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In which way are large opening harder to play?

2K views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  JeffT 
#1 ·
Hello all,

I'm playing an Alto YAS-23 with Selmer S80 C**. I've spent too many years away from playing sax and I wanted to spice my return since my C** had a deep dent in one rail.

After reading a few threads, using the search function quite a few times I finally went mouthpiece shopping today for my first time. I felt like a kid in a candy store :D

I tried a Meyer 7 (they were out of 6), a Jodie Jazz HR 6, a STM 5*, a Jumbo Java 45(I was curious to here it after reading about it so often here!) and the salesman had me tried a Selmer Soloist D and a Lebayle in wood ?!

After reading here about tip opening I was expecting to not be able to sound the Jumbo Java 45 at all and expected to suffer trying to play the other mouthpieces after reading about larger opening beeing harder to play. To my surprise I could easily play all of them, obviously not with a great tone but sill I found all of them to be rather effortless to play. Altough I admit some pieces I had a hard time tonguing the palm high E-F (not even altissimo). All of them required much less airflow than I expected. So here's my question what does that mean "harder" to play a larger opening? Is it solely in relation to control? or was it meant to be effort? I tried them with an old Vandoren Classic 2 and 3 and a Rico 2.

In the end I came home with the Jodie Jazz HR*6 and a box of Java 2.5, what a wonderful mouthpiece it is! The tone is incredible and I find it easier to play than my old C** :shock: (I'll work my embouchure and in a few month I'll return to get the Jumbo Java its tone was killer :D)

P.S. Kuddo to La Boutique du Musicien in Montreal. The salesman was very helpful and patient for the beginner that I am. The advice, support and friendliness and attitude were top notched.
 
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#2 ·
The mistake that players that are used to close tips usually make is that they play with too little beak, and try to close the tip to what they're used to with their embouchure. This causes rapid fatigue. The other mistake is trying to use too hard of a reed with an open tip.

Open tips are more flexible tonally, IMO. The downside is that if your intonation isn't be spot on, you'll be in for a load of trouble playing in tune with an open tip.

I think that the JJ HR* is a fine mouthpiece, and the one you picked will serve you well.

(N.B., when I say 'players' I mean me, also).;)
 
#3 ·
Agree with hakukani. The two main problems I have with open pieces are fatigue over time (which may not be apparent until you spend some quality time with the mpc). And intonation can suffer quite a bit - get a tuner and see how it compares with another piece. I've had some great sounding open pieces that I could play well enough, but the bottom line was I couldn't play them in tune as well as others, so they got scrapped. The JJ HR* is a great piece!
 
#4 ·
Thank you very much for the answers. I would wager a rather big amount that my intonation has probably suffered... Back in the old days, i.e. 20 something years ago when I was taking course intonation was never discussed nor taught to me by my sax teacher. It was 100% classical at that time I was told that I was not allowed to play comtemporary or Jazz until I had mastered classical...

So I don't really know how good (or rather bad) was my intonation with my old mouthpiece. I guess I'll try my guitar tuner to see... Any exercice in particular to check intonation (I'll be doing som search after this replies ;))

Thanks also for mentionning the pitfall of not taking enough mouthpiece I think I was playing the new JJ ok but I'll check for it. How do I know I was taking enough? Well I had to take less to play the palm F... :twisted:

Again thank you for the explanations :)
 
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