First Time Sax... and it's a Soprano.

[jasonred]

Yeah, I know I should have started out with an alto, but I didn't, cause I like the sound of the Soprano. (besides, it's what Kenny G uses, no?)

Err... any tips how to get consistant sounding notes, what simple songs I should try... what should a perfectly played D sound like? I'm just trying to blow one note and hold it consistantly before I get creative. Hope it doesn't take more than a week to get a decent long D out of this...

[xuanvu]

Get a tuner and start blowing... If this is your first time playing sax, I recommend seeing a instructor for couple of times so that he can show you the right things.... Good luck.

[yana sax]

Congratulations on picking the sax (especially the sop; you got guts!!!).

Anyway, I personally think that the very first note that you should aim to get good is G (low G WITHOUT octave key). The reason is that it has not too many closed keys, and not too many open keys, so a really nice sound is relatively easy to produce. Basically try holding your chosen note (I'm not going to force you to use G!) for as long as you can, and keep the sound the same, ie, don't let it wobble. Once you have got a noce consistent sound with no tonal wobbling, try harder notes that can sound stuffy, like D. have fun,
yana sax.

P.S. what soprano sax do you have?

[jasonred]

Some unknown brand, Alpha Fore7g or something, can't read the side of the thing. I thought I'd better get the cheapest thing available.

Does holding the keys make a big difference? Thanks! Now I know it isn't JUST my blowing and lips messing it up! I was trying C and D. I'll go for G.

When I eventually want to try out songs. (a LONG way away), anyone know the sheet music for Silhoutte? As I said, I like Kenny G.

Don't have any instructors for the soprano sax in my hometown! Will have to ask someone who plays for pointers, trouble is he's pretty busy.

G huh? Most of the online tuners are for Alto sax. Anyone know where to find what a good G sounds like on a Sop?

Gah... I shall persevere!!! (I hope)

[saxchado]

Hal Leonard has at least one book of Kenny G transcriptions. I had a buddy in school who had a whole arsenal of K.G. stuff with piano accopmaniments. (still comes in handy for the occasional wedding--if you can stomach the idea of what you're playing)

I have to admit, that though it's no longer the case, there was a day when I owned every Kenny G album out there. Then I discovered Jazz and gave the collection to some girl. (about the only CDs I ever gave to a girl and didn't later regret it! :wink:

[sax_appeal]

I don't think anyone can tell you what a perfect D sounds like. The best thing to do is to do a lot of listen to a play whose tone you really admire.

It sounds like you are teaching yourself to play and are a little uncertain about to hold the sax. You need to see a teacher so they can show you how to hold it and how to blow, etc.

If you practice enough, say half an hour to an hour a day you should be able to play Songbird in almost no time at all!

[jasonred]

I was having problems with the 'notes' I was attempting to produce, went over that Sax, and found a piece of cork had disintegrated and stuck two moving parts together. Bah! No wonder my G's went a bit funny. The sound much better now...

Which still isn't saying much. Bah!

I'm getting two types of tone, depending on how I position my lips and blow. One is pretty high, one is more mellow. They are both pretty steady and sound ok, trouble is I don't know which is correct.

There's this BAD note which seems a derivative of C, it makes my whole saxophone vibrate like a foghorn. Weird...

I'll try to find a teacher then. What do I do until I've found one? Any suggestions for a 'fun' routine that I could go over and over?

BTW, I have some basic music experience in drums and electronic organ, and DDR, so I can handle the timing and readint music, switching keys isn't a problem at the moment, my biggest concern is getting solid notes. At least, I THINK that's my biggest concern for the moment.

[yana sax]

G huh? Most of the online tuners are for Alto sax. Anyone know where to find what a good G sounds like on a Sop?




If you're meaning what does a good G sound like pitch-wise, then you can work it out. A concert pitch A, ie, an A on a piano, is a B on a soprano sax. Therefore a concert pitch F is a G on a soprano sax, so basically find an F on a piano, or online (make sure it's concert pitch; not specifically for saxes!) and that very note you find will be a G on the soprano saxophone. I know I'm being a complete killjoy :twisted: but you really need to find a teacher just to get you started with the positioning of the sax and the basic embousure. Hope my post makes sense and helps you,
yana sax.

