Soft, mellow and sweet Soprano sound

[bradshawm]

I have not listened to a lot of saxophone music, and honestly don't know who the pro's are out the. Mostly Kenny G. (I know, many of you don't like him, but hey, his music made me want to play.)

Anyway, I heard the most melodic, soft, mellow sounding soprano on the radio. It was so sweet sounding and easy to listen too, yet still projected well. I have no idea who it was, I was flipping stations, and couldn't even tell you what station it was on.

I know this is subjective, but what kind of mouthpiece/reed set up helps produce that kind of sound? I went to mouthpiece heaven, and read the technical descriptions (very interesting), but really didn't get an answer as to what mouthpieces and reeds produced what sounds.

Thanks.

[SaxyAcoustician]

Be careful how you approach this. Much of what you hear in pop music today is very processed sound and it's no different for the saxophone. Add compression, reverb, and proper equalization and you've got a very nice warm sound regardless of the mouthpiece that is being played on.

Having said that, there are mouthpieces out there that are warmer than others. But also understand that the warmness also depends on the player.

Complicated, isn't it? :)

[keithm]

as said a lot depends on the player but I get a mellow sound when I use my old Riffault mouthpiece and a rico royal 2, switch to the berg and a vandoran 3 and the sound changes completely and I'm pretty mediocre :roll:
Keith

[flora3]

Try a wood mouthpiece e.g: Pomarico, Lamberson or Lebayle - in my opinion they help getting a warmer sound.
Regards Flora3

[Sergio]

You may want to try a Bilger Gold. Very sweet and mellow. Very controllable. The stiffer the reed, the sweeter it will sound. The V5 Vandoran (S15) is also sweet but I havn't found it to be as reed friendly. It has a quite narrow table. Niether one will will blow off your socks, volume wise, but for my style of playing I prefer the Bilger. I like playing music from Phantom of the Opera, Beauty and the Beast, romantic , lyrical stuff like that. I'm sure there are others but these are the ones with which I'm familiar. Hope that helps.
Sergio

[marc]

I backup flora3 comment : a wood Lebayle for example gives a very rich and deep sound. Another good choice for a warm sound is the Otto Link HR.

[bradshawm]

Thank you so much for your replies.

What I currently use is a C* and a no name that is chambered just like the C*, but has a slightly bigger tip opening, and Hempke #3 reeds.

I know there is a lot of subjective things going on with a mouthpiece, but ideally, would something with a round chamber like a Super Session, larger tip opening, and softer reed mellow it out some? Is there some kind of standard... this type of chamber, this range of openings, this strength of reed, will generally produce such an such sound? A chart of some nature like that would be a helpful place to start.

My local store does not carry anything but C* for soprano mouthpieces, so I am going to have to do whatever I do online, and would like to know I am somewhat in the ballpark when I start.

Thanks again for all your posts. I will be researching what you recommended.

[madsax]

There is a chance it was an alto player that sounds like a soprano. Maybe Paul Desmond? :O I dunno...when I first heard the arrangement he plays of My Funny Valentine, I could have sworn it was a soprano.

[Dave Dolson]

Bradshawn: Three factors influence your sound . . . your set-up, your embouchure, and your playing objectives (style). Much of it is mental. As has been written here many times, Bechet or Hodges (name your favorite) could pick up our horns and sound like themselves, not us.

I use Super Sessions in J-facings with soft reeds and can play soft and warm, or crank up the volume to meet the situation. I don't concern myself with chamber design (round, square, horseshoe, etc.). All I'm concerned about is how a piece plays.

To achieve your objectives, you must experiment a lot with various pieces, reeds, and ligatures (assuming you are satisfied with your instrument, otherwise you must also experiment with instruments until you settle on the total package). DAVE

[Lenny]

Sergio,
Where did you get the Bilger? I've been playing the S15 on an SX90II and love the sound but wouldn't mind something a little more open or reed friendly. Would love to try some options in that neighborhood.
- Lenny

[Sergio]

Lenny, I purchased the Bilger from International Music but I don't think it will suit you as the tip opening is a bit smaller than the S15 and it looks like you're looking for a bit more volume. I just love the Bilger, what a sweet, clear tone. I like my Vandoran also but it has it's quirks, to me anyway.
Sergio

[Lenny]

Sergio,
I've never heard of the Bilger before, is it metal or hard rubber?
Do they have different tip sizes?
Actually I don't know that I need a wider tip. I don't feel the need for more volume in most of my playing. Most mpc's have too much edge for my taste on soprano. The S15 feels very round and pure, but I'd like to try other similar pieces . The only piece I every liked almost as much was a vintage Selmer metal E. I want to try the vintage rubber Selmers or the related mpcs.
I'd like to get my high notes more easily on the JK but that may be more me & the horn than the mpc.
I'm playing jazz & Klezmer BTW not classical.

[Sergio]

Lenny, the one I'm speaking of is the Bilger Gold which has a tip opening of about .042 but can't swear to it. It is hard rubber and as you can imagine plays best with a fairly stiff reed. It only comes in that one size. It is very finely finished. I'm pretty much just a hack and play for my own enjoyment but I can tell a bit more attention is given in the making of this piece. I guess if one were to put it in a class it would be classical ( no pun intended). Wouldn't cost you anything but shipping and perhaps a cleaning fee to try one.
Sergio

[Sergio]

Oh I forgot, On my Antigua 590, high notes are a piece of cake with this piece, including F# and G.
Sergio

[Lenny]

Are the high notes easier than with the S15? The antigua is easier than the JK in any case.

[Sergio]

High notes are easy on my V5 S15 also. Which is easier is hard to tell. Would probably depend on reeds, the horn, emboucher etc. Through the whole stack, the Bilger plays best for me. There are probably more variables involved here than I know about. The Bilger is certainly more comfortable. My V5 has a narrow table so the reed hangs over the side which is sort of uncomfortable for me. I sanded down the edges of some reeds and tried that but it was hit and miss. Finally tried a LaVoz which is a bit more narrow and it seemed to work better but all around tone, control is better to me with the Bilger. I can play it softly and open it up a bit without any problem, but the narrow opening will be somewhat restrictive, volume wise. Volume seems to be a big thing with many players, I guess that's why we don't here much about the Bilger.
Sergio

[Lenny]

Funny,
I don't see any problem with the reed fitting the S15. Using vandorans.
Thanks for all the info, I'll try it out.
Man you waste as much time as I do on the web!
You wouldn't be in the SF area would you. Seems like a west coast thing to be on the web at this hour.