[mjs10]

Hi guys, I am learning to play soprano sax. I have this video clip, i hope you can tell me if i am doing things right or wrong. I have trouble in blowing low D and C and sometime E.

I feel that if my emb is too tight, my low notes tend to jump up 1 octave, and I cant blow low C in first blow (tounging) it always jump up and blubber. But if I slur from like g to c, I can do it smooth. Sometime D doesnt sound smooth too...

I manage to find a way to make the D works with my emb. I feel that relaxing the emb without reducing the tension on lower lips works for me.

In this video clip, I was sight reading Corcovado from real book vol 1 Bbedition. My horn is yanagisawa S-6 (Its for sale too I have and add in marketplace section, so for those who are interested can also hear the sound sample=) ) and the mouthpiece is yanagisawa metal*7 with la voz 2.5 reed.

You can hear that my tone jumps 1 octave sometime on low D and C or C#

At the end of the song, I played D major scale tounging and sluring and some articulation and some chromatism just to show some diferences in sound. So you can see sometime I can do it right but sometime it jumps...and I hate that...
Heres the video

Thanks for looking guys, and I appreciate all of comments.

PS: for those who wonders, there are no leaks on the horn, it just got back from service.

 

[Seasax]

it sounds like you are scooping those notes too much which could cause inconsistence, try hitting notes and sustaining them exactly as you hit them while doing long tones, so the sound quality at the end of the note is the same timbre, volume and pitch as at the beginning

 

[RootyTootoot]

it sounds like you are scooping those notes too much which could cause inconsistence, try hitting notes and sustaining them exactly as you hit them while doing long tones, so the sound quality at the end of the note is the same timbre, volume and pitch as at the beginning

Correct. This is something i have a tendency to do on sop myself. Work on getting a clean, in tune start to long tones and you could try the Phil Barone tone production exercizes which are on this forum. You're starting pretty much every note flat and bringing it up to pitch with your lip, I think.

 

[laneman]

I'm a novice soprano player as well as a novice repair technician. Two things to look into with this problem (low notes jumping up an octave):1) Possible leaks at your sax pads, usually G# or the low note pads, but sometimes octave pads or even palm keys. Take your soprano to your trusted repair tech, describe your problem, and ask him to check for leaks with the leak light. This is usually free.

2) Embouchure- I had a great private lesson on this very subject from one who was gifted in low note play. A little hard to teach on the internet, but this should help. Open your mouth wide and start to yawn. Now freeze right there and pay attention to where your jaw bone is and where your tongue is. Your tongue is probably pressed down and back towards your throat. At this moment close your lips around the mouthpiece without closing your jaw. This enlarges the space inside your mouth and creates the ideal embouchure for producing low tones. Novice players spend very little time below low D and are not used to this embouchure. You probably already know that to produce a high note you make the inside of your mouth small by closing your jaw, and raising your tongue to reduce the air space. It's the opposite when producing low notes. You'll hear people use the term " drop your jaw" when discussing low note embouchures. Lastly, the attack of air should be much more gentle. I remember someone on a forum whose signature was "practice longtones every day". This is the secret weapon to low notes. Hope it helps.

 

[tjontheroad]

Try also working on your articulation. Tongue the notes rather than blowing them. Make sure your creating enough air pressure to voice the note correctly before letting it go. I've been working on this and along with long tones. It is helping me to improve my overall playing.

 

[mjs10]

another clip...see if I have improved...

I think in this clip I didnt really adjust the mp, it sounds slightly out of tune...

This one I am using the same mp and h-couf superba 1

Thanks guys

 

[Jolle]

another clip...see if I have improved...

The blue moon thing?

I think in this clip I didnt really adjust the mp, it sounds slightly out of tune...

It does, and in my opinion it's mainly an issue of embouchure (which is really difficult to get right at a soprano). Some notes are quite nice in tune, and the ones that are quite out of tune, I believe A-C#, are the ones that are very sensitive to biting or too loose embouchure.

I'm trying to get it right for two years now. I'm almost getting there, almost...

 

[mjs10]

The blue moon thing?

It does, and in my opinion it's mainly an issue of embouchure (which is really difficult to get right at a soprano). Some notes are quite nice in tune, and the ones that are quite out of tune, I believe A-C#, are the ones that are very sensitive to biting or too loose embouchure.

I'm trying to get it right for two years now. I'm almost getting there, almost...

THANKS jolie!! yeah its hard to play...i am struggling still =)

 

[Jolle]

You're welcome, mjs10

And another question : would you be as kind as to respect my manhood and call me JoLLe instead of Jolie? My male proud thanks you.

 

[hakukani]

Just some comments and impressions.

1. Your tone is not bad. However, the vibrato is telling me that there's is some tension in either the lips or your throat. Try taking in more mouthpiece, and blow 'warmer' air, blowing with a feeling of 'hooooh' . The low notes on soprano are very sensitive to the 'voicing' of the note. Also, you gotta reaaaallly support to play softly--from the bottom of your diaphragm, not your throat. Open your jaw as wide as you can, and still keep the seal with the sides of your mouth.

2. The use of side D on your instrument is horribly sharp. Use the regular D, even though the tone color changes a bit.