Harness vs. Normal Neckstrap

[tapdancesavy]

I'm a 10th grader in HS and may play Bari in my jazz band. I'm a small 110 lb girl. Right now I'm a full fledge altosaxophoneist. My question is about neckstraps. I'm currently using a harness because I don't want to get neck arthritis or just generally hurt my neck. My problem is with the harness; it pulls the bari close to my stomach, making it so I have to push the bari to the side and my hand gets contorted. I was also wondering what people think of the stands. Would it really be worth it to lug a huge stand to and from school? Or does anyone know of a little foldable one. Thanks a bunch! :D

Hey! This is me again. After almost quitting bari sax, I went to my chiropracter. He adjusted my elbow and wrists and I haven't had a problem since. I am using a harness and it is working pretty well. I love playing bari so much that I used my life savings and got a Yani 991, and plan to continue playing it in Jazz Band. Thanks so much for everyone's help!

[MonchMan]

I have been playing Bari for 29 years. I have used the same neck strap for 28 of those. Never has a reason to change. I tried a stand once, but the contortions of playing off the stand were worse than the neck strap. That said, I have never tried a harness, never had the urge to. :lol:

[vick]

i just took a guitar strap and modified it slightly. it puts the weight on the shoulder while still being easily adjusted to place the bari where you want it. i'm a wrestler in highschool right now so my neck is plenty strong, but by using a guitar strap i really increased my playing endurance. i've heard that playing a bari with a neck strap for many years has caused problems like arthritis in the neck :shock: , and i'm not going to take that chance. better safe than sorry.

[Merlin]

What, no "All of the Above" option?

I use a neckstrap most of the time, play my horn on the stand when necessary for fast changes, and use a harness if I'm gonna be on my feet for the whole gig.

[hannibal]

When I started on bari, I used the same thin leather & string neckstrap that I did with my alto 'cause a) it was readily to hand & b) I think I looked cool. But my neck and back weren't happy. I'm 6'2" and reasonably athletic but that big horn wore my back and neck out, to the point of me almost wanting to switch back to alto.

I then bought a harness strap and it made a world of difference. Yes, I do think it looks geeky and perhaps even wimpish but frankly I'm over that. Now when I play all I worry about is playing, not neck pain or the weight of the horn. I like how the harness balances the horn without using your arm muscles, so your fingers can just rest on the pearls without having to really support the weight of the horn.

Different strokes for different folks. Try 'em all and do what works for you. Personally I'm keen to try one of the over shoulder guitar-style straps though.

[hannibal]

Sorry, a bit off topic, but this thread reminded of something-

I saw James Carter in Bristol (UK) two years ago. He completely opened my mind about what a bari could do- fantastic. He had a simple string type neck strap he used for all his horns.

Anyway, about 15 minutes into the first set he started dancing and swinging away with this bari on his neck, tilting it form side to side and way up over his head. And sure enough the clip at the end of the neck strap broke- you could hear the plastic pieces bouncing on the wooden stage floor. Fair play to Carter- he didn't miss a beat and played the rest of the set without a neck strap. A pretty cool feat.

I'm not sure what the point of this story is, or if it even has one. Anyone else have problems with certain types of neckstraps breaking? Or was it just Carter's exceptional acrobobatics that pushed the strap beyond it's natural limits?

[Ritchie]

I don't like harnasses, I get the feeling of being tied to the horn, it limits my breathing and I have to hold the horn too close to the body. I am using a broader leather neck strap with some cushioning in the right place for bari. But there are neck straps which work great for alto and tenor, which do not feel right for bari, try some and choose what feels comfortable. If you are able to stand or sit in a natural way without any high muscle tension, I doubt you will develop any physical problems over time.

[Merlin26]

I'm quite surprised nobody yet has mentioned a Shoulder Yoke Style Neck Strap for the Bari's - I've played on one for a while now and even march with this style strap with no problems. These distribute the weight of the horn primarily over the shoulders. with this strap I can play comfortably for as long as I like.

Merlin26

[hannibal]

I'm keen to try one of those, Merlin. Sounds like the shoulder/yoke thing has the advantages of the harness (better weight distribution) without the disadvantages (horn close to body, breathing restricted, looks stupid in anyhting other than a black T-shirt). What make are you using?

Anybody else using this shoulder/yoke thing?

