Sax on the Web

Sax on the Web Forum Archive / Baritone Saxophone / Clarinet to Bari

Danielle
User ID: 9836983 Feb 4th 2:46 PM
Hi everyone...I'm a high schooler who studies clarinet at the manhattan school of music prep division.
And, in an attempt to be "cool", I've picked up the bari sax-once, for a pit orchestra, and now for my school jazz band. I've done a lot of jazz clarinet before, but this is much...different. I'm just over five feet tall, and it's weird playing an instrument almost as tall as I am!
I have just one question: HOW do you play those really low notes?...I can't get much out past a G, unless I'm really lucky. My teacher says that it might be due to my school's crappy bari...it's got all this tape and rubber bands and stuff on it, and hasn't been fixed for a while. But I think that it's probably my fault, because I never really learned how to use a proper embouchure and stuff.
Danielle

RS
User ID: 1314254 Feb 4th 3:45 PM
Before you start knocking your head against a wall get the horn checked out by a good repairman. If it's a crappy school horn I'd bet big money that it's leaking like the Titanic.

MusicMan
User ID: 0464054 Feb 4th 4:00 PM
Amen, RS! On bari especially, any leaks in the lower register will make those notes almost impossible to speak out. Get the horn fixed before trying to fix anything with yourself. School horns are always beat to H-E-double-hockey-sticks.

Merlin
User ID: 8931733 Feb 4th 4:32 PM
And while it's out getting fixed, practice your concert D m/p pitch on the bari m/p.

OnyxSax
User ID: 2212414 Feb 4th 6:34 PM
Saxophone requires a much more relaxed embouchure than the clarinet. When you're going for the low notes, think "ah" or "oh". It is possible your clamping down too tightly on the mouthpiece. Even a well functioning bari will jump the octave if you clamp down too hard on the mouthpiece

While the embouchure may be contributing to the problem, any horn that is held together with rubber bands and tape is bound to be suspect. Get that horn to a repairman ASAP!

We used to think it was cool how a bari sax could swallow a clarinet whole inside its bell. Kind of looks like "Jaws". Just some old high school band humor...

Danielle User ID: 9836983	Feb 4th 2:46 PM Hi everyone...I'm a high schooler who studies clarinet at the manhattan school of music prep division. And, in an attempt to be "cool", I've picked up the bari sax-once, for a pit orchestra, and now for my school jazz band. I've done a lot of jazz clarinet before, but this is much...different. I'm just over five feet tall, and it's weird playing an instrument almost as tall as I am! I have just one question: HOW do you play those really low notes?...I can't get much out past a G, unless I'm really lucky. My teacher says that it might be due to my school's crappy bari...it's got all this tape and rubber bands and stuff on it, and hasn't been fixed for a while. But I think that it's probably my fault, because I never really learned how to use a proper embouchure and stuff. Danielle
RS User ID: 1314254	Feb 4th 3:45 PM Before you start knocking your head against a wall get the horn checked out by a good repairman. If it's a crappy school horn I'd bet big money that it's leaking like the Titanic.
MusicMan User ID: 0464054	Feb 4th 4:00 PM Amen, RS! On bari especially, any leaks in the lower register will make those notes almost impossible to speak out. Get the horn fixed before trying to fix anything with yourself. School horns are always beat to H-E-double-hockey-sticks.
Merlin User ID: 8931733	Feb 4th 4:32 PM And while it's out getting fixed, practice your concert D m/p pitch on the bari m/p.
OnyxSax User ID: 2212414	Feb 4th 6:34 PM Saxophone requires a much more relaxed embouchure than the clarinet. When you're going for the low notes, think "ah" or "oh". It is possible your clamping down too tightly on the mouthpiece. Even a well functioning bari will jump the octave if you clamp down too hard on the mouthpiece While the embouchure may be contributing to the problem, any horn that is held together with rubber bands and tape is bound to be suspect. Get that horn to a repairman ASAP! We used to think it was cool how a bari sax could swallow a clarinet whole inside its bell. Kind of looks like "Jaws". Just some old high school band humor...