[Ferlas Soram]

Hey everyone, just had a question. I currently use a meyer 5 (maybe its 6? i'm too lazy to check ). I'd like to say that I'm a pretty advanced player. I improv jazz, made first chair all district, and have done 7's on solo and ensemble pieces. I think that I'd like to change mouth pieces, although I'm not sure which I should change to. I currently use a Yanagisawa A-991 with a meyer 5, and vandoren java (although i just switched from rico royal). What would be a good mouth piece?

 

[Dr G]

You've got a good mouthpiece.

If you need a tweak on it, consider the Meyer 7MS (medium lay, small chamber) for a lil' more pop and projection.

 

[Ferlas Soram]

Should I maybe bring my sax to a store and see what they have? I feel like I have a good sound. But I want to get it better.

 

[Ferlas Soram]

I don't know if this is possible. Is there any combination I can get to sound like cannonball adderly?

 

[hakukani]

Cannonball played a Meyer.

 

[Ferlas Soram]

Interesting. He just gets pure power behind his sound, any idea what reeds he uses? My java's on a yanagisawa a991 don't sound any different from the rico royal...

 

[hakukani]

I don't think it's the piece or his reeds. His meyer was maybe a bit more open than yours, and was a 'NY' meyer.

Tons of air, high tongue arch, I don't know, good sound concept, killer articulation.

 

[artstove]

Should I maybe bring my sax to a store and see what they have?

Yup. I am with G - you have a good mouthpiece. But that way you can see what works for you.

 

[artstove]

Interesting. He just gets pure power behind his sound, any idea what reeds he uses? ...

That is about the player, not the reed.

 

[thesaxman2014]

You don't need to buy another mouthpiece... Do some long tone and work on your overtone. You will see a big change in your sound.

Good Luck!!

 

[Agent27]

Hate to kind of buck the trend, but sometimes players and mouthpieces don't match. The Meyer isn't a bad mouthpiece (though it's possible that you got a stinker), but just because it's a good mouthpiece doesn't necessarily mean YOU will sound good on it. There are a lot of great mouthpieces out there. That doesn't mean everybody's going to sound great on every one of them.

Personally, I've had a lot of success with Meyer influenced pieces, but never Meyers themselves. Same goes for reeds. I have nothing against Vandoren reeds. A lot people sound great on them but they just don't work for me.

If you're feeling like you're not compatible with the Meyer and there's a local store that had a selection of mouthpieces for you to try, I'd definitely look into doing that.

 

[playatsax]

I'll buck the trend even more. Long tones and overtones are essential. Yes, you can work to change your tone, but only to a point. The mouthpiece goes a long way toward developing that sound. It takes years. Changing mouthpieces is also effective, but you need to be careful that you're not embarking on a never-ending search for the "holy grail."

Obviously your sound concept is Cannonball. And obviously you think you don't sound like Cannonball. But what you think you sound like is not necessarily what others hear. Your ears are affected by the vibrations that are created within your skull when you play. Try recording yourself and listen carefully to your tone, not your note selection. (don't over analyze your performance, because in this case it doesn't matter). Listen to yourself and then ask yourself if what you hear is what you want to sound like. Then start the search, if you feel it's necessary. Think in terms of tone, response and the style you expect to play. Then when you look at mouthpieces make notes about opening, baffle and chamber size when you make your notes about tone and response. You'll begin to see a trend about what style of mouthpiece would work best.

The fact of the matter is that even if you had Cannonball's equipment, you still would not sound like him.

 

[JayeLID]

Yeah...I am gonna be the third guy to go this direction. I mean, if someone isn't happy with an aspect of their sound and they wanna try something different...getting a different m'piece is completely reasonable. telling 'em to work on embouchure and longtones is great...it's always great advice....but that will not necessarily get the tone one is seeking.

In this instance....there's no better thing to do than to just take the horn to a shop and try a half-dozen or so. I agree w/ above..maybe focus on your sound concept a bit more so you know what you wanna be hearing.

I also wouldn't say "go for the same mouthpiece Mr. XX played because then you'll be leaning towards his (her) sound"..... because there have been enuff threads wasted on the silliness of the subject of making one's setup like their favorite player's...only to have the person ultimately end up sounding like....themselves !!!!

IMHO (and this may ruffle some feathers, but it is not meant as a negative crit) Cannonball's sound was a bit abrasive...very, very aggressive, very reedy and punchy. So, if that is what you like, you wanna try to find as mouthpiece which will make your Yani sound like that. Because quite arguably, the 991's natural tone leans very closely towards an older-style, rounder/wider paradigm in tone....and if what you want is C'Ball, the horn needs to be moved in a different direction.

I can certainly see why a Meyer 5/6 would NOT be pushing your tone in THAT direction....regardless of how masterful one becomes with long tones and embouchure variation. I think of these sorta Meyers as being m'pieces one would choose to round out a tone, as opposed to punching/edging a tone....


Go to a shop and blow.....Have fun.....

 

[Dr G]

I don't know that I'd recognize Cannonball Adderly from hearing a long tone - it's the urgency, the push, the forward MOTION that comes from his phrasing that tells his story.

It's not about the mouthpiece nor the reed.

Tone is as much in your head as in your face.

 

[Grumps]

It's not about the mouthpiece nor the reed.

Tone is as much in your head as in your face.

Agreed. The first step to changing your tone is recognizing a problem with it and playing more attentively to shape your own sound. An equipment change can give you better feel and response, but rarely will improve your tone unless you're playing on absolute junk to being with.

 

[saxmanjack]

For something really different, try a Lakey on that Yani - but wear earplugs.

 

[Dr G]

For something really different, try a Lakey on that Yani - but wear earplugs.

Hah! Yepper, that's what (6*3) I used to play on my Mk VI alto when I was doing that fusion thing back in the early '80s.

Not my idea of "What Would Cannonball Play?"...

 

[Little Sax]

I have a Barone NY6M I picked up recently because I wanted to try something a little more open than my normal alto mpc (Barone NY5M). This one is a different animal though. It is actually slightly brighter (than my primary mpc) and can be almost percussive with respect to articulation.

I'd be willing to send it to you if you want to try it out and see if it fits the bill for what you're looking for.