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Discussion Starter · #1 ·
Help with reeds

So I've been playing Tenor for 7 months now and I love playing ballads, I can play subtoned, also the low Bb.
I currently use Rico royal 2.5 as my standard reed on my Otto Link STM 7*... I do find that playing subtones requires me to put my bottom lip way back into my mouth and over the reed to get a subtone on the lower notes. I've played on an alto from school which had a 2.0 reed and a very small tip opening 4* yamaha mpc. I was able to play subtones without my lip having to go all the way back but just putting the mpc further out of my mouth, my ambrochoure was the same as playing clear.

I am looking for a more dark sound on my tenor, and don't know if going for a stiffer reed or softer would help, I feel like going softer would allow me to play with those subtones and a more controlled tone. Just like I could on the alto.
I've also been experimenting with my new Otto Link Tone Edge 5*, I can play low notes mores easily but feel like my subtones are harder to play. This is probably because of the smaller tip opening. On this mpc I'm using either 2.5 royal or a 4m select jazz... Big difference... The 4m gives me a louder and fuller sound but won't allow me to play subtones easily, the 2.5 sounds very thin and shrill when I'm playing louder.

I just don't know if softer or louder would be better and wich reed would help me with getting a more dark sound, take as an example Benny Golson, Dexter Gordon, Ben Webster etc.
Thanks in advance!

Ps* My horn is a 'Selmer Bundy II'
 

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Discussion Starter · #4 ·
Didn't mean to post the same thing twice, got confused and thought it posted only half of my text... Sorry! @skeller047 I saw you posted an answer on the other thread which got deleted so I can't see it anymore.
 

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Discussion Starter · #8 ·
A #2 on a 4 tip on your alto is like a #1.5 or #1 on your 5* tip on tenor. If you're used to playing reeds that soft, I disagree with the advice to use much harder reeds. I personally don't see how you could do anything except subtone on an alto/tenor on reeds that soft unless you're 95 years old and have only one lung. You really need to work on your embouchure and breath support.
Thanks for the reply, I can subtone a 3.0 reed fine... Also on my 7* link. It is just that I'm wondering if a softer reed would make playing soft with a controlled sound easier?
 

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Discussion Starter · #11 ·
Well, you're playing an extremely ordinary setup. Personally I'd focus on learning how to play this setup. With only 7 months total, some of which was undoubtedly spent just flailing about, you don't nearly have a tenor sized airstream or a well developed embouchure.

What you need to be doing is learning how to control the dynamic level and timbre of your sound with your embouchure, voicing, and airstream.The good old long tones are a fast track to that, if you'll do them with ATTENTION and with INTENTION.

I will say that although tenor is not my main instrument, I've been playing it for 45 years now (baritone is my primary, alto a close second), I'm well known for having stong chops and blowing hard, and I wouldn't be playing a setup any harder to blow than what you're using. My tenor Link is a 6 but I'm using reeds that would probably be more like your #3s. So bumping up your reed strength, or fooling around with flavor of the week, is probably not going to HURT you but it will distract you from what you need to be doing which is building chops to have a rich compelling flexible sound. Your setup is extremely unlikely to be hindering you in that.

It's like the guy who can't get any distance off the tee so he keeps buying drivers, but what he needs is to straighten out his swing. Until he does that, the $100 set of clubs from the pawn shop is as good as the $2000 set.
I guess that's true yes, I have an recording from Autumn in New York wich I played on the Link STM 7* with a 2.5 reed, what could I work on in your opinion? https://soundcloud.com/WAqXF
 

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Discussion Starter · #23 ·
You want some honest feedback?

1) Work on being more rhythmically solid.
2) Put some air through the horn.
3) Play long phrases, not just pecking at it. (getting good full size breaths will help you with this.)
4) The shallow fast vibrato makes it unclear whether you're going to do vibrato or not. Just like everything else in performance, effects have to be played in a way that feels exaggerated to you in order not to come across as tentative out front of the horn.
5) Put some air through the horn.

The basic sound is fine. It's just underdeveloped. A few months playing long tones outdoors will go a long way to getting rid of that "practice room sound". Sorry to call it the way I hear it, but there it is.

There's nothing here that some serious practice won't make a whole lot better. Equipment (reeds, mouthpiece, etc.) is not the answer.
Thanks for the feedback! But I don't quite get what you mean with "put some air through the horn"? Do you mean I should play with more air support? What would you recommend to practice it?
 

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Discussion Starter · #25 ·
My go-to exercise:

Long tones from the lowest note on the horn to the highest note: play from pppp to fffff back to pppp, while paying careful attention to maintaining pitch and timbre constant. As often as possible do this outdoors away from reflective surfaces. If it worked for the Texas Tenors (Arnett Cobb, Buddy Tate, Illinois Jacquet, those guys) it'll work for you. Do that regularly for a year and your sound will be far more rich, flexible, and your dynamic range will increase.
By ppppp and ffff you mean that's the the shape of your mouth and air you need to use?

And I'll start playing outside because I do indeed only play in my bedroom. Luckily the warm nice weather is coming up!
 

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Discussion Starter · #27 ·
pppp = pianissississimo. So soft it drops out and you have to come back and restart the tone.
ffff = fortissississimo. So loud you can't hardly keep it under control and it keeps wanting to break up.
Ohhhhh wasn't thinking in theory but now it makes sense, I'll start doing my long tones outside and use your technique and see if it works for me! Thanks a lot for the advice!
 
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