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Sax on the Web Forum Archive / Baritone Saxophone / Low A with foot?

Screech
User ID: 9753653 Feb 20th 10:15 AM
As many of you know I have been looking for a bari. I have been thinking of a Bb bari and just using the foot or knee for the low A. Joined a local jazz group (on bari - loaner) and there are a lot of low As. Gee. Now I am wondering about the practicality of it. BTW music by Jeff Jarvis, Mintzer, etc. Haven't played bari in over 20 yrs. I am suprised at how much low A stuff there is now.

Question: Is the foot/knee trick REALLY practical for today's music? If not, then what's a good low A bari? I think that someone(Mojobari?)said they didn't like the Conn 11M. One more thing - it seems to me that the Bb baris sound "brattier" and the low A ones "mellower." Correctamundo?

Helen
User ID: 1007814 Feb 20th 11:00 AM
You could also just make a low A for your low Bb horn. Paul C. came up with the idea using some plastic pipe. The directions used to be up on this board, but they may be gone by now. I can hunt around see if I still have it, or Paul will likely post it again if he comes across this.

I use it on mine. Works great. I'm not co-ordinated enough to try the foot or knee thing.

Screech
User ID: 9753653 Feb 20th 11:09 AM
Wow thanks a lot Helen! We'll see if he posts. Wouldn't it be a riot if I turned the horn quick and knocked one of the alto players off stage though? My coordination is not great, my bigger problem is getting my foot out of my mouth long enough to stick in the bell... Big A problems...

Helen
User ID: 1007814 Feb 20th 2:03 PM
I found it. Apparently I did save it.....

Bari Sax--Low A
Paul R. Coats

There it is--you knew you would run into it sooner or later: low A. And your old Bari Sax only goes to low Bb. Do you play it an octave up? Do you ask the director to give you another note to play? Whatcha gonna do?
Go to the lumber yard or hardware store and ask them to cut a piece of 4" PVC sewer pipe (4" I.D., 4 7/16" O.D.) to a length of 6". You also need some foam weather strip material and gold or silver spray paint (to match your sax).
Spray the pipe inside and out with the matching paint. When dry put a few bands of foam weather strip around one end. Insert this into the bell of the bari. Finger low Bb, and you will produce a low A! Compare the pitch to the second space A, or to a low C on the piano. Pretty close, huh?
It is seldom you will need to play both the low Bb and low A in the same passage. You will usually have time to insert it a few bars before, and can remove it after--just as a trumpet player uses a mute.
Go on, laugh all you want, but it works!!! A low A extension made to these measurements will fit and work properly on Conn, Bundy, Selmer USA, Buescher, and most other low Bb baris.
So, who's laughing now?

Since the above was written:

I know a bari sax player in the next town who plays in the community symphonic and jazz bands. He was considering selling his Selmer Mk. VI bari to finance the purchase of a new low A horn. He was quite hesitant as his was a great playing bari. I showed him my low A extension, and gave him the measurements. He made one and uses it often. He is quite happy that he can keep his fine Selmer bari and still cover the low A's when the music requires.

Paul
User ID: 2031664 Mar 29th 1:34 AM
Helen: This worked just fine on Conn, Buescher, and Selmer Mk VI baris.

MusicMan
User ID: 0464054 Feb 20th 3:28 PM
Geez...don't let my wife see this. I just bought a SA80 II bari so I could handle those pesky low A's...

DD
User ID: 1982994 Feb 20th 3:55 PM
I got a Yam 61 to cover the low A's. It was either that or find a willing Canadian roadie to stick his head in the 12M at the appropriate moment and exclaim "That's low - A?"

Screech
User ID: 0624334 Feb 20th 9:47 PM
Wow thanks a lot Helen, you're super! I'll look over the music and post back with comments.

DD: That's low "eh" eh?

Music Man's wife: ignore the above comment

Screech
User ID: 0624334 Feb 20th 10:05 PM
OK got the scores in front of me. 9 total. Low A in 4 of them. The insert will work for 2 of them no problem and almost all of the remaining two. Oddly enough the ones where it won't work seem like passages amenable to fancy footwork. Looks like between the two it can be pulled off (or is it "pushed in"?). Thx. again!

MojoBari
User ID: 1320554 Feb 21st 10:44 AM
I offered no opinion on the Conns other than I do not care for the finger stretching needed for most vintage baris.

The low A extension is a great idea, but as you have founs out, there will be a few chromatic A-Bb stuff it will not work on.

You should be able to cross your legs and put your left heel in the bell. I was doing this in high school and had points taken off by a one judge for poor posture. Try it with a tuner.

