1 Unusual Tip For A Full Saxophone Sound

[@DonnaSchwartz]

Do you notice a difference? Let me know here...

[@julesgoldberg1672]

no difference to me. -jules Goldberg

[@peterroush4582]

I came across a no name Chinese 5 MP. It was narrow and tenor reads stuck out on the sides a bit. I couldn’t believe the ease of play and tone that it had. Great discovery!

[@blueeyedsoulman]

Pink Panther theme was recorded using a Baritone reed on a tenor sax.

[@edwarddesenne6153]

By trying different aperture.alto sax mouthpiece with a harder alto sax reed i feel sure that one could get as strong full sound as by using tenor sax reed. Some clarinet players use a soprano sax reed in place of a clarinet one & vice versa . Depends on embouchure and breath from diaphragm .

[@hansverra4405]

Difference is clear. Going to try that also, being curious ..

[@capre7]

Hi Donna! This is really an interesting topic. I did hear more richness with your tenor reed setup. I play mostly tenor and bass clarinet and interchange their reeds all the time...hmmm, so why not do that with other horns if the reeds don't lop over the sides of the mp! I never thought about trying a Bari reed. Ah ha, next experiment. Thanks for posting!

[@DonnaSchwartz]

Thanks! Just be sure to check intonation in upper register. See Bob F's comment...

[@capre7]

@@DonnaSchwartz Exactly! Good point.

[@mamachip]

Lester young always used bari reeds.

[@stevewidney627]

Very interesting! I wonder if a baritone reed would have same effect on tenor, or is the size increment larger?

[@DonnaSchwartz]

Yes it would, just be mindful of intonation. Perhaps using a 1/2 or 1/4 strength stronger

[@rosadojosean]

Excellent video! I also love our shirt! Where did you get it?

[@franbop2]

Hi Donna, Congrats on a your great dedication to your students and with the perseverance with your channel. I would suggest to anyone trying out tenor reeds on alto or any other reed on a different size mouthpiece that they work carefully with a tuner. You may find that the sound benefits do not out way the ability to have a generally in tune horn. For some it totally works, but for most it might be better to find a decent mouthpiece and reed and just really practice more. The key to a great tone is having a great tone in your head, that takes a lot of listening and then shedding enough to be able to produce it. Which just takes a lot of love of sax and music and sheer will and time on the instrument. No short cuts.

[@DonnaSchwartz]

Yes everyone, definitely listen to what Bob's saying here - I should have been more clear about it. Intonation is key, and if using a larger reed is making you go flat, it is not worth it. There's never a shortcut when it comes to tone! Thanks, Bob :)

[@jamescampoccio1152]

Tenor reed sounded, of course, more tenor-like. (I heard that Earl Bostic often used tenor reed AND tenor mouthpiece on his alto.)

[@markmontaquila3098]

yup. tenor reed sounded fatter. Gonna try it ASAP. thanks!

[@mariorescio1843]

I tried to put a tenor reed on the alto sax mouthpiece, and actually the sound gets thicker, but if you then play octaves, the high notes are rising, therefore out of tune. This happens to me.Normally I have no intonation problems.

[@espr7564]

Does this really work? The sound is also dictated by the baffle, chamber & tip opening to name a few factors, but your top notes Donna are flat 😱 is it because of the tnr reed or your sax ???

[@saxmanrex]

Earl Bostic played a tenor sax reed on his alto sax as well. Great video Donna!!!

[@k.h.5520]

A great tip Thanks Donna. Definitely get a fuller slightly raspier sound,especially (for me) lower down the scale,gives a great bluesy tone 👍

[@joshuaparsons9086]

Welcome to the club I switch back and forth depending on what I'm doing

[@garyreid6165]

The tenor reed sounded clearer than the alto reed. My old instructor, who worked with me on my tenor did one simple trick with my cane my cane reeds; he used some sandpaper on the sides and the top of the reed. The difference was very interesting because I was able to produce a pretty good tone. I bought a box of cane reeds and sanded them all. Did your student do that to the tenor reeds to fit in his alto mouthpiece?

