Saxophone mouthpiece

Abstract

To provide a saxophone blowpipe that produces a sound with good play feeling and rich profound feeling sound.SOLUTION: There is provided a saxophone blowing pipe 11 provided between a mouthpiece and a second pipe, which comprises: a pipe body 16 to which the mouthpiece is attached at the upstream end 16a and a second pipe is attached at the downstream end 16b; and a first and second neck plates 24,25 joined to the outer surface of the pipe body 16. The first neck plate 24 is joined near the downstream side end 16b of the pipe body 16. The second neck plate 25 is joined upstream of the first neck plate 24. The first neck plate 24 and the second neck plate 25 are formed in a shape that is curved so as to conform to the outer circumference of the pipe body 16, and are spaced apart from each other at a predetermined distance in the longitudinal direction of the pipe body 16.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a saxophone mouthpiece equipped with a component that changes the playing feel. [Background technology]

[0002] It is known that the feel and sound of a saxophone are affected by the shape and material of the mouthpiece. Examples of conventional saxophone mouthpieces include those shaped as shown in Figures 7 and 8. The mouthpiece 1 shown in Figure 7 has an upstream end 2 to which a mouthpiece (not shown) is connected, a downstream end 3 to which the second tube of the saxophone (not shown) is connected, and a bent portion 4 located between the upstream end 2 and the downstream end 3. A plate 5 that affects the vibration of the blowpipe 1 is soldered to the radially outer side (upper right side in Figure 7) of the bent portion 4. This plate 5 is formed elongated so as to extend in the longitudinal direction of the blowpipe 1, and extends from the bent portion 4 to the downstream end 3.

[0003] Furthermore, to change the sound of a saxophone to suit one's preference, a sound-changing component can be attached to the joint between the second blowpipe and the saxophone, as described in Patent Document 1, for example. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-116067 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The conventional blowpipe 1 shown in Figures 7 and 8 tends to have a high resistance when blowing into it and a low reverberation of sound, creating a demand for improvements in the blowing feel and sound. The high resistance when blowing into it is thought to be due to the plate 5 impeding the vibration of the blowpipe 1. Furthermore, when playing a conventional blowpipe 1 with the plate 5 removed, it was found that the sound became excessively light and lacked overall tightness. Here, a "light sound" refers to a sound that does not contain so-called overtones, a sound that has only a core sound and no surrounding reverberation. Furthermore, when improving sound, it is important to avoid increasing the number of parts, as described in Patent Document 1.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a saxophone mouthpiece that improves the blowing feel and produces a rich, profound sound. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention is based on the results of numerous experiments conducted by the inventors in order to meet the above-mentioned demands. The saxophone mouthpiece of the present invention is a mouthpiece for a saxophone located between a mouthpiece and a second tube, and comprises a tube body to which the mouthpiece is attached at its upstream end and the second tube at its downstream end, a first metal plate joined to the outer surface of the tube body near the downstream end, and a second metal plate joined to the outer surface upstream of the first metal plate, the first metal plate and the second metal plate being formed in a curved shape that follows the outer surface and being arranged so as to be spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval in the longitudinal direction of the tube body.

[0008] In the present invention, in the saxophone mouthpiece, the first metal plate may be formed in a mountain shape that convex toward the upstream side of the mouthpiece, and the second metal plate may be formed in a V shape that convex toward the upstream side of the mouthpiece.

[0009] In the present invention, in the saxophone mouthpiece, the tube body may have a bent portion between the upstream end and the downstream end, and the second metal plate may be located in the downstream half of the bent portion.

[0010] In the saxophone blowpipe of the present invention, the downstream end of the tube body may have a ring-shaped large diameter portion that abuts against the upstream end of the second tube, and the first metal plate may be in contact with the large diameter portion.

