Why is the saxophone considered cheesy nowadays?

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ironpony
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11 Nov 2020, 3:48 am

I've been working on parts of a score for a film project, and so far everyone's opinion is, it's not bad or good, but what's with the cheesy sax, they say? But why is the sax considered cheesy nowadays? It used to be popular in older music, then it seemed to have phased out overtime. What made it cheesy now, unless I missed something?



naturalplastic
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14 Nov 2020, 2:07 pm

Dont know what planet your friends are living on. Sax is still hip.

But maybe that particular use of sax in your particular soundtrack sounds out of place.



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14 Nov 2020, 2:16 pm

Only if you put cheese in it. What is cheesy? I don't know what it actually means.



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14 Nov 2020, 8:16 pm

Keep the sax.


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ironpony
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14 Nov 2020, 9:15 pm

Oh okay. Do perhaps some people think the sax sounds old or outdated since you don't hear it near as much now, compared to the 80s and before, for some reason?



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14 Nov 2020, 9:40 pm

Maybe because in many early pron flicks, the cheesy saxophone started playing right after the man at the door says, "Did someone here order a pizza? One with ... extra ... SAUSAGE?"



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15 Nov 2020, 2:13 am

But the sax was still used in a lot of non-porn as well though, so why did they use it if it's porn-cursed?



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15 Nov 2020, 8:22 am

Mountain Goat wrote:
Only if you put cheese in it. What is cheesy? I don't know what it actually means.


"Cheesy" means like "corny", out of date, or just out place. Not sure where the term comes from, but it may have something to do with "cheese cloth" that they ship big things of cheese wrapped in. If you you tear cheese cloth it sounds exactly like a fart. Hence the expression "who tore the cheese" that you would hear on TV in the Nineties.



ironpony
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21 Nov 2020, 1:08 am

Well I wanted to use the sax for a film project where it's suppose to give that film noir femme fatale feeling, where you have a femme fatale type character, who is up to no good, so to speak.

But I am wondering, is the sax perhaps too on the nose sounding for that nowadays? Should I use a trombone in the lower range perhaps instead, or does it not have the same femme fatale effect as the sax?



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22 Nov 2020, 9:17 pm

Don't know. My only take on sax - it doesn't sound nearly as full-bodied as trumpet, there might be compositions it fit in better than others?


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ironpony
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22 Nov 2020, 9:23 pm

Oh well I like the trumpet, but it's a little high compared to something around the range of a sax, which I was going for more so.



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23 Nov 2020, 12:43 am

ironpony wrote:
Oh well I like the trumpet, but it's a little high compared to something around the range of a sax, which I was going for more so.

Do you have a clip of it online? I'm wondering if this could just be a mixing / mastering thing rather than compositional.


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ironpony
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23 Nov 2020, 1:13 am

Oh I haven't done any mixing yet on it. With the trumpet I just meant in general I thought. I want the istrument to produce a sexy, lustful feel though. I googled what people thought were the sexiest instruments and the ones that come up most are sax and guitar. But trumpet didn't come up as one so far.



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23 Nov 2020, 3:30 am

ironpony wrote:
Well I wanted to use the sax for a film project where it's suppose to give that film noir femme fatale feeling, where you have a femme fatale type character, who is up to no good, so to speak.

But I am wondering, is the sax perhaps too on the nose sounding for that nowadays? Should I use a trombone in the lower range perhaps instead, or does it not have the same femme fatale effect as the sax?


A trombone is not gonna communicate "femme fatale". Its too loud, and too brassy.

The saxophone is sort of bridge between the brass instruments and the woodwinds. It has a reed, but has brass type bell. So it combines the two types of sound. So you get the sexy sultry sound that you cant get with clarinets/oboes on one hand, nor with trumpets and trombones on the other.

But it might that for a modern movie, thats not meant to be a spoof of Forties film noir, it might come off as too obvious and too heavy handed. So maybe you could use a mellow synth sound, or guitar sound, or something.



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23 Nov 2020, 7:10 am

sax is more of an analogue of a contralto female voice, the tenor and alto models. use the tenor when you want sultry and experienced, use the alto when you want more innocent.



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23 Nov 2020, 7:28 am

naturalplastic wrote:
Mountain Goat wrote:
Only if you put cheese in it. What is cheesy? I don't know what it actually means.


"Cheesy" means like "corny", out of date, or just out place. Not sure where the term comes from, but it may have something to do with "cheese cloth" that they ship big things of cheese wrapped in. If you you tear cheese cloth it sounds exactly like a fart. Hence the expression "who tore the cheese" that you would hear on TV in the Nineties.

Never heard that on TV.
Is cheese cloth still used? I thought it was?



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