[Johnvw]

Hi to All,
My name is John from Australia, could not quite negotiate the new member into site.
I have just purchased a new, cheap soprano sax ( sorry lads I really like the Kenny G Style of music ). I am trying to develop my embrochure ( embro ) Just using the mouthpiece. I have read that I should be able, if embro correctly, to reach a C or C#. Mind you my Korg just registers a C, no Hz indicated.

Is this correct as I find I am hitting a number or notes Before settling on C, but the sound is very salivary and not purish.

I am using the mouthpiece only as I have just had a shoulder operation, so my violin practice has also been halted and may have to be abandoned.

At what stage can I assume my embro is correct before fitting the mouthpiece to the sax.

Is it possible or practical to embro other notes apart from C on the mouthpiece alone.

Please accept my apology for the coarse use of terms, I am breaking very new ground and at 70 y.o. Many more questions are sure to follow.

Regards
John

 

[skeller047]

Hi and welcome John!

Regarding soprano mouthpiece alone, I don't think that will be useful to a beginner. If you have trouble with your shoulder, put the instrument on a neck strap and put in in position with your good arm. Just play the open note, which is a written C#, but will register as a B on your tuner. (Soprano is a Bb instrument which means that it sounds a whole step lower than the written note.) If you can finger a few other notes, for example if your left arm is good, try those too.

BTW the term is * embouchure *, which is French and translates loosely to "manner of holding the mouth".

Good on you for breaking new ground at 70. I'm 72, and while it certainly is not new ground for me, I do try to learn something every day! And again, welcome!

/Steve

 

[Grumps]

I am trying to develop my embrochure ( embro ) Just using the mouthpiece. I have read that I should be able, if embro correctly, to reach a C or C#.

Stop doing that. Put the mouthpiece on the horn. Play the horn. Enjoy it.

Sure, check your intonation. However, soprano saxophone is hard enough to play in tune by even the most experienced players, and there are just way too many variables involved to believe in a one true pitch coming from a mouthpiece. That's why there's a cork at the end of the neck. To tune the horn. Because what's really important is the note coming out of the horn, not the imaginary one going into it.

 

[1saxman]

The whole thing about what note the mouthpiece plays is hogwash. The Chinese mouthpieces are better than they were but maybe it will work and maybe it won't. The Chinese sopranos also tend to play flat so a tuner is critical in the initial set-up when you see where the mouthpiece is going to tune. If you have a cell phone you can get a free tuner app - the one I use is called 'Soundcorset' and it works well. I liked it immediately because its named after a lady's intimate garment. Well, I am a sax player.
Anyway, you might have to push that mouthpiece all the way down to the octave key which usually will require sanding down the cork. Maybe you'll get lucky and this won't happen to you.
I'm actually using one of the Chinese metal mouthpieces on my soprano partly because it has a larger shank bore so it's easier to get it in tune - goes down on the cork better. Their mouthpiece numbering system is completely arbitrary and the numbers run very low. I got them to make me a '12' which comes out to about an 8.

 

[Johnvw]

Thank you for the replies.
Unfortunately I still am all at sea about this. As my left shoulder ( reverse shoulder anthroplasty ), effectively reversing the ball and socket joint, will be in a sling for the next six weeks with a number of months to regain strength, hence having to pack my violin away.
My options appear to be put the soprano back in the case until the shoulder is usable or use the time constructively, but constructively I mean training my embouchure.
I appreciate that to tune the soprano the mouthpiece is pushed on to the short neck and move back or forward as required. This is not happening
the mouthpiece is pushed onto the short neck piece to secure the two together.
Will this unknown position still allow me to practice embouchure, if not what is required without fitting the mouthpiece to soprano body.
Sorry to sound awkward, ignorance can be annoying But I would really like to use this rehab time to my best advantage.

Regards
John

 

[skeller047]

Put the mouthpiece on the neck, then put the neck on the horn. With your right hand functional, you can hang the soprano from the neckstrap and use the right hand to balance the bottom of the horn. Now you can play the C# (the "open" note) which is a B on a piano. I would practice playing that note with a steady tone, at various volume levels. You can use a tuner (or better, a piano or synthesizer) as a way to judge your intonation, but don't worry about that too much until your embouchure feels a little stable.

One thing about soprano that many folks don't understand. The mouthpiece generally needs to go pretty far on the cork. You might have to sand the cork a little to get the mouthpiece on far enough.

Since you have a separate neck, I would also in your case use the curved neck, this will make it easier to have the mouthpiece go straight in to your mouth (as opposed to angled downward like a clarinet). Put your bottom lip near the point where the reed leaves the table of the mouthpiece, your teeth on the top of the mouthpiece and keep your lips firm (not the tight band of death, but firm) and blow!

Good luck!

 

[Johnvw]

Many thanks Steve.
Regards
John