[silverstuff]

i just had an audition a few days ago, and during one of the most critical parts of the piece, my finger slips off the keys. this isnt the first time its happened, and iv had this horn for about a year. i never really understood why yamaha was praised for its keywork. i absolutely despise it. i assume it was meant for asians will small hands, but being asian myself, i still find it smaller than acceptable. also, i really dont like how the left hand's ring finger key sticks all the way out. all that being said, the 82z(alto anways) might not be my perfect match. However, i really like yamaha's plain and flexible, but focused sound. from the looks of things, the 875ex looks to have different keywork. how is it compared to the 82's? and is there some other horn with a similar( very similar) sound to yamaha's, but with keywork for, perhaps bigger hands? thanks.

 

[dexdex]

My favorite alto is Selmer's SA-II, partly for it's keywork. Sound wise you can do whatever you want with it, it might just be less accurate and locked-in than the Yamahas in terms of intonation.

 

[Stephen Howard]

I've got quite large hands and I don't have any problem at all with the Z's keywork - but not everyone's fingers will be in the same proportion, and not everyone will place their hand on the horn at the same angle.
As far as I can recall, the 875 isn't any different.

The closest match to a Yamaha is probably going to be a Yanagisawa, but if you want to stick with the sound you get from the Yamaha it might be worth taking it to a repairer and having a few mods done. You might find that altering the angle of the G touchpiece arm may help.

Regards,

 

[queperknuckle]

I recently played to 875ex and 82z side by side. There is a difference in keywork. I can't which one is better for large hands. I have large hands and they both felt ok to me. Maybe you should consider playing tenor. Just saying...

 

[ikbtops]

I've heard that Yao Ming plays an 82z... With one hand.

 

[silverstuff]

I recently played to 875ex and 82z side by side. There is a difference in keywork. I can't which one is better for large hands. I have large hands and they both felt ok to me. Maybe you should consider playing tenor. Just saying...

im primarily a tenor player. but i also play alto.

 

[Metalflake]

Haven't tried the 82Z alto, but have played an 875 back to back with my YAS-62, and the keywork is different. I think you may find it more suited to large hands - it definitely had a meatier, slightly more spread-out feel to it. I found this also to be the case with the tenors, more so in fact.

 

[gary]

i assume it was meant for asians will small hands,

(groan) You should spend a little time checking out who plays 82Z altos before making such a statement. Then you would know that, whatever problems you have, you are looking in the wrong place for solutions.

i just had an audition a few days ago, and during one of the most critical parts of the piece, my finger slips off the keys. this isn't the first time its happened, and iv had this horn for about a year. i never really understood why Yamaha was praised for its keywork. i absolutely despise it.

You're really not going to like my next comments, but when I opened up this thread and these were the first words I read, what struck me was, "how unprofessional".

If you "absolutely despise [the sax's] keywork", and if you've had the sax for "about a year", and if this isn't the first time your finger was slipping off of the keys - but it was happening now during one of the most critical parts of the audition piece - why are you still playing that horn and why are you playing on it for an audition when you've had a year to do something about it?

I'm sounding like bandmommy tonight, but I guess I'm just not in the mood.

Like it was pointed out above, there are reasons other than the simple size of hands, e.g. length of fingers, angle of wrist-to-sax position, etc that can contribute to an awkward ergonomic match-up. You may just need to make some well thought-out adjustments of your hand/finger positions. If nothing works and if you really think you need more room for your hands/fingers to maneuver, try a Keilwerth. The spacing of the ergos is somewhat more spread and that may solve your problems.

 

[soybean]

My advice: put some Sugru on the key-touches that slip. The 875-ex is not that much different than a 82z in feel.

 

[silverstuff]

the first words I read, what struck me was, "how unprofessional".

