear.
Thanks for the rundown on ligatures, Jay. I generally use wither a D'Addario H or a Selmer 404 on my metal tenor mouthpiece, D'Addario H on alto, and a Rovner on bari. They work great I've had them for a while.
I love the intro. Omg. Being in music all my life, after growth up, hearing this is hilarious because it's so accurate and we all have met "that person".
Thank you for the simple and accurate explanation of sax. ligatures. I have a Rovner model and the reed never moves once tightened into place. I have tested much more expensive brands and I can not hear the difference, either. Either we are both correct or both tone deaf. I choose to believe the former. Thanks again.
I've been using a Rovner for 13 years, and had no issues at all. It's one screw, it's soft so it doesn't damage anything, and it is grippy so it doesn't slide or move at all. Perfect. Thanks for cutting through the crap.
Director, not player, but a good vid. Drop the one turning green in baking soda and water. It should help. I always found on my trumpets that keeping a little valve oil on the spots that turn green will deter the verdigris.
Recently saw Melissa Aldana in an interview was saying the Silverstein was ideal ( $200+) but then shortly later saw her with a Boston Sax Shop one. It’s nice when people give you stuff for free. I’m so happy you keep it real Jay!
I recently learned how to wind a wax covered string as a ligature and it's made for much easier blowing. Mouthpiece/reed combinations that used to require a Herculean effort to play can now be played quietly with very little effort.
Thanks for for the very entertaining post. I agree with you to some extend. From my experience I dare to declare that there are ligs that really do affect the sound. Rovners I do not like at all as they seem to dampen the tone. Like you I also like the BG single screw ligs but not only for their efficiency. To my ear the BG really appears to make the sound fuller and rounder. Some ligs do clearly affect the tone by adding some brightness like the old Bonade inverted and a solid brass ring slide on lig that I found cheap on Ebay. I occasionally play a bronze Berg Larsen and with its original 2 screw lig it sounds OK but when I put on a old Runyon 1-screw lig the tone appears to get extra depth and dimension. Well, maybe the Berg lig just sucks but just saying there can be a difference made in tone. I also experimented with tie ribs (the cheapest ligs on the market) and you will be suprised what difference it makes. It is a pain to position it on and off though. It is fun to experiment with all kind of vintage cheapo 2-scew and 1-screw ligs. But I would suggest to avoid the expensive boutique ones. They are just eye candy and too much money for too little difference in tone if at all.
I love the intro, because it is soooooo true. I played a Rovner for years and it does exactly what it needs to. Then I got sucked into "upgrading" my ligature. Yes, the Francois Louis Ultimate plays a little lighter and the Vandoren Optimum is more powerful, but if there are differences, I'm the only one who notices.
this vid was amazing!!! i had trouble with the sound of my sax and i kept thinking it was how i was playing. then i watched this and got a new ligature. it has improved the sound sooo much
My friend's grandpa has a massive ligature collection. (I mean, also saxophone stuff in general, but the ligatures are the ones that he has the most of.) My Tenor (when I still played it) sounded 10x better when I tried on one of his Jazz ligatures, and he said this year for jazz band he will let me borrow one of his Bari jazz ligatures. 👌
I use vandoren mo on my clarinet it's great. It has guide rails that fit round the reed and its quick and easy to put on and remove. It also holds the reed as loose or as tight you want. Definitely well worth the money..
This intro banter between good guy/bad guy was the funniest segment you have produced yet. Almost got in trouble laughing out loud watching at work on my lunch break. You so help me be content with modest equipment and focus instead on playing well and expressing emotion meaningfully. You are a gifted teacher. I so look forward to each of your weekly releases. Thanks.
I was just about to drop some serious cash on a new ligature after falling for all the crap I’ve heard. Then I dropped by your channel to see if you had a video on ligatures. Thanks for saving me a heap of money!
Chapeau for telling the truth!!! I am a professional classical player, in 22 years since I am playing a Saxophone I have owned 5 ligatures in total for alto,soprano and tenor. Every time some of my professional colleagues would tell me about the great sound or response of the xy ligature I am shocked . The points for a good ligature you brought here are absolutely the most and only ones which should be considered when getting a ligature. Thank you for speaking the truth and making clear what a ligatures purpose is in the construction of saxophone.
Everyone always puts the cheap/default 2 screw one that comes with beginner instruments on upside-down. They think the hole in it is supposed to match the symbol on the mouth piece, when it's actually made so you can see that the ligature is on the center of the reed. Got this tip from a PhD saxophone player. He does sessional thingies. I knew he was going to say the same thing he said like two years ago. So when my concert band sax players along with many sax players from many schools were waiting for him. I was joking to my friend that his ligature was on upside-down. He was like "No it's not, what are you talking about". I was kinda making myself look like a fool on purpose. Then the PhD guy comes in, says an intro. And the first thing he says "Your ligatures are on upside-down" so all the people who thought I was crazy begins unanimously flipping their ligatures around. It was hilarious, I was laughing so hard.
