Growling

[Kingsleyhk]

I've accessed just about every article and website/youtube vid I can find on growling and I STILL CAN'T DO IT!!!!!

I just can't get the hum going that all these people talk about. Any one had the same problem and can help?

 

[Taz]

I found it very hard to start with, it took me ages to get the hang of it. Don't expect to be able to growl to start with, in fact when you try to hum and play it'll feel like the air is trying to go down the wrong way. Stick with it though, because when you do get it, it'll be so worth while.
Just concentrate on humming one note, don't worry if it's not a real not or in tune with anything that your trying to play, and only try to play one note as well. keep things as simple as possible to start with.
That should give you somewhere to start.
Good luck

 

[Morgan Fry]

I still don't do it very well humming, and never really use that method. Try just growling, with the soft tissue way down in the throat. It tickles at first but before you know it you can turn it on and off at will.

 

[jbtsax]

To learn to "growl" try humming and blowing an airstream without the sax first.

- Start out with just humming - hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

- Then do the same vocalization while at the same time blowing an airstream - vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv.

- When you can hum and blow at the same time simply form an embouchure and do the same thing into the saxophone.

 

[saxplorer]

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Thank you! That is the best advice on growling I have come across! ... not the closed-mouth hummming of hmmmmm, but an "open" "vvvvvvvvvv" sound. Worked first time for me.

 

[Kingsleyhk]

Thanks to all respondents - today's a practice day! I'll let you know!

 

[cannonballer]

I've accessed just about every article and website/youtube vid I can find on growling and I STILL CAN'T DO IT!!!!!

I just can't get the hum going that all these people talk about. Any one had the same problem and can help?

I have had the same problem that you have just described for a really long time, but recently I figured out what works for me. Try humming a note (besides the note that you are playing) and blowing air at the same time. It feels very strange at first, but if you practice it for 5-10 minutes a day for a week, im pretty sure you will start to get the hang of it. You just gotta spend some time messing around with it!
Good luck!
-jake

 

[johnboy]

I'm at odds with everyone over the sound produced by humming! I think this is a completely different sound to a growl.
Earl Bostic did it and it was called a 'Buzz Saw Tone', which I think is a more suitable description!
For me the only true growl, is the one as used by on the Champs 'Tequila'.

John. ;}

 

[rhysonsax]

I'm at odds with everyone over the sound produced by humming! I think this is a completely different sound to a growl.
Earl Bostic did it and it was called a 'Buzz Saw Tone', which I think is a more suitable description!
For me the only true growl, is the one as used by on the Champs 'Tequila'.

John. ;}

I think that Tequila used both flutter tonguing (in a few places) and growling (in lots of places). The flutter tonguing is harder for me to do and sounds more extreme - you wouldn't want to listen to that throughout a solo. Or play it either !

Rhys

 

[saxyemma87]

It took me a long time to get the growl - infactmy old band used to call me growling eyes because of some of the strange faces I would pull trying to do it. I finally got it when I joined a Pink Floyd band and had to play "Money" - the first note of the sax solo had me practising non-stop. Eventually it came.
Good luck

 

[johnboy]

Again what a strange name - 'Flutter tongue', 'Blowing a Raspberry' is more like it
I think on Tequila, he did what I do, produced the sound in his throat, by far the easiest way for me.
When soloing, I use both Growl & what I call Buzz. A Growl is Grrrrrrr. Humming to me, the sound produced is much quicker, more of a Buzz.

John. ;}

 

[Riversider]

The hmmm / vvvv suggestion works for me, too, and a good tip I got for starting our with growling was to practice it with just the mouthpiece and the neck itself —ie: detached from the horn.

 

[rhysonsax]

Again what a strange name - 'Flutter tongue', 'Blowing a Raspberry' is more like it
I think on Tequila, he did what I do, produced the sound in his throat, by far the easiest way for me.
When soloing, I use both Growl & what I call Buzz. A Growl is Grrrrrrr. Humming to me, the sound produced is much quicker, more of a Buzz.

John. ;}

Pretty sure that Chuck Rio does the flutter tongue thing in the original recording. That's done by fluttering your tongue on the roof of your mouth - seems like a good descriptive name to me !

You can hear him add the flutter tongue at about 0:31 and 1:19 - there's lots of growling elsewhere.

Rhys

 

[johnboy]

Pretty sure that Chuck Rio does the flutter tongue thing in the original recording. That's done by fluttering your tongue on the roof of your mouth - seems like a good descriptive name to me !

You can hear him add the flutter tongue at about 0:31 and 1:19 - there's lots of growling elsewhere.

Rhys

I make that same sound in my throat, Hukkkk is the nearest i can describe it. I've been doing it since '57. ( good lord, am I that old :shocked

John;}

 

[trimmy]

Good advice will have to give that a try waste of time that clip as i couldn't get passed 52 seconds

 

[Nick Cook]

Pete's got a bit about growling here: http://tamingthesaxophone.com/saxophone-growl.html

 

[Fraser Jarvis]

Just watched that video, what was supposed to be happening? was some guy playing something, i couldn't hear anything, mustav been transfixed on the chiciboos on that beach, somebody once said a sax is good for attracting women, well if there anything like that i'm moving to Barbados tomorrow!

 

[Fraser Jarvis]

Phew! now i've had time to calm down, that was flutter tonguing, something quite different to growling, flutter tonguing is controlled with the tip of the tongue whilst making a DRRRRRRRRRRRRRR kind of sound, growling is more from the back of your throat but controlled with your diaphragm whilst making a UAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA kind od sound, well thats what works for me anyway, i'm just going to watch the video again just to make sure!!!

 

[rhysonsax]

Phew! now i've had time to calm down, that was flutter tonguing, something quite different to growling, flutter tonguing is controlled with the tip of the tongue whilst making a DRRRRRRRRRRRRRR kind of sound, growling is more from the back of your throat but controlled with your diaphragm whilst making a UAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA kind od sound, well thats what works for me anyway, i'm just going to watch the video again just to make sure!!!

That's what I said (about flutter tonguing) and why I posted that video (pictures were just what happened to be there on YouTube).

But Johnboy says that he can do that sound with his throat, rather than flutter tonguing.

But regardless of how it's done, both effects are quite close in how they sound and you'd probably have to be a bit of a saxophone anorak to worry about the difference (I am).

Rhys

 

[johnboy]

That's what I said (about flutter tonguing) and why I posted that video (pictures were just what happened to be there on YouTube).

But Johnboy says that he can do that sound with his throat, rather than flutter tonguing.

But regardless of how it's done, both effects are quite close in how they sound and you'd probably have to be a bit of a saxophone anorak to worry about the difference (I am).

Rhys

It's not any difference between the sound of a throat growl and flutter tonguing ( I still think it's a daft description ;}), that I have issue with.
I would not call humming a growl! It is more akin to the 'buzz saw tone' that used to be attributed to the great Earl Bostic.

John ;}