If you "absolutely despise [the sax's] keywork", and if you've had the sax for "about a year", and if this isn't the first time your finger was slipping off of the keys - but it was happening now during one of the most critical parts of the audition piece - why are you still playing that horn and why are you playing on it for an audition when you've had a year to do something about it?.

ah forgive my unprofessional statement, im in highschool. i haven't done anything because most of the time i play sitting down, with the butt of the sax on the chair. rarely do i play standing up, and i guess this audition, with a longer period of standing, caught me off guard. you and others have given me options of other saxes with more spread keywork, which is what i was after. thank you.

 

[sasin]

Why don't you just practice standing up instead of buying a new sax when you have a pro level horn already?

 

[DaveR]

My advice: put some Sugru on the key-touches that slip. The 875-ex is not that much different than a 82z in feel.

In the same vein, you could also try asking your tech to glue thin pieces of cork on top of each pearl. I had a problem with sweaty fingers in hot countries at one time and a friend showed me this fix. It will give you more stability due to the added friction. But, to be honest, this could happen on any instrument; practice makes perfect!

(afterthought)
It is also a fact that we tend to tense up under pressure and use far more finger pressure than necessary in the heat of performance. This, more than anything else is probably the reason you slipped off your keys. My sympathies, but in the end this will happen on any horn if you are tense. Active mental direction to relax in practice sessions and in performances and use only as much pressure as is necessary to close the keys will help you with that. (If you need to press very hard to get the horn to work, then you need to get it fixed by your tech.)

 

[82zguy]

I recently played to 875ex and 82z side by side. There is a difference in keywork. I can't which one is better for large hands. I have large hands and they both felt ok to me. Maybe you should consider playing tenor. Just saying...

Can you describe the differences in the keywork? I've always wondered the differences between the two

 

[ThatSaxyGuy]

When I tried out the 82z Alto I had a similar problem with it just feeling too awkwardly small, with my fingers slipping all over the place. I found the the Yani 991(2) had really good keywork for me. maybe you should try one

 

[bandmommy]

ah forgive my unprofessional statement, im in highschool. i haven't done anything because most of the time i play sitting down, with the butt of the sax on the chair. rarely do i play standing up, and i guess this audition, with a longer period of standing, caught me off guard. you and others have given me options of other saxes with more spread keywork, which is what i was after. thank you.

After reading this my 'suspicion' was correct. You were at fault and not the instrument.
You play like a lazy slob. Sitting with the bow resting on the chair! Have you ever heard of a neck strap? Have you ever used one? Do you ever wash your hands before playing or wipe the keys down when your done?
If this audition was SO important you should have been practicing standing up and making sure you didn't have 'slippery' fingers/keys.
Play on a horn you 'don't like' for a year and then blame it for your own sweaty fingers and lack of preparation.
Go ahead and get a new sax with a wider spread. It's your money...

 

[OaklandBhoy]

I recommend you super-glue your fingers to the keys.

That way, they won't slip off, and they'll respond instantly.

 

[queperknuckle]

Can you describe the differences in the keywork? I've always wondered the differences between the two

It's been a while and I honestly don't know how to explain. They each had a different feel under the fingers. The best way is to go to the music store and hold the EX yourself.

 

[pc1234]

ah forgive my unprofessional statement, im in highschool. i haven't done anything because most of the time i play sitting down, with the butt of the sax on the chair. rarely do i play standing up, and i guess this audition, with a longer period of standing, caught me off guard. you and others have given me options of other saxes with more spread keywork, which is what i was after. thank you.

I suspected it with the original post, but this post just confirms it. The problems you are having have nothing to do with your 82Z. You need instruction on how to play the saxophone properly. The 82Z's keywork is no "smaller" than any other pro horn. The one horn that might feel more than slightly different is a Keilwerth, and that's really only because the key pearls are thicker (I own one, along with several other altos, and that's really the main difference - the keywork is not "bigger" or more spread otherwise). If you are really in the mood to spend money, you can buy one - but I don't think it would really be getting at the root of the problem.