@@grantkoeller8911 The PhD guys main reason was he thought the default ligatures put more pressure on the reed and makes a better seal. Real solution in my experience is buy a better ligature.
I know this is about clarinet ligatures, I bought loads of ligatures over the years some very expensive, it suddenly dawned on me that all my heroes just used a basic metal ligature and they had amazing tones so I went back to one, it sounded good, still using it today.
So glad to see this post. I've never bought into the hype of all these ligatures. Aside from any ligature that has come with a mp, I've always been fine with a rover for all mps I've played. Its holds the reed much better then many of these more expensive ligatures. Sure some of them may aesthetically look nicer on your particular mp, but many don't hold up there functionality for the price they cost.
I use a strip of two sided velcro. It's grip is soft enough that you can wiggle adjust the reed whenever you want but I can't think of the last time a reed slipped while I was playing. Use the hook side in and start by wrapping around the mouthpiece WITHOUT the reed in place. Slip off, trim off extra velcro and then slip over the reed, pushing down until the reed is held. I use on clarinet, tenor sax and soprano sax. Don't overthink this stuff.
Thanks for a no nonsense review. I have read many advertisements for clarinet ligatures and couldn't figure out the physics behind them. Now I know why.
I've tried quite a number of ligatures and I agree with you completely, Jay. I just want one that's not fussy, is durable and will hold my reed on securely. I've decided on the Vandoren Optimum. It does all of those things.
I’m a rovner ligature guy it’s flexible which means it can usually mold it’s shape to fit any mouthpiece corresponding sax’s mouthpiece snuggly for the most part.
For maximum efficiency of air pressure in initiating the standing wave place the lig at the center of mass of the piece. Higher mass and minimum contact area with the barrel will also increase efficiency. The Rovner leather lig dampens the standing wave oscillator (mouthpiece) preventing higher frequency resonance and constraining the dynamic frequency range of each tone. For some like Kamasi or that guy from the Revivalists who play metal pieces this is desirable although less efficient
I play with François Louis silver. It might not be what some shops advertise it as, but it was worth every penny. The producer is a very polite and honest man who helped me all the way through trying to get one where I live (they don't sell them here). He was responsive and did not try to sell me anything at any point. He suggested I try different options given the difficulty of getting one of his ligatures, and he was genuinely thankful that I've managed to support his work. My teacher is from the States and came with 2 François Louis ligatures (an earlier design and the current one, both brass), and I liked the ease of use, the fact that they let one see the underlying mouthpiece and reed and that they seemed durable and able to fit many different mouthpieces (the one-fit-all mouthpiece cap they come with is a boon too). The choice of material was purely aesthetic for me as well: I just prefer silver, and I don't buy into the myths of how material supposedly affects sound (even when it comes to reeds and mouthpieces). Never had any problems with the mouthpiece table (neither Otto Link nor 10MFAN). To each their own, I guess. I fully disassemble the horn after playing and never puth the mouthpiece on after the reed and ligature have been attached to it.
Hey Better Sax! I recently have been considering trying out the soprano saxophone, and I've been playing the Alto for a few years now. Do you have any suggestions for soprano saxophones under $1000 (USD)? Also, I noticed that soprano saxophones are extremely expensive, so if $1000 isn't enough to buy a decent saxophone, do you you have any suggestions for a decent soprano?
@@jjy135 Id say that a used soprano would be alot easier to find for under $1000. I have a used alto that i got from Craigs list for $500 that works great. just make sure the used instrument is in great condition. it will be harder to find a new soprano for under 1000. its hard to find any new sax for under 1000
@@jjy135 I would recommend Yamaha. And to tell if its in good shape, tell the person selling it to you on craigs list to let you play on it im front of the seller before the final purchase. If you get it off of Amazon, look at all the images and look at the description to see the if its in good condition.
If you have to tighten it so hard that it leaves marks on the reed, then it is not gripping the mouthpiece well. A lot of my ligatures need to be over tightened to avoid slipping when I turn the mouthpiece to adjust position or intonation. That's why I love the BG Duo lig.
Same crap guitarists tell themselves when wood species come up - "I can hear it!" Also the "this brand of sax has these aural characteristics" is b.s. with all the possible variables in any sax.
Greatest discussion ever on ligatures! I stopped buying the "next best" lig sooner than you did, apparently. The only thing I notice is a slightly brighter tone with metal over leather - or maybe I just play the altissimo better with a metal lig. The other thing is that I can't use the Otto Link lig, because the reed twists when I tighten it up!
