[ConnorTsax]

Hello all!

In the last couple days I've been trying out Alexander Superial DC #3 Tenor Reeds, and overall I think they're really great. I do, however, consistently get a small squeak or chirp when I articulate high A on the tenor. Does anyone know why this happens or have any strategies to fix it? Everything in my setup is the same as it always is except the reed, and I've never had this issue before. Idk if it matters, but I'm playing a SYOS 6* on a Yani 991 tenor.

 

[whaler]

Chirps are usually from leaks but it could be from a crappy mouthpiece. I’ve had issues with Alexanders. It seems the very first tin I had played great and after that not many played well.
Be careful of how you’re holding the keys down. Try the “Gorilla grip” and see if it improves. Check your octave key pads too. I had that issue when the octave key pad on the body wasn’t closing all the way. I cleaned it off and the pip too.

 

[milandro]

well, did you play these reeds exclusively on this mouthpiece?

what happens , sometimes, when you switch reeds on different mouthpieces that they chirp because of the reed taking a certain shape, once you fit it on a different mouthpiece, the now different shape may no longer fit the table as intended.


there may be other issues too , (have you dropped your piece? Does it fit well)....

 

[rcpayne]

If it only occurs with the Alexander reeds why not just go back to what you were using before? I tried a couple different boxes of Alexander reeds and they all seemed rather stuffy to me.
Another thing to consider is your mpc is made of plastic. It's possible that you may have overtightened the ligature and caused a slight deformation of the mpc. That could easily be checked by using whatever worked for you before to see if that chirps as well which would indicate something other than the reed being at fault. The only time I had a chirp was with a mpc that needed work.

 

[turf3]

They're probably too thin at the tip. Trim just a hair's breadth off and see if that fixes it (You DO have a reed trimmer, don't you? If not, get one. I recommend the Cordier L'Uniq.)

 

[saxoclese]

Tongue that note (and others) while looking in a mirror to see if the jaw or chin moves as that can cause a chirp or squeak. Another variation is to use your free hand to feel under the jaw to detect any movement.