[JD Smith]

I FREAKING gave up. When I want to play high, I just grab the Alto!

[JD Smith]

Thanks for all the replies. Let me state for the record. I am not a student nor a beginner. I am using an Otto Link metal NY mouthpiece, a No. 3 reed, a Theo Wanne ligature, on a Selmer Mark VI. I can play EVERY note on the sax with ease and in tune. Fingering low Bb, I can hit first and second overtone most every time and can occasionally the third overtone. When I first stated the course about two months ago, I would work on this every day, and get totally aggravated. I didn’t pay money to get aggravated. I know Johnny says there is always room for improvent and I totally agree. I just cannot get the hang of what to do inside the mouth to make these notes come out. I’m done with it, will use the Alto when the Tenor will not reach range of song I am playing.

JD

[JD Smith]

The primary reason I signed up for the course was to play a Junior Walkers “What Does It Take” which he does on the tenor. Like I said, I’ll just play it on the alto. I’ve been playing for over 50 years, have done studio recordings, in fact you can hear me on the ’50s Do Wop group, The Coasters on their “Christmas With The Coasters” album done in 2015.

[JD Smith]

Yep, I have for 50 years. I guess it’s true about what they say about teaching and old dog new tricks!

[JD Smith]

Well, I have basically GIVEN UP on playing altissimo. Just can not figure it out. I will just pick up the Alto when I need to play higher notes!
Never got past the Overtones section of the JF course…. 🙁 I’m sure this is not the first time or the last time I waste money!

[JD Smith]

I amd using my “practice horn”, not my Selmer MK VI. It is a newly overhauled Buescher Tru-Tone C-Melody sax with a 1960s Brillhardt Level-Air mouthpiece withe a #3 Van Doren Reed. The horn plays perfectly, all notes up and down without ANY problems. I figured it I could master this on that horn it would be a breeze on the Tenor MK VI.

[JD Smith]

That’s what I have been doing. Just the low Bb. I can consistently play the low Bb and then the first overtone and switch between the two with just embouchure adjustment. I cannot hit the third nor forth but maybe 1 time out of 10. Trying my very best to remember what I do. It’s just not “jelling” in my brain!

[JD Smith]

I too, have hit that brick wall. I try for 5 or 10 minutes, get aggravated and quit. Been trying for two weeks. Looked at the course videos again and again, just cannot figure out the tongue, throat, lip combination. Tried all the vowels as suggested here. I guess I’ll come back to it in a couple of months! Didn’t want to pay money to get this aggravated!

[JD Smith]

I had a single pad that was sticky, the F#. I used an old trick of placing a relatively new dollar bill between the pad and tone hole. Then while holding the pad closed, pull the bill out. Swap ends with the bill and do it again. That was over six months ago and I gig with a band 10-15 times a month. Still no more sticking.

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