Sax Update
A few weeks ago I ordered a whole lot of reeds and experimented like mad.
Very quickly, I fell in love with Rico plasticovers – about half a grade “softer” than I was using. What a difference something so subtle makes. The plasticovers are “ready to go” straight away and you cannot really get the “moisture content” wrong. I suspect that they give a less pure and rich tone than you could achieve with “traditional” reeds but for a beginner like me this is overcome by being able to stop worrying about whether it is me or the reed that is “not quite right” and concentrate on my own technique. Very quickly, the low notes on the tenor came good, I find I can develop very different tones and projections and can play loud and soft. It felt like a big “jump up”.
Of course, you then realise that some of my long tones are rather wobbly, that there can be an unwanted and unpleasant vibrato but I can work on that.
The other thing I have been doing is leaving the tenor on its stand. I find myself playing it every day without fail and often playing for a few minutes several times a day. The less structured approach is probably very bad for me, but I feel my confidence growing and more as if I am playing the instrument rather than it dominating me.
I need a stand for the soprano (or a stand for both at the same time) so I can work on both!