Question:
Yanagisawa Metal Mouthpiece?
I was wondering what do yall think of them?? I just got a Yanagisawa Metal # 7 and using a Vandoren 3 on it.. Its alot way different than my Selmer C*... So it would be wise for me to go to a #9, I can still return the 7.... Im in my last year of high school. Or stay with the #7?? I heard from a player that it would get me tired, and it did but im getting used to it.... So what are yall techniques or what to get my chops stronger?? Im planning on using a 3 1/2 and up to a 5 Vandoren Reed for a big fat loud sound... I use a Yamaha Allegro YAS-34...... So what do yall suggest???

Answer:
1) be aware the yani sizes (at least on alto) are way bigger than normal. A metal yani 7 alto = .090 which is like a meyer 9 or betw. a selmer F and G. Quite open.
2) 9 is larger than 7, not smaller, so it will be harder to play. Personally I'd say anything harder than a #3 would be unrealistic and unecessary on the 7, or 2.5 for the 9. Unless you got monster chops :shock: (From a C* even the yani 5 would be quite a jump (about a meyer 7).) These things are extremely loud but fat sounding and not as bright as advertised. I Work well with Alexander DCs. I couldn't play the 7 soft enough for it to be practical.
hope that helps,
ANDYJ

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It is a smaller chambered piece however, so I was able to play a Yani 7 when I don't usually play but a 6 or 6* on a Link or Barone.

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So How can I get my chops stronger???? Can I use a reed like a 3 1/2 or 5 to get my sound big ??? My friend uses a Selmer C* with a 5 and his sound is loud so I was wondering if I could do the same??? But how do they chops stronger??? Im 18 yrs. right now.... What is yall suggestions, Im looking for another mouthpiece to add for marching, and jazz band... I heard of the Runyon , but have not tried them ... and Meyer... :shock:

Answer:
sax2003: Loud is not the answer to effective playing. Most of us prefer "strong" (as in "confident") as opposed to just loud . . . and I'll bet those around you will appreciate more subtlety than mere volume.
C* pieces are fairly closed in comparison to other tip-openings/other makers' pieces. Using a five-strength reed may work on a C*, but it means "noise" in MY opinion. I probably couldn't get a sound out of such a set-up. Oh, I'm sure that somewhere, there is a player who uses a piece of tin on his C* and sounds great, but that's not my point. Someone who sounds good on a C* with a five-reed is an exception, in MY opinion.
In my experiences, those who play with strength and projection are using open pieces with softer reeds and years of playing. I use Selmer Super Session and Soloists F-facings and soft (#2) reeds on my altos (Super Session J on my sops with #2 reeds) and can be readily heard in the bands with whom I play.
One secret to being heard is knowing where to play - if the player doesn't know where he/she is supposed to be in the ensemble (I'm talking improvisation here), the player will end up either being buried or out-blasting everyone else. The player who knows where the horn is supposed to be will be clearly heard in almost all settings. If playing charts, then the player will automatically be heard in the section and will be playing to blend, not out-blast his/her section-mates.
As to your question, "How can I get my chops stronger?", that takes practice and muscle-building, plus a good set-up. You may want to explore a more open/better mouthpiece than what you are now playing. If you are fortunate to live near a good retailer, take your horn and spend a few hours testing pieces. If not, order up some from WW&BW - for a small re-stocking fee, you may find the piece of your dreams. Good luck!! DAVE

Answer:
Originally Posted by Dave Dolson sax2003: Loud is not the answer to effective playing. Most of us prefer "strong" (as in "confident") as opposed to just loud . . . and I'll bet those around you will appreciate more subtlety than mere volume.
C* pieces are fairly closed in comparison to other tip-openings/other makers' pieces. Using a five-strength reed may work on a C*, but it means "noise" in MY opinion. I probably couldn't get a sound out of such a set-up. Oh, I'm sure that somewhere, there is a player who uses a piece of tin on his C* and sounds great, but that's not my point. Someone who sounds good on a C* with a five-reed is an exception, in MY opinion.
In my experiences, those who play with strength and projection are using open pieces with softer reeds and years of playing. I use Selmer Super Session and Soloists F-facings and soft (#2) reeds on my altos (Super Session J on my sops with #2 reeds) and can be readily heard in the bands with whom I play.
One secret to being heard is knowing where to play - if the player doesn't know where he/she is supposed to be in the ensemble (I'm talking improvisation here), the player will end up either being buried or out-blasting everyone else. The player who knows where the horn is supposed to be will be clearly heard in almost all settings. If playing charts, then the player will automatically be heard in the section and will be playing to blend, not out-blast his/her section-mates.
As to your question, "How can I get my chops stronger?", that takes practice and muscle-building, plus a good set-up. You may want to explore a more open/better mouthpiece than what you are now playing. If you are fortunate to live near a good retailer, take your horn and spend a few hours testing pieces. If not, order up some from WW&BW - for a small re-stocking fee, you may find the piece of your dreams. Good luck!! DAVE
So what mouthpieces would yall recommend to a high schooler 18yrs. to strengten his muslces ?? Or what??? :?:

Answer:
To build chops, play long tones. Pick a mid-range note and time how long you can play at a steady pitch and volume. You can use a metronome to track your progress. Try different notes and different volumes. Try PPP to FFF to PPP swells while holding the pitch constant. Soon you'll feel it on your chops muscles. Stop if you get tired and can not hold the pitch anymore.
Note bend exercises can build chops too. Play a note and slowly bend it down and back. See how far you can bend without cracking the note.

