# Furry Saxamaphonists?



## Eleziek (Dec 18, 2009)

Shoutout to all of you sax players out there, what's your setup? How long've you been playing? Jazz? Classical? Percussion (wtf?)? Alto? Tenor? Soprano? Bass? Post pics of the setup if you've got 'em!~

I'm going to be lazy and copy/paste what I posted in the "what do you play" thread, I'll take some pics here tomorrow or something and get them up.


I play on a Cannonball Big Bell Stone Series... For all of the Cannonball naysayers out there, go away, this horn shreds with a fantastic action and HUGE sound. I've got mine plated in black nickel and it gives it such a versatile tone, I can get some really, really rich and dark stuff going and immediately switch to some shredding, edgy sound as well. Two mouthpieces I use on it are a Selmer C* and an ARB Metal. With the C* I use a standard Rovner ligature with either Vandoren 3s - 3.5s or Vandoren ZZ 3.5s, ARB I'll use 2-2.5 ZZs with a metal ligature.


----------



## Shade Koba (Dec 19, 2009)

sounds perty :3 I learned to play Alto about 1 1/2 years ago, but I cant afford to keep practicing it, since I dont  have my own x.x If I could get back into it, I'd definitely say I'd be all for the Jazz, though :3 Maybe a little Ska, too xP


----------



## Jelly (Dec 19, 2009)

[yt]qlkqonGvz_c[/yt]

ew


----------



## Duality Jack (Dec 19, 2009)

Used to play Alto. My sax is not currently in one piece.


----------



## Eleziek (Dec 24, 2009)

Pics added :]


----------



## Aden (Dec 24, 2009)

Not right now, but it's on my list. I'll be back to this thread in a few years :V


----------



## Endless Humiliation (Dec 25, 2009)

an unproductive post


----------



## Impasse (Dec 26, 2009)

Pink Floyd and Supertramp in particular got me interested in the saxophone. I dug up my brother's old alto from the basement, but couldn't produce any sound. I mentioned to a friend my desire to learn tenor, so he brought me over to his place and showed me his tenor sax that he played in middle school. He also showed me the correct way to attach the reed to the mouthpiece and the mouthpiece to the neck, so now I know how to make a "musical" sound with a saxophone, though I don't know any notes yet.

My brother's home for the holidays, and picked up his alto at my request; he sure can still play! Because it's all valve-based (literally pressing buttons, no more) he says it's really easy. He won't be taking the saxophone to college with him so I guess I've still got the thing for myself.

So what's a good way to learn? From a book, from YouTube videos? I know the best way would be to take lessons, but my schedule's already full with a bunch of school stuff, as well as piano and percussion lessons.


----------



## Eleziek (Dec 27, 2009)

Impasse said:


> Pink Floyd and Supertramp in particular got me interested in the saxophone. I dug up my brother's old alto from the basement, but couldn't produce any sound. I mentioned to a friend my desire to learn tenor, so he brought me over to his place and showed me his tenor sax that he played in middle school. He also showed me the correct way to attach the reed to the mouthpiece and the mouthpiece to the neck, so now I know how to make a "musical" sound with a saxophone, though I don't know any notes yet.
> 
> My brother's home for the holidays, and picked up his alto at my request; he sure can still play! *Because it's all valve-based (literally pressing buttons, no more) he says it's really easy.* He won't be taking the saxophone to college with him so I guess I've still got the thing for myself.
> 
> So what's a good way to learn? From a book, from YouTube videos? I know the best way would be to take lessons, but my schedule's already full with a bunch of school stuff, as well as piano and percussion lessons.



*coughs* Far from easy, my friend, far from it. It's much more than just 'pressing buttons'. That's like saying playing a piano is easy because you're just pressing keys, or making art is simple because you're just moving a brush. Also, it's not all valve based, there aren't any valves on a saxophone xP You have keys and tone holes, etc.  

For introductory concepts with a saxophone I'd suggest looking at the Standard of Excellence books, they provide a foundation for tone production and fingerings. 

Also, if you ever wish to master an instrument and make true music, don't assume anything is easy. Music is a matter beyond playing a horn or any other instrument... There's a fine line between instrumentalists and musicians. 

An instrumentalist can play their instrument well, create a solid tone, and perform on various pieces. A musician doesn't play his or her instrument, a musician merely uses the instrument as a tool to amplify his or her passion. True music is not heard with ears, it is felt by the soul and listened to with the heart.


----------



## Endless Humiliation (Dec 29, 2009)

What would be some of the things a beginner should know about saxophones? Like which size would be good for what and so on. That's not very specific


Also listen to this and pretend that the walrus is playing it


----------



## Defcat (Jan 2, 2010)

well.... My Alto is coming along, but I wouldn't say that I am quite proficient at it yet. I did one submission, http://www.furaffinity.net/view/3204946,  when I am playing it, but I put a Gverb (whatever the fuck that is) effect on it so it ended up sounding more like a theramin. 

my equipment is just a standard Selmer intermediate model horn, nothing fancy, but thats fine considering it is a secondary instrument.


----------



## That_Vladimir_Guy (Jan 3, 2010)

Baritone sax player here, currently using a YBS-52. I've been doing if for ~4 months, and I enjoy it quite a bit.


----------



## Chalcedon (Jan 3, 2010)

I played Saxophone from fifth grade through the end of high school, and greatly regret having to give up serious playing when I decided to major in Computer Engineering at an all sciences school.  My high school had a German Band that played major shows at Germanfest in Milwaukee, and I really miss the thrill of playing (and occasionally singing) a for a few thousand drunk people.  Sure, they weren't picky about a lot of things, provided you had oom-pa-pa, but getting to sing Rosamunde or In MÃ¼nchen StÃ¤dt ein Hofbrauhaus for 'em?  Awesome.

At any rate:

Julius Keilwerth ST-90 Series II
Jazz/Pep:  Meyer Metal mouthpiece (don't remember the model off the top of my head) with Rico Reserve 3's.
Classical:  Selmer C* with Vandoren 3's

The saxophone went through a bit of a storm when I was playing a show at Germanfest, and needed a repad and some relaquering (which cost me a bundle).  Oddly enough, it came out sounding better than it did before (much warmer tone).

A quick note for those looking to learn:

While finger technique is extremely important, the real nuance of playing the sax is how you form and manipulate your embouchure.  You can complain all you want about your equipment giving you a bad tone, but a good player can pick up bad equipment and get a good tone, with enough practice and embouchure studies.


----------

