Learn: The SopranoPlanet Blog

I’m writing this because I have noticed how many players, whether beginners or long-time players, do not seem to know about these subtle and sometimes not-so-subtle aspects of getting the sound and response they are seeking. REED PLACEMENT Where you … Read More

There is this unending myth that the soprano sax is a beast, but it isn’t. Play a well balanced mouthpiece on a soprano and you will know it very quickly. But most players have never played on a good soprano … Read More

The amount of misunderstanding and pure nonsense surrounding saxophone mouthpieces is staggering, and it has consequences for students and players. First, there are consequences in performance, but there is also consequences in expense and in satisfaction and joy. In short, … Read More

The short answer: most commercially made mouthpieces (I’d say easily 80 % and likely far more) are just a mess in some way or other, and that means they do not play correctly. Practice all you want on them. You’ll … Read More

This is one way to think about just how important a well-balanced mouthpiece is for a soprano player. I started considering soprano saxophone and fuel injection while designing the OPEN SKY 2, but the idea applies to all soprano mouthpieces. … Read More

Getting Your Sound If you’re around players in person or online, you’ll come across folks who claim that all mouthpieces sound alike, all reeds sound alike, all setups sound alike. They’ll tell you that “there is no difference whatsoever between … Read More

Resistance and stuffiness on soprano sax is an important topic because so many players encounter it, using almost every mouthpiece and almost every horn. Almost always, too, they conclude that the tip opening is too small. So they get what … Read More

English jazz saxophonist John Surman has sent me short audio samples of him playing his Metropolitain and his Open Sky 2 mouthpieces. John uses # 4 reeds and plays a Yanagisawa 9930 soprano. It is very rewarding for me to … Read More

If you want a dark soprano sound, just ask. Now, you can chase all the esoteric ideas that a million players who have played 20 soprano mouthpieces in their lives and maybe 20 different horns (of course, not close to … Read More

We all use the term “response” in speaking about how an instrument plays and particularly about how a mouthpiece performs. So, what exactly do we mean by the term “response”? For me, the best way to approach such a subjective … Read More

This will be quick- not because it isn’t an important topic, but because the reason is simple and, for anyone who thinks about it for a minute, pretty obvious. Whether a vintage or modern mass market mouthpiece, it has been … Read More

It ocurred to me that I should start taking some photos of brand new soprano mouthpieces that come my way that clearly show how bad quality control is from major mouthpiece makers. Names have not been changed to protect the … Read More

There are a very few things that go into making a truly well balanced soprano mouthpiece, and here they are: A table that allows the reed to rest firmly in place A facing curve that allows the reed to vibrate … Read More

 The talk about the soprano saxophone being so difficult to play is, well, just plain wrong. It’s a myth and although some people believe it, it is pure nonsense.   WHY DO PEOPLE MAKE THAT CLAIM?   The reason is … Read More

Sound waves behave differently in a straight conic environment than they do in a conic environment that also has a bend or curve in it. That is an acoustical fact. But, what does that mean to a player? Does it … Read More

If you’ve played enough different soprano saxophones, you already know that they can be very different, one to the next, in how they “speak” : how the sound is created. Some speak easily over the entire range; others speak one … Read More