I have to admit, I've been swayed by the overpriced ligature market. I currently play on Saxxas ligatures on both my alto and tenor, and they're not cheap at over $100 a piece. It started with the Winslow lig back in the early 90's. I just liked the feel of the way they let the reed and mouthpiece vibrate. Could I get the same feel from a cheaper lig? Probably, but I have tried a few others, and I prefer the Winslow style lig, and what it does for my sound. But I have to say, the 10K Gold Silverstein Maestro lig is the biggest boondoggle of a ligature I have ever seen in my life. It's a total prestige ligature at over $1000. It would be something Dave Koz, Kenny G, or maybe the principal clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic could afford to spend, but for the average musician,.....c'mon, man. As a capitalist, I have to applaud Silverstein for having the brass juevos to even have the audacity to charge such an amount for a such a small item. Then again, I paid $60 bucks for a mass screw. A SCREW that holds my sax neck in place! But it worked! I did an A-B comparison, and the mass screw worked hands down, and I bought the screw on the spot. So, Silverstein, more power to ya!
great video. i use the rovner tenor ligature on my baritone syos mouthpiece, works absolutely great. before this i used the BG leather lig with the 2 metal ridges, but that started to slip/loosen up after a couple of years.
Red cars do go faster, but that's more about the attitude of the driver who thinks he's more important that the rest of us. Ligatures? What's wrong with the 2 screw ones? If you are sensitive to the torque you can make minor adjustments as you go. El cheapo works for me. An expensive one won't help if you don't do the long note tone practice. Thanks for a great video.
Yeah man: i need that rounder sound! I can only get round sound with the round-sound lig...!!! HAH! Awesome post. But for the record: blue cars are really slower than red cars. Just sayin.... ;-)
I love the humor Jay. Finally an honest opinion of the effect on tone. I can't hear a difference either; at least not enough to change from the ligature that came with the mouthpiece (Otto Link STM).
The ligatures that come with the Otto Link Metal mouthpieces aren't the best at holding the reed on... The Selmer three band ones you can see in this video are nice for those.
Great info Jay! I never thought that much about my ligature just thinking that the one that comes with the mouthpiece is the one to be using. This was really helpful, thanks for the this segment.
Yup its like that. I think I might have a couple you don't, but agree 100% with you. BTW, take the FL lig and use it upside down, after burnishing the edges on the plate. I'm sure the plate is a stamped part. You'll like the FL even more. The trick engages those little tubes right on the reed. A goto setup on my DV and other metals.
By the way... about those fancy silverstens. You just can use string ligature, just piece of twine as old school clarinet players does! I was try it once. Has same effect))) I'm using this some times on my rubber tenor Larsen and it feels and sounds very similar but it takes time to put it on which is annoying but my point is that you don't need to spend 250$ for piece of string... And again great video!!! Very inspiring and helpful stuff as every time!
![BOWKYLION - วิงวอน (ex-change) [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/cLdnZWDaO-w/mqdefault.jpg)
Why ligatures matter: it’s hard to keep the reed in place without one!
lmao
True!
Can relate, I brought home a bad ligature that won't catch on the screws, so my bari sax is kinda more difficult to practice
I have had to borrow a hair tie and a rubber band once. Terrible day but the audience did no know otherwise.
I used a hair tie once.
I mean, obviously a red car goes faster than a car of any other colour.
+15 horsepower right there
+10 hp for racing stripes
A very elegant man has a terrible car crash with his red Ferrari. He gets out of the car, looks at the car and shouts: "OMG! My Ferrari!"
Another man pops up and tells him:"Sir, you miss an arm!"
The Ferrari man looks down and shouts: "OMG! My Rolex!"
Stickers 5+ horses power
what about pink bruv?
So that's why my low C goes wawawa; my 35 year old Gigliotti ligature has two screws. The whole time I was thinking it was the light I can see peeking through when the key is closed.
It's honestly probably both
Kenneth Fleming I was only joking. I don’t have light coming through any pads, and I don’t have a wawa on any notes. My old ligature may be outdated, but any bad sounds coming from my horn are from me.
Haha. Funny man.
One screw just makes it harder to tighten the ligature unevenly and have your reed slip when you adjust your mouthpiece. It's basically for convenience, and that happens to be Jay's preference. But I personally use 2 screw ligatures on most of my mouthpieces. Good 2 screw ligatures when tightened properly are just as good as some 1 screw ligatures.
This is why you are one of the most popular sax bloggers and teachers on the internets. You cut right to the chase, and cut out the bullshit, and are entertaining to boot. Keep up the great work!
Thanks...
And you’re pretty hot to boot.
@@f.thomassimpson4110 ah... I'll pass on any comment....lol...good day all
Richard Shane uh, not you. :-)
I am a 72 year old playing in a concert band where all of my colleagues made me feel lower class - since my ligature (which has lasted my life time to date!) is the original one that came with my 57 year old Selmer Mark VI Alto Sax. Thanks for the video, since I will continue to use my antique without prejudice.
Your colleagues suuuuck! ALL of my instruments (four flutes, two piccolos, a clarinet, two tenor saxophones and an alto, my three kids and I are all musical) are Selmers/Bundys!! They're amazingly well-made, and they sound great!!
feather lite I'm 75. I have the same Sax. Silver finnish. Thanks!
I too have a ‘63 Selmer Mark VI Alto, bought new, with the original Mouthpiece and Ligature. I haven’t played since I got out of College but after seeing this site and subscribing, have decided to start playing again. My thanks to JM.
Seriously? If it works, what say anyone?
the original selmer ligatures are actually one of the best. Not kidding, they are seriously good.
Man my sides hurt. Its like when producers would ask for a different bass tone and I fake-flipped a switch and played with my nails until they walked off. They always swore that was they tone the wanted. You rock Jay!
Thanks Derrick.
Stan Getz could use duct tape instead of a ligature and nobody would notice the difference in the sound
Tell my old director that xD
You win the funniest comment award for the day .... well, my day. Thank you!!!!
As I commented elsewhere, I was sitting next to a saxophonist once who used a rubber band for a ligature. If it works, it works.
i had to use tape last year for half of the year because we didn’t have another ligature for me💀
I recall playing the sax as a beginner with my grandpa - I forgot my ligature, so he gave me his and he used a hose clamp. Made no difference whatsoever.
I learned half of the stuff I know from this channel
Frpm Kaj to Jay: You know a lot, and you talk a lot, too much talk and too little showing in closeup
on the items you are talking about! When you hold a ligature, half hidden by your hand and in front
of your face, in the size of your baird, how can I get any good impression of the thing!!? Rather, take
picture of the thing so it occupies at least half of the area of the picture, so that we can see the details!
Yours is a one man job, I imagine; Why not take help of another curious cameraman, who is eager to
make the pictures ”talk” of what you say?
WeAll love your programmes, but show and play more and talk less, is my humble wish!
d
@@kajstridell9306 english at its finest
Ordinary Videos maby thats why you still shit
Fr
Amen
This guy is the “Bob Ross” of sax videos. I’m going to subscribe and I haven’t picked up a sax since I was 14yrs old. I’m 40, now lol
Pick one up, Chris. :)
Biter done, Chris!
Hope you got your saxophone out!
I went to the outdoor shop a Christmas and got two bucks in my case. whats great is little kids that have never seen a horn in real life.
Very cool and informative, sax brother. Makes me feel okay that I CANNOT HEAR THE DIFFERENCE between ligatures! 😊
Thanks bro
It changes the feel of playing, but tone-wise, it’s always seemed like a placebo effect to me. One of my favorites is a piece of cheap 8 inch long Velcro.
5:00 "The colour of your car will make it go faster" It is true, that if you paint your car with racing stripes you get atleast twenty more horse power. That's just a fact.
If you put flames on it its +25 horsepower
@@asuchri No... You lose 25 horse power if you put flames on it. Flames makes the car annoyingly noisy like ricers.
@@MegaMech sure ill agree, but adding a spoiler to your car adds 100k horsepower easily.
Same way with having a red mountain bike makes it go faster.
Maybe could have said: Whore power, attracts them like bees to honey
What type of hat do i NEED to sound like Stan Getz ?
It depends if you’re playing bossa nova or bebop - they require different hats 😉
That's a whole other video...
That's not the hat but rather specific underwear that will change the way you sound. That's actually the hardest part to figure out: you can glance at the Stan's mouthpiece or ligature but his underwear or his socks... not everyone can figure that out but once you do... wow! - The sky is the limit for you in saxophone playing!
Everything in life is a compromise. Underwear thst lets you get the mellow bass subtones won't work for altissimo . Conversely underwear that helps with altissimo puts you at risk for a hospital stay.
What does everyone think about a Sherlock Holmes deerstalker cap ?
The new clone-lig.. they took a cast of Stan's lips and molded into real life like Getz lips to place over your own with included $3.59 ligature made in Taiwan Walmart factory
I'm 60 years old, and have been playing saxophone for 50 years, 44 years professionally. 23 years with USAF BANDS. I went through a 10 year phase were I used hand tied string, and it really is wonderful! Like a Silverstone but even better and way cheaper! Preferred string was nylon boot lace and parachute cord. Today I use on Alto sax a German silver C melody sax ligature. It fits perfectly and looks cool too on my Meyer 7MM. When I was at North Texas Lab Bands I used for lead alto, a Meyer 7MM and now 40 years later I still use a Meyer 7MM,for bebop jazz alto.
Jay, I pretty much enjoy all of your videos, but this is by far, my favorite. Anything that "cuts the crap' is aces with me. Thank you, Sir!
Lots of crap to be cut out there... Thanks.
I have used the BG ligatures on clarinet and sax. My one gripe with the reed cap is that the plastic will crack if dropped. This has happened to 2 of their ligs. that I own. Also like the Rovner Versa, because of the changeable plate and freedom of using metal touching reed or vinyl. This helps with reeds that are not working as well as when I first begin using them. I have the freedom to customize the vibration of the reed.@@bettersax
Loved the switch up for the intro. Great hook.
I love jazz and my favorite instrument is the saxophone, tenor, alto, bass any sax is good with me. I say this to say I subscribed. One day maybe I'll try to learn how to play the saxophone. I'm over 60, I best get started!
Hope you played some saxophone.
Always stay hungry!
I bought a cheap leather ligature on eBay, well artificial leather, and within a week it had stretched too big. So I took out the screw rod and two small bars and fitted them onto a piece of webbing which I glued in place I placed a small piece of cardboard just to support the reed and .well it plays fantastic, I can't believe it!!! magic my sax now sounds like a super pro model and intonation is so easy.
