| A ligature is a device which holds a reed on to the mouthpiece of some woodwind instruments such as the saxophone and clarinet. Place the reed on the flat part of the mouthpiece so it covers the rectangular hole and the top, rounded edge of the reed matches the rounded edge of the mouthpiece. Move the reed down slightly just so that there is 1-2mm gap between the top of the reed and the top of the mouthpiece. If the reed is too high up, it will block the air and you won't be able to make a sound. If it is too low, the air will flow too quickly and the reed won't be able to vibrate. Once this is done, pop the ligature over the ensemble, and tighten it, making sure the ligature has been put through the right way (wide end down), and the screws sit above the reed. Make sure while you tighten it that the reed doesn't move out of position. Tighten the screws just enough so they are finger-tight. Try blowing through this mouthpiece ensemble. It should make a sound. The more a ligature comes in contact with the reed, the "darker" the sound is. The less it comes into contact with the reed, the "lighter" the sound is. |
Four kinds of Hichiriko (bamboo sax) are played in the following order: 1. C tube 2. Short C tube 3. Bb tube 4. Short Bb tube Ligature is a fat rubber band. The tune is "Takeda-no-Komoriuta"（Lullaby of Takeda : 竹田の子守唄), then Stardust (short C tube), On The Sunny Side Of The Street(short Bb tube), Jupiter(short C tube) Prev Top Next |
