[Hotspur]

Hi, I'm a tenor saxophone player looking to also learn how to play the bari, but when ever I go to play the Jean Baptiste bari they have I can barely get below a F. Could be a combination of the horn and me I just dont know. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on a mouthpiece setup that would allow me to achieve the lower notes easier?

 

[sycc]

First off try a better bari such as a yani,yamaha,cannonball,selmer,keilwerth etc. A selmer s-90 mouthpiece(190 facing) are nice. I use a s-80 c** on my super action 80 series I baritone.

 

[MojoBari]

Have someone check out the bari for leaks, etc. first.

 

[blindside398]

First of all, you're going to still be using a tenor embouchure. Loosen up on the mouthpiece, and just think of blowing warm air into the horn. Second, make sure what you're playing is a decent horn. Hell, I once tried a Jean baptiste, and could barely get beneath an F ;]. And third thing you need to do is get a good setup. Go to a music store and find some mouthpieces that feel right for you. Don't listen to what the others say is "best", what works for you works for you man. Good luck!

 

[jmathesonjr]

First off, I have been playing Bari exclusively for almost 30 years and I had trouble getting below a low F on a Jean Baptiste bari. They are not good.

If you can find another bari, try that.

Any stock mouthpiece will give you an idea on where to go for a mouthpiece. Also, try matching your set up on tenor. If you are playing a tenor piece such as a Link 5star, try a Link 5star on bari, for example. This will not be perfect, but will get you closer than just randomly picking a mouthpiece.

From your brief description of your problem here, I would guess your problem is about 90% horn and 10% you and your reed/moutpiece set up.

I have never had a tenor sax student not play below a low F on my bari. A low B maybe, but not a low F. Alto students are another story.

Good luck. Let us know what you do.

 

[Hotspur]

well is this a good Bari? http://usahorn.com/instView.usa?id=83&inst=Yanagisawa+B-901+Baritone+Sax+Lacquer

 

[maestroelite]

Its fantastic. You might as well just get a Leblanc bari though, its the exact same thing without Yani engraving on the bell. Its listed here.

http://kesslermusic.com/html/sax/7190ba/VitoVSPBari.htm

You won't be able to tell a difference. The bari I played this year was one of those horns and it played great. I had a couple issues, but I'm pretty sure they were because of too soft of reeds. Every note spoke from pianissimo to full roar, including the low A.

 

[Martin Williams]

I played a Jean baptiste at the OMEA convention back in january.

There are definitely better horns, but I thought it played alright, down to the low A

Id definitely get it checked for leaks

Then focus on a nice loose embrochure, and Warmer, faster air!

 

[Hotspur]

So I it true that Low Bb Bari's play better than Low A

 

[danarsenault]

So I it true that Low Bb Bari's play better than Low A

No, they play differently.

 

[MPL]

Originally posted by danarsenault
No, they play differently.

Agreed! I used to think that low Bb baritones played with more resonance, more general oomph, than low A horns, but I don't think so anymore.

I used to play a great old "The Martin" low Bb baritone, and I really liked the sound and power it could produce. However...when I switched to a low A baritone, everyone commented on how much more powerful the sound was than with the low Bb horn. It didn't sound any stronger to my ears, but it sure did to the rest of the section in the big band.

I suspect that for whatever reason, the sound from a low A horn reaches your ears less directly, and that contributes to the general feeling that low A horns are less resonant.

Having said that...the loudest baritone I've ever owned was a low Bb 1936 Conn 12M. That horn could shatter concrete at fifty feet...

 

[MPL]

Oh, yeah...the original thread. MojoBari's right - that horn needs to be checked for leaks. Once you're certain that the baritone is properly adjusted, then you can worry about mouthpieces.

General rule of thumb: If you're blowing on a no-name stock mouthpiece, use at least a medium-hard reed, like a #3 to #3 1/2 or so. Ditto for the average Selmer C*. Otherwise, your inexperienced bari embouchure will probably cause some octave jumping where you shouldn't be.