[saxyclarinet]

If you're meaning what does a good G sound like pitch-wise, then you can work it out. A concert pitch A, ie, an A on a piano, is a Bflat on a soprano sax. Therefore a concert pitch F# is a G on a soprano sax, so basically find an F# on a piano, or online (make sure it's concert pitch; not specifically for saxes!) and that very note you find will be a G on the soprano saxophone. I know I'm being a complete killjoy :twisted: but you really need to find a teacher just to get you started with the positioning of the sax and the basic embousure. Hope my post makes sense and helps you, yana sax.

You're a semitone off. Concert A is B on soprano sax, concert F# is G#. :) A G on the soprano will sound like an F on the piano.

[Dave Dolson]

Whoa! What soprano saxophone are YOU talking about, Yana Sax? A piano's A (concert A) is B on a Bb soprano saxophone - Bb horns are a full step above concert pitch (concert Bb = C, G = A, C = D, etc.). DAVE

[yana sax]

What a blo*dy STUPID mistake to make! Sorry saxy clarinet; As i said, it was a lack of concentration. I promise i don't play a bflat when i'm asked to tune up to a concert a! :)


as for you Dave; DON'T RUB IT IN!!! I know; my mistake is worse than your space-bar error! lol. I hope that means we are even! By the way, i made the mistake on purpose to make Dave feel better (I WISH!). :D

[yana sax]

There we are; my post has been edited! What ever was wrong with it? lol :lol:

[Dave Dolson]

Yana Sax: Not rubbing it in . . . as you can see, both of us responders posted at the same time. I'm sure glad to see you are NOT playing a B soprano!! DAVE

[saxyclarinet]

Imagine trying to play one, though -- I mean, not enough music is written in B major to really necessitate one, so you'd be stuck with 5 sharps in a key where the Bb soprano player next to you has nothing in their key, and you have to beat them with your soprano and take theirs. ;)

[bariman]

I suppose you could also attach a piece of pipe to where the neck meets the mpc, and lower the horn a half step. Course, that would take a lot of rigging and guess-and-check. But then again, it would probably be much more fun to just beat-up the other Soprano saxophonist! :twisted:

Bariman

[jasonred]

Gah. Will look for a teacher then. Will any teacher do, or has he got to be specific for the sop? How do I tell the pitch of my sax?

Bah, if I could find a teacher at a moments notice I wouldn't need to beg on forums would I ;( . So I was looking for stopgap measures until I found one. ;(

How do I tell whether my Sop is a B flat Sop or er, one of the other ones?

Also, I notice my sop plays in two different sets of tones, one more mellow, and one higher pitched. I noticed my scales seem to 'jump' from one to the other when going from G to F, and sometimes for the other notes. If I'm lucky, I can go from high C# to low C in this 'mellow' pitch and in the high pitch. Usually it takes a it of trial and error to get either type of note.

I sometimes also get this REALLY high whistle.

It's all to do with my, erm, i think it's called embrasure? I think so, anyhow. How I blow and control the reed seems to be the thing affecting it.

[Dave Dolson]

Jasonred: Most likely you have a Bb soprano. The Eb sopraninos are VERY short, very high pitched, very difficult to play decently, and expensive. C-sopranos are rare, too, and vintage (say 1920's and 1930's). I started on a Conn C-soprano, by the way.

Two ways to identify your horn's pitch - 1) compare your fingered middle C to a piano's Bb (if they match, your horn is pitched in Bb); or 2) measure it end to end and it should be 25 3/4" (approximately) to be a Bb horn. DAVE

[saxchado]

Imagine trying to play one, though -- I mean, not enough music is written in B major to really necessitate one, so you'd be stuck with 5 sharps in a key where the Bb soprano player next to you has nothing in their key, and you have to beat them with your soprano and take theirs. ;)

What I'd really like to know, is who would willingly sit in an ensemble with more than one Soprano player?
Remember the old joke? "How do you get two soprano players to play in tune? SHOOT ONE!" :lol:

[Dave Dolson]

Cacophony is defined as two soprano saxophones playing concert C. DAVE