This month we answer questions about wavy reeds, recording tips and park benches!
A wavy issue
Q:
I have been playing tenor sax in a band for some time but it is very costly as my reeds lose their playability, and are getting warped, wavy tips after a series of playing. I’m not sure how to handle this kind of problem, and it would help if you could let me know how to straighten them out. Thanks!
Pete
A:
Hi Pete!
There are a couple of things you can do to help with this. Generally it’s caused by the reeds drying out after being wet or a humidity change. I used to get this a lot when I was travelling between countries. If you leave your reed on the mouthpiece and your room gets a bit warm then you’ll find it happens also.
The best thing to do is to always take your reed off the mouthpiece and store it after each session. If you’re already doing this then you might try keeping your reeds in something that evens out the humidity. Vandoren do a reed case that helps with this but you can even just keep them in a zip lock bag or a humidor if you’re that way inclined!
The cases are generally better than a bag because you will get less issues with mould.
Nigel
Home Studio
Q:
I need some advice on recording. I am currently using my Apple Mac just playing along with a backing track and recording directly onto the Mac. The problem is the saxophone records too loud and over- powers the backing music. How do I create a recording that sounds more like I am playing live with the band?
Phillip
A:
There are two main things that can help with this, Phillip. The first is the level of your sax in relation to the track (as you mentioned), but also making sure your sax has a similar type of effect on it as the backing track (eg reverb).
If you are using Garageband on your Mac then you can do both of these easily. Firstly, use the slider on your saxophone recording track to adjust the volume. Remember that your sax shouldn’t overpower the backing track. Get it right and you will sound as if you recorded it at the same time as the band.
To get the effects right have a close listen to the backing track. Generally all tracks have a little reverb added because it adds some “presence” to the sound. Start by adding some reverb to your saxophone track within Garageband and adjust till the sax sound matches the quality of the backing track.
Just about all computer based recording packages will offer these features. You can also use my SaxTracks app on iPhone or iPad. With SaxTracks you can adjust both the level of your sax and add some reverb – no computer needed!
Bench issues
Q:
Hi Nigel, I notice in your recent video from your garden that you have a little park bench. Do you use this park bench to do some of your practices and when you are working on a new tune? We are in winter at the moment but as soon as its warm enough to sit outside, then I want to purchase my own park bench where I would like to sit and serenade my wife.
Reg
A:
Great question. Actually we (luckily) only have one very understanding neighbour but even so, I only sometimes play outside these days. No complaints yet! I would say though that practicing outside is a brilliant thing to do for your tone. When you play outside you generally have nothing nearby to bounce your sound back to you, so you often get the feeling of your sound just “vanishing”. This is great for your tone, because it lets you concentrate on the quality of your sound.
I’ve done quite a bit of practicing outside over the years and it’s always helped me a lot with my tone. In fact, I was once travelling in Los Angeles and the only place I could practice was down on Santa Monica beach early in the morning. I’ve also practiced in Central Park (NY), but my favourite place was in the rainforest near my home town of Cairns!