[0011] In the saxophone mouthpiece of the present invention, the first metal plate and the second metal plate may be formed from the same material but a different material from the material forming the body of the mouthpiece. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a saxophone mouthpiece that provides a good blowing feel and produces a rich, profound sound. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the upstream portion of a saxophone equipped with a blowpipe according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the mouthpiece of a saxophone according to the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the blowpipe. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the first metal plate and the second metal plate. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a front view showing a portion of the blowpipe. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the downstream end of the blowpipe. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a conventional blowpipe. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a front view showing a part of a conventional blowpipe. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, one embodiment of a saxophone blowpipe according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. The blowpipe 11 shown in Figure 1 is located between the mouthpiece 13 and the second tube 14 of a saxophone 12. Figure 1 only shows a portion of the upstream side of the saxophone 12. In the following, when describing the longitudinal direction of the blowpipe 11, it will be referred to as the upstream side or the downstream side based on the direction of air flow within the blowpipe 11. Furthermore, when describing the blowpipe 11, the upstream side of the blowpipe will be referred to as the rear side, with the second tube 14 extending in the vertical direction. The mouthpiece 13 has a reed 15 attached thereto and is attached to the upstream end of the blowpipe 11.

[0015] 2 and 3, the blowpipe 11 comprises a tube body 16 extending from the upstream end to the downstream end of the blowpipe 11, a cork 17 covering the upstream end 16a of the tube body 16, a key post 18 provided at the top of the middle part of the tube body 16, and operating system components including a key (not shown) that moves toward and away from the key post 18. The tube body 16 in this embodiment is composed of a main body 21 formed of a metal material so as to have a circular cross section, a tip ring 22 attached to the upstream end of the main body 21, and a cylindrical body 23 attached to the downstream end of the main body 21.

[0016] Examples of metal materials that can be used to form the main body 21 include brass, silver, and bronze brass. When the main body 21 is made of brass or bronze brass, the outer surface of the main body 21 is coated with gold lacquer. When the main body 21 is made of silver, the outer surface of the main body 21 is coated with clear lacquer. The tip ring 22 and the cylindrical body 23 are formed of a metal material, similar to the main body 21, and are fixed to the main body 21 by soldering. The metal material forming the tip ring 22 and the cylindrical body 23 may be the same material as that of the main body 21, or may be a different material from that of the main body 21.

[0017] 3, the cylindrical body 23 forms the downstream end 16b of the pipe body 16 and has a small diameter portion 23a inserted into the upstream end of the second pipe 14 and a ring-shaped large diameter portion 23b that abuts the upstream end of the second pipe 14. The downstream end of the main body 21 fits into the large diameter portion 23b. The tube 16 has a bent portion 16c between an upstream end 16a covered with a cork 17 and a downstream end 16b made of a cylindrical body 23. As shown in Fig. 3, the bent portion 16c is formed so that an obtuse angle α is formed between a linear upstream centerline C1 extending downstream from the upstream end of the tube 16 and a linear downstream centerline C2 extending upstream from the downstream end of the cylindrical body 23.

[0018] A first neck plate 24 and a second neck plate 25 are provided on the front surface of the bent portion 16c of the tubular body 16, in other words, on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 23 located radially outside the bent portion 16c (upper right side in FIG. 3), in a region extending from the bent portion 16c to the downstream end portion 16b. In this embodiment, the first neck plate 24 corresponds to the "first metal plate" of the present invention, and the second neck plate 25 corresponds to the "second metal plate" of the present invention.

[0019] The first neck plate 24 and the second neck plate 25 are each formed by punching a metal plate, such as brass or silver, into the initial shape shown in FIG. 4 and then bending the punched plate into a curved shape (see FIG. 6) that follows the outer circumferential surface of the main body 21. The thickness of the first neck plate 24 and the second neck plate 25 can be, for example, approximately 1 mm. In this embodiment, the first neck plate 24 and the second neck plate 25 are formed from the same material, but a different material from the material forming the main body 21 of the tubular body 16. For example, the first and second neck plates 24 and 25 can each be formed from brass, and the main body 21 of the tubular body 16 can be formed from silver.

[0020] These first and second neck plates 24, 25 are joined to predetermined positions on the main body 21 by soldering. 2 and 4(B), the first neck plate 24 is formed in a mountain shape that is convex toward the upstream side of the blowpipe 11. The first neck plate 24 in this embodiment is formed in the shape of an isosceles triangle having a curved base 24a and two curved sides 24b, 24c connected to both ends of the base 24a.

