Going sharp when i Get higher

[DanO]

I used to think it was my sax however im experiancing this with any horn I play..The higher i go up the scale the sharper I get..I try to keep a very relaxed embisure..raise my tongue and excelerate my air..I also practise long tones and use larger tip openings and med to large .chamber mp's to no evail..im I missing something?
This usuall starts to begin on A2 and slowly by the time I reach high F im about 20 cents sharp and cant get any flatter than that..HELP!!!

[peter stockton-smith]

Try and visualise that you're playing an octave below, cos even though you think your relaxed you are probably tightening up.

[MS]

DanO, the saxophone switches octave keys (to the neck beginning on A2).

Especially on an open mps, finding the general tuning placement of the mouthpiece on the neck cork might need some attention to find the spot where the horn plays best in tune with itself.

Although you may not be too tight in the upper register, do you play even looser in the lower register? May depend on what sound you're lookin for in the low register.

Matching overtones from low register notes may help some. (Play the Bb3 overtone fingering a Bb1, then switch to normal Bb3 fingering and see if you can get them to match quality and pitch. Do the same with B1, C1, C#,1 and D1 - fingering the low note and playing 2 octaves higher.)
try tuning another basic reference pitch with the tuner. Dr. Rosseau often has reccomendec an F1 as a pretty stable note (or maybe an F2). You might try that.

You might try pulling the mouthpiece out a little and see if you can bring the lower register pitch up a little and do an averaging of registers.

If all else fails, you may need to pull out the neck of the saxophone about an 1/8 of an inch. According to Santy Runyon, this will lower the pitch of the upper register more than the lower register. Of course you might need to re-adjust the mouthpiece on the neck cork a little. I've tried this and it really works for me on a day when my playing goes hay-wire.
BEst wishes and good luck. 8)

[MojoBari]

I think you may need a smaller chamber mouthpiece. For a test, try putting some temporary putty in your mouthpiece to make the chamber smaller. Use poster hanging putty, Play-Doh, gum. Something you can pull out later. Or, just find a smaller chamber mouthpiece. With the smaller chamber, you will need to pull the mouthpiece out some to tune the sax. If it gets loose on your cork, wrap a strip of paper around the cor to get a tight fit.

When you pull out, it flattens the high notes (short lengths) more than the low notes (long lengths). Its a percent length change thing. The smaller chamber allows you to pull out without making the entire sax flat.

If this helps, shop for smaller chamber mouthpieces.

[saxomophone]

I do an exercise where I play a C major scale slow and slurred and alternate the notes of the scale with low C. If the low C doesn't speak without embouchure adjustment, I know I'm tightening up even if I don't think I am. If I feel myself changing my embouchure when I bounce back to the low C, I know I'm tightening up.

You also might try keeping your tounge down and back in your mouth. I don't think I alter the position of my tongue unless I'm playing maybe above a high D or altissimo. Sounds like you might be restricting the air flow, constricting your throat, or aiming the airstream too high into the horn for notes that are in the horn's normal range.

Hope this helps.

[Subtone Sam]

All good suggestions here.I would add that don´t worry about it too much,saxophone is not a piano,its never completely in tune (if it was,it would not sound like a saxophone).Practising with tuner is a good thing but trusting your ear is even more important.

[Razzy]

It is definitely possible to obtain near-perfect intonation. This simply requires good quality equipment, a LOT of time (like half hour daily) at the piano or electric tuner doing long tones at varying dynamics, and the correct consistent embouchure throughout the range of the horn. I'd say the first is the easiest and the third is the most difficult. Use Paul C's mouthpiece exercise and embouchure suggestions, he knows what he's talking about. Also keep the tongue down in the back of the throat. This is difficult to do, because when tonguing we often tighten up the entire tongue when it is only necessary to move the tip while keeping the heavier back part relaxed.

Pay attention to what your tongue does while going higher; for most people it will slowly raise in their mouth. Try to avoid doing this by using much more air, breath support, and embouchure CORNER tension (from the corners of the mouth). Work on this daily and take a rest for maybe one day a week and you should see good results in your intonation! Just make sure you have a good quality standard mouthpiece, horn, and reed. For general tuning before you begin the long tones, tune to F1, A1, and C2. Then check these against the low Bb and come to an average mouthpiece adjustment. It amazes me how people complain about having poor intonation only to learn that their intonation is very good DESPITE that vintage mark VI or Conn they play that's been severely out of adjustment for ages.

[Charlie A.]

WOULD SUGGEST YOU LOOK AT SANTY RUNYON'S BOOK "SUGGESTIONS FOR WOODWIND PLAYERS" AVAILABLE ON MY WEB SITE:
www.gigdust.net

[JamesL]

Excellent description Razzy! I was so inspired I ran back to my room, keeping in mind what you said, did the mpc test....improved A 440! Slaped it on the 6M, half on the cork and got a much better sound as I went higher!

Will work on more! Thanks!!!

Alto is a Conn 6M, Mouthpieces are a curent production Meyer 5M NY Limited Edition or a Otto Link Reso Chamber HR (about the same tip as the Meyer but a longer facing). Reeds so far have been DCs 2/1/2-3 and Rico Jazz Selects.

[Black]

Recently i switch from a selmer S80 series II to a III. But i started to have intonation problems and had a hard time tuning. my middle register sounds rather flat, and my middle D sounds very sharp. But my middle E sounds quite in tune, as i go higher, each note gets sharp too... Whats the problem? is it the instrument or my embochure or others. i use a C* mpc and size 4 vandoren java.

[DanO]

Black, IM no expert, but Ive found out quite a few things about my same problem..I had to simply go to a different chamber and bore size. For example on my soprano I had an excellent Morgan very large chamber 5J..way sharp in the upper range of the instrument. I switched to a smaller chamber and smaller bore Selmer Super Soloist and 90% of the problem disapeared.
The rest is my own fault, (I tighted my embusher in anticipation of a high note) nope no good lol... try some experimenting. It could also be a neck issue on your horn.

[Berg-Man]

The most likely problem with the (TENOR) Series III sharp upper register is with the neck. I had a III and what I noticed on a couple of different III necks, one being a copper model that there was a definite problem with the neck and not the horn or mouthpiece. Try a few different necks, you can order them through WW&BW or Saxophonwinkel. I believe that allot of intonation problems are neck related as the new Yamahas are proving out. The same problem can be found on other models(Yani, Selmer, Etc.) I believe that vent placement, opening and neck taper are the culprits. The VI that I have currently has the best octave to octave intonation I have found on any Tenor. Hope this helps.