Used my friends hair tie once instead. Sounded the same.
Kitty765 😂😂😂
Felt more free-blowing, right?
@@ethano3099 felt the same except I felt like it was gonna fall off
The ligature that came with my yanagisawa mouthpiece is a 2-screw that BARELY keeps the reed in place when fully tightened- that is until last night. With the ever-so-slightly smaller synthetic reed, it slips. This video came just in time! In for the Kenny G special (through your link!). Thank you!!!!
This beginner kid had a student alto sax, and his ligature would not fit, at all
so I looked at it and I said, this is a clarinet ligature. He looked at me with wide eyes, I handed him an alto ligature, "here kid let's trade". Put his ligature on my clarinet, fits perfectly, and he got one of my best vintage AP&M 2 screw, from the 1960's ....
I have a Rovner with my soprano. Bough it + Yamaha 4C mpc. I only play a couple of times a year but when watching these videos, makes me want to play more frequently. Rovner stays in its place and doesn't scratch my mpc. Also very easy to use and when being flexible 'ribbon', contacts evenly and holds its position. Worth its price, definitely. Thank You for your videos.
Jay, my friend... I just want to say, I've been playing for almost a year now, and I started out watching EVERYone! A few guys, I still keep tabs on, from time to time (and let me just add, there are MANY REALLY good instructors on line), but my time is precious and the videos I always find myself watching are YOURS!
Keep up the GREAT work, my friend! You rock! You're my 'Go-to' guy!
Good to hear Matthew, thanks.
My saxophone teacher has used rubber bands and plumbers clamps when he was in a pinch.!!! I use a Theo Wanne ligature and I’m happy....
I've wanted to start playing the saxophone about 15 years ago now (I'm 23) but I don't come from a very wealthy family so never had the opportunity to actually buy one. I've started watching your videos because I was looking to see if there were any cheap ones that could get me started and found yours on the 270$ alto from amazon and now that I am older and have a job I am extreamly impatient to buy it at the end of the month on my next pay check. Anyway its just to say that I don't have any saxes at home but I've been watching your videos non-stop for two months now and I just want to thank you for making my childhood dream reborn inside of me again and reminding me to go out and live that dream! (Yes my childhood dream was to own a saxophone, always been obsessed with this instrument)
I saw a bass clarinet light comparison on utube....he actually used a shoe string at one point and it worked....also g with a rubber band...... C# or Bb :-)
Old clarinet-like instruments used string, but that's kinda gross to use shoe string. I've used tape before. It sucks
Here is the video: th-cam.com/video/6ghMCiV8hTg/w-d-xo.html
About halfway through the semester, my tenor ligature snapped. I started using rubber bands (or a hair tie in a pinch) and i was so surprised with how natural it sounded that i didn't bother replacing it
Me with a broken, bent ligature with a total worth of $0.25 be like...
25 cents could get you one whole gumball from walmart
I felt that
School instruments be like
just bend it back
Same
Thank you for cutting through all the hype, Jay! I’ve been using a tenor Rovner since I started jamming about 8 years ago, and highly recommend it for the price and functionality. Thanks for making more than one recommendation at different price points!
Thanks David
To some degree I agree with what you’re saying. I do understand however, that the ligature absolutely does have an effect in the vibration of the instrument. Because of this, if the player is sensitive enough to these minute changes, the feeling in the approach is definitely different. If I can feel the “buzz” and vibrations I feel more connected and my sound will surely reflect that
I've been using the 'Kenny G' for a while now, but I still don't my own a gold lamé jumpsuit or aircraft though.
I once dropped my lig during a hurried setup and the drummer stepped backwards onto it. Completely funked! Ended up using a couple of winds of elastoplast. Worked fine. Not a bad gig either.
That's where a Rovner is good.. You can step on it...
If you get enough money and have to buy a plane, try not to tell anybody.
Isn't that kind of a band-aid solution?
I've used $150, $30, $2 ligatures, shoelaces, duct tape, electrical tape, hair ties, and kitchen elastics...as long as it holds the reed in place it's good. The tone comes from the mouthpiece, the reed, the neck, the horn body.....and from YOU. Can't dodge bad technique with overpriced gear.
Thanks for the rundown on ligatures, Jay. I generally use wither a D'Addario H or a Selmer 404 on my metal tenor mouthpiece, D'Addario H on alto, and a Rovner on bari. They work great I've had them for a while.
I love the intro. Omg. Being in music all my life, after growth up, hearing this is hilarious because it's so accurate and we all have met "that person".
Thank you for the simple and accurate explanation of sax. ligatures. I have a Rovner model and the reed never moves once tightened into place. I have tested much more expensive brands and I can not hear the difference, either. Either we are both correct or both tone deaf. I choose to believe the former. Thanks again.
I really like the way you talk. Your studio lighting is on point and I'm digging the real talk. Subscribed.
The way he talks really sounds a lot like Rick Beato
I've been using a Rovner for 13 years, and had no issues at all. It's one screw, it's soft so it doesn't damage anything, and it is grippy so it doesn't slide or move at all. Perfect. Thanks for cutting through the crap.
Director, not player, but a good vid. Drop the one turning green in baking soda and water. It should help. I always found on my trumpets that keeping a little valve oil on the spots that turn green will deter the verdigris.
Recently saw Melissa Aldana in an interview was saying the Silverstein was ideal ( $200+) but then shortly later saw her with a Boston Sax Shop one. It’s nice when people give you stuff for free. I’m so happy you keep it real Jay!
22 years ago today, I've been using the same
ligature...
I recently learned how to wind a wax covered string as a ligature and it's made for much easier blowing. Mouthpiece/reed combinations that used to require a Herculean effort to play can now be played quietly with very little effort.
Company: this ligature will make u sound like a god
Oboist: hold my beer
I always come back to this clip periodically, ALWAYS makes my day!
Thanks for for the very entertaining post. I agree with you to some extend. From my experience I dare to declare that there are ligs that really do affect the sound. Rovners I do not like at all as they seem to dampen the tone. Like you I also like the BG single screw ligs but not only for their efficiency. To my ear the BG really appears to make the sound fuller and rounder. Some ligs do clearly affect the tone by adding some brightness like the old Bonade inverted and a solid brass ring slide on lig that I found cheap on Ebay. I occasionally play a bronze Berg Larsen and with its original 2 screw lig it sounds OK but when I put on a old Runyon 1-screw lig the tone appears to get extra depth and dimension. Well, maybe the Berg lig just sucks but just saying there can be a difference made in tone.
I also experimented with tie ribs (the cheapest ligs on the market) and you will be suprised what difference it makes. It is a pain to position it on and off though.
It is fun to experiment with all kind of vintage cheapo 2-scew and 1-screw ligs. But I would suggest to avoid the expensive boutique ones. They are just eye candy and too much money for too little difference in tone if at all.
I love the intro, because it is soooooo true. I played a Rovner for years and it does exactly what it needs to. Then I got sucked into "upgrading" my ligature. Yes, the Francois Louis Ultimate plays a little lighter and the Vandoren Optimum is more powerful, but if there are differences, I'm the only one who notices.
When I was first starting out at alto sax in band, I barely tightened it and my reed shot out:
this vid was amazing!!! i had trouble with the sound of my sax and i kept thinking it was how i was playing. then i watched this and got a new ligature. it has improved the sound sooo much
My friend's grandpa has a massive ligature collection. (I mean, also saxophone stuff in general, but the ligatures are the ones that he has the most of.) My Tenor (when I still played it) sounded 10x better when I tried on one of his Jazz ligatures, and he said this year for jazz band he will let me borrow one of his Bari jazz ligatures. 👌
I use vandoren mo on my clarinet it's great. It has guide rails that fit round the reed and its quick and easy to put on and remove. It also holds the reed as loose or as tight you want. Definitely well worth the money..
My side hurts from the awesomeness of this video!!!! Thanks Jay!
I'm glad someone appreciates my sense of humor. thanks.
This intro banter between good guy/bad guy was the funniest segment you have produced yet. Almost got in trouble laughing out loud watching at work on my lunch break. You so help me be content with modest equipment and focus instead on playing well and expressing emotion meaningfully. You are a gifted teacher. I so look forward to each of your weekly releases. Thanks.
I was just about to drop some serious cash on a new ligature after falling for all the crap I’ve heard. Then I dropped by your channel to see if you had a video on ligatures. Thanks for saving me a heap of money!
Chapeau for telling the truth!!! I am a professional classical player, in 22 years since I am playing a Saxophone I have owned 5 ligatures in total for alto,soprano and tenor. Every time some of my professional colleagues would tell me about the great sound or response of the xy ligature I am shocked . The points for a good ligature you brought here are absolutely the most and only ones which should be considered when getting a ligature. Thank you for speaking the truth and making clear what a ligatures purpose is in the construction of saxophone.
Everyone always puts the cheap/default 2 screw one that comes with beginner instruments on upside-down. They think the hole in it is supposed to match the symbol on the mouth piece, when it's actually made so you can see that the ligature is on the center of the reed. Got this tip from a PhD saxophone player. He does sessional thingies. I knew he was going to say the same thing he said like two years ago. So when my concert band sax players along with many sax players from many schools were waiting for him. I was joking to my friend that his ligature was on upside-down. He was like "No it's not, what are you talking about". I was kinda making myself look like a fool on purpose. Then the PhD guy comes in, says an intro. And the first thing he says "Your ligatures are on upside-down" so all the people who thought I was crazy begins unanimously flipping their ligatures around. It was hilarious, I was laughing so hard.
MegaMech idk man it seems to fit better upside down for some reason
The ligature can be put on the mouthpiece 12 o'clock, 6 o'clock and also 3 and 9 oclock
@@grantkoeller8911 The PhD guys main reason was he thought the default ligatures put more pressure on the reed and makes a better seal. Real solution in my experience is buy a better ligature.
