[Marc]

I too play on a Selmer S-80 E (somewhat larger tip than the C*) and the difference compared to the stock Yamaha 4C in my tenor is huge. After some months with it, I went up from a Rico Royal #2.5 reed to a #3 and noticed how rounded fuller sound I’m getting. Yep… it’s more air-demanding than the Y4C of course, but hey… that helps a lot in developing a strong breathing apparatus as well, doesn’t it?

[Marc]

VLC is an excellent multi format video/audio player. Lots of good features.
YouTube has too the ability to configure a 0.5x speed that allows to watch and listen to vids without pitch distortion. It’s very useful, although a 0.75x option would be more useful in most cases, since reducing the speed to a half can make the vids too slow (and rendering teachers’ explanations very boring LOL).

[Marc]

Hey, great news! You see… sooner than expected you’ll be blowing your horn again.

Congrats on that!

[Marc]

Hey, welcome from the other side o’ the world (for you).
After 8 months of constant playing with a teacher, you’ve surely developed a somewhat strong and confident embouchure so you should be able to pick a MP that fits your needs. Think about the reed as well, since thers’s a close relationship between those elements and it’s better to try them as a combo. Maybe the reed you’re currently playing on today is not the best for the MP you will choose.

Regards.
Marc.

[Marc]

If you want a good tuner that supports transposing, this is the best I’ve found so far. Only android version, no iOS so far. The transposing, along with other interesting features are available only in the paid version (around $2).

http://tuner-datuner.en.uptodown.com/android

And if you’d like a “hardware” tuner, you could go for a Korg Dolcetto, one of the few that have the transpose function.

http://www.korg.com/us/products/tuners/dolcetto/

[Marc]

Nooooouuuuuhhhhhh…
You surely made the “novice error” every woodwind beginner player makes.
Before taking any action, read about transposing in this forum, or everywere on the net.
The tenor is a Bb instrument. This means that when you play a C (middle left finger key only) it sounds a Bb (or A# which is the same). So if you read a tuner, it’ll display Bb when you finger a C and A when you finger a B. It’s normal. Tenors sound 2 semitones below the written (fingered) note.
The MP adjustments on the neck shifts tenths of a semitone for fine tuning only.

Ggood luck!

[Marc]

Hey, that’s rally good news…
You know, one step at a time… you’ll be up to playing shape sooner than later.

Keep practicing!

[Marc]

Welcome, neighbour!
From the north coast of South America.

[Marc]

Hi, Melvin.
Octave key notes usually give a hard time to beginners. Moreover, palm key notes are tougher to master. However, there’s nothing to worry too much about, it’s not you, we’ve all been through that. Saxophones are much like those video games in which the player have no access to higher levels until he unlocks the lower ones by completing certain tasks. Practice and more practice is the key…

First “think” the note to be played, i.e. “pre-hear” it in your brain. You must know how high the pitch should be, much more like singing or -if you never sang, not even in the shower- like whistling. That’s the only way to create a neural-muscular link from your ear to your embouchure muscles.

Check how much mouthpiece you take… it’s a common error to put too much MP in the mouth, which has little effect on lower notes but makes it difficult to sound good on higher ones. Maybe taking less helps you on that. It depends on player’s mouth anatomy, so there’s no a “one size fits all” rule for this.

Breath support is a must, like it is for the lowest notes. Lip pressure around the reed is crucial as well, and more important than on lower notes. You’ve surely noticed that the G (with octave key) is a tricky note to play. It is very “air-demanding” so you can use it to test your breath support. Any other note may forgive certain air weakness, but not the G… it will squeak and screech immediately as air pressure fails.

Tongue articulation needs to be softer, lighter as notes go higher. Try to pronounce “dahh” and “dehhh” as you go up (instead of the “tahh” used for lower notes) and for the highest (palm-key) notes say “heeeehhh” or “fheeeeh”, use what you feel more comfortable with.

Practice frequently… daily if possible. One day you’ll find that you can “magically” play that elusive note the day before was almost impossible. And if you can’t explain why (since “you’re doing the same as yesterday”), it’s that a neural link was established and your embouchure muscles “learned” how to behave. Don’t let that link weakens! Practice often!!!

Good luck… keep up the god work.

[Marc]

Yep.. I’ve seen it already… it’s made by the same people who invented the mouthpiece silencer.
They claim it allows the player to listen better to his tone, by reflecting the longer soundwaves (lower notes) that come out from the bell.
Player normally listen better to the high- and mid- register since the sound comes directly from the upper holes, which are closer to the players’ ear.
I’ve seen some online instructors using and recommending it… However the manufacturer hasn’t been a pioneer in this. There have been other approaches earlier, for instance:

http://www.ploegersaxsoundmirror.com/about.html

[Author]

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