Growling tip: more mp – Johnny B Goode

[Andrew Gibson]

The only thing I’d add is to learn to play softer/quietly as well as more powerfully(louder). When you’re playing softly, you have to be relaxed anyway so that will help with more breathing control. The way I learned was just to play a simple scale up – normal, then down – softer.

[Jazz Cat]

that would be great Johnny re skype lessons; hope you’ll have time in the new year

[Jazz Cat]

I’m finding that to growl it helps a lot to “just do it”; visualize, hear in your mind what you want to have the growl sound like, then just make it happen.

consciously trying to growl from my throat didn’t work so much; more just opening up vocal area (like Johnny says to do in his good “how to not have thin/flat high notes video)”…. and thinking to myself I want a growly sound, is starting to work… kind of like coughing while playing feeling, no sound humming, just putting more force air w/rasp into the horn does the trick… odd it seems more mental audio visualization type stuff than technique — may the growly force be with you…lol – a lot like obi wan teaching luke to use the force scene from star wars — but cooler because its sax 🙂

[Andrew Gibson]

Yes Jazz dead right I think. I have a feeling any technique works better if you can get to the stage of “practising” it in a tune, melody, riff. That way you start to forget about what you are doing, but instead focusing on how it sounds.

[Anonymous]

for growling i’ve never ever used the throat, its like making a deep droning/humming noise in my mouth, more at the back of the mouth.

If you think thats weird, you need to try playing a trumbone, to play a trumbone, its like making continuous farting noises with your lips into the mouthpiece. Its effectively what your voice box does when you speak or sing

[Jazz Cat]

I was just practicing johnny b goode w/growls on the chorus, high g’s easy to growl with; i still cant growl most other notes but at least its a start, finally…very fun to get that gutsy sound out on a rocking 50s tune

[Anonymous]

if you can growl on a high g, then practice doing a scoop on the high g while growling, to strenghten your range of growling.

Also try growling one note above and below high G (ie F# and G#), when you can do that then start again on F and A etc. Slowly extending the range of notes you can growl with.

[Jazz Cat]

smart idea, sxpoet — thanks; makes sense!

[Simon]

Hi all!

I need some tips on growling and flutter tonguing. I learned how to growl like Johnny is describing in video and i learned flutter tonguing. now i have problem as i don’t know how to turn effect on and off. when i play piece, it’s all growling or no growling. So is there any tips or exercises to learn how to turn on and off growling and flutter? And if i want to add growling to song, how i decide where -on what note or what part of song to put growling. Any rules for that or just by feel?

Thanks ,

Simon

[Anonymous]

Hi Simon,
I’m not experienced enough to answer this question, the best option is to listen to the song in question and growl/flutter where the sax player growls/flutters.

From what i’ve learn’t don’t flutter or growl all the way through a tune, it turns everyone off the tune.

Save the growling/fluttering just to jazz up or spice up certain phrases of the tune. Its like honking a car horn, use it to say something, like you’re not going to drive down the road honking your horn all the time.

Good to see you are asking questions, hopefully anyone else on this website can add to your question, otherwise it’s complete waste of your time using this website to gain knowledge.

[Author]

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