About the Xaphoon

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11
Playing Instructions
Mouth Position
T
he Xaphoon is not difficult to learn
to play. At the beginning it may be
somewhat tiring, but you are quickly
rewarded with a nice sound. At the begin-
ning, it is recommended that you don't take
the playing of the instrument too seriously.
The most important thing is to get a feeling
for the mouthpiece and to get your fingers
arranged, to get used to the powerful blow-
ing needed and to the higher lip pressure on
the reed for the higher sounds.
Just try to play the instrument and have some
fun. It helps to put on some music that you
like and play with the music – turn the music
up so loud that you can't hear yourself so
well.
The First Sound
T
o get a sound out of the Xaphoon, put it far enough into
your mouth like a thick straw, about half of the mouthpiece.
Now, only the lower lip should touch the reed. Your teeth
can lie on the top of the instrument.
Blow forcefully into the instrument, as if you were blowing a candle
out.
Without any fingers on the holes, you hear high F.
T
he reeds can be a science in themselves. Until you have some prac-
tice using the mouthpiece and the reeds, a simple commercially
available tenor saxophone reed is sufficient. Only tenor saxophone
reeds are used for the Xaphoon. The reeds influence, depending on the qual-
ity and the thickness, the tone quality and the playing qualities.
If a reed develops waves in it, when it becomes wet, or if it is broken or
worn, then it is difficult to play the instrument and the tone quality can suffer
considerably as well. In case of doubt, it is better to change the reed.
Reed Thicknesses and Mounting the Reed
R
eed thicknesses vary from thin - #1 to thick - # 5. We equip the
instruments with a medium-thick reed - # 2. Thin reeds sound light-
er and require less blowing force. The thicker reeds
produce a fuller, darker sound and the pitch is more stable, but
this reed does require more blowing force.
Later, it is worthwhile to pay attention to the quality of the reed.
Playing is easier and the tone quality lives, especially for the
CLASSIC XAPHOON, from the reed. Tenor saxophone reeds
can be found commercially in every thickness and quality. A
good reed often has a uniform grain. Normally, the reeds are
made from the common reed plant.
If you like, you can work on the surface using dried equisetum
stems or extra-fine fingernail polishing paper.
The tenor saxophone reed should completely cover the opening
of the mouthpiece, but not more than this. See the diagram.
The reeds
Doesn't work
Hard to blow
Exactly right
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7
T
he overblown sounds (the very high sounds, which are sometimes
made unintentionally at the beginning) can be reached by placing the
mouthpiece somewhat farther into the mouth and increasing the lip
pressure. The instruments – if you want to try it – can be overblown twice.
Lip Pressure
T
he lip pressure allows you to correct the pitch and attain the drawing
and gliding into the sounds, which are typical for the instruments.
This forming of the individual notes and phrases gives the reed
instruments their special charm. This is the source of the great art of allowing
these instruments to "come alive".
These instruments are so constructed that the pressure of the lower lip on the
tenor saxophone reed is higher, the higher the note played. This makes the
transition to the overblown notes rounder.
For clarinet and saxophone players, it is important to press the reed signifi-
cantly less than normal.
Pitch Adjustment
T
he pitch can be influenced by changing the lip pressure. The sounds
can be made a half note higher or lower in this way. The stronger the
pressure on the tenor saxophone reed, the higher the audible sound.
Since hitting the exact pitch requires a bit of feeling for the use of the mouth-
piece, this should not play a big role at the beginning.
The tone quality can also be changed by vibrating the tongue or other varia-
tions.
Now place the index finger and the thumb of the left hand on the upper
holes. Blow into the instrument again. This is middle C. If you continue to
cover the holes from the top to the bottom finger by finger, you will get one
note lower each time until you reach low C. The low sounds can only be
produced if all the holes above this note are well-covered.
First play only with the left hand, even if the lower
sounds are naturally more impressive.
Later, when your fingers cover the holes well, you
will notice that the lower octave or the lower one-
and-a-half are the easiest to play.
The left hand grips the instrument and covers
the holes diagonally from above. The index fin-
ger and the middle finger of the left hand lie flat
on the holes. The tips of the fingers extend some-
what beyond the holes so that about the middle of
the front member of the finger is on the hole. This
allows you to reduce the distance between both fin-
gers.
Since the beginner must first develop blowing
strength and mouth muscles to be able to play for
longer periods of time, it is recommended that you
play more often for shorter periods at the begin-
ning.
Overblowing, Lip Pressure, Pitch Adjustment
Playing Instructions