Screech
User ID: 9753653 Feb 22nd 8:59 AM
MojoBari - I'm sorry thought it was you talking about an 11M loaner. I'll give it a try with a tuner. Hmm got to find a nice soft shoe.

paulwl
User ID: 1480824 Feb 23rd 2:38 PM
Size 12M? :-)

Screech User ID: 9753653	Feb 20th 10:15 AM As many of you know I have been looking for a bari. I have been thinking of a Bb bari and just using the foot or knee for the low A. Joined a local jazz group (on bari - loaner) and there are a lot of low As. Gee. Now I am wondering about the practicality of it. BTW music by Jeff Jarvis, Mintzer, etc. Haven't played bari in over 20 yrs. I am suprised at how much low A stuff there is now. Question: Is the foot/knee trick REALLY practical for today's music? If not, then what's a good low A bari? I think that someone(Mojobari?)said they didn't like the Conn 11M. One more thing - it seems to me that the Bb baris sound "brattier" and the low A ones "mellower." Correctamundo?
Helen User ID: 1007814	Feb 20th 11:00 AM You could also just make a low A for your low Bb horn. Paul C. came up with the idea using some plastic pipe. The directions used to be up on this board, but they may be gone by now. I can hunt around see if I still have it, or Paul will likely post it again if he comes across this. I use it on mine. Works great. I'm not co-ordinated enough to try the foot or knee thing.
Screech User ID: 9753653	Feb 20th 11:09 AM Wow thanks a lot Helen! We'll see if he posts. Wouldn't it be a riot if I turned the horn quick and knocked one of the alto players off stage though? My coordination is not great, my bigger problem is getting my foot out of my mouth long enough to stick in the bell... Big A problems...
Helen User ID: 1007814	Feb 20th 2:03 PM I found it. Apparently I did save it..... Bari Sax--Low A Paul R. Coats There it is--you knew you would run into it sooner or later: low A. And your old Bari Sax only goes to low Bb. Do you play it an octave up? Do you ask the director to give you another note to play? Whatcha gonna do? Go to the lumber yard or hardware store and ask them to cut a piece of 4" PVC sewer pipe (4" I.D., 4 7/16" O.D.) to a length of 6". You also need some foam weather strip material and gold or silver spray paint (to match your sax). Spray the pipe inside and out with the matching paint. When dry put a few bands of foam weather strip around one end. Insert this into the bell of the bari. Finger low Bb, and you will produce a low A! Compare the pitch to the second space A, or to a low C on the piano. Pretty close, huh? It is seldom you will need to play both the low Bb and low A in the same passage. You will usually have time to insert it a few bars before, and can remove it after--just as a trumpet player uses a mute. Go on, laugh all you want, but it works!!! A low A extension made to these measurements will fit and work properly on Conn, Bundy, Selmer USA, Buescher, and most other low Bb baris. So, who's laughing now? Since the above was written: I know a bari sax player in the next town who plays in the community symphonic and jazz bands. He was considering selling his Selmer Mk. VI bari to finance the purchase of a new low A horn. He was quite hesitant as his was a great playing bari. I showed him my low A extension, and gave him the measurements. He made one and uses it often. He is quite happy that he can keep his fine Selmer bari and still cover the low A's when the music requires. Paul User ID: 2031664 Mar 29th 1:34 AM Helen: This worked just fine on Conn, Buescher, and Selmer Mk VI baris.
MusicMan User ID: 0464054	Feb 20th 3:28 PM Geez...don't let my wife see this. I just bought a SA80 II bari so I could handle those pesky low A's...
DD User ID: 1982994	Feb 20th 3:55 PM I got a Yam 61 to cover the low A's. It was either that or find a willing Canadian roadie to stick his head in the 12M at the appropriate moment and exclaim "That's low - A?"
Screech User ID: 0624334	Feb 20th 9:47 PM Wow thanks a lot Helen, you're super! I'll look over the music and post back with comments. DD: That's low "eh" eh? Music Man's wife: ignore the above comment
Screech User ID: 0624334	Feb 20th 10:05 PM OK got the scores in front of me. 9 total. Low A in 4 of them. The insert will work for 2 of them no problem and almost all of the remaining two. Oddly enough the ones where it won't work seem like passages amenable to fancy footwork. Looks like between the two it can be pulled off (or is it "pushed in"?). Thx. again!
MojoBari User ID: 1320554	Feb 21st 10:44 AM I offered no opinion on the Conns other than I do not care for the finger stretching needed for most vintage baris. The low A extension is a great idea, but as you have founs out, there will be a few chromatic A-Bb stuff it will not work on. You should be able to cross your legs and put your left heel in the bell. I was doing this in high school and had points taken off by a one judge for poor posture. Try it with a tuner.
Screech User ID: 9753653	Feb 22nd 8:59 AM MojoBari - I'm sorry thought it was you talking about an 11M loaner. I'll give it a try with a tuner. Hmm got to find a nice soft shoe.
paulwl User ID: 1480824	Feb 23rd 2:38 PM Size 12M? :-)