How you practise overtones?

[genster]

Hi,
I hope you are doing well.

I look always for new ways for practising.
I would like to know how you practice the overtones?
Thanks in Advance
Geni..
P..S I know that there are great players in this list,and I want to leran from their experience.

[Razzy]

I wouldn't call myself a great player, but at least a good one on the road to becoming great! ;)

I do overtones from fingered Bb to fingered low E. I practice up to the 5th or 6th partial, because I've only been doing it a week or so and that's as high as I can go.

First off, don't use the octave key. That makes it too easy. Treat the sax like a bugle horn: everything must be done your throat, air, embouchure, and tongue position.

I play the 2nd partial of Bb up through E. Then I do the third partial of each one. Then the fourth, etc. until I get to the 6th. The partials are: the octave, the octave + 5, two octaves, two octaves + 3, two octaves +5, two octaves + b7, 3 octaves. I've never been able to go higher than that at all, and I can only get comfortably the 5th partial (two octaves + 5), and only on Bb through C#. It just takes work.

I also do them to a piano to make sure they're in tune with the piano and with the actual fingered note. It's amazing how much your body can do to achieve the sound if you just have the pitch in your head.

[Razzy]

Oh, and just to clarify, I hold each note for about 10 seconds and vary the dynamics day by day.

[synchro]

Oh, and just to clarify, I hold each note for about 10 seconds and vary the dynamics day by day.

Razzy, are you using a method book for this? Top Tones? Something else?

[MS]

genster -enjoyed your website. For your purposes there are 6 books for the flute by Trevor Wye, published by Novello called "Practice Book For the Flute". Volume 1 covers harmonics for the flute (overtones). The principle is similar to sax.
Finger low C1 and just with redirecting the air stream play C2 (using low C1 fingering for this whole series of notes):

C1, C2,G2, C3, E3, G3. Bb, C4, D4, E4.

Then finger low C#1 and do the same thing (C#1, C#2, G#2 etc..)
Then finger low D1 and do the same thing (D1, D2, A2, etc....)
Then Eb1 (Eb1, Eb2, Bb2, etc....)
Then E1

Going above the 5th mode can be a little tricky on Low C, C#, D, and even more on Eb and E.

I usually do the overtones through fingered E1, stopping on the third mode of E (B2) -switch to regular fingering, breathe and then do some of the Marcel Moyse "De La Sonorite" studies (pub Leduc). Good luck and have fun! :D

[Kenfen]

Michael Furstner did an excellent book on the subject called Overtone Practice on the Saxophone. I have a copy given to me by Joe Viola.

I've contacted Michael to see if these are still being printed. It covers the theory and the practical application of overtones on the sax.

Good stuff,

Regards,

Kenfen

[Razzy]

synchro, no, no method book. This exercise is based on my own discoveries and my own goals. A book might help but I have a plan in mind for my overtone studies, e.g. eventually getting to bugle calls, certain melodies, etc.

[Kenfen]

Yes, I did the same, looked at books, but then devised my own routine. The matching exercises, the bugle stuff, just a mish mash of things. Main thing is to play them every day, eh?

Furstner's booklet gives a lot of theory and what's going on with the Oral Tract etc, that I found to be interesting. There's basic exercises in the last few pages. I think you can find those anywhere.

Best thing I ever did for my tone.

Kenfen

[Razzy]

Me too... I can really attest to how well these exercises work for tone. I've been doing them for two weeks tops regularly, every day, and the results are phenomenal compared to how fast I've been progressing in other areas that I've been at for months :wink:

Oh, and just to add a little thought, for the past two weeks, I've also been doing what I call "undertone" exercises. This is pretty simple, you just finger a note with the octave key, but play the note an octave lower. For the first few attempts you'll probably only be able to go to about an F to hold the note out. I'm now able to get to low Bb, the first octave actually takes the most effort (D2 to A1), then they become a -tad- easier, but still very difficult! This combined with the overtones have done tremendous things for my tone and intonation. For these I also hold the note out, except this time, for as long as possible. It takes more air since air is actually escaping from the octave vent when it's really going all the way down to the last tone hole of the note you're playing. Thus it really helps your breath support and focus of airstream.

And, before attempting either of those sets of exercises, you should definitely make sure that you have a stable, consistent embouchure on your horn. Once you've got that, they'll come faster but still take a great deal of effort. And make sure to do these every day, or you'll see little to no results.

[MS]

genster - Do you already do overtones (harmonics) on your flute? What exercises do you do? Thanks.

[Konrad]

???

K

[MS]

Konrad - most current books covering the altissimo will have fingering charts for all the saxophones. Mentioned on this site is a book by Dr, Lucky that may be most comprehensive currently. I don't have this one, so perhaps someone can post the correct title. Probably available from Amazon. The Eugemne Rosseau "Saxophone High Tones" has suggested fingerings for sop, alto, tenor, bari. One of the first to specialize for tenor was Ted Nash "Studied in high harmonics". An often used book is by Sigurd Rascher "Top Tones for the Saxophone", which contains overtone exercises that should smooth the way to altissimo. Don Sinta "Voicing" an approach to the third register is a very practical and organized approach. Rosemary Lang "Beginning Studies in the Altissimo Register". The Larry Teal "Art of Saxophone Playing" has an altissimo chapter with fingerings, and is a good reference book for all things saxophone.

