[imBLIND]

Hey y'all

I've been playing the alto sax for three years now, but I had little or no help from anyone around me. Right now, I lack the fundamentals and techniques to get a "variety" of tones.
When I first played the sax in middle school, I just learned how to maintain a single, steady tone. It was good enough to pass through most tests and such, but now I feel that I am that level where i should be able to create multiple tones for various purposes.
Somethings that I think would really help my playing are :

What is supposed to happen in my mouth, with my tongue, lips, get rid of overbite, etc etc.

How to create multiple tones by altering how I blow through the horn. I would like to be able to reach the extremes of where I can play to, like how I can play as full or bright as I can. This also includes vibrato and any other special techniques like that.

Piano/Forte -- Currently, I'm in a marching band, so I need to figure out how to play like Triple Forte on my sax. I cant play that loud for long periods of time because my lower lips start to falter + breathing issues that will go away with time.

Jazz chords. Like i see E7 or some kind of chord marking similar to what you would see on some guitar sheet music on jazz improve. I have no idea what these means, and if someone could enlighten me, it would be greatly appreciated.

So far, These are the major problems that I am encountering. If you guys can help me out here, it would be appreciated so much.

Thanks!

 

[kcp]

Hi there! Welcom to SOTW

Piano/Forte -- Currently, I'm in a marching band, so I need to figure out how to play like Triple Forte on my sax. I cant play that loud for long periods of time because my lower lips start to falter + breathing issues that will go away with time.

For sure, playing triple forte can be very exhausting. While you think you are the one who's having a "problem", since it iisn't uncommon for inexperienced players to perform a tune all at the same intensity (and often way too loud) , I would suggest that it could be the band that has blending issues? So before you start beating yourself to death trying to compete with playerswho play too loud to begin with, keep in mind that you should be able to hear your own instrument play just slightly louder than the players around you..

If you hear yourself only and not the the others = You are too loud. If you are blowing your lungs out and can't hear yourself = They're too loud.
So which one it is?

Dynamics give better results with contrast. Going from Pianissimo to Forte, to really give the desired impact everyone has to start quiet and then everybody cresendoes at the same time "waaaaaaaaAAAAAAHHH!!" to Forte!!
If the band plays too loud, yeah, folks are going to be out of breath before they reach Forte and the effect won't have such a good impact. This is a teamwork thing. Listen to yourselfas well as listen to others.

Breathing issues: You can breathe in places where there are breaks written but then I know, sometimes there are no breaks. It might be a good thing to learn to identify distinct phrases in the music. Breathe at the end of the phrase before starting the next one. You can also occasionally "cheat" by taking a breath where it won't show such as on the 2nd beat or 2nd offbeat or on the 4th beat of 4th offbeat but never on the 1st and 3rd

Jazz chords. Like i see E7 or some kind of chord marking similar to what you would see on some guitar sheet music on jazz improve. I have no idea what these means, and if someone could enlighten me, it would be greatly appreciated.

You'll find your answer in our spoon fed music lesson It's never to early to begin learning this stuff. This is what soloists use to improvise their solo on.

 

[imBLIND]

Thank you!!
Of course everyone else's insight is also greatly appreciated =).

I usually find myself in need of warm-ups in order to get a decent sound out. I get lots of cracked sounds from a perfectly fine reed, but it gets better as time goes by. I really dislike projecting that cracked sound and saying "Im in a marching band."

Thank you so much for that thread you posted in your post. Are there any similar threads that talk about how to create certain types of sound and when it is needed? Like currently, I can't tell if the band needs a loud bright sound or a dark, deep sound in a normal passage.
I'm really interested in learning how to actually control this sound, because most of the time it's one way or the other.

A playing problem im now encountering is that I'm biting too hard on my lower lip. I feel that harder = louder in music, so as a result I bite harder to produce more of a sound. Is this correct? If not, then what should I do?

 

[imBLIND]

Does anyone else have any advice for me?

 

[DeUtCheaxelplaya]

A playing problem im now encountering is that I'm biting too hard on my lower lip. I feel that harder = louder in music, so as a result I bite harder to produce more of a sound. Is this correct? If not, then what should I do?

No harder does not =louder..........to be louder blow a faster stream of air through your horn.........also build your support by blowing up trash bags so that you can push the air from your your lungs out faster.

the saxophone embochure is a very relaxed embechure if no one has already told you that. do not tighten your ombechure as it will cause much problems for you now and in the future. NO BITING!!!!

 

[Destrox]

Okay. I've been playing longer than the other people in my section, but sit last chair. That main reason is marching band killed my tone quality. Everyone always told me that woodwinds can't be heard on the field. So I would try and play as loud as I could. Now that we are in Christmas music I have to play as soft as I can and get horrible tone quality. DON'T DO WHAT I DID!!! You don't have to be extremely loud on the field. Take the advice of the people who have already posted. I learned a few things already from just glancing through this. Don't feel like you have to keep up with the 1st chair trumpets. Also remember, music has to go somewhere. Last year, our band was told by one of our band director's friends that our show was a "train in the face" it was loud the whole time and got boring after a while. To sound good, music has to have dynamics. So look at your music and figure out where you can add in crescendos and decrescendos. It's not good to play really loud the whole time, or the music will get boring.

Hope this helped!

 

[Clarinetdude108]

Just play with a big, full, decent sounding tone for marching band.
Make sure you are using alot of air, and think about sending the sound all the way up to the press box.

My tone actually improved dramatically since marching season. Just make sure you spend the time practicing good habits, use all of your air, taking in enough mouthpiece, not biting, etc.

Just make sure you keep a good sound and keep intune and you should be fine.