[area51recording]

and for the record the guy in the youtube video really doesnt have that great a tone, half his notes are fuzzy without any resonance behind them.
he belted out a few good ones but it was really nothing special

Maybe you should think about switching to trumpet

 

[JL]

Lots of good advice regarding technique (long tones, air support, etc), but this is a very, very good point:

You should first, find out how to blow and project on a Link type (Low-baff) M.P. Even if later you do go rock n pop.
You say your high notes sound thin ...well high baff M.P.s for the most part do sound thin.

Get a Link or rollover baffle or non-baffled mpc and you'll have a much easier time keeping those high notes from thinning out. It took me way too many years to figure this out....

 

[stormott77]

Lots of good advice regarding technique (long tones, air support, etc), but this is a very, very good point:

You should first, find out how to blow and project on a Link type (Low-baff) M.P. Even if later you do go rock n pop.
You say your high notes sound thin ...well high baff M.P.s for the most part do sound thin.

Get a Link or rollover baffle or non-baffled mpc and you'll have a much easier time keeping those high notes from thinning out. It took me way too many years to figure this out....

I'm have to agree. Spending some time on a rollover baffle large chamber design will give your embouchure some strength. Even when I was playing a high baffle piece I usually had a link in my case just to do some embouchure push ups every now and then.

 

[gary]

...and I'm still confused as to how helpful some of these suggestions are because he wrote "A5". Is this really what we're addressing or is A5 a misnomer - OP?

 

[stormott77]

...and I'm still confused as to how helpful some of these suggestions are because he wrote "A5". Is this really what we're addressing or is A5 a misnomer - OP?

He has got to mean A2. I don't know. I bet you can play an A5 but There is know way it would sound full.

 

[PridgNYC]

I agree with the tone development advice given so far, but nobody has mentioned fixing the reed to open up the higher notes. See the chart attached in this thread. Get yourself some reed rush (sometimes called dutch rush) or you can use small strips of fine sandpaper, and rub/sand area #3 on your reed (as indicated in the chart). If you're using reed rush you need to soak it (the reed rush) first. Make small adjustments at a time and play test between. This area of the reed needs to be made softer in order to free up the high register and improve your projection and fullness of the high notes.

 

[wrate]

and for the record the guy in the youtube video really doesnt have that great a tone, half his notes are fuzzy without any resonance behind them.
he belted out a few good ones but it was really nothing special

Joe "Fuzzy" Lovano I guess you're kidding?

-TH

I have made my statement and i am sticking to it. its not that he's no good, he's fantastic, its just there are a lot of players out there with much better tone and if your aiming for something, aim for the best.

 

[magical pig]

Mojo STM 111

Man!!! That's a big tip opening. Something like 1.5?

 

[zorroperro]

...and I'm still confused as to how helpful some of these suggestions are because he wrote "A5". Is this really what we're addressing or is A5 a misnomer - OP?

+1. It has to be an interpretation of the tuner.

 

[rleitch]

My approach has been to work on mouthpiece alone and mouthpiece + neck exercises (search for more info). I think if I can get a decent tone out of the mouthpiece and neck, I should be able to voice those high notes properly.

Also: practice note bending on front F and front E (if possible with a piano).

Whenever you're practicing any scales, arpeggios, etc., make sure to go all the way to the top of your range. Go slowly at the top and don't be satisfied with a thin reedy tone.

Rory

 

[alecMerkel]

In my opinion the best exercise for improving tone is by finding a corner in a carpert room with no desks or anything in front of you, and play facing the corner, with your sax about a foot away from the wall. play through the any scale preferably something easy like c major and play from the bottom to the top holding each note for 10 to 15 seconds taking a breath after each note.
the important thing is to focus on your sound and technique. breathe expanding your stomach focus on your embourchure and then play. as your playing really concentrate on your sound and adjust embourchure etc untill you get a sound that is clear.

do this a couple of times a day and within no time at all you will have a great tone

and for the record the guy in the youtube video really doesnt have that great a tone, half his notes are fuzzy without any resonance behind them.
he belted out a few good ones but it was really nothing special

Yea, i didn't really like his tone in that video either. Tone was always some that came natural to me. I've had countless pros get mad at me before because of my tone. Yet my lack pf practice and technique.. They told me i was wasted talent...

