tuning

[boysie]

my grandad is an organist and he has told me that the position of the mouthpiece on the cork is very important to tuning the sax, does this make a huge difference? all my books just say to have the mouthpiece about halfway on the cork. please help:?

[saxmanglen]

To tune the saxophone, adjust the length of the instrument by moving the mouthpiece in or out. If you need to lower your pitch, pull the mouthpiece out, making the saxophone longer. If you need to raise your pitch, push the mouthpiece in.

[boysie]

thanks saxmanglen thats what he said i was just a little unsure but you have said the same as him so reasureing me:)

[saxmanglen]

The other thing to realize is NO saxophone is totally in tune. Each sax will have some unique differences depending on the note played. It's common to tune to Bb concert when playing with a group. That's just one note of many on the sax. It's good to learn your own instruments "personality". This takes time to know what notes must be compensated for with slight embouchure changes.

[Enviroguy]

Many saxophones have a "Sweet Spot". This is the mouthpiece position that is said to allows the most notes to be in tune most of the time. But what you will find is that the Sweet Spot is really the position that best allows YOU to play the notes in tune.

If you have a tuner, I recommend you play around with the mouthpiece position until you find the one that works best for you. Then train your ear and mind to play each note in tune.

BTW, all this Sweet Spot stuff goes out the window if you play outdoors in cold and wet weather. Sometimes, you may have to push in or pull out a lot based on conditions and your particular sax.

[saxmanglen]

Enviroguy said what I was trying to say much better!