Mouthpieces and different bands/music

[Grumpie]

I’m looking for some help, opinions, thoughts etc. about playing in different bands with different styles of music and the use of mouthpieces.


One band I play in is a coverband, playing a mix of R&B, Jazz and everything else we like. I’m using a Ponzol M2 .110 here and this works great for me.
I also sub in a 1st division community band and recently I finally switched sections in our Big Band from Bass-trombone to 2nd tenor. And the ‘problem’ for me is with these last two. (horns I play are either a Selmer Serie III or Buffet SDA tenor)

With the community band I started with my trusted Morgan 3C but the director told me my sound was too spread and/or buzzy. He preferred to hear a more focussed sound so I started working on that and trying to get a more focussed sound and less buzz. Tightening the embouchure a bit and long tones with this sound in mind. Made some progress but still couldn’t blend enough with the other tenors.
Next step was a mouthpiece switch, SA80 just like the rest of the section. I’m working on that now and it’s getting better and hopefully I’ve made enough progress when the season starts in a few weeks.

Started Big band with the Ponzol, not the best idea for blending in. Switched to my Morgan 6C, much better but a bit on the dark side. I would like something else for this. 1st chair plays a modern Soloist, alto’s play Meyers.

I was thinking about getting a piece that would work for Big Band, just a bit brighter and with a more focussed and centered sound then the 6C and with a .090 or .095 tip could also work for the occasional playing in the community band were I sit in for several weeks a few times a year. No more switching pieces, just working on this one piece for both bands.

Pieces that come to mind are Morgans 7M, ML or L or after reading around maybe even a Philtone, Soloist (modern) or ??????

Any thoughts and suggestions are welcome about mpc’s, saying “work the 6C so it works for both”, practicing-tips besides longtones etc. etc. or any other suggestions.

Thanks, Ron

[Grumps]

Started Big band with the Ponzol, not the best idea for blending in.
Why think that? Yeah, it can be a bit strident, but they're very versatile mouthpieces. I'd suggest you don't complicate things and learn to blend in with the Ponzol. A great mouthpiece and you don't need the aggravation with switching back and forth unnecessarily.

[MojoBari]

There are a number of mouthpiece designs between your dark Morgan Cs and your bright Ponzol M2. You might like a Ponzol M1 or a brighter Morgan.

You are doing the right thing by trying to get a variety of sounds out of each mouthpiece. But you may have reached a limit of how bright you can make the Morgan C go. You could try adding some baffle to it with temporary putty ot a Hot Sax baffle.

Have you also tried playing darker on the Ponzol? Try taking in a little less mouthpiece to dampen the reed some with your bottom lip.

[mfry]

Another thing you might try darker reeds like Hemkes on the Ponzol or brighter reeds like RJS on the Morgan.

[Grumpie]

Why think that? Yeah, it can be a bit strident, but they're very versatile mouthpieces. I'd suggest you don't complicate things and learn to blend in with the Ponzol. A great mouthpiece and you don't need the aggravation with switching back and forth unnecessarily.

Thanks Grumps. Probably not being able to blend in right away has to do with the fact that I'm used to play alone on sax. That's what I did the first several years. I started with the coverband next, hornsection being two trumpets and me on tenor and this went ok from the start. With the community band and BigBand I've always been on the Tbone and sitting with the saxes is completely new and I should give it more time to get used to. Feels like starting all over again though.
As for the Ponzol I agree with you, it is a great piece and I love playing it. Maybe I should have said 'for where I am at the moment, the Ponzol was not the best idea'.

Mojo, actually the Ponzol is not as bright to me as expected considering the high baffle. I didn't expect it to play this dark and lush but somehow it stands out when playing in the bigband section. But this might have something to do with my learning process after switching sections. I just want to do this right asap, now I've been giving this opportunity. So a brighter Morgan is an option. Whatever the outcome, I've to do the work no matter what mpc.

[Grumpie]

Another thing you might try darker reeds like Hemkes on the Ponzol or brighter reeds like RJS on the Morgan.

I'm on LaVoz with the Ponzol and that feels ok. A brighter reed on the Morgan could work to brighten it up a bit I suspect, but the spread sound probably will still be there and then I'm still on 3 pcs for 3 bands.

[gary]

Hey, Grumpie, wie geht's? :)

The Ponzol M2 should work in big band. I would switch to LaVoz or Hemkes; maybe Rico Select Jazz. Try different reeds first. Also, you might stick a Rovner dark lig on your M2 and see if that and a Vandoren traditional reed doesn't give you a workable sound for the community band.

However, I would not be inclined to play the M2 in wind ensemble, if it's the kind I think you are playing in. Are you guys playing a repertoire of "modern" European music like from DeHaske, etc, and show tunes? If you are, I would play something like a #5 or #6 Link HR Tone Edge (which is exactly what I do) and be done with it. But that's the problem, right? two mpcs for two bands?

It seems to me that you are playing mostly in the cover band and the big band and secondarily, in the community band. Of course you don't want to slight the community band, but if you must use only one mpc for all three, my inclination would be to first get the M2 work for all three. I have to go now, but when I come back, I'll experiment a bit with my M2.

Greetz! Gary

...BTW, I would play the Buffet SDA in the community band, that could make a difference. Also, FWIW, I solved some of the implied "problems" you are asking about by putting a Ponzol neck on my III tenor. Gotta run....

[Grumps]

An M2 is one of those mouthpieces that will turn heads, and I mean that in a good way. Just blow it a bit softer and work on your control. If you're already worried about blending in, that's a huge plus. Some never come to realize this.

[Grumpie]

If you're already worried about blending in, that's a huge plus. Some never come to realize this.

Thanks Grumps, I'll probably use that if I get any comments at our next rehearsel and then start looking at the trumpetsection :D.

[Grumpie]

Hallo Gary, im moment geht fast alles prima, zuviel zu tun in zuweinig Zeit. Einen Tag sollte mindestens 30 Stunden haben statt 24 :)

I'm already on LaVoz with the Ponzol and as Grumps also said, it should work but I need more control over the piece in the BigBand setting.

As for the community band (or should I've called it concert band), they play the European concert works and some lighter stuff. The concert works are mostly from Dutch, Belgian and English composers and re-arranged brassband works for this setting. Pieces like Codon, Resurgam (Eric Ball), The Sky is the Limit, Sunken Village (Philip Sparke), Pentagram etc. pretty heavy stuff.
I'm already using the SDA with that although I feel a bit left out between almost all Mk VI's from sop to bari there. All owned by the band, not the players, but still.

It's not about 2 mpc's but about 3 for 3 bands. If I can go back to two for 3 bands it's ok and although I was first thinking about a bigband/comm. band combination, you guys got me thinking about keeping the M2 for cover and bigband. Just work the piece more and get more control and stick with the SA80 mpc for the occasional comm. band playing. (man, the director is gonna shoot me if I turn up with the M2 there :shock:)

[gary]

Hallo Gary, im moment geht fast alles prima, zuviel zu tun in zuweinig Zeit. Einen Tag sollte mindestens 30 Stunden haben statt 24.

LOL, armes Kind. Mehr Einkommen für mehr Arbeit, oder gleiche Einkommen für mehr Arbeit? :shock:

Regarding the mpcs this is exactly what I do. M1 for pop and big band, Link HR Tone Master for wind ensemble. The concert band I played in, in Germany, had a similar repertoire as yours, I think. Like Grumps posted, you should certainly be able to use the M2 for big band and cover band and if you work on it for community band, it might work. It wouldn't be my choice but I can see if you work on your sound and use a dark setup otherwise, it's definitely worth a try.