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Sax2003: All of us have our favorites - I listed mine. But there is no guarantee that what I like (or what others recommend) will work for you. Mouthpieces are VERY personal. True, a lot of us tend to use the same series of pieces (the ones always mentioned here on SOTW) and I guess you can check those out (Meyer, JodyJazz, Selmer, Link, Barone, Morgan, Runyon, etc.). But I'd be hard-pressed to recommend a certain brand or opening because only you (hey, that's a song title!!) can decide what plays for you and your special embouchure.
That's why I said to go somewhere, or order some, for testing. The person who recommends you buy a "Whizbang 8*" - and it turns out that you actually liked it, was making a lucky guess.
I'd venture that all of the long-time players here have obtained their pieces by testing a batch at a time. Yes, I've taken a chance and purchased some sight-unseen and been rewarded with some great pieces, but I've been playing for years and knew what I liked - and took the chance.
You just gotta try 'em, that's all. DAVE

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How do you bend notes???????????? How do you do it????????? So the #7 would be considered quite open or the #9?????? Im fine with it right now with a strength reed of 3.. and planning on going on a 3.5 and so on... :?:

Answer:
Bend notes by dropping your jaw while playing and thinking "Yaawwww". Do it with the mouthpiece alone and with the sax.

Answer:
sax2003, it sounds to me like you need a private teacher. A private teacher will help you gain embouchure strength, choose the right equipement for you, and teach you devices like bending a note. If you already have a teacher, you should be asking him/ her these questions. If the teacher cannot answer them maybe its time to look for another teacher.

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can anyone offer a description of the design and sounds these pieces - especially for tenor and soprano?
They appear to have a lowish baffle from pics I've seen. They are silver-plated brass. Is the chamber medium (like a lawton) or smaller?
These don't appear to be a popular choice and i would certainly agree that the Yani HR pieces are not amongst the best - not bad.....but not great (on soprano or tenor). I will say they are well made and brighter than a HR Link, but lack some fullnes to the sound.
Can anyone who's played the metal ones and some other pieces compare the sound..... to say a metal link, a metal berg, a brass lawton, a vandoren v16 or any other popular piece? Was it brighter, darker, louder, softer, fatter, thinner, smooth, edgy, etc.
thanks
Paul

Answer:
The Yanagisawa pieces have a low baffle and a fairly large chamber. The sound is fairly round and warm (for a metal mouthpiece) but it is clean and clear sounding. Its quite viable for classical or concert band use. Its a quality sound but not all that distinctive. The others you mention would all offer greater degrees of 'edge' to the sound, I have played a Link and a Berg but not the Vandoren or Lawton - but remember the Lawton and Berg have several chamber options so you can't over generalise. The other metal piece I might compare it with is a Jody Jazz ESP, I have one of those these days and it has a bit more power and colour than the Yani and the spoiler offers another option. However, one thing I do like about the Yani is the facing - for me it is in the same ball park as a Selmer, Vandoren or ESP - I have never really got on with Link or Berg facing curves, just a personal thing I suppose as plenty of people like them.

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thanks singlereed - sounds similar to a V16.....nice, clean sound, but a little colourless (for me anyway). Did the Yani also have a roll over baffle near the tip?
It seems that, much like their saxes, the quality is really top notch with little variance between examples.
I might try one if i get the opportunity on tenor or soprano (I've heard a soprano played - quite nice - not all that bright either)
thanks
:P

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I am almost certain the baffle was flat rather than rollover. Incidentally, I had alto and tenor model Yanigaswa metal 7 mouthpieces, at the time I owned Keilwerth horns and found these were a really good match. When I sold the horns, the mouthpieces were not as good on the horns that replaced them so I sold them too. I did try a soprano Yanagisawa metal piece and couldn't get on with it at all, for some reason.

Answer:
I found the Yani metal soprano mouthpiece (7) to be the easiest soprano mouthpiece to play. The others I have tried. BARI HR 64, Selmer Super Session G, H, J, Selmer S-80 C*, Dukoff D6, D7, D8, Beechler metal 7, Runyon Custom.
It's the first piece that I have played with a facing of .065 or smaller that really projects on my horn. Every other piece that small has either been stuffy on the low end or thin up high.
I would put it somewhere between the Dukoff and Selmer Super Session as far as brightness is concerned. However, it has a cleaner sound than the Dukoff (less edge). The high notes really ring, especially the palm keys. For me, it requires the least embochure adjustment to get altissimo G. However, I never play that high ( except when practicing). The nice thing is that it can produce a nice warm sound also, when not pushed as hard. It's worth checking out.
I've used brown box Rico 3's, Rico Jazz Select 2H, Rico Royal 2, Hemke 2, and they all seem to work well, with the Rico 3's being the best.

Answer:
confusing
The confusing thing with these mouthpieces is that they changed the numbering system a couple of years back. A "5" on a Yanagisawa might have been really wide open like an "8" with some other brand. Then they changed it and I seem to remember a "5" being a more moderate facing. However the various facing charts (such as the one in the WW&BW catalog) still reflected the old facings (and maybe this is still the case).
Also, I believe Yanagisawa is distributed by Leblanc, who makes their own metal motuhpiece called the Thunderbolt, which was not at all the same (much higher baffle, for one thing).
I was pleased with the Yanagisawa metal but ended up not buying one (because of high price among other things). Someone mentioned it was warm and dark-sounding compared to other (i.e. high-baffle) metal mpcs. But for comparison's sake it was not as dark as a metal Meyer, which I didn't like at all, way too stuffy...

Answer:
Mouthpiece are a pain, aren't they? :( . As for the Yani metal mouthpiece, I have found it to be a very useful, versatile mouthpiece on tenor......to me it projects well, has plenty of edge if you push it, sounds full, and, doesn't go sharp in the altissimo. It's not perfect, but it works pretty well for me. :)