 

[andybaws]

I have to say, I'm not a big fan of the "fuzzy" thing Joe Lovano seems to be going for in that clip either, although I do enjoy his playing generally.

...and I'm still confused as to how helpful some of these suggestions are because he wrote "A5". Is this really what we're addressing or is A5 a misnomer - OP?

A5 is the scientific name for the A above the treble clef (ie the second A on the saxophone).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_key_frequencies

Although I think it probably makes more sense to just call this note A2, meaning the second A on the saxophone, since we aren't talking about the actual sounding pitch anyway.

 

[hakukani]

Ummm, I think it's called a 'subtone'.

 

[gary]

I have to say, I'm not a big fan of the "fuzzy" thing Joe Lovano seems to be going for in that clip either, although I do enjoy his playing generally.

...and I'm still confused as to how helpful some of these suggestions are because he wrote "A5". Is this really what we're addressing or is A5 a misnomer - OP?

A5 is the scientific name for the A above the treble clef (ie the second A on the saxophone).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_key_frequencies

Although I think it probably makes more sense to just call this note A2, meaning the second A on the saxophone, since we aren't talking about the actual sounding pitch anyway.

Thank you Andy. OP - when one talks of notes specific to an wind instrument, the numbers correspond to which number they are from the bottom up, not to the piano clef. This note :line6: is A2 on the sax. (A3 if one is referring to a trumpet, etc.)

 

[Geddes]

I had this problem for a long time. it could have to do with your setup. but im betting you arent blowing enough air to sustain the pitch. you should strive to have an equal resonance in sound in all registars of the horn. open the throat and play out with tons of air. dont worry about being loud. just get the feeling of it.

once you start using air to shape your sound it will start to unlock other things such as overtones and altissmo.

 

[andybaws]

Ummm, I think it's called a 'subtone'.

Yeah. Well, subtoning doesn't always sound like that. The kind of sound he seems to be going for in that clip just doesn't appeal to me, it's just a personal preference. Part of it may have to do with the way it's recorded, I can't say.

 

[stormott77]

Ummm, I think it's called a 'subtone'.

Yeah. Well, subtoning doesn't always sound like that. The kind of sound he seems to be going for in that clip just doesn't appeal to me, it's just a personal preference. Part of it may have to do with the way it's recorded, I can't say.

It doesn't? His sound in the video is text book subtone mixed with a dark and spread tenor sound.

 

[andybaws]

Is there such a thing as a "textbook subtone sound"? To me it sounds quite different from player to player.

I like this kind of sound:

That's definitely a fuller, bigger tone with more body to it than the Lovano clip, imo (not saying that Lovano's tone is bad, just not to my taste).

 

[stormott77]

Is there such a thing as a "textbook subtone sound"? To me it sounds quite different from player to player.

I like this kind of sound:

That's definitely a fuller, bigger tone with more body to it than the Lovano clip, imo (not saying that Lovano's tone is bad, just not to my taste).

I would say the subtone is the same. I would say there is a text book subtone sound, it's the fuzzy smokey sound. The difference I here is their general tone. Ben Websters tone is a little brighter, more focused with a little bit of buzz. joe's tone is darker, more spread, with no buzz. This difference in tone would come through subtone or not. I tend to like Ben's tone more myself but I wouldn't say Joe has bad tone. In fact he has a very good tone just different from what I like for myself.

 

[alecMerkel]

Is there such a thing as a "textbook subtone sound"? To me it sounds quite different from player to player.

I like this kind of sound:

That's definitely a fuller, bigger tone with more body to it than the Lovano clip, imo (not saying that Lovano's tone is bad, just not to my taste).

I enjoy the tone in this tune a lot more then i did the other. Sometimes it felt like Joe was running out of breath or something.