[0021] Each side 24a to 24c of the first neck plate 24 is curved like a triangle bulging outward. As shown in FIG. 5, the first neck plate 24 is disposed near the downstream end 16b (cylinder 23) of the tubular body 16 so that the vertex 24d faces upward. The bottom side 24a of the first neck plate 24 according to this embodiment contacts the upper end surface 26 of the large diameter portion 23b of the tubular body 23 from above. The length of the bottom side 24a of the first neck plate 24 is such that both ends of the bottom side 24a are spaced radially inward from the outer peripheral surface of the main body 21 (both radial ends) by approximately 1 to 2 mm when the tubular body 16 is viewed from the front as shown in FIG. 5.

[0022] As shown in Figures 2 and 4(A), the second neck plate 25 is formed in a V-shape that convexly extends toward the upstream side of the blowpipe 11. Two side portions 25a, 25b of the second neck plate 25 are formed to gradually taper away from the apex 25c of the V. Furthermore, these side portions 25a, 25b are each curved so as to bulge outward from the V. The tips of the side portions 25a, 25b and the apex 25c of the V are each rounded to a predetermined radius of curvature.

[0023] The vertical width L of second neck plate 25 is narrower than the horizontal width W1 of second neck plate 25. Furthermore, the horizontal width W1 of second neck plate 25 is narrower than the horizontal width W2 of first neck plate 24. When blowpipe 11 according to this embodiment is applied to an alto saxophone, the vertical width L of second neck plate 25 is 14 mm to 16 mm, preferably approximately 15 mm. Furthermore, the horizontal width W1 is 18 mm to 20 mm, preferably approximately 19 mm. A second neck plate 25 formed of brass with these shapes and dimensions weighs approximately 1 g.

[0024] 3, the second neck plate 25 is disposed in the downstream half of the bend 16c, upstream of the first neck plate 24 on the outer circumferential surface of the tubular body 16. In this embodiment, the second neck plate 25 is positioned such that the apex 25c of the V-shape is located near and below the upstream centerline C1 of the tubular body 16. The first neck plate 24 and the second neck plate 25 are arranged so as to be spaced apart from each other at a predetermined distance D (see FIG. 5) in the longitudinal direction of the tubular body 16. Two side portions 25a, 25b of the second neck plate 25 are formed in a shape that separates them from the first neck plate 24 at a substantially constant distance, which is the distance D, over the entire area from the base end to the tip end.

[0025] When the blowpipe 11 of this embodiment is applied to an alto saxophone, the distance D is 3.5 mm to 4.5 mm, preferably 4 mm. Experiments conducted by the inventors have shown that if the second neck plate 25 is not provided, it is impossible to prevent the sound from becoming light, and if the second neck plate 25 comes into contact with the first neck plate 24, a sense of resistance is felt when blowing into the blowpipe 11, resulting in a heavy sound. As a result of this trial and error, it has been found that by positioning the second neck plate 25 approximately 4 mm above the first neck plate 24, a sense of resistance is reduced when blowing into the blowpipe 11 and a heavy sound is produced.

[0026] As described above, since the distance D has a significant effect on the playing feel and sound, it is preferable to change it appropriately depending on the configuration of the saxophone. The dimensions of each part of the first and second neck plates 24, 25 are not limited to the above dimensions, and can be changed appropriately depending on the configuration of the saxophone.

[0027] A blowpipe 11 according to this embodiment was actually produced, and when a saxophone was played using this blowpipe 11, it was found that simply blowing lightly produced a well-balanced sound that resonated around the core of the sound, from low to high registers. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a saxophone mouthpiece that provides a good blowing feel and produces a rich, heavy sound.

[0028] In this embodiment, the first neck plate 24 is formed in a mountain shape that convexes toward the upstream side of the blowpipe 11. The second neck plate 25 is formed in a V shape that convexes toward the upstream side of the blowpipe 11. This makes it easy to determine the direction and joining position when joining the first and second neck plates 24, 25 to the tubular body 16.

[0029] The tubular body 16 according to this embodiment has a bent portion 16c between the upstream end 16a and the downstream end 16b. The second neck plate 25 is located in the downstream half of the bent portion 16c. This allows air vibrations propagating through the tubular body 16 from the upstream end to the downstream side to strike the portion of the inner surface of the tubular body 16 that corresponds to the second neck plate 25. This allows the second neck plate 25 to have a significant effect on the vibrations of the air and the tubular body 16, effectively improving sound quality.

