Ligature rotation discovery.

[Anonymous]

Hi Guys

I don’t have a teacher so I’ve been using a beginner progressive book to learn the Saxophone.
In the book they show you to place the ligature on the mouthpiece so that the screws and closing vice part is over the reed.

There is a problem with this position, in that the straight edges of the vice are squeezing down on the reed, and restricting the closing action of the ligature.
I have used reeds displaying two distinct lines and a pinched raised surface down the middle of the reed.

When using this type of fastener it is better to have the two closing edges on a smooth surface, so that they can easily slide together.
Most forms of this fastener have one side sliding over the surface of the other, so that there is the least amount of opposing friction.
On the mouthpiece reed fastener application, the closing part is on a raised surface (the reed) which restricts the closing action of the screws.

I decided to rotate the ligature on the mouthpiece yesterday (screws on top) for my practice session, and noticed two things immediately.

1) The ligature is much easier to tighten down properly as the vice part slides easily over the smooth top area.
2) The sound from the reed was very much improved.

In this position there are only two metal bands pressing down the reed, and the open hole allows for easier alignment of the reed.

Give this position a try and see if it works better for you too.

[Marc]

You’re quite right.
That’s why there are a lot of “inverted” ligatures on the market, that are designed to be mounted with the adjusting screws (some have only one) on top and press the reed with a smooth, plain section. Examples of those are Rovner textiles or leather, and Rico metal ligatures.
Of course you can use a standard ligature in the inverted position. Only drawback is that the screws point to the left and you must adjust with your left hand. Nothing impossible, but kinda awkward for a large percentage of the people.

[Anonymous]

Hi Marc

I just bought myself a BG leather ligature for my Tenor, because the metal band type kept slipping down the mouthpiece.

The drawback you mention can be addressed by turning the mouthpiece around so that it is pointing towards oneself
(instead of away), then one can still observe the reed and the screws can be tightened with the right hand.

I fix the reed so that it is just held firmly, do the reed final alignment, and then tighten the screws.
This allows one to check the reed gap from any angle whilst the reed is held in position.

[wayne wojnarowski]

Hey Jeff I’m confused I think my ligature is a VANDOREN Optimum and this type can’t be played upside down, in regards to the reeds, bud I have 2 boxes of Rigotti Gold ,1 is 2.5 strong ,the other2.5 med, 6 individual Rigotti reeds all 2.5 as well, 13 Rico La Voz all med hard, and a box of Superial by Alexander 2.5 strength all of these are alto reeds give me your address I would like to send you a Christmas gift from Chicago to South Africa!!! Ho HO HO !!! Merry Christmas! from Wayne Wojnarowski .Jeff than you will have enough reeds to last on your alto into next year!!

[Anonymous]

Hi Wayne, thank you for your very kind offer, but I have more than sufficient reeds now to last me for a very long time.

I alternate playing on two reeds and the two I have now are about six months old and still going strong. I wash and dry the reeds after playing and replace them into their plastic holders which I believe increases their lifespan.

I’m sorry if my description was not clear here is an image of the position for the ligature which I have now adopted for better performance.

[john]

Jeff this type of lig is the worse one you can use
They are always included with the saxophone you buy as the bottom line way to hold your reed onto the mouthpiece but that’s about it
They are constrictive and once you have been playing for more than a few days you should upgrade

[Anonymous]

Johnny, yes, hindsight is an exact science. LOL

If I had known how much time I would spend playing my sax, I should have flown to France to see Henri about a Selmer!

[john]

ha yes. the good news is a slight upgrade is very cheap with those ones that wrap around with black soft material rather than the metal.
one of the most popular makes is the Rovner at about $45 but you can go much higher than that for even better ones.

[Anonymous]

Point taken, but I’ve spent quite a bit recently replacing the corks, pads, and a leather type BG ligature for the Tenor. Now that I have two really good sounding saxes, it’s time for me to get stuck into your courses and develop some fluid playing skill.

[Author]

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