Another Go at improvising

[Anonymous]

still working on this new mouthpiece, trying to get it to sound right,so
went up a reed size as the old reed seemed too weak

recorded on my ipod, not on the proper setup,
have to wait 2 weeks before i can the proper recording gear out

[Dazza]

Nice work Mr Poet.Its a cool backing track and it sounds like you overplay it a little bit. Where the organ comes in around the 40sec mark maybe slow it down with less notes and do a sort of call and answer section. That would be cool. Then build up for the part around 2:10. Have you thought about sustaining and repeating some notes to change the story a bit throughout? Leave the odd bar blank here and there creating some space maybe. Just some ideas from a fellow novice. Cant wait to hear it on your recording setup later. Cheers.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Dazza – sadly in the true spirit of improvisation, i can’t repeat what i played, and had no idea what i was going to play.

My teacher gave me some 1 bar riffs in G, told me to go away, switch on the backing track, pick any riff and just play what comes into your head.
The only requirement he asked of me for this weeks exercise was – try and only play next door notes in the basic blues scale, and even more difficult try and get it so you play the root note for the chord that starts in each new bar.

This is the 2nd week on this theowanne mouth piece, and my instructer gave me exercises to get it playing in tune, with the mouthpiece exactly 1 cm from the visible end of the cork. Just like he said, all 3 registers are starting to play in tune due to the mouthpiece being sited correctly, and the squeeking is disappearing. The natural thing to do is move the mouthpiece in or out to get it in tune, but he insisted the mouthpiece stays 1cm and i adjust my embouchure using his exercises to get the notes in tune. So i’m at the place of doing lots of exercises checking various notes are in tune. He told me that would be the only way i would be able to get all the notes in each register in tune.

The only problem i encountered, was everything sounded horrible till i moved up a reed size on monday, so i’m going to have to try out some ricoh jazz select reeds. But i’m trying to get a specific bluesy sound, and at the moment this is the closest i can get without buying a vintage sax.

[Anonymous]

Great stuff! I like it. Dim the lights and I’ll have a glass of Pinot Noir. More blues please!

[Anonymous]

Thanks Jeff – hope to inspire more people who have the killers blues course to demo their stuff.

Only been doing it a couple of weeks, very very long way to go.
Dazza’s given me sone tips to try out. I’ll practice some more and try again in a weeks time, hopefuly using the proper recording gear. But i’m trying to get my own sound.

[Kevin]

James, sounding better each upload! Just need to here a bit more assertiveness. Sounds like you are “keeping it down” so’s not to disturb someone in the next room…

[Anonymous]

@Kevin – that’s the problem i have everytime i record with the ipod, if i get too close you wont hear the backing track and if i move further away like what happened in the middle of the track the backing track drowns out the sax. It’s a useful trick sax players do when playing live with a microphone to vary the volume to fit in with the band and singer.

[Kevin]

Balancing with the backing track is I agree an objective of the final recorded result, so I understand your reply and the reasons for it. I’m hearing the majority of the notes barely having enough air support to excite the reed, so it would seem that to get the energy, fuller tone, and resonance from your diaphragm that you need- play louder (as is usually JF’s critique) and bring up the backing track volume to maintain that balance. You may need some attenuating ear plugs if your in a small room.
Maybe it’s my ringing ears that are biasing my critique… Hope others share their perspective.

[Anonymous]

@kevin – good points raised. Just bear in mind i’ve recently in the past 3 weeks changed from a classical mouthpiece to this thewanne bright jazzy mouthpiece, and am in the process of relearning my embouchure for this mouthpiece, and i’ve had to go up a reed size to get a stronger tone.
i’m working with a pro who is exactly the same standard as Jf, but his forte is jazz, and i’m trying to get a more different tone. So theres lots of things going on, but i know what you are saying, in my case i’m getting rid if those out of tune higher that you have a problem with.
Unfortunately i can’t follow everyones advice – could end chasing m tail. lol

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