saxophoning problems =[

You might knkow i bought me a tenor sax last week, i got off to a great start and i know a couple scales and i know how to work out scales and i know where all the easy notes are (two octave from low c of chromatic-ness so i know where all 12 notes are but haven't started with alternate fingerings or higher notes yet)

problem is i don't think i have my reed set up correctly today or something because i could play fine the other day but this afternoon i've had loads of trouble geting the lower notes and finding it hard to keep the notes straight, some of them sound like a shep baa-ing!

any tips on reed set-up or embouchure?

thanks,
Skeej

Have you moved the reed from the day before? I don't know if it's right but I usually have the reed level with the end of the mouthpiece and the fastenery bit as far away from the end as possible. Or maybe the reed is damaged in some way?

Also if you don't blow very hard on lower notes they don't come out so well / at all.

Hope I was some help

thanks, i had the reed in the same place i've used it before, it is a new reed as i stupidly chipped the first one but it was definately in the same place and i had moistened it and whatnot before i put it in.

i think i'm blowing hard enough, i have a sturdy set of lungs from trombone playing and being a non-smoker, might just be a bad sax day or putting my mouth not far/too far up the mouthpiece

thanks =]

I find putting your bottom lip further on the mouthpiece and keeping the top lip the same helps for low notes. Failing that try eating more of the mouthpiece.

hey, thanks for the tip, it's helping a little but i suppose it'll take a while for me to be abl to play all the lower notes but i'm getting better

been fooling aroun with blues scales =]

oh and is one step beyond a Dm pentatonic scale or is a natural minor?

It's D harmonic minorrrr, yo!

sounds good to me, gots to love some harmonic minor, i keep getting side-tracked when i try and figure it out, i'm having so much fun improvising at the moment i never stay on track, considering i have barely any idea if i have the thing setup right or if it needs adjustments or anything i'm havin a reet good time and it sounds lovely.
chuffed