[@DonnaSchwartz]

No he didn't. The reed fit fine. Do you mean he used sandpaper to make the reed narrower, or to adjust the reed?

[@garyreid6165]

@@DonnaSchwartz Yes. Did your student try that?

[@shipsahoy1793]

OK Donna, Hi, I thought this concept was unfathomable, but I decided to check it out.. I didn’t realize that the tenor reeds weren’t all that much bigger than the alto reeds, so it was never a thought in my mind, but I tried a Legere synthetic and also Vandoren cane reeds, and the result was that is was much less resistant to play, and I wasn’t too crazy about the tone.. Basically the sound of a reed too soft.. I didn’t have any higher strength reeds around to get a “read” on what I thought about real playability and tone haha, but since tenor reeds are more even expensive than alto reeds 😩, I’ll just be content with alto reeds. Fair enough? 👨🏻

[@DonnaSchwartz]

LOL - I thought so too for a really long time! And yes, because the tenor reeds cost more, it is a little more prohibitive. ;)

[@wuergha]

This is too funny. A couple of days ago I was so frustrated with my new Alto reeds that I took one of my Tenor reeds which worked like charm.

[@DonnaSchwartz]

Excellent timing ;)

[@maurosaxo200]

Hello, I could use a baritone reed on a tenor?

[@DonnaSchwartz]

yes

[@paulchung2213]

For a long time I did it when the reed broke down then I trimmed it to next size sax to save money buying new reed. Hahaha.

[@kevindeibert3369]

Interesting!

[@patzicari3604]

Hi Donna, The main thing I noticed is the smooth transition from your left hand to the palm keys... and, in general, is a smoother sound... I used to use Baritone sax reeds on my ol' Duckbill LevelAir... then on my 130/0 Berg... I stopped when I went to a 12* Lawton... where I used #1 Plasticovers... When they stopped making the #1s for Tenor, I tried #1 1/2 Bariton reeds for the Lawton... however I couldn't use them... they were a bit too wide... Never tried Tenor reeds on my Alto... something to do... :) Pat

[@JoeLinux2000]

Not really excited by plastic reeds. They don't last as long as is claimed. I believe a person's oral cavity and nose has a lot to do with sax tone.

[@docharley8846]

Sounds definitely richer - amazing!

[@gradyparks5249]

Good Tip...to stat with. I have done this in my early days before we had so many choices of reeds. A lot also depends on the mouthpiece. It is probably because you get a bigger heart of the reed. Experiment and if this is something that you like then you may need to look at different cuts of reeds. It all depends on your setup and flava! Get out there , experiment and chop it up!

[@abrh509]

can't say I really noticed a difference but interesting idea. Sounds like the benefits are to the player rather than the listener....just saying..

[@DonnaSchwartz]

It def felt better to me, so yes, that could very well be

[@abrh509]

@@DonnaSchwartz defo worth a try though...

[@BobBattyMusik]

Even on my cell phone, the tenor reed sounded fuller. Gotta try this myself. Thanks, Donna!

[@Twopan]

Interesting, but it did change the character of the sound. There is nothing wrong with your alto tone on your standard setup! :-) Although the use of the tenor reed enriches the sound, actually to my ears makes it sounds less characteristically 'alto'. Especially in the passage you played- more noticeable in the lower register. If that makes any sense.

[@DonnaSchwartz]

Great observation! Totally right - interesting thing is that I think I like that sound better for me.

[@markmontaquila3098]

so... a question. If I'm going to try a bari reed on my tenor, would I need to step down the weight? I.E. If I currently use a #2.5 tenor reed, should I use a #2 bari reed? I'd like to know before I buy the reeds - which I almost did until thinking of this. THANKS

[@DonnaSchwartz]

I can't give a definitive answer - on alto, I generally use a 1/4 strength stronger reed than on tenor. But that's just me... I'm gonna try a 2.25 tenor reed on my alto next and see.

[@markmontaquila3098]

@@DonnaSchwartz thanks for the reply. Suppose I’ll try a #2 bari on my tenor and see what happens. Thanks again!!

