Up until the end, Gerry Mulligan was always eager to play. Sometimes its nice to know that there are other baritone players in the world. Baritone Saxophonists. Cool Jazz Style. Latest Comments. Elizbeth tribble May 23, Hey i love my saxophone ps he looks like he would be cool to hang out with but hes dead.
Most saxophonist tend to only consider the tip opening when looking at mouthpiece specs. This neglects two things that can have a huge effect on the way a mouthpiece plays and sounds — facing lengths and rails. The facing length refers to the distance from the tip of the mouthpiece to where the reed actually begins to touch the rails of the mouthpiece.
This distance can vary greatly. A longer facing will reduce resistance meaning you can use a harder reed whereas a shorter facing increases resistance. A good analogy is like a diving board, the longer the board, the more flimsy and less resistant to bending it becomes. The width of the rails can vary quite a bit from one mouthpiece to another. Not only the side rails but the tip rail at the top of the mouthpiece as well.
The rails of the mouthpiece are what the reed actually vibrates against and bounces off, so they are responsible for producing the actual vibration of the air! Thicker rails increase resistance and can slow down articulation and response but will provide a deeper, warmer and possibly richer sound.
Thinner rails are better for quick articulation and ease of response. So as you can imagine the combinations between tip openings, facing lengths and rail widths are nearly endless. Especially when you consider the shape of the facing curve even for two tip openings can be completely different. Not all metal mouthpieces are bright, and in fact some hard rubber mouthpieces can be incredibly bright and loud!
There are several materials used for mouthpieces including metal, plastic, glass, wood, and hard rubber ebonite. Metal and hard rubber ebonite are by far the most common materials used for baritone saxophone mouthpieces. There are a few basic differences between hard rubber mouthpieces and metal ones. Metal mouthpieces are much less fragile as they can be washed with anything, they wont crack, and wont shatter if dropped.
Plastic mouthpieces are usually worthless and just for students, they may come in the case with a new saxophone. Glass mouthpieces are extremely rare, especially among baritone mouthpieces — they are much more common for clarinet.
Wooden mouthpieces are somewhat rare as well, and can sound great, but may be hard to keep in shape and may be expensive. They are affected greatly by changes in humidity weather and are prone to cracking. The difference in sound depends mostly on the chamber, curve of the facing, and tip opening, baffle, chamber etc, as opposed to the material. Metal mouthpieces are often perceived to have a brighter tone while hard rubber mouthpieces tend to be much darker and mellow. This is not necessarily because of the material they are composed of, but often metal mouthpieces are designed to project a bit more.
Baffles and different chamber sizes are used to alter the speed of the air as it travels through the mouthpiece, thus changing the sound. A baffle refers to when the inside of the mouthpiece below the tip opening is raised in a variety of shapes and sizes. This generally creates a more narrow opening which forces the air through faster, and creates a brighter sound. High baffles are fantastic for when you need punch in your sound or to play extremely loud — highly recommended for rock and salsa gigs.
There are a few mouthpieces out there with a movable baffle, although none of these have been considered more than a novelty. Baffles can be added or removed to existing mouthpieces by skilled craftsmen. Different chamber sizes can have similar effects to baffles.
The chamber is the inside of the mouthpiece towards the bottom of the mouthpiece. A large chamber slows down the airspeed, and will usually create a much darker sound. A small chamber generally produces brighter one. A large chamber may provide more resistance as well. When you see two numbers in the size of the mouthpiece e.
The larger the number the larger the chamber, and darker the sound. Note that a larger chamber may also affect the tuning, as it increases the volume inside the mouthpiece, thereby slightly altering the pitch. It is a really good idea to swab out your mouthpiece every other, if not each time you use it. If saliva is left on the mouthpiece after playing, it can form over a period of months into calcium carbonate deposits which look like a crusty white substance that is extremely hard to remove.
The best solution is to not allow the build up in the first place. There are some people that swear by soaking a mouthpiece in liquids such as vinegar can remedy this, but best to avoid having to soak your mouthpiece in anything. Some people prefer to leave their reed on the mouthpiece, rather than putting their reed away after playing.
