Saxophone Forum


by SAXINTHECITY
(7 posts)
19 years ago

Please explain a few things

What exactly is LEGIT? I've never heard this term before today. Also, could you please suggest a sax for (legit?) playing under $2000. Lastly, I haven't played sax in 6 years I need advice for regaining my level of play in the shortest amount of time. Thanks I have a Sigurd Rascher mpc is it considered legit ???

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  1. by saxman0317
    (53 posts)

    19 years ago

    Re: Please explain a few things

    Ligit..........basically anything that can be classified as more of a classical type music, not jazz or rock etc., as for a horn, really anything will do........buschers are awsone for this type of music if your looking for something in the lower end. As for a mouthpeice, a Yamaha would do (5c,4c), but if your looking for someting good look at a selmer C*

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  2. by tenor562
    (297 posts)

    19 years ago

    Re: Please explain a few things

    Legit is classical. Most saxaphones can play both legit and jazz. Even the Yamaha Custom Z's can play legit quite well, and they're marketed to be a Jazz sax. Some people say keilwerth's aren't good for legit, but that's not necessarily true. A good sax for people who want to play both is a Yamaha 62. It's a classic, dependable, and if you get the old version, a great bang for the buck. Yea, Sigurd Rascher is considered legit. He was a great Legit player, and I assume his mouthpieces play well. To get better at a fast speed, practice, practice, practice. Work on the Rubank Series, they'll bring a lot of sax back to you. Good Luck

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    1. by SAXINTHECITY
      (7 posts)

      19 years ago

      Re: Please explain a few things

      thanks. yanagiswa are they good for classical? I don't have any desire to play jazz at this time.

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      1. by SaxMan
        (559 posts)

        19 years ago

        Re: Please explain a few things

        I would doubt everything he just said as he cant even spell saxophone. the keilwerths are very expensive, one of their models is the most expensive model on the market. I would try to get an old yanagisawa - screw the yamah, you need something that isnt going to fall apart. The rascher piece is a VERY legit piece, modeled after the buescher piece, but improved a tad. BTW, classical is a very short period in the terms of music. Legit refers to: Romantic, baroque, Classical, contemporary, symphonic, impressionistic etc. - pretty much all the music composed before 1920 is legit, there is very little that isnt then. There has been legit music compsed since - A LOT of it, but I think stating that most of everything before 1920 kind of gives you a better idea.

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        1. by johnsonfromwisconsin
          (767 posts)

          19 years ago

          Re: Please explain a few things

          that's a small nitpick of mine as well, being the use of the term "classical" to describe much of the music outside the modern popular stuff made the past century or so. It's a lot like some people's disdain for catagorizing Alternative or 80's pop as "Rock and Roll", except there is a much bigger difference between a symphony by Beethoven and a 9th century Turkish dance, or even an 18th century chamber work.

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        2. by chiamac
          (586 posts)

          19 years ago

          Re: Please explain a few things

          (kinda off the subject) but it's like when people say "techno music" which means that they are either... 1) lumping all electronic muisc in one place 2) actually talking about the techno genere, since there are about 20 different forms of electronic music.

          Reply To Post Yahoo! AIM


        3. by SaxMan
          (559 posts)

          19 years ago

          Re: Please explain a few things

          heh, I used to exclusivley use legit, but then people started getting pissed at me for calling jazz illegitimate, so I switched to classical, then a customer came in one day and I told him I was a classical player, then he said" well the sax isnt a classical instrument...never was meant to, never will be. there has been classical stuff composed since it was made, but the sax isnt classical." I started to get pissed then saw what he was saying. from then on I was like, "fuck them. if they get offended that legit music is a term, let them"

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        4. by johnsonfromwisconsin
          (767 posts)

          19 years ago

          Re: Please explain a few things

          ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- heh, I used to exclusivley use legit, but then people started getting pissed at me for calling jazz illegitimate, so I switched to classical ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Which makes me wonder where the term 'legit' comes from. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ then a customer came in one day and I told him I was a classical player, then he said" well the sax isnt a classical instrument... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ if it's used to produce classical music, and there is a significant and credible school of thought (there's a couple, actually) towards the production of baroque, classical, romantic, or whatever music utilizing the saxophone, why exactly does his he think his small and ill-informed statement matters? ----------------------- never was meant to, ----------------------- The Saxophone's inventor would disagree, thus invalidating this statement. ----------------- never will be. ----------------- It allready is, given the growing number of quartets and ensembles utilizing or featuring the saxophone. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ there has been classical stuff composed since it was made, but the sax isnt classical ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The evident doesn't support his thesis.

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        5. by SAXINTHECITY
          (7 posts)

          19 years ago

          Re: muscles too weak for old mpc

          I'VE started practicing by just blowing through my MPC and using a tuner to produce a perfect 440mhz A. My problem is that I can hardly produce a decent note without straining and when I do produce my perfect 440 mhz A I have to really open my throat and drop my tongue in a u shape. Please suggest some exercises for improving my tone and strengthening my embouchure. I really want to make my old mpc work, even If it means several weaks of cracking bad notes. set- up: Rascher/ vandoren blue box 2 1/2/ home made medical velcro ligature.

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        6. by SaxMan
          (559 posts)

          19 years ago

          Re: muscles too weak for old mpc

          that A thing is a joke - some people have small enough oral cavities that they couldnt get that note and still be able to play. just make sure your throat is wide open, and youll be fine for that, and make sure your cheaks are relaxed and your lower lip set, but loose. If that doesnt work, try double lipping - thats the darkest you can get without changing the reed or m/p.

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        7. by tenor562
          (297 posts)

          19 years ago

          Re: muscles too weak for old mpc

          try going down to #2 reeds or even lower. Vandoren Blue Boxes were hard for me last month, but you embouchoure strengthens. I like to stay at a lower reed strength, because you get more response and you can play more easily. I just tried these really really hard and stiff Rico Grand Concert, I couldn't even make a note out of them, and I can make a note out of the Alexander with the biggest chip you've seen on the corners. The alexander actually played better too. Vandoren Blues are Hard reeds. Go down a strength, that will help a lot. hopefully. Just my opinion.....

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        8. by SAXINTHECITY
          (7 posts)

          19 years ago

          I shaved a #3

          I was able to produce a solid tone last night by shaving down a #3. Thanks

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        9. by tenor562
          (297 posts)

          19 years ago

          Re: I shaved a #3

          wow, glad that helped. How exactly did you shave it? I have some really hard reeds that I don't want to waste. Maybe i can trash my rico grand concerts by learning reed modification. Do you use sandpaper or anything? Thanks.

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        10. by SAXINTHECITY
          (7 posts)

          19 years ago

          Re: I shaved a #3

          I started off with a finger nail file and soon switched to a kitchen knife with a flat blade. It worked well, but I shaved a little more than I wanted. I'm thnking about buying saxophone reed blanks from 123music for .69 and buying this book from www.vcisinc.com/reeds.htm to learn more about making and modifying reeds. Why pay retail and I'm a bit of a DIY'er.

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        11. by sax_maniac
          (984 posts)

          19 years ago

          Re: I shaved a #3

          Another thing you can do is find really cheap lots of extra hard reeds on eBay and shave them down. I don't know what sort of cane you get from a music123 blank, but I've paid less than 5 bucks (shipping included) for boxes of Vandorens, Rico Royals, etc. At least you have the beginning of what can become a decent reed.

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        12. by SAXINTHECITY
          (7 posts)

          19 years ago

          oh yeah

          Good idea

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        13. by saxman0317
          (53 posts)

          19 years ago

          Re: oh yeah

          for reed shaving though, make sure u have a very smooth surface to work on (ex. a small peice of glass) and u can buy reed knives made just for this that work better than a kitchen knife. And if u dont want to take that mush off, just get 600+ grit sand paper and keep it in ur case. this is good even for last min. or middle of concert quickfixes.

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        14. by barimachine
          (323 posts)

          19 years ago

          Re: oh yeah

          a few things are wrong in this forum, yes you should tune to 440 you should live in front of a good tuner also dont double lip you should have your teeth on top o and about legit sax... the reason theyve called it that is because thats what it was illegitamite saxophone, all the proper conservatories took from what the name jazz was just noise they didnt gain respect until later, and by that time the name stuck to legit and jazz sax

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        15. by selmer 4evr
          (309 posts)

          19 years ago

          Re: oh yeah

          OK Legit ,,,Classical,,,straight whatever! There are only two types of music out there and the English language unfortunately is a little ambiguous in this regard. It would be better if a diffrent term would be used instead of """classical"". Whether one speaks to Hemke Rousseau or any legit musician they prefer the french expression """"musique savante ""which means ""knowledgeable music"". I guess this means music with ideas, as philosophy is the debating of ideas.

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