[Big Nick]

Yes, I use the yoke type strap (BG) pretty much all the time for bari now. I usually play standing with the bari in front and prefer to be able to move it about a bit (dancing???). I occasionally use an over-the-shoulder (BG) one if I'm sitting and have the bari to one side.
I tried a harness and didn't like the restrictiveness of it.

[hannibal]

Alright, I'm being dense now...

A neck strap is a simple loop that goes over your head and rests on your neck, padded or not.

A harness looks like mountain climbing equipment and you put both arms through.

A shoulder strap looks similar to a neck strap or guitar strap????

What is a yoke strap then???? Or even a shoulder yoke? Are we talking about three types of straps or four??

Sorry, this conversation is excellent but useless if I don't know exactly what we are talking about.

[Big Nick]

I know the feeling. I was confused at first.
A yoke strap is like an ordinary neck strap but shaped and angled like a yoke (as in cattle) so that it sits more on your shoulders (base of neck) and doesn't just pull at the back of your neck.
A shoulder strap is like a guitar strap - it puts the weight onto one shoulder.
'Shoulder yoke' is probably just another name for a yoke.
I hope that's clearer.
Somebody correct me if I'm wrong.

[tapdancesavy]

This is going to help a lot. I had no idea about the shoulder strap or the yoke. Has anyone tried the shoulder and the yoke? Which do they like more? Does anyone know of a brand of shoulder strap? Or do I need to make my own?
Thanks a bunch!

[vick]

just go to your local music shop and pick up a 5 dollar guitar strap. then head over to walmart and pick up one of those 99 cent belayer clips. feed the clip through the holes at both ends of the guitar strap and BAM, you have a shoulder strap. if you are more well to do you can pick up some pretty fly guitar straps. people at gigs love em. looks cooler than a harness and gives you more freedom of movement.

[Big Nick]

tapdancesavy - BG do all the different types.

[Merlin26]

I liked the BG but I got one through Colonial Leather here in Oz which was better - designed specifically for the Bari Sax (but is quite usable with my Tenor and Alto as well) it has a Metal Slide Clip instead of a hook - so very little chance of it coming off while marching.

Merlin26

[electricninja]

Neck straps were painful enough on the alto, ain't no way I'll choke myself with one on the baritone.

[shmuelyosef]

I just got an A bari and decided to simultaneously try a harness. Bought a neotech...can't believe that I sweated into the neck band of my lebayle bird for so many years (big removable washable cotton pad however). The harness is the ticket for 4-set R&B gigs in CA summer, even if it does make me look like the old man that I am...

[navyvet]

After playing bari for 4 years through college and then 12 years in the Navy bands, I did damage to my neck resulting in chronic neck problems and pain. I just recently took it back up after 13 years of no playing and discovered the wonderful invention called the Neotech harness. What a life saver!

[dingfelder]

when marching in high school with a bari, it used to cut the circulation off to a vein somewhere because my right arm always fell asleep.

I use one of the neo-somethongorother foam type cushoned straps. it works well for me

[pfox]

Okay, I'm new to the bari, and not much of a tenor player either, but how exactly do you hold a bari when playing? I've got a regular neck strap, and a shoulder strap similar to the slingstrap, but with either, I find the straight-out neck of the bari requires me to hold the sax away from my body, or my neck has to be bent up or down uncomfortably, and results in really bad embouchure. I've tried resting it on my right thigh, but the stupid thing has a pad anywhere I try to support it. Sitting, I can prop it up on something, and unfortunately, this works best, but I know it can't be right. Do you eventually just develop Popeye thumbs to hold it up? It seems that this horn really needs to be straight out in front, and a strap just pulls it at an angle too close to the body. What's the preferred method?

[hornstar]

if I'm doubling on bari for the occasional song, I use a neckstrap with no issues. if I'm on bari for the set, I like using the Neotech harness, and play with the bari between my legs. I lean back when I'm getting into it, and in pics it looks a bit like I'm doing a wheelie on a Harley.

[JIB]

How exactly are you supposed to adjust the guitar strap neck strap though?

