How does a new lingature help my playing ability?

[Manny3]

Another stupid question for me, but how will a new lingature help my playing ability?

[Grumps]

Not as much as practicing, would be the flip answer... but seriously, what are you looking to improve? I pick a ligature on the overall feel I get when playing; and that's tough to describe. Have I ever had a ligature improve the quality of play? Well... once. When I was adapting to a modern, high baffled mouthpiece for my 10M, some of the low range (C-Eb, but mostly D) took a bit of extra attention to play cleanly when hit soft. The Francois Louis ligature does boast of improved low end response, but I had never taken that seriously. Well... the added ping this ligature gives me seems to sort out those low notes a bit cleaner... so yeah, improved low end response. That's about it though, at least in my case.

[Al Stevens]

A local classical clarinet player uses a shoestring for a ligature. He says it gives him the best tone. He carefully winds the shoestring around the reed and mouthpiece. It takes a few minutes because he wants the pressure to be evenly distributed. I asked him what if after all that he doesn't like the reed. He just looked at me.

[Grumps]

... if you're on a shoe string budget.

[Manny3]

... if you're on a shoe string budget.

Yes, that's really funny! Thanks guys!

[mountainman]

Not as much as practicing, would be the flip answer... but seriously, what are you looking to improve? I pick a ligature on the overall feel I get when playing; and that's tough to describe. Have I ever had a ligature improve the quality of play? Well... once. When I was adapting to a modern, high baffled mouthpiece for my 10M, some of the low range (C-Eb, but mostly D) took a bit of extra attention to play cleanly when hit soft. The Francois Louis ligature does boast of improved low end response, but I had never taken that seriously. Well... the added ping this ligature gives me seems to sort out those low notes a bit cleaner... so yeah, improved low end response. That's about it though, at least in my case.

I agree with Grumps on this one! I have used 3 ligs on a metal Link NY 7* : stock, olegature, and FL. The stock is the darkest. The Oleg is a little brighter and easier to blow. The FL is slightly brighter, easiest to blow, and gave low D-E a little something that made them match more perfectly with the rest of the lower notes. Those low notes can really change tone with a baffled mouthpiece!

I went back and forth for several weeks switching the FL and the Oleg between tenor and soprano. The difference is very subtle, but I finally decided I liked the slightly darker soprano and the eaasier blowing tenor. I carry an "identical"
NY Link with a stock lig as a backup.

[JimD]

A new ligature might make your mouthpiece blow easier, or it might add some extra top or bottom but it isn't going to do anything radical unless you are using something unbelievably terrible. Spend more time practicing is the answer, even if it is flip. I've got three different ligs (four if you count the rubber rings) and every so often I'll run through them and for a while I think "this is so much better I'll use this always", then, after a while I'll go back to my regular one and think "nah, this is still the best". They all sound slightly different but you can go crazy, waste a lot of time and bankrupt yourself if you start to obsess about ligs. Of course not as much as if you start chasing the perfect mouthpiece. What are you playing and how long have you been playing? You'll get more informed comment if we know.

[Manek]

I don't think a new ligature will improve your playing ABILITY as such - your ability (ie. how well you actually play the instrument!) comes from a lot of playing...

A ligature would change the sound... Not your ability! It may make it easier to play, or harder to play... Depends on which one you get...

Personally, I much prefer both the sound and the feel of my Rovners compared to the standard metal two-screw jobs that most instruments come with... But it's mainly a personal preferrence thing...

Take your horn to a shop and try out lots of different ones to see what you like best!

[Cris1965]

Are the claims at http://www.saxophones.co.uk/rovner_ligatures.htm "true and fair"? The Rovner Dark would seem to be the best 20 Euros a beginner (like me) could spend!

Cris

[Grumps]

A lot of puffery there. I'd just say that they're easy to use (with the notable exception of the EDII), easy to store, easy to fit and work well with many mouthpieces. They make some stuffy though.