Sax Reeds
Sax Reeds
Sax Reeds - Choosing the Right One
Sax reeds are a key part of the instrument because they are responsible for making the air vibrate, which is the way sounds are emitted from a saxophone. In truth, reed choice ultimately is a matter of individual taste or preference. However, there are a few tips that can be considered and kept in mind when shopping for them in order to get the best possible quality. The article below seeks to provide you with a few of those pointers.
First of all, if the music store will permit you to do so, always perform a physical assessment of the reed before buying it. After all, this part of the instrument is relatively expensive so you would want to make sure that you get the best one possible.
As you do your detailed search of the sax reeds, keep an eye out for any cracks or holes, as well as discoloration in the wood grain. You should not buy reeds with any of these characteristics. Also, look at the wood grain and make sure that it is not rough, is consistent in width or symmetrical. While a slight curve in the reed is generally acceptable, it should be limited.
The strength is another important consideration when purchasing a reed for your saxophone. Most people believe that as you progress in terms of your skill on the sax, so should you work up to the harder reeds. However, this is not always the case for everyone. The general rule of thumb is that the reed you choose should fit according to the mouthpiece on your saxophone. Mouthpieces with wide openings or shorter lays often work best with softer reeds. On the other hand, mouthpieces with narrower tip openings or longer facings can have tougher reeds.
Also keep in mind that a lot of the decision on how strong your reed should be depends on the type of music you play. Most classical players opt for harder or medium soft reeds. If you're a beginner, however, it is always best to start with the softest reed available.
Lastly, as is with almost all products, choosing the right brand is also very important. Most professionals opt for sax reeds that are manufactured by Alexander Supoerials, Rico Plasticover, La Voz, Hemke, and Vandoren. All these brands are in the middle price range, where in truth, the highest quality reeds are often from.
Following the aforementioned tips should get you on the right track to picking the best reed possible for your saxophone. But do keep in mind that because, as mentioned earlier, reeds are highly a matter of personal preference, it might take a little bit of time and an equal amount of trial and error before you finally pick the one that works best for you.
About the Author
You may want to learn more about the saxophone through a sax video or get some tips on its handling, learn more about its history, or even improve your own playing. Visit http://saxvideo.org for all this useful information.
Raffy Chan is a writer and internet enthusiast, based in California. He enjoys doing research, writing, and website/s creation. He is the originator of the QuidErgo Group: a community of professionals, authors, artists and computer enthusiasts who come together with the common aim of communicating with the online world.
Unfiled vs. Filed and Soft vs. Hard alto sax reeds?
I recently bought a box of Rico Select Jazz Unfiled 3M alto sax reeds. I hear a lot of stuff about unfiled and filed reeds but none of them seem to get to the point. What is the difference between filed and unfiled reeds and what will the sound sound like with both and what is the difference between hard and soft alto sax reeds and what will the sound sound like with both?
The filed reeds give better response. I haven't noticed a difference in sound, just Resistance. The hardness of your reed doesn't make a difference in your sound. It might sound a little bit darker if your using hard reeds. The biggest difference in your sound is going to come from your mouthpiece and embouchure.
Sax Reeds
Saxophone Reeds
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Reeds $6.99 Julia Bailey Reeds - Art Print |
Sax Video - Learning Saxophone Techniques
The saxophone has become a common instrument used in many genres of music, mainly jazz. The rich, resonating tone that emanates from the sax is pleasing to hear and affords any musical piece a bridge between the woodwind and brass instruments, completing the song or melody. In truth, the sax was created to do just that. Adolphe Sax, its inventor, wanted to develop an instrument that would be the most powerful vocal of the woodwinds and the most adaptive of the brass and hoped that it would fill the then vacant middle ground between the two sections.
Since its creation in 1841, the sax has become very popular and has also been widely used in big bands, popular music, rock and roll, and the blues. Today, musicians continue to try to learn it. And thanks to the advancement of technology, learning it has become easier as lessons that are made available on the Internet, through a print out or sax video, are highly accessible. It is through these resources that any saxophone player can learn the various techniques that can be played on a sax in order to create different sounds. Listed in the following paragraphs are a few of those said methods.
Slap Tonguing. This sax technique is said to date back to at least the late 1920s and has been in use until today by contemporary artists. This is one of the more difficult sounds to produce on the instrument compared to others as it usually takes some time, patience, and a lot of practice to develop.
The way to do it is to lay your tongue against the reed so that its tip and rail are closed. There should be very little air left in your mouth so when you seal it off with your lips it makes a very tight fit. You should then release your tongue downwards, drop your jaw, and open your mouth in a popping manner. This should all be done in a very quick and fluid motion.
You can always refer to a sax video, like the one from Eric Marienthal, to give you a clearer picture on how this technique is done.
Growling. This method is meant to create a modulation of the sound produced from a saxophone by having the musician hum or growl with the back of his or her throat while playing. An effective way of practicing this technique is to play a note on your sax then hum any other note in the back of your throat. You should continue doing this until the pitch of the hummed noted doesn't cause any interference with the note you're playing on the saxophone.
The growl is most often associated with the jazz and blues genre, with legends like Ben Webster and Earl Bostic using it when they play.
Overtones. Mastering the overtone on the saxophone is a great way to improve the instrument's tone, intonation, and altissimo. The way to achieve this sound is to finger one note but alter the air stream to produce another note, which is an overtone of the fingered note. In doing this, you will be preventing the lowest vibration from sounding so that the next highest overtone takes over as the primary pitch.
Glissando. Another difficult but highly rewarding technique, the glissando requires a saxophone player to bend a note through voicing and at the same time slide his or her fingers to another fingered note. Doing this on the sax is quite difficult because the keys are set, unlike other woodwind instruments. Thus, a performer must learn how to move the keys very slowly and smoothly to create a perfect glissando.
The saxophone techniques mentioned may not be so easy to master but with the right amount of perseverance, practice and some help from a sax video, your musical dreams may be soon within your grasp.
About the Author
There is more that you can learn about how to play the saxophone, the greatest saxophonists of all time, and other sax techniques through a sax video; visit http://saxvideo.org for more useful information.
Raffy Chan is a writer and internet enthusiast, based in California. He enjoys doing research, writing, and website/s creation. He is the originator of the QuidErgo Group: a community of professionals, authors, artists and computer enthusiasts who come together with the common aim of communicating with the online world.
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Sax Reeds