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Gene Ammons effect

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2.1K views 1 reply 2 participants last post by  DukeCity  
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#1 ·
Does anybody have any tips about how to achieve the kind of sound that Gene Ammons produces in the head to "Blue Ammons" . Its even more pronounced when Houston Person does his version on "Blue Jug" ( same tune).
It's a a trademark sound from Jug that's kind of an explosive full tone that trails off and falls. I keep trying to copy it but seem to be missing something. Any suggestions other than to keep at it?
 
#2 ·
That technique is often called a "fall." Basically it's a downward glissando, but it's actually a combination of several components:
starting with a slight bend of the pitch (with lip and/or throat), smooth chromatic scale (downward), decrescendo with the airstream (very tricky, because too little air and the fall dies too soon; too much air and the bottom will "bark" out), and finally, the bottom of the fall often goes into "subtone", where the jaw/lower lip moves back (toward the tip of the reed) and down a little, muffling the high harmonics and producing a covered, fluffy tone.

Of course, Jug makes it sound so simple... :)
 
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