Tips for a new tenor sax player!!

[musiclover]

I've recently started to learn how to play a tenor sax. I've found it hard to produce my high G sussesfully and go from high to low notes. Any tips on techniques or helpful links would be great, thanks!

[stitch]

Tip number one: only post in one forum .... :wink:

This isn't meant as an insult - posting once will concentrate your replies and avoid duplication.

Good luck and welcome to our world. :)

[saxplayer07]

try usin more air or getting a harder reed.

[Andy Mann]

I've recently started to learn how to play a tenor sax. I've found it hard to produce my high G sussesfully and go from high to low notes. Any tips on techniques or helpful links would be great, thanks!

Hi Geezer, it seems to me that you're having exactly the same problems as i did when i first started playing... Firstly, what number reed are you using? I spent my first year of playing using a No.2 reed and then moved on to a No.3. There is a trade-off between reed numbers. The lower the number, the more difficult to reach higher notes but easier to achieve low ones and vice-versa with higher number reeds - my no.3 makes it easier to play higher notes (including some window-shattering harmonics) but the cavity in your mouth needs thinking about for playing low notes. Also, higher numbers produce a much richer tone, ideally a No.3 or 3 1/2 is where you should be aiming. I'm lucky that i've got a brilliant teacher who has been playing at a professional level for 50 years or more (best advice - get a good teacher, see him twice a month) he says, when playing the low notes, i should sub-conciously say 'door' (just say 'door' and feel what happens to your cavity shape) or, imagine you have a ping-pong ball in your mouth - sounds strange but it works.... For higher notes, reduce your cavity and apply a little more pressure onto the reed with your bottom lip. Have you seen the film 'the sound of music'? where they sing 'doh, ray, me, fah, so, lah, tee, doh' (with the first 'doh' being middle 'C' and the last being top 'C') just try singing this and when you get to the last (high) 'doh' have a quick think about how small the cavity in your mouth has become - it'll work, trust me.

For a beginner, the hardest notes to play on a tenor sax are 'G' and middle 'D'. I have to admit, middle 'D' was always the worst for me and took me just about a year to play it with confidence (like, when its the first note in a piece of music....nightmare). Middle 'D' to middle 'B' was always my nemesis and are generally acknowledged as being the most problematical - practice playing B to D and back again, just those notes over and over and think about what you are doing with the cavity in your mouth and your embouchure, pretty soon, your brain will 'automatically' create the perfect cavity without you even thinking about it.

Remember to control air pressure using your diaphragm - push with that, not your lungs - high notes require your diaphragm pulling up and in (under your ribs, if you like) whereas low notes require a firm fixed diaphragm. Build up the air pressure with the tip of your tongue on the reed (say 'tah' and feel which part of your tongue touches the roof of your mouth and do the same with your reed - also think about how much pressure your tongue naturally puts on the roof of your mouth - you want the same pressure on your reed - very light - after all, you're only stopping it from vibrating) and then pretend to say 'do' to play the note - this is also good for tonguing practice in groups of threes, fours and sixes i.e. 'do, do, do....do, do, do....do, do, do' etc. don't forget to always emphasis the first 'do' of each set by playing a little louder or a little longer - this gives structure to the playing.

I remember a lesson i had which taught me how to play high notes immediately after low notes (when i was using a No.2 reed). Just playing 'G' and high 'G'. I had to stand all slouched and 'over-relaxed' and play a 'G' then suddenly, hit the octave key with my thumb, stand straight upright (chest out, shoulders back like you've just been given a medal, diaphragm up and in) and play a top 'G' - i admit this sounds nuts, but trust me, for reasons that are beyond me, it really works. Remember, 'door' for the 'G' and 'doh' for the high 'G'.

Hope this helps for now, but if there's anything else i might be able to help with, just give me a shout.

Seeya

Andy

ps. Just read back through this lot and its a bit 'essay' like - sorry, got a bit carried away.

[Billy The Fish]

Top 3 tips from me to help you with your technique:

1/ Get a good teacher

2/ Get a a good teacher

3/ Get a....well you can guess the rest.

Even if you do not plan to continue lessons, when you are first starting out, getting a teacher is in my view the single most important step in getting you off to a good start, and will avoig many hours, days, weeks and potentially months of frustration.

Good luck, and welcome to the best club in the World. That of the sax player ! :D