I am a very new beginner, (got a sax for xmas, series 500 jupiter)for some reason I am playing happily along when I suddenly get a high pitched squeel. is this my breathing, embroucher (spelt?) reed or something else. I cannot find any reference to this in the literature, probably cos its so darn obvious....

also i have been given a tenor sax music book, is this ok to use on alto or do i need to transpose to the correct notes to make it sound like the CD?

Whats the actual difference between say a 2 and 3 reed?

cheers guys n gals..

i`ll go bottom to top. There is a big difference between 2 and 3 reeds. the higher the number, the thicker the reed. beginners usualy start on a 2 or 2.5, and move up later given they have proper embochure development. Of course, sometimes they prefer to stay lower, and later on it is just personal preference.

tenor sax is in the key of Bb, alto Eb. So yes, playalongs with a tenor book won`t work with an alto.

squaking... this could be alot of problems... you biting, the reed, something wrong with the sax. i`d show the sax to some1

cheers for the advice,

as i have used a number of different reeds it is unlikely to be the reed.

so me biting is the cheapest option

could it be that i have the bottom lip in the wrong place ie too low or high in the mouth piece, or just too much or unequal pressure?

I have tried all three reed sizes and they feel much of a muchness to me but then i am a raw newbie..

ta
martiin

If it is squeaking really bad, you might be too tight on the mouthpiece. loosen up. remember not to loosen up so much your pitch goes flat.

you want to bite with the top of your teeth, but don`t bite at all with your bottom teeth, you jsut want enough pressure to seal the air