Hey Neal,
I need your help.
I play the bari and my jazz teacher wants me to play louder.
can you give me some advice. do I need to put in more of my mouth piece or what?
thanks,
Anabelle
Hey Anabelle,
You could try more mouthpiece. Sometimes sax players don’t put enough in. See how it feels and if it affects the volume. You’ll have to experiment to see what is right for you.
Having good posture and breathing right is important for getting the air through too. When I breathe with the saxophone my stomach expands. And practicing long tones will give you more control and probably help you practice using more air.
In terms of equipment, a harder reed or a more open mouthpiece tip opening will give you more volume too.
Let me know how it goes
-Neal
Hi Anabelle,
Bari is a great instrument, very versatile. Be advised, Neal is right. The key is long tones and how you breathe. Think about those deep “cleansing” breaths you are told to take when nerves kick in. That is how you have to breathe with the bari. Keep control of the instrument by playing long tones, with a very open throat, much like a yawn. You will also need to periodically check your intonation against an accurately calibrated tuner (your band director will have this.) It takes time, but the reward is worth it. You will be sitting very solid on the bottom of the section, and everyone will love you! But keep the long tones going.
I did take up running when I started playing jazz bari – now I work all over town as a bari player – and I can run marathons!
Keep on keepin’ on,
Lynn