[top_gun25]

http://www.wittman-spins.com/spins.html
SPINSTRAP
shoulder strap.. i use it for tenor and BARI!
works fine... check the site... made near me... local company...
The sax one works for all saxes... but i find it a little uncomfortable for alto because i am tall.(6'1")

[navyvet]

I just got this cool new stand for my bari. It's called a Sax-On and eliminates the need for either a neck strap or harness! I ordered it on the Web. Check out the website at www.quodlibet.com. You hang any size sax from it. With your chair to the left of the stand base, you just tilt it towards you on the 2 nearest of the 3 legs until the sax reaches your playing position. My bari rests on my right leg and balances perfectly. No more weight on neck or shoulders! I recommend it - what a unique alternative.

[Razzy]

Write now I'm a full fledge altosaxophoneist, I even have the nice sax to prove it. :D

Heh, really? I'm a full-fledged alto player, and my alto is JUNK. :)

[top_gun25]

IM still playin a STUDENT horn!

I recommended a strap because a stand you cant use it MARCHING, STANDING UP, MOVING, so it is pretty much useless for any thing but concert. you would still need to buy a strap for the others. thats why a shoulder straps so nice. i love mine. a harness is to confining and wont fit under a uniform...
shoulder straps will.

they adjust immediatly for goin from sitting to standing. no adjustments needed!

[top_gun25]

to pfox
i find that a shoulder strap like the SPINSTRAP you just work the sliders till the clasp rests farther down near your hip. then tighten. this lets it sit like you are sitting down. just play with it till its comforable thats what i did :wink:

[gingerjen]

:D I love my bg harness for playin the bari - sitting or standing. I had to have a mans' harness modified (broad shoulders you see) but it works perfectly. when I first got the bari, I tried to play it on a neotech neck strap, but it caused a lot of pain. a friend has a one shoulder type strap but my boobs got in the way- anyone else have this problem?

[SuperDave]

Ginger you're a good "straight man" and awful trusting to set us up with a line like that .... :oops: :lol:

[gingerjen]

:oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:
it's a genuine problem! and I entered the debate in all innocence (more fool me, eh?) right , you can all have a good old laugh at my expense ( and naivety) but seriously, has anyone out there any clean suggestions!!??

thanks superdave.

gingerjen

[top_gun25]

HMMM... this is the first BOOBS-in-the-way problem I'VE ever seen...
Id say the harness or a stand then. those would be your best choices. Since you have a harness id say get the stand. sitting down just put it on the stand and you dont have to hold the horn. so no strap no boob-squishing. :wink:

[robertakaplan]

hated the slider harness... could not get it to keep bari in my mouth...

like the neotech harness somewhat better....

neck strap puts too much pressure on my neck

[Perfect Pitch]

Neck straps were painful enough on the alto, ain't no way I'll choke myself with one on the baritone.

I can only concur

[Bassps70]

I swear by the neotech neck strap. Marching the bari without it is like suicide. I tried the neotech harness, but i didn't like the way it positioned the sax. The neckstrap is the most versatile thing out there. you can do everything with it.

[Pinnman]

I found the normal type of sling pressed down hard on the spine at the back of the neck and my back felt bad; not a good idea.

Solution 1: a playing stand (Adams, I think; quite pricey), but I find real difficulty in getting the mouthpiece at the right angle. (Chairs don't help either; they all differ - maybe someone will invent a combined chair and stand which work together.)

Solution 2: an across the shoulder strap (BG is my recollection) which is better albeit that I do tend to lean, when sitting, to one side - also not good for back.

I do sometimes wonder who invented this rotten sax; but then I always ask myself whether I could live without it (I'm still playing so the answer must be no!)

[Warder60]

I use a normal neck strap... I tried a harness because director asked me to march bari this year, and I found I didn't like how it was balancing near my chest rather than to my side like a strap.. So I kept using my neck strap..
Though I keep having a problem with my neck straps. I've broken 2 clips over 4 years now (didn't have a problem first 2... but that was in middle school on a diff sax). I play on my High school's Yamaha 52, and can't figure out why my clips don't last long. I've always used metal ones.. are plastic better? I wouldn't think so.. to replace my last break I found a strap with a huge, thick clip (my director nick named it "The claw"), doing fine so far.

While I'm at it, anyone else get paranoid looking at that small ring on the bari and wondering how the heck it can hold the entire weight of the thing without breaking? :shock:

[captorquewrench]

I had been using a nice padded strap that was pretty good. But I have a bad back so just this week, a friend gave me a neotech harness, and I love it. I am getting used to some of the restriced movement, but it makes a big difference in my comfort overall.

i am going to have to wear a jacket or something over it if i'm going to wear it to play in public. It makes me very self conscious about my, ahem, anatomy and really accentuates it, judging by some comments ive had at the last couple of rehearsals. :oops:

any other ladies wearing a harness and having the self-consious issue over how it looks? dahubby made a coment about (groan) kinky sax when he first saw it.

