First attempt with Tenor

[Anonymous]

Hi Guys

I am just beginning to get a decent tone on my Tenor. Here is a tune from Bob Mintzer’s Book.

Blues Number One

I have discovered that by tightening the neck strap and raising the MP position, so that the reed is pointing at my mouth’s palate at about 45°; I am able to get a much better tone than by blowing the MP straight, which is how I play on my Alto. In this position it’s like I’m blowing flat against the reed, with the MP just behind my teeth. There is a huge difference in sound quality and ease of playing.

[Anonymous]

Oh! – My! – Goodness!

I just tried my new MP position on the Alto. It was like I was blowing through a rubber hose whilst standing on it, and now I’ve stepped off the hose.

To describe the new position is to play and raise your chin as high as possible. This means bringing the bottom end of the sax as close to the body as possible to achieve the tilted down MP angle. I found that when seated, putting the sax on the right hip (as if playing a bass guitar) with the hands close to the body, left hand in front and right hand on hip is most comfortable, as I can tilt the sax back more and then my head is in the normal position. To play in this position the sax neck has to be turned to the right a little and the MP rotated clockwise, so the reed is back in the level horizontal position again.

This may be an exaggerated position but it works for me to begin with. I can’t believe the difference in sound, it is amazing!

[Anonymous]

Great stuff Jeff – keep at it, you’ve got a good classical tone going, similar to the sax players that i played next to, when i spent a day in an orchestra last year.

Would have commented sooner, but been out of sorts with sciatica, over the past few days.
Good to hear about results of pkaying positions, i find if i lift the sax up in the air, it gives my throat more freedom to open up, especially for very high altissimo keys

[Anonymous]

Hi Sxpoet, I hope you are feeling much better.

Thanks for the encouragement, the sound file was recorded a day before I discovered the new MP position. I still can’t believe the difference in tone, I was considering selling the Tenor, but now it isn’t going anywhere. When I get the MP into that new position the whole sax resonates with the sound, its like it comes alive and sings. If this is the difference between an intermediate and professional instrument, then professional is the only way to go.

[William Cingolani]

Hey Good People of the Music World. Has the Forum changed any way for you. The word FORUM used to be at the top of the page along with BLOG and MUSIC etc. Now I see forum activity below all the comments.

Jeff I do about the same with MP position. I like to raise my sax so when the MP comes to me it’s at about that 45 degree angle. Actually the tip of the MP would be striking my top lip. I’ll pay close attention to mp position today.

[Anonymous]

Hi William

Thanks, that confirms what I discovered (the hard way – LOL). Living in a small town in South Africa has its disadvantages as there aren’t any Sax teachers here locally. There were probably a few people slapping their foreheads on this forum and saying, “Didn’t he know that?”

When I can play a bit quicker on the Tenor, I’ll record another tune with the new improved tone.

I had some problems posting on the forum recently, but it may be because I included the http:// with my link. Otherwise it looks much the same to me.

[Kevin]

Jeff, anxious to hear your follow-up recording. This recording was played well with good control, and intonation.

[jake]

Nice playing Jeff. Big difference between the tenor and alto huh?? Nice 1st go at it. notes sounded nice and robust. Once you practice it just start working on your articulation, make those notes flow!!

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the compliments guys. In a way the Tenor is my teacher, because its seems to respond more to subtle MP/reed changes than the Alto. I guess that’s why its more popular because of that expressive quality. My wife said I was smiling from ear to ear after discovering how beautiful it can sound. My YTS-61 was made around 1997 in Japan and has a more controlled operation of the key mechanisms than my Alto. The slight differences in key positions is making me stumble a bit, but I don’t have many hours of playing on the Tenor at this stage.

[Pete]

Agree with Jake, get the hang of the Tenor and start getting the notes
” gelling” better. Good sax the YTS I did have one now got the CUSTOM Z
you will be ok nice easy blowing sax the Yammy.

[Author]

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