Welcome to Gaia! ::

I just got one last Thursday. It's so neat, but so hard to get a good tone out of! Probably doesn't help that I've never played sax before, just clarinet... sweatdrop

I play them all from bass to saprano

BARI. NOT BERRY.

I agree. It is tough. I've been getting better. I still can't get out the high F on it, but I can get the low notes, and that's rare for me. On my alto, I can usually get out the B-flat, but I rarely make the B natural... I think that's really weird. I don't get it. Actually, I don't think I'm the only person in my band like that. The second chair person is too...


I'm not sure if our sax section really sucks or if we just buckle under the pressure of the audition. I personally was just having an off day... Usually I'm fine on auditions. In middle school, 7th and 8th grades, I tied for first chair, then got second because I did better on sight reading and the other person did better on the scales. I challenged up in 7th grade, but in 8th grade, we tied again during the challenge and he won because our band director decided to pick a random scale to break the tie. Since I had only prepared the ones I was challenging with, I lost that. He picked a tough scale, too... With... 4 sharps, I think... Don't recall. But this year, out of 140, I got 96. And I got first chair with that... That's 63% of the possible score! It sucked.

Get a harder reed. I used to not be able to get higher than like the D above the staff.. but I switched to a harder reed and I can play the high F (my sax has no F# key gonk ). I use a Van Doren 3.. which is harder than a Rico 3.. and Van Doren sounds better anyway.

Using a harder reed on a mouthpiece that your not used to will kill your emboucher. If your going to do that i'd suggest blowing longtones and playing subtones alot to strengthen your chops. The soprano has such a small emboucher that if your not used to playing you'll kill your chops if you play on a thicker reed. If you are going for the Vandoren i'd play on a 2 1/2. Vandoren cuts thier reeds a bit thicker than your standard Rico.

I'm using Vandoren 2's right now, just to get used to the instrument. I'll be moving up to a 2 1/2 soon, I think. So far my right hand has been giving out faster than my chops. ^^; Still getting used to the size and weight difference from my clarinet.

I play the Alto Sax and it rocks, but I SOOOOO wish I could have a soprano or tenor. I love the sound of both but Alto's like inbetween and doesn't sound quite as pretty.

Know what sucks? I've been playing for three years now and I can play every piece of music I've come across as long as I get a chance to practice, but I'm going into high school and have been told by at least 20 out of 50 members(including my sister) that the teacher's an a**. I'm not sure if I wannna be in the class and put up with him. The worst part is I live in rural Nevada and there is NO other chance to be in a band of any sort. What should I do? Grrrr!!!!!!!