I know this is about clarinet ligatures, I bought loads of ligatures over the years some very expensive, it suddenly dawned on me that all my heroes just used a basic metal ligature and they had amazing tones so I went back to one, it sounded good, still using it today.
*Just want to say, Thank You for your videos*
Thank you for the comment.
2yrs later and STILL one of my most favorite videos! So great.
This is the best and funniest video, especially the introduction part! You made my day!
So glad to see this post. I've never bought into the hype of all these ligatures. Aside from any ligature that has come with a mp, I've always been fine with a rover for all mps I've played. Its holds the reed much better then many of these more expensive ligatures. Sure some of them may aesthetically look nicer on your particular mp, but many don't hold up there functionality for the price they cost.
when im playing one of ny schools saxes:
*ligature moves and the reed shifts out of place after one scale*
Tighten screw
I use a strip of two sided velcro. It's grip is soft enough that you can wiggle adjust the reed whenever you want but I can't think of the last time a reed slipped while I was playing. Use the hook side in and start by wrapping around the mouthpiece WITHOUT the reed in place. Slip off, trim off extra velcro and then slip over the reed, pushing down until the reed is held. I use on clarinet, tenor sax and soprano sax. Don't overthink this stuff.
I like the way you cut through the BS. Almost Shakesperean! LoL.
Thanks for a no nonsense review. I have read many advertisements for clarinet ligatures and couldn't figure out the physics behind them. Now I know why.
Another good sensible take on marketing BS... Top lad🎷👍💣
I've tried quite a number of ligatures and I agree with you completely, Jay. I just want one that's not fussy, is durable and will hold my reed on securely. I've decided on the Vandoren Optimum. It does all of those things.
I have three of those for various mouthpieces. They are very solid. I don't mess around with the plates though.
Jay, great video again..! So clear, so true. Your videos make me feel better. Thank you again
Thanks Paolo.
I’m a rovner ligature guy it’s flexible which means it can usually mold it’s shape to fit any mouthpiece corresponding sax’s mouthpiece snuggly for the most part.
For maximum efficiency of air pressure in initiating the standing wave place the lig at the center of mass of the piece. Higher mass and minimum contact area with the barrel will also increase efficiency. The Rovner leather lig dampens the standing wave oscillator (mouthpiece) preventing higher frequency resonance and constraining the dynamic frequency range of each tone. For some like Kamasi or that guy from the Revivalists who play metal pieces this is desirable although less efficient
I play with François Louis silver. It might not be what some shops advertise it as, but it was worth every penny. The producer is a very polite and honest man who helped me all the way through trying to get one where I live (they don't sell them here). He was responsive and did not try to sell me anything at any point. He suggested I try different options given the difficulty of getting one of his ligatures, and he was genuinely thankful that I've managed to support his work.
My teacher is from the States and came with 2 François Louis ligatures (an earlier design and the current one, both brass), and I liked the ease of use, the fact that they let one see the underlying mouthpiece and reed and that they seemed durable and able to fit many different mouthpieces (the one-fit-all mouthpiece cap they come with is a boon too). The choice of material was purely aesthetic for me as well: I just prefer silver, and I don't buy into the myths of how material supposedly affects sound (even when it comes to reeds and mouthpieces).
Never had any problems with the mouthpiece table (neither Otto Link nor 10MFAN).
To each their own, I guess. I fully disassemble the horn after playing and never puth the mouthpiece on after the reed and ligature have been attached to it.
“All the best sax players on instagram use this”
I'm glad that you are bringing stuff like this to light and to stop the nonsense.
Hey Better Sax!
I recently have been considering trying out the soprano saxophone, and I've been playing the Alto for a few years now. Do you have any suggestions for soprano saxophones under $1000 (USD)?
Also, I noticed that soprano saxophones are extremely expensive, so if $1000 isn't enough to buy a decent saxophone, do you you have any suggestions for a decent soprano?
look on amazon and craigs list
@@zachc9532 Used or new?
@@jjy135 Id say that a used soprano would be alot easier to find for under $1000. I have a used alto that i got from Craigs list for $500 that works great. just make sure the used instrument is in great condition. it will be harder to find a new soprano for under 1000. its hard to find any new sax for under 1000
@@zachc9532 What brands would you recommend? Also, how can you tell if it's in good condition?
@@jjy135 I would recommend Yamaha. And to tell if its in good shape, tell the person selling it to you on craigs list to let you play on it im front of the seller before the final purchase. If you get it off of Amazon, look at all the images and look at the description to see the if its in good condition.
I often use a cut-off zip-tie with melted lock, especially on soprano. Superfast to mount, blends with HR mouthpieces and holds perfectly.
Would you consider it bad if your ligature puts depressions in the reed?
It means your tightening your ligature too hard or you just have some sharp ass ligatures
If you have to tighten it so hard that it leaves marks on the reed, then it is not gripping the mouthpiece well. A lot of my ligatures need to be over tightened to avoid slipping when I turn the mouthpiece to adjust position or intonation. That's why I love the BG Duo lig.