[bigbadbarisax]

For me it really depends on what I'm playing. If I'm marching (yes I do march the bari thank you very much!) I'll use a harness. However, for my jazz performances I prefer a neckstrap because it allows me to be more expressive in my playing. And yeah, I got made fun of for wearing my harness too.

[earthkin]

Well, I originally used a cushy, but cheap neck strap for marching band with a tenor; its weakness was the plastic clip, for it broke during rehearsal. After that, I bought the Neotech strap, which was fine until years later I joined the jazz band and was now playing every day - I developed chronic neck and shoulder pains, which I couldn't stand. Finally, I bought the Neotech harness (and even then, the shoulder pains took a long time to fade away), and all of a sudden, the bari felt like nothing! I could stand around with it, talk to people, whatever. It did take a while to adjust to, though, because it definitely does put the bari in a different position than the neck strap does. This I'm sure is enhanced by the fact that most people, and I'm sure bari players whom this is modeled for, are taller than 5'2". As far as being a woman, this was billed as a "unisex harness," which it is (straps are angled), except that they don't seem to realize that women don't tend to be as tall as men (typical). I do have trouble raising it high enough, and still have to adjust the strap (pulling it up towards my boobs) every so often while I play. But it is still essential equipment for my playing.

Sometimes I still use the neck strap when playing for short periods of time (like trying out instruments or hopping up to play on a moment's notice).

It is also to be noted that different baris have the hook-loop in widely varying places, which would definitely effect the comfort level of whatever body-mounting system you choose. And I have also wondered how that tiny thing can hold up a heavy instrument for so long. But as a note of comfort, I have an 87-year-old Conn with a loop that's only worn probably less than halfway through. I suppose they get replaced when they get worn enough.

As to issues about the boob-enhancing harness: What's the big deal? You have boobs. The harness separates them from your belly. If I'm comfortable enough to play, I'm comfortable enough about my body to do so.

[Helen]

i am going to have to wear a jacket or something over it if i'm going to wear it to play in public. It makes me very self conscious about my, ahem, anatomy and really accentuates it, judging by some comments ive had at the last couple of rehearsals. :oops:

any other ladies wearing a harness and having the self-consious issue over how it looks? dahubby made a coment about (groan) kinky sax when he first saw it.

I didn't used to be until one of men in a group I used to play with called it my "push up bra". Since the harness is black, I get around this by always wearing a black t-shirt and an overshirt of some kind.

By the way, I don't remember where on this board, but I remember a thread about harnesses. In that thread I mentioned that I didn't like the harnesses that I tried because they kept the horn too close to my body, and I prefer to have the mobility that a regular strap provides. Another problem was that the harnesses I tried weren't very comfortable because they were designed for men's chests, not women's. I tried to describe the harness I had a friend's husband make for me. I finally got around to getting some pictures and a description up on my site. If you're interested, you can check it out at:

http://www.bassic-sax.ca/gear.html#harness

My harness is a true unisex harness.

[captorquewrench]

helen,
thanks for the link. I think we've discussed this on another forum.

I have been wearing a black shirt with an overshirt or sweater covering, but that's not always going to be possible. especially when it comes around to the 4th of july and those outdoor events.

[captorquewrench]

As to issues about the boob-enhancing harness: What's the big deal? You have boobs. The harness separates them from your belly. If I'm comfortable enough to play, I'm comfortable enough about my body to do so.

DDD.
That's what's the deal is.
It can draw way too much attention there (not good in a church setting) instead of to your playing, or just get in the way when you try to put the harness on.

[Helen]

I have been wearing a black shirt with an overshirt or sweater covering, but that's not always going to be possible. especially when it comes around to the 4th of july and those outdoor events.

I always do the Hawiian shirt thing...Luckily that's the dress code for one of the bands I play in anyway. I have a good variety of polyester and cotton shirts, so when it's too hot for synthetics...Out come the natural fibers. :roll:

[Martin Williams]

Ive never had a problem using even an unpadded neckstrap playin bari for hours, but with the bass I play in school, I usse a guitar style strap. I love it!