Most books will have several fingering possibilities for each altissimo note. One or more of the fingerings will work best for the combination of player/horn/mps. Good luck and have fun! :D

[Billy The Fish]

Konrad - most current books covering the altissimo will have fingering charts for all the saxophones. Mentioned on this site is a book by Dr, Lucky that may be most comprehensive currently. I don't have this one, so perhaps someone can post the correct title. Probably available from Amazon.

It is called Saxophone Altissimo, by Robert A. Luckey. Published by Advance Music, and almost certainly available from Amazon.

Billy The Fish

[genster]

Thank you very much for all your answer..

I found a good exercises..
One is to play just with m/p with duble embochure.Its hard,but its cool.
Ater this to practise the overtone exercise(s) with duble embochure too.
After doing this, I had a tone that diferent from before..

Genster..

P..S
Hi MS , I do overtones with flute. I played flute for a long time(20 years now) i beggin to practise the Vol 1 Trevor Wye with alto sax now...
I dont practise flute a lot now. I just play along with recordings. I love that..I think thats the best way to practise..

[MS]

Genster you might find this book interesting and helpful:
"Voicings" An Approach to the Third Register - By Donald Sinta, pub by Sintafest (for saxophone). Organized, thoughtful, and useful approach to developing the altissimo with overtone exercises. Since you are fimilar with the Trevor Wye books, I would highly recommend this one for you. Best wishes and have fun. :D

[Saxy Nate]

"Voicings" An Approach to the Third Register - By Donald Sinta, pub by Sintafest (for saxophone).

I'll second that, Voicings is an excellent book.

I'm so Saxy - Nate!

[genster]

Hi..
Its been a long time that I didnt writte.
now I am in Boston,studing in Berklee college of music for flute/sax!!!!
Here I found a great book called 150 multiphonics for saxophone.
There I found some good fingerings for altisimo,
and sudenly I can play very easy in alttisimo..My reed is 2 vandoren:-)(of course during this time I have been practise a lot of harmonics)
Peace-Geni..

[Inch]

can i bring out another question? why practise overtone? i haven't really practise overtone before but have tried. what would this exercise help? Altissimo?

[homemakerjeb]

Overtones help everything, but mostly tone and altissimo.

[-TH]

A simple and fun exercise is to play some simple tunes only with overtones. For example you can play the 4 first bars of Coltrane's "Naima" with overtones. This is my fav! :D

[sw3119]

I got this from a teacher of mine.

Play the overtone, using the fundamental fingering. (example:finger low Bb to play F, B-F#, C-G, C#-G#, D-A, Bb-Bb, ... )
Notice how the overtone feels in the throat, oral cavity. Also note the air column and tone color.
Wait a few seconds.
Play the note using the regular fingering, matching the feel from the overtone.
Repeat a number of times until the regular fingering feels centered and as big as the overtone.
Do not lip down the regular fingering pitch to the overtone, find the center by matching the feeling in the throat.

[warmdaddy]

I have just started on overtones and I find them really fun. I, like most people, can get the first two above the fundamental but the others only come our occasionally. I know enough to work on producing them, but I was wondering if someone out there could tell me in simple language how they help your tone. I do notice that once I play them, the fingered note comes out bigger and clearer, how is this so ?

[Dianna Webb]

overtones don't really improve you tone(long tones are for that), but it enables you to have more control. They will help you to eventally have enough control that you will be able to get the altissimo notes with ease and in tune. It is really good if you use a tuner when doing over tones to try and get it in tune. Well at least that's what I think.

[Zen]

I've started working on overtones a few days ago. But before doing those (oh soo difficult :wink: ) overtones I was working on an other exercise that helped me a lot. Use following fingering for F3: finger A2 + C3 + G#. Now try, by only altering your oral cavity, to play C3 in stead of F3. And if you manage to do so, try sliding down (glissando) (only by altering your oral cavity). It took me a while to control the sliding, but once I controled that I started working on overtones and immediately I was able to reach the 6th partial. I hope it's a bit clear (my English can still use a lot of emprovement :wink: ).

[kaibau]

Hi Zen,

I do not really get your suggested fingering for this particular exercise: is it like pressing the LH 2 and 3 plus the G#, and what's about the octave key? or is it like fingering LH 1 and 2 plus G# and RH 5 (little finger on C) with or without octave key?

[Zen]

Ok, I admit it's quite unclear. I'll try to explain.
LH: 1 and 2 and G#
RH: C3 (It's the key you use for high(est) E and F)
+ octave key
I hope it's a bit clear :wink: if not ... just post a reply :wink: