Close facing mouthpieces are definitely the way to go. All of the great players of the past used them , had beautiful ringing sounds that projected even in soft dynamics
Mmm - yes it is unusual for a close facing to have a rich warm sound. The wider the facing the more the reed can move, but it requires more effort to control it. I'm a sax specialist, and I'll admit they are different beasts, but I've never heard anyone create a big sound with a close lay. Easier to control? Certainly, but a wider lay, a thicker reed, and years of embouchure development and technique help create a powerful sound.
Like you say...they are different beasts. Check out Harold Wright, Stanley Drucker, Anthony Gigliotti, Donald Montanaro, Robert Marcellus, Daniel Bonade, Ralph McLane...all of the greats of the orchestral American sound. They ALL played on very close mouthpieces, and they had the biggest sounds of all time. Sax is a conical instrument, as opposed to a closed cylinder. The physics are so different, and there's so much that doesn't translate. Especially on tenor or bari... you're right, I've never heard anyone get a big sound with a close lay. But how would you feel if I started to recommend that saxophone players play on a Vandoren #5 blue box reed? You would feel insulted, right? Just because it works for one instrument, doesn't mean it works for others.
The biggest sounds in the clarinet, actually are achieved with close facing mouthpieces, because added to the immediate response and ease of articulation (which is not always the case, because this also depends on the baffle, the curve and the width of the rails - and obviusly the reed), due to the restrictive nature of the amount of air you can introduce, it "forces" the musician to produce greater internal resonance (which ends up "turning on" the sound). On the other hand, something that is not said much, is that closed mouthpieces allow, in combination with good reeds, to produce "full" pianisimos, that is with harmonics that allow the sound to be projected, keeping the timbre and tuning better, and without to produce subtone
@@DaleFedeleI wouldn't say they had big sound, compare them to Steve Williamson and Chris Pell, from Chicago and Cincinnati Symphonies.They have the biggest sounds ever and play on very open and resistant setups.
Close facing mouthpieces are definitely the way to go. All of the great players of the past used them , had beautiful ringing sounds that projected even in soft dynamics
Thank You.
Talk < demonstration
I have found I prefer open face. X25e is amazing.
Yes. I like that one a lot as well. I pretty much can play on them all almost with equality of desire. Too many decisions
Mmm - yes it is unusual for a close facing to have a rich warm sound. The wider the facing the more the reed can move, but it requires more effort to control it. I'm a sax specialist, and I'll admit they are different beasts, but I've never heard anyone create a big sound with a close lay. Easier to control? Certainly, but a wider lay, a thicker reed, and years of embouchure development and technique help create a powerful sound.
Like you say...they are different beasts. Check out Harold Wright, Stanley Drucker, Anthony Gigliotti, Donald Montanaro, Robert Marcellus, Daniel Bonade, Ralph McLane...all of the greats of the orchestral American sound. They ALL played on very close mouthpieces, and they had the biggest sounds of all time.
Sax is a conical instrument, as opposed to a closed cylinder. The physics are so different, and there's so much that doesn't translate. Especially on tenor or bari... you're right, I've never heard anyone get a big sound with a close lay.
But how would you feel if I started to recommend that saxophone players play on a Vandoren #5 blue box reed? You would feel insulted, right? Just because it works for one instrument, doesn't mean it works for others.
The biggest sounds in the clarinet, actually are achieved with close facing mouthpieces, because added to the immediate response and ease of articulation (which is not always the case, because this also depends on the baffle, the curve and the width of the rails - and obviusly the reed), due to the restrictive nature of the amount of air you can introduce, it "forces" the musician to produce greater internal resonance (which ends up "turning on" the sound). On the other hand, something that is not said much, is that closed mouthpieces allow, in combination with good reeds, to produce "full" pianisimos, that is with harmonics that allow the sound to be projected, keeping the timbre and tuning better, and without to produce subtone
@@DaleFedeleI wouldn't say they had big sound, compare them to Steve Williamson and Chris Pell, from Chicago and Cincinnati Symphonies.They have the biggest sounds ever and play on very open and resistant setups.
@@thelookingcat My issue with virtually every player today: when at pianissimo, the sound gets smaller.