[0030] In this embodiment, the downstream end 16b (cylinder 23) of the tube 16 has a ring-shaped large-diameter portion 23b that abuts the upstream end of the second tube 14. The first neck plate 24 is in contact with the large-diameter portion 23b. Therefore, the first neck plate 24 essentially functions as a transmitter that transmits vibrations from the blowpipe 11 to the second tube 14, improving the sound quality of the saxophone.

[0031] In this embodiment, the first neck plate 24 and the second neck plate 25 are formed from the same material, but are formed from a material different from that of the body 16. This increases the influence that the first and second neck plates 24, 25 have on the vibration of the body 16. Furthermore, because the colors of the first and second neck plates 24, 25 are different from the color of the body 16, the first and second neck plates 24, 25 stand out, improving the appearance of the saxophone. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 11...blowpipe, 12...saxophone, 13...mouthpiece, 14...second tube, 16...tube body, 16a...upstream end, 16b...downstream end, 16c...bent portion, 23...tubular body, 23b...large diameter portion, 24...first neck plate, 25...second neck plate, D...spacing.

Claims

1. A saxophone mouthpiece located between the mouthpiece and the second tube, a tubular body having an upstream end to which the mouthpiece is attached, a downstream end to which the second tube is attached, and a bent portion formed between the upstream end and the downstream end; a first metal plate joined to an outer peripheral surface of the pipe body near the downstream end; a second metal plate joined as a single component independent of operation system components including a key to the outer circumferential surface of the pipe located radially outward of the bent portion on the upstream side of the first metal plate on the outer circumferential surface, the second metal plate being joined to a portion from the bent portion to the downstream end, The first metal plate and the second metal plate are formed into a curved shape that follows the outer circumferential surface. and the two saxophone mouthpieces are arranged so as to be spaced apart from each other at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the body of the mouthpiece.

2. A saxophone mouthpiece located between the mouthpiece and the second tube, a tubular body having an upstream end to which the mouthpiece is attached, a downstream end to which the second tube is attached, and a bent portion formed between the upstream end and the downstream end; a first metal plate joined to an outer peripheral surface of the pipe body near the downstream end; a second metal plate joined to the outer circumferential surface of the pipe, the second metal plate being located radially outward of the bent portion on the upstream side of the first metal plate on the outer circumferential surface, at a portion from the bent portion to the downstream end, the first metal plate and the second metal plate are formed into a curved shape following the outer circumferential surface, and are arranged to be spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval in the longitudinal direction of the tube body, The first metal plate is formed in a mountain shape that is convex toward the upstream side of the blowing pipe, 10. A saxophone blowpipe, wherein the second metal plate is formed in a V-shape that protrudes toward the upstream side of the blowpipe.

3. A saxophone blowpipe located between the mouthpiece and the second tube, a tubular body having an upstream end to which the mouthpiece is attached, a downstream end to which the second tube is attached, and a bent portion formed between the upstream end and the downstream end; a first metal plate joined to an outer peripheral surface of the pipe body near the downstream end; a second metal plate joined to the outer circumferential surface of the pipe, the second metal plate being located radially outward of the bent portion on the upstream side of the first metal plate on the outer circumferential surface, at a portion from the bent portion to the downstream end, the first metal plate and the second metal plate are formed into a curved shape following the outer circumferential surface, and are arranged to be spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval in the longitudinal direction of the tube body, 1. A saxophone mouthpiece, comprising: a first metal plate and a second metal plate; a first metal plate and a second metal plate; a second metal plate and a second metal plate; a second metal plate and a second metal plate; a second metal plate and a second metal plate;

4. The saxophone blowpipe according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the downstream end of the pipe body has a ring-shaped large diameter portion that abuts against the upstream end of the second pipe, 1. A saxophone mouthpiece, wherein the first metal plate is in contact with the large diameter portion.

5. A saxophone mouthpiece according to any one of claims 1 and 2, and claim 4 which relies on claim 1 or 2, 1. A saxophone mouthpiece, comprising: a first metal plate and a second metal plate; a first metal plate and a second metal plate; a second metal plate and a second metal plate; a second metal plate and a second metal plate; a second metal plate and a second metal plate;

Images