I am switching from alto to bari and I am a little problem switching over. any tips

I`m not an expert, but I would say, don`t play it like alto. Yes, they`re in the same key. So what?? Put some freakin` air in that sucker. Don`t play it like an alto with a really hard reed.

When I was in high school, I played Alto,Tenor,and Bari at any given time. Switching to a horn that has a significantly larger mouthpiece can be difficult for young players if they are not "coached" properly. I suggest blowing on the mouthpiece by itself (with a reed on it, of course) for a bit before you put it on the horn. Try fluctuating the pitch up and down in the same fashion that you would bend notes on Alto. It`s probably best to do this when there is no one around as you are probably going to sound like a fire at a pet shop at first.

You are really going to have to make adjustments in your embouchure. Escpecially when you get down to the lower register on the horn. But I promise you this: Bari sax is an absolute blast to play when you finally get the hang of it. Especially in a jazz setting where you have opportunity for soloing.

There`s only one fingering difference between a top notch Bari and an Alto. A good Bari will have a low A key right below the left thumb rest. To hit this note. Finger a low Bb and then roll your left thumb down and press the low A key. You really have to be flexible with your embouchure to have this note resonate like it should.

Finally, as with any switch to a different horn, SPEND SOME TIME WITH A TUNER. You won`t be sorry. Playing on a new horn for the first time is like going on a first date. You gotta get to know her. That means play all over the horn. Learn witch notes are flat and which ones are sharp sp you can make adjustments to stay as much in tune as possible.

I always tell people I would rather hear a wrong note played by accident than a right note that is half a tone off and being ignored because the player can`t tell the difference.

Best of luck to you.

I remember when I first blew on an bari, I had serious issues. like yu said, you had embo. problems. I was biting way way to much. you have to loosen up a ton. a lot. like practicly no presure on teh mouthpiece. that said, all the above by mvspur is an excellent guide.

I agree with everything mvspur said. Also, you can`t just play one of them. It`s good to play all four common saxes on a regular basis, but if that`s not possible, just play at least two. I tried playing only bari for an entire summer, and it completely threw off my embouchure for alto. It took me about 2 weeks to get used to the smaller mouthpiece again, and to the greater amount of pressure I had to use.

Thomas