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Home Alt Forums Problems With Your Sax? Low C & below on tenor – tips for playing easily?

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  • #36551
    Jazz Cat
    Participant

      Johnny, quick question, any tips on getting comfortable playing low C & below on tenor? My newly-bought YTS62 plays them much better than the yts23, so that’s a plus. I’m finding though, still I’ve got to open up my jaw area and push a lot of air into it, to play at tempo is a bit tough. I’m playing ‘Chameleon’ and that’s the low note. I can play it, but it’s much more work than low D. Any general tips on getting comfortable play C & below?

      thanks,

      ken

      #36634
      john
      Keymaster

        welcome to the tenor world!
        you just gotta really blow to get those notes.
        you will find that it’s easier when you slur down from a note or 2 above. so from the low E and DS slurring down will be easier cause you’re not breaking in between those notes and the harder ones below.
        If you find your self having to play the low C straight on then it’s just a matter of good timing on the tongue release with the combination
        of lots of air.

        #36674
        Jazz Cat
        Participant

          thanks very much Johnny; your tips make a lot of sense; will do re D/C slurs to ease into it…takes so much more air than alto. Will do re tongue release w/straight C, that’s smart since more explosive air burst off tongued C makes it easier; good idea.

          #36760
          john
          Keymaster

            after 30 years of playing my set up is still hard sometimes to play the bottom end, especially quietly. I can do it but it takes a lot of effort. I can change it like a softer reed and mp but my set up is great for the rest of the sax’s range, especially up high so I keep it this way and just deal with the low end as I must.

            #36770
            jake
            Participant

              That’s cool to hear from Johnny that’s been doing this a helluava lot longer than we have. Not that I’m glad u have the same problem but that it’s a universal problem we share. I have the same issues here with my reed sizes. I like the thinner reeds as it’s easier to play and give me more buzz and get low notes easier but when I go high the thin reeds just don’t cut it. Gotta find that happy medium that works for the majority of what we do!!!

              #36790
              Anonymous

                i recently posted a comment that i hardly ever play my nidar guardala king that i bought 2 yrs ago – the reason why – for the clasical music that i often play, i cannot physically play a soft low Bb – the mouth piece is designed for loud projection and low notes are harder to play softly on these mouthpieces.

                #36817
                john
                Keymaster

                  ya, we don’t use metal mp’s for classic music for those obvious reasons. But, that’s the beauty of the saxophone, it’s so versatile for how many different types of sound and music it is suited for.
                  Listen to famous classical saxophonists and then to a jazz and then a rock guy etc….the tone is soooo different yet it’s the same instrument.

                  #43137
                  jak Swift
                  Participant

                    sxpoet. Hi man. All good ? What’s the lowdown on the guardala, if you don’t mind my asking ? You keeping it, selling it ? Jak

                    #43138
                    Anonymous

                      Hi Jak – i’m keeping the guardala, as its the only metal mouthpiece i’ve got, in case i wan’t to move to metal later on.

                      #43221
                      jak Swift
                      Participant

                        Thanks man. Have a great weekend. jak

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