The other solution is to sacrifice one closet something we can't do and put up lots of bumpy foam. This will be effective for high and middle range. Won't help a lot in the low range, especially if you have a tenor or baritone or bass! For those, I thing you need to build a closet inside the closet.
One thing I noticed about going into the closet, especially if it is small. It does affect the low notes. Makes them feel stuffy. Kinda like when you put a sock in the horn. A pretty good sax mute can be created by taking a dozen or so pipecleaners and forming them into a circle about 1 in smaller in diameter than the inside of the bell. Wrap these with several layers of old t-shirt material, then follow by an outer layer of velvet ribbon.
The result should fit inside the top of the bell. It darkens the sound and quiets it considerably. My college sax quintet used these frequently for affect. Especially with a thick vibrato, it's a neat sound This doesn't change the pitch, since there is still an opening.
These can alter the pitch, though. Kenny L. Feeling more confident than normal I attended my local Jazz jam session. I play Baritone and usually I am the only big horn player there. I am also not that good so I don't relish playing tenor next to some whizz-kid alto or tenor player just out of the crib playing like a demon.. I like to think that the Baritone requires more maturity well I would! This night there were the normal compliment of flash players and I eventually got enough courage to join them.
Off we went into a blues standard that I didn't really know so I just pootled along behind the more confident players. Eventually it came around to my turn as soloist so I took the whole thing down to a nice quiet and I thought mature and feeling filled solo I figured it was time for a pad check and was just wondering where the money would come from when I noticed something orange through one of the low holes in the horn.
I looked down the bell as subtly as I could and realised that I had left my sound- deadening duster in the horn after my last home practice session In the closet of course. So there I am, on stage with at least 10 people believing the bluff that I know what I'm doing and a duster down the bell I decided to brave it out and made a big thing of reaching in and pulling it out - it got a good laugh and I though I was winning until the next number started.
I had never heard it before in my life, it had lots of chords and I haven't been back there for a while Don't expect the same results are brass instrument mutes of course, as the sound is formed in an entirely different way! I would completely recommend getting a couple of lessons to start off with, to make sure you are approaching things in the right way.
Embouchure technique is something most definitely best taught by someone who can see what you're doing with the sax, and advise. I respect however, that you've noted this is not an option you're interested in - however I wouldn't want to post my answer without reference to it! Normally people that are new to a saxophone would go for a 1.
My band instructor then gave me a 2. I then started playing bari sax and that helped control my air more. Im down to I think a 2. A very common issue is only being able to play loud because your mouthpiece is way too far in your mouth. You can find a position which is good for playing loud as well as soft and at the same time producing the most pleasant sound by first trying the extremes and their effect:.
Too less mouthpiece in the mouth: stuffy, very soft sound to no sound at all because the reed completely closes the opening. By moving from one extreme to the other you will be able to find an intermediate position where the sound is the most pleasant, with a good balance of harmonics and being able to play loud and soft.
The bottom lip, which rests between reed and teeth should be also in an intermediate position, neither too far in nor too far out. This is usually the position of your bottom lip when you pronounce the letter V. Learning an instrument is a continuous challenge where self-observation sound, feel, movement, optic as important is as absorbing listening to good players, reading, getting advice.
There are surely many good players around who never had a lesson and I know you don't want to hear this but finding a good teacher would be a good way to avoid a lot of trouble and learn much faster eliminating a whole deal of guesswork and leaving more time for making music!
What Id try to do now is, put the mouthpiece less in my mouth and blow less just like the writer said. I think It would also help if you sat up straight so the air flows more easily and also so you can breathe properly, Make sure you can see just a sliver of the mouthpiece when you put your reed.
And, when you put the mouthpiece onto the sax, try seeing that it is in the middle a bit almost reaching the end of the cork but not quite. I am also a self-taught alto sax player and agree with the above.
I had to hold my saxophone further away from my chest. By loosening the neck strap a bit, I could hold less of the mouthpiece between my lips and play more quietly.
In my case, it wasn't about the strength of the reed, but only about the neck strap. Im self taught on alto sax having played the piano, oboe briefly and bagpipes. I went for one lesson after I reached a point where I wanted more out of my sax feeling to the music. The teacher, rightly so, politely informed me I nearly gave him ear bleed when it was supposed to be mf medium loud.
I then realised I had a similar problem of just playing too loud and hense the lack of feeling to the music. I totally agree it is how far you have your mouthpiece in your mouth. It does take a while to get it so it becomes second nature but try to enjoy all of the trials. I found it quite amazing how to bend notes and also enhancing the sound you can produce just by altering your mouth whilst playing. Good luck and enjoy. Sign up to join this community. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top.
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