Overtone Practicing

[cgooge]

Can anyone recommend a good book or routine to help with overtones? I searched the forum and did not come up with anything.

Thanks in advance for your help!!

:D

[G-dawg]

Try this link:

http://saxontheweb.myforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=5925&highlight=overtones
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[cgooge]

So as I understand it I finger low B flat and go up the register without using the octave key? Controlling everything with my mouth and throat?


Thanks Again!

[Gandalfe]

That is correct and same goes for each of the notes. My intructor can get five overtones off D1 for example. Sometimes I can do an octive and then another fifth higher. It takes a lot of work.

[cgooge]

I appreciate the info!

[awholley]

There are three books that I like.

Eugene Rousseau has one out which is quite good, but the title escapes me. Another one which is harder to find is called Voicing by Sinta and Dabney. Both of these books take a systematic and practical approach to learning the skills needed to get overtones and altissimo going.

The urtext for all this is Top Tones for the Saxophone by Sigurd Rascher. This book is easy to find, but is not quite up to the others in terms of giving you the tools to teach yourself without a teacher's help.

[Toni Linder]

I like the "Voicing" book. I got my copy directly from Denise Dabney. You'll find her & her saxophone quartet on the Internet. If not, I'll mail you her e-mail adress.

[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.

[MB-913]

I'm block by the Eb overtone now (Eb-1 fingering to get Eb-3).

In every overtone pitch, if I cannot get the octave, I will slightly open one of my finger. After familiar on that pitch, I don't need to do this.

My question is which finger on which hand I need to open to get Eb-3 pitch ?

[blueboy]

There's also a link to overtones on saxshed.com

... what exactly is the point of practicing overtones, I've never actually tried them. Is it just to improve reed control?

Thanks.

[Rahspeak]

I think the best book for assistance with overtone exercises is "Developing a Personal Saxophone Sound", by Dave Liebman. He goes through what the exercises are, gives tips on what to look/feel for, and explains the physical/biological happenings that lead to doing them successfully.

The reason for doing the overtone exercises is to strengthen the larynx, or voice box. Liebman states that most of the saxophonists' sound should come from the voice box, not lip pressure or jaw pressure (aka biting). It's kind of like singing...Strengthening the larynx helps every aspect of the players' tone--intonation, brightness, growl. I've been doing the overtone exercises diligently for a few months now, and I find the two biggest improvements are my altissimo playing (virtually impossible without control of the larynx), and the evenness of tone throughout the entire range of the saxophone. my top end used to be a lot thinner. But Liebman says the overtone exercises are a constant process, and take years to really master. And if you've ever heard or seen him blow, you know he's got credibility....

I'm really simplifying here...the principle behind overtones goes much deeper. I highly recommend this book as one book any sax player should have. It's helped me immensely.

Hope this helps, Miguel.

[hannibal]

Yah, I was told that overtone practice would help improve my tone and altissimo playing as well- the teacher was spot on!

I do a bit of overtone practice in the first five minutes of my practice routines or even before a gig. Just habit now. It gets easier with time and you can certainly hear the improvement in your tone.

Good Luck.

[TJS]

I agree. The Liebman book is great.

[melvyng]

I favor "Voicing" by Sinta and Dabney. It's about 75 pages and a nice gradual approach with exercises that I haven't seen anywhere else. I think it's a great resource for practicing overtones.

Mel

[tenorman canada]

Get Sigurd Rascher's book on overtones. It's a small book and the exercises need to be done daily to develop your altissimo range. He was a classical play with a 4 octave range. His book is the definitive study on Top tones.