Saxophone Forum


by redleaf12
(13 posts)
19 years ago

Squeaky Reeds

I own a Yamaha YTS-62 tenor and I'm using the 4C mouthpiec it came with. I've been using La Voz Medium Soft reeds, which get a much nicer, freer-flowing tone then the La Voz Mediums. However, my tonguing tends to produce a lot of squeaks and I'm never able to hit notes solidly when I tongue them. There's always a squeak, or release of air before the note kicks in. Is it the reed? Is there a reed harder than a La Voz Medium Soft, but softer than a La Voz Medium? Is it my mouth positioning? I know this is hard to convey in an email, but thanks for any insight you may have.

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  1. by ebert
    (18 posts)

    19 years ago

    Re: Squeaky Reeds

    The problem is probably your reed or mouthpiece set up. When a mouthpiece table is not sealing, it can make the reed squeak, especially on hard attacks. Also, if the reeds are warped or the heart of a reed is not sealed onto the mouthpiece, squeaks can occur. Unfortunately, it could also be the saxophone itself that is not sealing properly, but I would look into getting different reeds and a mouthpiece first. The stock mouthpiece isn't very good, and you will be much more satisfied with a different one (maybe a selmer, link, ect..) Also try rico royal reeds or vandorens, because they may give u a better response than the LaVoz reeds. Make sure you are soaking your reeds from tip to tail in your mouth before you put it on a mouthpiece.

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