screaming?

[kc0199]

how exactly would one pull off a 'scream?'....i've been told to bite the reed while growling at the same time, but this just doesn't seem to work.....how can i do this?

[Vortex]

From what I understand, a scream is basically a really forceful growl. Very loud (usually high) note + really heavy growl + tight grip on mouthpiece to add more overtones.

[tyler_terlecki]

what i do is (works best for me on high G) is play the note, and place you mouth as to have some of the next harmonic pass though.

so with high G, you dort of get a fast assilation between G and C

[asian sax]

any songs with this effect used?

[saxfella]

A lot of earlier Dave Sanborn !

[khyrand]

On the classical side, William Bolcom's Lilith employs this technique to great effect. (See Brilliance, a CD by the Ambassador Duo--Cliff Leaman, U. of South Carolina, and Derek Parsons, Furman University.)

[Vortex]

Yah, listen to "Come On, Come Over" by Jaco Pastorias... there's some good screaming in there on an altissimo A.

[hannibal]

I know this thread is a bit stale now, but have any of you heard RR Kirk scream while playing flute? I don't mean growl, but actually scream? Wild man.

I try to recreate it on a bari but it's physically impossible with that large mouthpiece in your gob. I can get kind of a muffled scream and ghosted notes at the same time though, which sound like well, a muffled scream and ghosted notes.

Now where do you insert something like that into a tune...

[JL]

I saw R. Roland Kirk do this years ago at the Keystone Korner in SF. Absolutely fantastic! He basically would scat sing and play the flute at the same time, "spitting" the notes out with a very catchy rhythm.

[hannibal]

Yah, that's what I'm on about! I absolutely dig the sound that he makes because it is such a one off and is musically spot on.

I do have to admit of being extremely envious that you had the chance to Kirk live- alas, I was born too late.

Have you ever tried to recreate this scat/scream thing on a horn? I can get some interesting effects which amuse/irritate my fiance and neighbors, but I have never found the guts to try it out on stage (yet). My gut instinct is that if used sparingly, at the right type of gg (heavy funk/younger crowd) audiences will freak- the desired effect in this case.

[JL]

Yeah, I was really lucky to see R Kirk live several times. He was one of those players that you just had to see live. I've never heard a recording (even a "live" one) that came close to what he really sounded like.

You can make lots of interesting sounds on a sax, but I don't know how you'd do the scat singing since, unlike a flute, the microphone is down at the bell of a sax. Also don't know if you could sing out with the horn in your mouth. You can get a growl effect by singing and playing at the same time.

[sadist]

please stop talking about screaming.... my friend does that all the time and i think i'm going to go deaf soon :(

[Ole DK]

I guess what you are talking about is a reed squeal; they are real easy you just bite the reed, and blow no need to growl… juts mess around you will soon get it.


But use sparely as it will soon lose it’s effectiveness on the listeners.

Have Fun.

DK.

[kingperkoff]

Hey JL,
I saw Rahsaan Roland Kirk as well at Keystone and in Berkeley at some club on University and he was great. I saw him at Keystone after he had his stroke and it was sad but he was able to play with one hand pretty damm good!
Keystone was a great club. I saw Stan Getz, Charlie Mingus and others there.
Do we know each other? I played at the Saloon on Grant St. on Sunday afternoons for many (20) years and still do when I come back to SF.
Ben "King" Perkoff

[orions_belt27]

I guess what you are talking about is a reed squeal; they are real easy you just bite the reed, and blow no need to growl… juts mess around you will soon get it.


What do you mean by bite the reed? as in you bite harder? or you actually bite the reed with your teeth?

[colibri]

You put your teeth on the reed without the bottom lip. But this is not how you play a "scream".

[JL]

Ben,
Just noticed your post. That was probably Mandrakes (long gone) on University where you saw RR Kirk. I saw him there once, also. I've heard your name but don't think we've met. For some reason I haven't played up at the Saloon. Sometimes play Sunday nights at the Blue Lamp when I want to jam, but it's temporarily closed now. The band I'm in now hasn't played at the Saloon, but some of my guitar player buddies play there once in awhile. I'll check it out sometime.

[orions_belt27]

You put your teeth on the reed without the bottom lip. But this is not how you play a "scream".

so how is it exactly and correctly done?

[colibri]

Growl while bending a short altissimo note.

[Vortex]

Listen to the sax solo in "Us and Them", I think I heard some screaming in that the last time I heard it (Dark Side of the Moon, for those who aren't familiar with Pink Floyd's stuff).

[werkinsnake]

"Us and Them" most definatly uses screaming. Dick Perry (Floyd's Saxophonist) also uses the scream in "Money". Listen to the altissimo G# that is held out on his solo right before David Gillmore goes into his guitar solo. THAT is the scream!!!

[sw3119]

When I scream, It's sort of like a growl gone overboard. But, I do not bite
the reed, and, it does not need to be altisimo either. Usually it is a higher note (above the octave). It's not really any different than when someone sings one note while playing another, except that there is a lot more force behind the singing. It can sound good in some places but if your not careful you can make yourself a little horse. :shock: