Reeds

ok once you have placed the neck on the horn, and the mouthpiece on the neck, the reed is laid, flat side down, on the facing (flat part of the mouthpiece) make sure the end of the reed lines up with the end of the mouthpiece, the curvature should be almost identical. Once you have that in place, slide the ligature down over the mouthpiece and tighten it using whatever method that particular ligature employs, make sure the ligature is far enough down the mouthpiece to hold the reed firm, but not hinder it vibrating. Hope this helps, kind of funny explaining this without seeing the horn...=P

- Pat

Follow the instructions here:

http://www.altosaxophone.us/alto_sax_assembly.html

Good luck.

Some of us prefer to put the ligature loosely in place before placing the reed on the mouthpiece. Too much potential carnage can be caused by the ligature hitting the end of the reed.

See if you can arrange a lesson or two before the band camp to get some personal assistance in getting things going correctly from the beginning.

Good luck and good for you asking questions to help your son out. Well done, and welcome to SOTW.

What are reeds??

Thats a good link Hakukani.

Carl H. said:

Some of us prefer to put the ligature loosely in place before placing the reed on the mouthpiece. Too much potential carnage can be caused by the ligature hitting the end of the reed.

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It is a good sobriety check.

Steady as she goes!

Lol we've all done this so many times it's funny to try to type it out, I had to think about what I actually do, and now looking back at it it's wrong in a couple ways....hehe

Side note mom:

DO NOT let the kid leave the reed on the mouthpiece and the mouthpiece on the neck for weeks/months at a time...I'll have to find the link to worms growing on the back of a clarinet reed to scare you out of it...=)

- Pat

Migraine777 said:

Side note mom:

DO NOT let the kid leave the reed on the mouthpiece and the mouthpiece on the neck for weeks/months at a time...I'll have to find the link to worms growing on the back of a clarinet reed to scare you out of it...=)

- Pat

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I do this all the time. No worms yet, but I don't live in Florida.
:shock:

bfoster64 said:

I do this all the time. No worms yet, but I don't live in Florida.
:shock:

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You oregoners just have to worry about beavers stealing your reeds..I'd probably keep em clamped down too!

- Pat

If you don't know how to insert the reed, I would assume that you are not familiar with how to play the saxophone and in a month could create many bad habits that would be hard to break after lessons begin. Also there is the possibility of doing damage to the instrument in this experimenting.

Just the thoughts of a former band teacher who has had a fair number of students who just couldn't wait for their first lesson.

jazzsax07 said:

If you don't know how to insert the reed, I would assume that you are not familiar with how to play the saxophone and in a month could create many bad habits that would be hard to break after lessons begin. Also there is the possibility of doing damage to the instrument in this experimenting.

Just the thoughts of a former band teacher who has had a fair number of students who just couldn't wait for their first lesson.

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Thanks everyone!!! Yeah....I'm pretty clueless when it comes to insturments He thought the reed had to go inside the mouthpiece, but due to the size I didn't think that was right. Thanks!