Squeeze gently to close down the neck octave mechanism. Put both of your thumbs under the “U” bend on the neck octave mechanism and your first two fingers on the top of it up near the neck pad. Gently squeeze the neck octave mechanism to slightly make it less of a “C” shape.
Vibrato Exercise
- Start a metronome at 60 bpm.
- Play B (1st finger left hand lower register)
- Over a count of 4, slacken your jaw so that the note flattens by approximately half a semitone.
- Over a count of 4, raise your jaw until the note is back at pitch.
- Stop the note.
Best Sellers in Alto Saxophones Mouthpieces
- #1.
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- Onown 40 Pieces Alto/Tenor Saxophone and Clarinet Mouthpiece Cushion Food-Grade Sax…
The tenor sax is slightly larger and heavier, while the alto sax is smaller, lighter, and more easily managed than a tenor. Since the alto sax is smaller, its notes are higher and brighter than those of the tenor sax. The tenor sax produces a mellow, rich, and deep sound.
Below is the saxophone fingering chart. Whether you play an alto saxophone, tenor saxophone or any others, the range is the same for all saxophone, therefor, the saxophone fingering chart shown below applies to every type of saxophone. The lowest note is B flat and goes up 2 and one half octaves to the top F.
Sometimes you will get a dud reed. It's hard to control, it sounds weird, it is a battle to play. If after two or three total playing hours you are still battling, throw it away and try another one.
You may still be wondering, “Is saxophone hard to learn?” The truth is, certain people will have an easier time learning the saxophone than others. One of the biggest challenges of the saxophone is that it's not an instantly gratifying instrument. It takes a lot of time and effort to develop good tone quality.
Many people don't know that there are many types of saxes. The most commonly-played today are the soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones. Two types of saxophones—baritone and contrabass—have something else in common with brass instruments. Like trumpets and trombones, they have a spit valve.
Yamaha Alto Sax mouthpieces are designed to produce a well-balanced tone with all the flexibility the player requires. The 4C has a moderately narrow sized tip opening for easy response and clear tone, and the 5C has a moderate sized tip opening allows for greater volume and projection and a rich tone quality.
The thickness of the reed will affect the tone and how easy or difficult the instrument is to play. In general, a thinner reed, say 2 or 2.5, will have a brighter tone. Reeds with a thickness of 4 or 5 are harder and thus require more skill to sound, but the tone is fatter, bigger, and warmer.
Saxophone Repair
| SAXOPHONES | Average for Playing Condition | *Repad |
|---|
| Student B Flat Soprano | $80.00 | $490.00 |
| E Flat Alto | $80.00 | $490.00 |
| B Flat Tenor/ C Melody | $90.00 | $500.00 |
| E Flat Baritone** | $125.00 | $630.00 |
The pads on a saxophone do not wear at the same rate. A few pads tend to wear out much faster because of their position. Getting Key Leaves can help keep the pads good for a longer period of time. if you take care of your instrument you can change pads only one time per 10 years.
Dents to the neck, or dents that effect the tone holes can cause problem. Dents to the neck can effect the pitch and intonation because of the small diameter of the neck. Dents in the bow and bell typically have very little effect on the sound or intonation; they just look terrible.
Individual Services for Saxophone:
| Neckcork | $25.00 | |
|---|
| Pads | $10.00-$30.00 each depending on size and type | $25.00 |
| Solder keys (soft) | $15.00 (w/spot lacquer add $10.00) | $25.00 |
| Replace water key cork (bari) | $6.00 | $8.00 |
| Replace blue needle springs | $9.00 each | $10.00 minimum repair |
My saxophone is only playing high notes, without the octave key. If it is an alto sax or a tenor sax, check the octave mechanism on the neckpiece. The screw may be loose. If this is the case, tighten it firmly and all should be well.
Using a cloth soaked in warm, soapy water, clean the outside of the mouthpiece. Use a mouthpiece brush and warm, soapy water to clean the inside. Rinse the mouthpiece and dry thoroughly. Sterisol germicide solution may be used on the mouthpiece at this time.
It's one of those easy to learn, hard to master instruments. The trumpet is a little harder to learn, but I feel that the satisfaction of picking up the saxophone fast will benefit you in your interest to jazz. The trumpet will be easier on the wallet, but the sax is easier to pick up and play.
The saxophone is freakin' LOUD.No matter how you slice it, there is very little that can be done in the way of insulating those who share walls with us from the relentlessly penetrating acoustics of the saxophone.
Which Instrument Translates To Other Instruments Better: Definitely the Saxophone. The trumpet is a specific high-pitched embouchure that translates most easily to the baritone, but it's very difficult to translate the finicky embouchure to play trombone and trumpet or other low brass.
Saxophones aren't much louder than 100 decibels, maybe an Otto Link metal 9 might get you up to 105 decibels if you play triple forte. Adults can take 90 decibels for up to 8 hours safely.
However, while it can change the rendition, bear in mind that saxophones are generally loud, and so you may still hear a 'loud' sound at the end of the day. If you have been playing the saxophone for quite some time and you feel the need to play more noiselessly, a Mowind mute will do just fine.
Both alto and tenor will be loudish in the hands of a beginner - you will be able to play quieter once you have been playing a while. Tenor is probably louder, in part due to its bigger physical size.