This video definitely saved a whole bunch of people a whole lot of money. Thanks for looking out for the community.
Same crap guitarists tell themselves when wood species come up - "I can hear it!" Also the "this brand of sax has these aural characteristics" is b.s. with all the possible variables in any sax.
The Selmer Magnatone is one of the greatest, I learned this when Ralph Morgan handed me one, and I thought wow this is a killer slip on ligature!!!
Jay I was laughing my behind off with this one. Reminded me of my youth and early adulthood.
Glad it made you laugh...
I don’t even play a Saxophone I play clarinet and trumpet I found your channel a while back but I just like your style keep up the good work!
I love this video! The ligature doesn't contact the vibrating column of air, so how could it possibly affect the timbre?
This sounds like something you should study!
Greatest discussion ever on ligatures! I stopped buying the "next best" lig sooner than you did, apparently. The only thing I notice is a slightly brighter tone with metal over leather - or maybe I just play the altissimo better with a metal lig. The other thing is that I can't use the Otto Link lig, because the reed twists when I tighten it up!
I have to admit, I've been swayed by the overpriced ligature market. I currently play on Saxxas ligatures on both my alto and tenor, and they're not cheap at over $100 a piece. It started with the Winslow lig back in the early 90's. I just liked the feel of the way they let the reed and mouthpiece vibrate. Could I get the same feel from a cheaper lig? Probably, but I have tried a few others, and I prefer the Winslow style lig, and what it does for my sound. But I have to say, the 10K Gold Silverstein Maestro lig is the biggest boondoggle of a ligature I have ever seen in my life. It's a total prestige ligature at over $1000. It would be something Dave Koz, Kenny G, or maybe the principal clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic could afford to spend, but for the average musician,.....c'mon, man. As a capitalist, I have to applaud Silverstein for having the brass juevos to even have the audacity to charge such an amount for a such a small item. Then again, I paid $60 bucks for a mass screw. A SCREW that holds my sax neck in place! But it worked! I did an A-B comparison, and the mass screw worked hands down, and I bought the screw on the spot. So, Silverstein, more power to ya!
Thanks, nothing really new for me, but a confirmation of years of playing sax and clarinet. Spot on.
great video. i use the rovner tenor ligature on my baritone syos mouthpiece, works absolutely great. before this i used the BG leather lig with the 2 metal ridges, but that started to slip/loosen up after a couple of years.
The Rovners are very versatile.. Great value.
Red cars do go faster, but that's more about the attitude of the driver who thinks he's more important that the rest of us. Ligatures? What's wrong with the 2 screw ones? If you are sensitive to the torque you can make minor adjustments as you go. El cheapo works for me. An expensive one won't help if you don't do the long note tone practice. Thanks for a great video.
“unbelievable blowing ease”
I had wondered if anyone would ever actually produce a video explaining the only important function of a ligature. Glad someone finally did.
Yeah man: i need that rounder sound! I can only get round sound with the round-sound lig...!!! HAH! Awesome post. But for the record: blue cars are really slower than red cars. Just sayin.... ;-)
I love the humor Jay. Finally an honest opinion of the effect on tone. I can't hear a difference either; at least not enough to change from the ligature that came with the mouthpiece (Otto Link STM).
The ligatures that come with the Otto Link Metal mouthpieces aren't the best at holding the reed on... The Selmer three band ones you can see in this video are nice for those.
I now have motivation to become a great saxophone player so I can get famous for using a radiator hose clamp as a ligature.
Lol
Great info Jay! I never thought that much about my ligature just thinking that the one that comes with the mouthpiece is the one to be using. This was really helpful, thanks for the this segment.
This cracked me up. All so true.
I just started saxophone and this channel has been a huge help. Thank You
Thanks for watching
Thanks for making great videos
Coloca a legenda em português.um grande abraço...
I have two alto ligatures both under$20 both work on alto sax and clarinet excellently
You Rock!!! You just made my day🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣!!
I like the 'band' style ones, they don't get bent if you sit on it, they fit almost any mouthpiece.
once i forgot my ligature at school so i just used a rubber band
Psyche lol yeah it doesn’t change sounds much, like it doesn’t sound as good but na
Psyche sounded the same lol
Yup its like that. I think I might have a couple you don't, but agree 100% with you. BTW, take the FL lig and use it upside down, after burnishing the edges on the plate. I'm sure the plate is a stamped part. You'll like the FL even more. The trick engages those little tubes right on the reed. A goto setup on my DV and other metals.
I have a cheap-o two screw one 😂
Benny Goodman used a 2 screw
By the way... about those fancy silverstens. You just can use string ligature, just piece of twine as old school clarinet players does! I was try it once. Has same effect))) I'm using this some times on my rubber tenor Larsen and it feels and sounds very similar but it takes time to put it on which is annoying but my point is that you don't need to spend 250$ for piece of string...
And again great video!!! Very inspiring and helpful stuff as every time!