[The Fish]

Sorry all, im not sure what this technique is called so i couldnt search for it, but hey...

I've been hearing this effect (particularly in the upper register of rock and roll sax) where the tone slids between notes, almost like a bend on a guitar. Whatever this is, i'm sure its way above my level, but i'm curious.

Thanks

 

[zledm007]

there's a lot of different ways you can do this.

You can think of it as a more controlled, probably wider vibrato if you'd like-bending the pitch with the jaw where you want it.

You can also bend the pitch pretty significantly by messing around with tounge position inside the mouth and by adjusting your throat, what I call throat slides.

You can use the previous technique to slide from pitch to pitch, but it becomes cumbersome b/c you then have to reset everything as soon as you change fingerings. The best way I've found to slide between pitches is to use a key slide. Say you're sliding from a G to a B (In either octave). Slowly lift the G key, and then the A key, to create the sliding effect.

I like to experiment putting the three techniques together. It's a lot of fun, and you get some pretty sweet effects out of the horn. I don't know how many of them I'd actually play in public, but in the practice room, it's a good time.

Hope that helps...

 

[SaxxMan]

Bending notes adds a lot to playing blues on sax...

zledm007 described the best ways I have ever heard of...all it takes is some experimenting and then practice until you can do it as easily as any other expressive technique...

Eventually you will be able to bend a note fully into the next highest or lowest note - without changing any keys...you will probably find it's harder to bend a note "up" than "down"...

The only word of caution about bending is that you should spend some time on ear and pitch training, because once you start bending the pitch of any given note...you will need a really accurate mental concept of the correct pitch - so you will know how to "land" back on the correct pitch...

I have seen some beginners utilize bending too much...and then they end up always playing flat or sharp from not having that solid understanding of the core pitch...not to mention that bending is like a spice - a little goes a long way...

Have fun experimenting with this useful technique...