Any tips or advice on growling?

[musicalchemist]

I've been practicing the use of growling in my playing, but I find that it's much harder to do than I had anticipated. I can flutter tongue with the best of them, but I never really had any instruction on how to properly utilize the growl technique. Any tips on how to get that "growl" sound?

 

[Kingsleyhk]

I had the same question a few months ago. This is the thread link:

http://cafesaxophone.com/showthread.php?6469-Growling

Also on Pete Thomas' Taming the saxophone site:

http://tamingthesaxophone.com/saxophone-growl.html

There's also quite a lot on YouTube.

It's tough!

 

[kevgermany]

It's tough!

But it sounds so good....

 

[Kingsleyhk]

It's definitely worth the effort - always brings the house down.

 

[Kingsleyhk]

You might want to listen to this, as a great example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhVFK9tYu84&feature=related

 

[MandyH]

Can I ask a completely unrelated question.... are you Music alchemist, or musical chemist??

Just wondered?? 😀

 

[aldevis]

Can I ask a completely unrelated question.... are you Music alchemist, or musical chemist??

Just wondered?? 😀

I must admit, a wonderful and subtle question.

 

[rockplayer]

practice growling using different notes while you're humming as well, you can go from a bright buzzing sound by humming a high note (almost like a scream) and then get some very cool rumbling tones (similar to flutter tonguing) by humming a low note.

 

[musicalchemist]

To the question about my name, it's Music Alchemist, it's actually a portmanteau of musical and alchemist. Link the AL at the end of musical and the beginning of alchemist, and there you have it.

 

[thomsax]

I've been practicing the use of growling in my playing, but I find that it's much harder to do than I had anticipated. I can flutter tongue with the best of them, but I never really had any instruction on how to properly utilize the growl technique. Any tips on how to get that "growl" sound?

I listened to your soundclip and I understand that you find it easier to do the fluttertone than the growl. You have a clean tone and I guess you take less mouthpiece. This is a must to do the fluttertone. I think you should try to growl "more up in your head" instead of "down in your throat". Send me a PM and I'll give you an e-mail adress to a player who is a master when it comes to this.

I can't do the fluttertone because I take more mouthpiece. I have no problem doing the growl deep down in my throat. This can be hard to your throat! Beside I've always been a saxplayer with a "dirty and greasy" tone. I just sounds like that.

Thomas

 

[thomsax]

You might want to listen to this, as a great example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhVFK9tYu84&feature=related

Great! That's Ron Dziubla, CA, playing. A good player with a very intense tone/sound. He is using a Dukoff mpc (I think it's a D-chamber). I have some of his CD's. He has played with Rick Holmstrom, Kid Ramos, Janiva Magness ..... . The other month he shared stage with Sax Gordon! I wonder how that was?

Thomas

 

[Kingsleyhk]

I also have a D7 for my tenor - but that's about as far as the comparison goes! But he is a great player - very much following in the footsteps of Steve Douglas, Plas Johnson and Jim Horn with Duane Eddy. Amazing that he (Duane) is still going strong.

A friend of mine who has lived in Hong Kong for many years went to see them at a show in Glasgow last year. He managed t talk himself backstage and got a great chat with Duane in his dressing room - apparently an absolute prince.

 

[jbtsax]

To the question about my name, it's Music Alchemist, it's actually a portmanteau of musical and alchemist. Link the AL at the end of musical and the beginning of alchemist, and there you have it.

Thank you. I learned a new word to add to my vocabulary today.

 

[aldevis]

Alchemist? It refers to Al, a chemist of Huguenot origins that used to have a portmanteau in his pharmacy.