sharing sax practice

[wayne wojnarowski]

What should we be practicing to get good melodic ideas???

[wayne wojnarowski]

On the subject of licks what can you practice to get better in playing some good licks?

[Marc Justiniano]

First day practicing this slow well known song. Easy to play so I thought I would show my first try at it. I tried to not to play it straight but rather with a little twists of the keys. Guys, notice my home made shoulder strap. Made out of a guitar strap. Man, this strap is saving my neck and I can actually play longer with the tenor. I know there are many shoulder straps for sale at $60 to up to $190. This shoulder strap I made cost me less than ten dollar. If anyone wants to I know how to make one. Let me know. The sax hook won’t ever scratch your sax. It’ really comfortable. Anyhow the video is about not trying to play like a robot and just reading music.AS Johnny once commented, “if you memorize a song it gives you more freedom to play more creatively.

[Anonymous]

Sounds great – tones improved a lot, good vibrato and my favorite i love the breathy sound coming out in parts

[Marc Justiniano]

Thank you sxpoet, I am trying to make more time to practice but I still have a long road to go with learning and memorizing the basic scales. I am having a little trouble with playing the long tones. As an example, holding a low b flat and just going up trying to reach a mid B then perhaps a mid C then a high D with just using the low B flat key, plus I don’t know if I am using the correct key tones I should be trying in the correct order( B flat to mid B etc)? I think if I can master doing that, it would improve my tone and the ability to reach the altisimo range. Perhaps Johnny can help me with that. Either way sxpoet thanks for the encouragement!

[Anonymous]

if its overtones you mean?
just try to learn the 1st three overtones for Low Bb, Low B, Low C, Low C# and Low D.

1st overtone is an octave higher

2nd overtone is an octave higher + 4 notes higher up in the scale

3rd ovetone is two octaves higher

Low Bb play mid Bb, F and Bb
Low B play mid B, F# and B
Low C play mid C, G and C
Low C# play mid C#, G# snd C#
Low D play mid D, A and D

just remember –
Low Bb is in the Bb major scale
Low B is in the B major scsle
Low C is in the C major scsle
low C# is in the C# major scale
Low D is in the D major scale

so when you count up notes, you count up notes in the correct scale.

——–

if its long tones then basicaly you just play different random notes on the sax playing each note for a count of four beats, playing steady and in tune with a tuner.

But you need to repeat the whole exercise playing at different volume levels – softly, normal and then loudly. This is because when you play at different volume levels keys can go in and out of tune.

[Andrew Gibson]

Just a point from a learner, which may or may not be a good idea.

I try not to use sheet music at all when I’m playing. I try to learn and memorize the tune away from the Sax, so when I play, I can concentrate on the tone, posture and other stuff. As an aside, I’d be interested to know what other things other players do AWAY from the sax like fingering exercises etc.

A

[Marc Justiniano]

sxpoet, A little confused about overtones. The above first part of this video is what I am talking about. Making the sound of higher notes by just using the low B flat key. Then going to the next octave key and using only that key to produce the other higher notes. Is the exercise you give me that first key then trying to make those notes while on fingerings only the first or is this example you gave something else?

[Marc Justiniano]

After watching the video again. I believe that is exactly what you meant?
Sxpoet, thank you for taking the time to write it down for me. Greatly appreciated!

[Anonymous]

Marc – thats cool, JF’s altissimo course covers this stuff and more, and its one of the best investments i’ve made in sax playing.

Hand on heart – without JF’s altissimo course, i wouldn’t be able to play all the overtones or any altissimo notes.

For me the most stubborn overtone was the 4th overtone, it was the equivalent of getting an altissimo G. But a tip for anyone wanting to get the 4th overtone – try making the back of the tongue flat and very wide and raise it nearer the roof of the mouth! Failing that just drop down from the 5th overtone.

Andrew – if i can’t sleep, i practice playing the sax without the sax and imagine the sounds in my head for the finger positions.

i do the following fantastic exercise without the use of sheet music, and
i’m currently working through all the scales –
Currently working in D major – so i’ll demonstate it.
Starting on Low D i only use the 1st 11 notes in the scale, so i go from Low D to mid G.
What i do is memorise the key positions in terms of numbers.
1 – low D, 2 – low E, 3 – low F#, all the way up to 11 – mid G.
Now once i can recall where all the numbered keys are on the sax,
i jump all around the keys playing unlimited combinations of numbers,
so i can improvise anything like 1 3 5 , 8 11 7, etc…
Whats so good about it, well i can do calculations in my head and jump straight to the numbered key without having to work it out.
So for example if i want to run up the scale in 4th’s i just keep adding 3 and jump straight to the key cause i can remember where it is. So i can run up playing key 1 add 3 giving 4 jump to key 4, play key 2 add 3 giving 5 jump to key 5 etcc.

And if anyone shouts out the numbers saying play the 1st 3rd and 5th i can just knock it instantly.

Its just a bit of fun…

[Author]

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