[@brentpattison1010]

On clarinet, some experts I follow suggest using the European Cut Legere rather than other cuts because the European Cut is wider - noticeably wider. I can attest that the European Cut works better. So, not surprising that a larger reed can work on the smaller mouthpiece!

[@DonnaSchwartz]

That is good to know - thanks!

[@gregguerin6582]

Yes a definite fuller sound....really good tip....

[@willkiml]

Been doing this for years- using bari reed on my tenor Mark VI

[@sabrinashea198]

Yes I noticed a difference. 🎷😱 amazing....

[@BillColeExperience]

Earl Bostic comes to mind

[@Bobba7438]

Donna: Yes, I heard a difference. I thought the tenor reed sounded richer and fuller. Does a bari sax use a different reed than a tenor sax? If so, wonder what the result would be of putting a bari reed on a tenor sax? Just a thought.

[@DonnaSchwartz]

I don't have a decent Bari sax reed to test this, but some players have responded that they do this too

[@Bobba7438]

@@DonnaSchwartz Thanks, Donna!

[@saxmanrex]

Your horn is beautiful!! Is that a gold-plated Mark VI!!??? Do you have a video where you talk about your setup? If so, can you please link to it in your reply? You sound great!!!

[@javierquesada798]

I'm back, good health

[@motivation89742]

Good Cane reeds sound so much better than synthetic reeds especially on tenor when I switched to back to cane reeds it was life changing for me

[@DonnaSchwartz]

Nothing like a great cane reed, for sure...but I know for me, I am in playing situations with extreme weather or really long waits between sets or even starting a gig, and there's no time to even put the reed on. So synthetic is the way to go for that for me. And if you live in a really dry climate, synthetic is easier to deal with.

[@motivation89742]

@@DonnaSchwartz I agree synthetic reeds are way more convient for me my tone drastically improved when I switched to cane

[@blueeyedsoulman]

@@motivation89742 I tried a lot of synth reeds and ended up liking Fibercell 2.5. But I have tons of reeds. Depends on the tone I'm looking for. I use Van Doren V16 #9 on Tenor and #8 on Alto as well as Jumbo Java which I think were discontinued and sell for like $900 lol. I better keep an eye on that one.

[@sabrinashea198]

Interesting... love the tip

[@lion037]

Used to be common in big band era. You'll find that the lower register is easier to play, fuller and warmer.

[@michaelroach4219]

I heard a difference.The tenor Reed helped to give a fuller sound.

[@vivianastridge2167]

John Laughter the saxophonist and pedagogue in a reply to an enquiry, very casually mentioned that he had used a tenor reed on an alto or a baritone reed on tenor I am not sure, for many years. He also mentioned that Plaz Johnson of the Pink Panther theme used a baritone reed on a tenor mouthpiece . I could be wrong in details but the message was that I could try out different combinations of reed and mouthpiece on different sizes. I went a step further and used a tenor reed on a tenor mouthpiece on alto and was greatly surprised at the enormous improvement in sound quality. The tenor mouthpiece on alto produced acceptable accuracy in pitch for the first octave notes but the second octave notes were flat. To remedy this I measured the internal volume of an S 80 alto mouthpiece and modified the tenor mouthpiece to have this internal volume. This corrected the second and higher notes. Using an alto reed and mouthpiece on alto is perfectly legitimate and is in fact the right way to go for most players and more especially if one is gifted with the anatomical structure of Paul Desmond or anyone like him but for those who can manage with effort a sound approximating that of a screech owl , which is the natural sound of the alto, the use of a tenor reed and tenor mouthpiece suitably corrected for pitch will for sure be considered a boon from Above.

[@DonnaSchwartz]

John's a great guy...

[@dennis9242]

Hey Donna, would you think the same would hold true using a bari reed on tenor? Thanks.

[@DonnaSchwartz]

Yes. I just can't give a definitive answer as to strength

[@pekkatoivanen6924]

I must say I didn't hear a difference.