This is a very sure way to build up the calcium deposits and can ruin a good piece. It is also best to wash your mouthpiece occasionally. However if you mouthpiece is a hard rubber mouthpiece, wash it only as often as you need, and only with room temperature water! Be sure to use only water, not soap. Hot water can cause certain materials in the rubber to leech out, specifically the sulfur used in the firing process that hardens the rubber. You may notice that it turns green after you wash it in warm water — this is not a good thing.
This is evidence that some of the materials used to make the mouthpiece are leeching out. Metal mouthpieces are much less fragile and can be washed with soap and warm water. It is even possible to scrape out calcium deposits in a metal mouthpiece without too much harm. On thin rubber baritone pieces the most fragile place is sometimes the shaft or shank where the mouthpiece fits onto the neck. It is very important not to force a rubber piece onto a neck cork that is too thick.
If the shaft does crack it can sometimes be repaired and have a ring placed on the end of it. However, mouthpieces with this kind of damage are rarely repairable. Some new mouthpieces come with a ring already on the end to protect against this type of damage.
If a mouthpiece is dropped and chipped it can sometimes be repaired by a skilled mouthpiece repairman using different materials.
Hard Rubber mouthpieces can wear out in as little as a few years if played a lot. If possible find a new version of your exact mouthpiece and try it out to see there is a large difference. I am often asked how long a mouthpiece lasts. Well that depends on a lot of variables that are different for every person. Do you play every day? How many hours? Do you wash the mouthpiece? Do you bite hard?
In general metal mouthpieces will last longer than hard rubber mouthpieces. They will slowly change over time, almost like how a saxophone slowly begins to go out of adjustment and leak. You may not even realize until its in terrible shape, or until it is tuned up and you feel the difference! As mouthpieces age the facings can tend to get shorter as the facing curve is slowly flattened out, and the rails can be become much less crisp and no longer symmetrical as the wood reed is vibrated against them thousands of times every day.
Generally I think people playing hard rubber mouthpieces that play fairly often should consider a new mouthpiece, or at least make sure theirs is still in good working order after 3 or 4 years — maybe more if there is not too much wear. As your embouchure progresses you may find that your mouthpiece is restrictive.
The reed seems to clamp shut when you try to put your full air through it, and all reeds seem too soft. It may be time to get a mouthpiece with a larger tip opening. Or perhaps your mouthpiece has gotten older and a bit worn — the rails are soft and uneven and maybe a chip or two has developed.
This is a risky thing to do and will certainly change the way the mouthpiece plays, perhaps not for the better. A baffle can also be placed in a mouthpiece. There is no end to how a mouthpiece can be customized, modified, etc. But it is certainly costly, and it might be easier to find a new mouthpiece entirely. An older mouthpiece that is beginning to wear down may also be refaced to restore symmetry and increase its consistency.
One thing to consider — if you take a vintage mouthpiece and reface it — is it still really a vintage mouthpiece? It produces a dark tone that Mulligan feels is great for recording in the studio. Mulligan's Gale mouthpiece plays an equally important role in sound projection—so important that he considered retiring when he broke it once and couldn't find a replacement.
His career was saved by Vandoren product specialist Jean-Paul Gauvin, who was able to repair the mouthpiece's broken tip seamlessly. The mouthpiece appears to have been customized under a previous owner. He acquired the Gale in the early '50s while looking for a mouthpiece "that I could get control and volume with and be able to project.
Most baritone mouthpieces, I could never find any that would project worth a damn. This does. Mulligan's quest for the perfect mouthpiece was inspired by an experience playing in a group with Charlie Parker at the Apollo Theater. And I said, Aha! That's how it's done. The Gale also made it possible for Mulligan to play with an attack he couldn't get on other mouthpieces.
When it comes to reeds, Mulligan uses Vandoren mediums or medium-hards. If you use a soft reed on baritone, it buzzes all over the place, and I try to eliminate as much of the buzz as possible. Reed longevity is one of Mulligan's fortes, and he takes it to the extreme: He once played the same tortured reed for a year.
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