Misconceptions about Equipment

One of the problems I encountered as a starting player, and I'm sure most of us have, is that we tend to over estimate the effect of our equipment on our playing. For example, as a child first learning to play the saxophone, I was obsessed about trying to find the right tone. I heard that jazzy tone - that warm, fuzzy, rounded tone and compared it to my dry, classical, harsh tone. I used to think to myself "Man, if only if I had one of those $200 NY Meyers that Phil Woods and Adderley plays on, I would sound like that!" Here's the misconception: the mouthpiece isn't what makes the player great, it's the player that makes the mouthpiece great. Why are NY Meyers worth $200? Because Phil Woods and Adderley plays on one, that's why!

It's not only us aspiring players that struggle with finding the "right" equipment, but also professionals. I recall Phil Woods talking about his own struggles to get a better sound. He was fed up with his mediocre equipment and felt like he needed a better saxophone to get a better sound. One day, Phil Woods went down to a club where Charlie Parker was playing. Charlie Parker didn't have his saxophone with him and asked the young Phil Woods if he could borrow his. When Charlie Parker played on his horn, Phil realized that his saxophone was perfectly alright and that the person who needed upgrading was himself.

So with that story, let's take a little look here. How exactly does equipment factor into your playing?

Factor of equipment in your playing

• 50% comes from the individual's skill

• 20% comes from the reed

• 15% comes from the mouthpiece and ligature

• 15% comes from the saxophone and neck

For example, if I played on the highest quality instrument I could possibly get my hands on, an instrument more perfect than a Mark VI and compared that sound to a student model Bundy saxophone, and if I still kept my reed and mouthpiece the same, I can probably sound at least 85% as good with that set up.

This is in theory, but in the real world, the difference between your before and after tone would be even less. Say you have a intermediate model saxophone, which is 1/3 as good as the "ideal" saxophone. If you were to upgrade to a better horn, something say 2 times better than your intermediate model horn, you'd only get a 5% increase in your overall tone. Would this be worth dishing out the extra $1-2k in buying a new horn? I think not.

So here's my advise to you. If you're only a crappy student model saxophone, with crappy reeds and a crappy mouthpiece and you want to upgrade your equipment, try new reeds first.

Rico brand reeds and blue box vandorens seem to be the reed of choice for many aspiring saxophone but there comes a time when you must try new reed brands and try different reed sizes. If you are a beginner, try investing $20 by going to a music store, and pick out 5-8 different brand reeds and different sizes. I can assure you, you WILL notice a difference in your sound.

If you are a more intermediate player, then you might want to consider getting a different mouthpiece or ligature. If you're on a stock mouthpiece, or one of the more "standard" mouthpieces, i.e., Yamaha 4C, C*, definitely go down to the music store and try out different mouthpieces. While you're at it, ask if they have different ligatures you could try out. You might be surprised.

If you are a advanced player and you feel dedicated in persuing music and you've already picked out reeds that give you that sound you want and a mouthpiece feels that fits you best, then sure, maybe now is a good time to pick out a new saxophone. Buying a saxophone should be like buying a new car. Make sure to do a lot of research, ask around, and try many, many different saxophones. Once you've bought one, it's going to be hard to buy another!

So that's it. To summarize, equipment has relatively little to do with the overall sound you produce on a saxophone. The best thing you can do to improve your sound is to practice! Don't take the easy way out.