[aviator875]

I've been playing on meyer 6m on alto and i have been squeaking. I've played it for 2 and a 1/2 years now and had this problem. Do you guys what possibly could be the problem and how to fix it? Also do you guys know what is another good Jazz mouthpiece i can get? Thanks. O yeah, i play the Meyer 6m on a Yamaha 875ex and a yamaha 23. I use vandoren 2.5 classic reeds and a D.Bonde inverted lig.

 

[Raphyel]

Try soaking your reed for about 30 mins befoe practicing, and see if that helps..It may not, but I often have squeaking when playing on a dry reed with certain mouthpieces.

 

[aviator875]

thanks.

 

[bruce bailey]

Could be dirt on the table or rails, bad batch of reeds or a ligature problem.

 

[amoram]

Maybe you have to train your embouchure more?
Maybe try harder reeds?

 

[milandro]

30 minutes soaking is pretty hefty IM (not so) HO , Are you sure you won't water-log your reed that way?

A minute or two would take care of any elasticity problem in the reed, if you need to do more than that.... there are other things to be considered first. How about sanding the flat part of the reed which is in contact with the mouthpiece table? If any warping happens in a reed that is likely to produce a squeak, there is the place to look.

Of course check with other mouthpieces and reeds too, if you still squeak it is your embouchure, relax it.

 

[harmonizerNJ]

30 minutes soaking is pretty hefty IM (not so) HO , Are you sure you won't water-log your reed that way?

........

At rehearsals and gigs, I routinely soak the alto and soprano reeds (primary and backup) in a cup for 20-30 minutes or more, while I set up all of my other toys. I only put enough water in the cup so that the thick (unshaven?) part of the reed remains above the water line. I notice no bad effects in this "extended soak". I don't know if it matters or not, but I use LaVoz Medium on alto and Rico Royal 2.5 on soprano.

Based on reading about all the problems some people have in keeping their reeds wet when switching saxes (see this thread: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=69323 ) I believe it is this "soaking" habit of mine that helps prevent me from having the "dry reed" problem. For me, it is not just switching saxes, because on about 1/3 of our band's songs, I sing backup vocals and do not play either of my saxes.

 

[milandro]

I only ever soak for 20 minutes reeds when used for the first time in the breaking-in process, massage the tip with my fingers, seal the vamp by burnishing it. But then I dry them. If I ever exceed soaking them for more than a few minutes they definitely get water logged......

 

[aviator875]

thanks for the replies, do you guys think that some part of the mouthpiece could be misshapened? like were the reed sits. o yea what do you guys recremmend for other jazz mp?

 

[Martinman]

thanks for the replies, do you guys think that some part of the mouthpiece could be misshapened? like were the reed sits. o yea what do you guys recremmend for other jazz mp?

It is certainly possible. The Meyer is a great mouthpiece, the industry standard if you will. You might just want to try a few more of them in the same tip opening and see if you have the same problem. If you want more suggestions, do a search for "alto jazz mouthpiece".

 

[milandro]

well , any part of the mouthpiece could be damaged but if there is a part that might be particularly guilty of producing squeaks is the table which could be warped (I think, but the refacers among us are certainly better at this). You could certainly follow Martinman's advise and try a few more the same mouthpieces until you find one you like or going throught the expense of having it looked at and worked on an be perfected by one of the expert refacers.

 

[MojoBari]

I have a FAQ answer on my site for squeaks.

You can have someone else try your mouthpiece too. But some players (embouchures) squeak more than others.

 

[Honker]

Also check whether you are getting all the keys to open and close at exactly the same moment. I had a problem until my teacher pointed out that some, esp the octave key, were closing a little slower than others. Once I made sure they were all synchronised the squeaks went away.

 

[Tenortones]

I've been playing on meyer 6m on alto and i have been squeaking. I've played it for 2 and a 1/2 years now and had this problem.

Wait, let me get this straight..you've had this problem for 2 1/2 years and just now addressing the problem?..............................................that's alot of squeaks man.:?

It might not be a "Meyer" problem, you know?
(have someone level the facing on the mthpc. to be sure)

 

[aviator875]

yep, i stopped using the meyer for a while. i use a c* regular for symphonic band and the meyer for anything jazz related.

 

[maestroelite]

I don't think anyone else mentioned this.. have you had a more experienced player try the same setup? That way you have more of an idea if the problem is you or not.

 

[JSaxMiller]

Normally, squeaking is caused by air lifting the reed off the table. Causes could be: uneven table, warped reed, improper ligature adjustment, overblowing. Did I leave any out. Check the mouthpiece, check the reed, check the ligature.

 

[MM]

I had a problem squeaking on a Meyer years ago. It was mainly embouchure-related and partly the fact the Meyer's beak profile was shallower than the other alto mpcs I had used (Selmer and Beechler.)

I suggest the mouthpiece scale exercise to help get your embouchure looser and more flexible. With the mouthpiece and reed alone, first hit the mouthpiece pitch, which should be about concert A. Then expand your range and start playing scales and tunes. It's easier to play lower than higher, and more beneficial if you tend to squeak. In fact, spend some time on hitting the A cleanly, both breath attacks then articulated.

 

[aviator875]

thanks for all the replies. i got new reeds Rico jazz selects 3H and it fixed the problem. thanks

 

[bruce bailey]

I have found that you can often get a box of reeds that are just not right, uneven, too hard, etc.