Playing the saxophone How to growl on saxophone - tutorial and examples

Examples of the saxophone growl​

Growling is one of the most popular effects on the saxophone. We often associate it with rock and pop playing but it's also a very legitimate technique in jazz, used by the greats from Ben Webster through to David Sanborn.

Before I go on the describe it, here are some audio examples:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGrg57RbqBE

Although we think of the saxophone growl as an effect, it can be applied with different intensities. You can use it here or there on one or two notes or add it quite extensively. It's up to your taste and judgment how you use it. It can be anything from a slight edge to brighten the tone to a full on snarling roaring tiger growl.

It is a sort of equivalent to a guitarist using a distortion pedal.

How do you growl on a saxophone​

First of all one of the misconception is that you growl while playing. That is not likely to work. Another misconception is that you roll your RRRs. Again, that won't work either - BUT - it does give a different but related effect: flutter tongue.

To growl you simply sing, or rather hum, while you are playing. It's not actually possible to sing of course because there is a mouthpiece in the way, but humming (which takes place in your throat) works well.

Which note to hum?​

That's the $1000 question. Some people say to hum the same note as you are playing but slightly (or very) out of tune, others to hum a specific harmony or interval relative to the note you are playing.

I have found that either of those may work, but nobody I know of has yet come up with an explanation of how out of tune or which interval. The way it works is that the note (being out of tune or different to the one you are playing) causes interference with the sound wave of the saxophone to cause the distortion. It may be that not all saxophone notes growl based on the same amount of pitch variation or harmony in the hum.

My preferred method of learning is via a sort of subconscious process of trial and error. Trying to sing along, whether out of tune, or in harmony is just too difficult a process.

So try this:

• Play a note on the saxophone
• While playing, hum any note and while keeping on the same saxophone note, vary the pitch of your hum
• Listen carefully to the note and as your hum varies and note when it causes the tonal interference - and the resulting growl.
• Play that note again (asa long note) while humming that same pitch if possible
• Repeat a few times and then move on to a different and do the same process over again

This way you will gradually find you automatically hum whatever note works best for each note or series of notes you are playing.

Another very quick example...Happy growling evybody!



PS: We are pleased to also bring you a a soundcloud tutorial from our very own cafe member Taz.

https://soundcloud.com/taz-16%2Fgrowl-tutorial

View: https://soundcloud.com/taz-16/growl-tutorial

 

[Colin the Bear]

A good mic, a good sound engineer and some guitar effect pedals.

There are several threads on here explaining altissimo.

 

[jbtsax]

I listened to the song and it sounds like a "growl" to me where you hum and play at the same time.

One of the ways to learn the "voicing" to play altissimo is to practice playing high F and high E with the front fingering and making each note loud and clear.

 

[MandyH]

The high A will come! Keep practicing. I started a thread on "Altissimo A" in here about a year ago.
I found a fingering chart online it had about 8 different altissimo A options and tried them all.
The piece I was playing required me to play C F A, and I found that hitting alt A from forked F eventually worked and the note sang out.
There are lots of fingering choices, I found octave thumb, L2, L3, R1, R2, R3 worked best.

I can't growl! Well I can, but only if I hum first!

 

[Colin the Bear]

Easy to growl. Eat a low fibre diet and play the sax on the loo.

 

[jbtsax]

The problem some folks have with the "growl" is not with the hum. Everyone can hum. It is humming and blowing an airstream at the same time. Practice singing "V v v v v v v v v v v v" (top teeth on lower lip) on a pitch, and the growl will come easily.

 

[MrXesX]

The problem some folks have with the "growl" is not with the hum. Everyone can hum. It is humming and blowing an airstream at the same time. Practice singing "V v v v v v v v v v v v" (top teeth on lower lip) on a pitch, and the growl will come easily.

Am I supposed to literarilly make a humming noise whilst blowing? As, when I'm growling, it's usually just moving the air flow towards a more blocky stream.

 

[Nick Wyver]

Am I supposed to literarilly make a humming noise whilst blowing?

Yes.

 

[Colin the Bear]

Not just a hum. Shout, sing, burp!

 

[MrXesX]

I did it, now for the high A.. :/ I've managed to hit a high F# so, on my way sort of.

 

[MandyH]

Try the front fork high F - octave key, L2 in the usual place and L1 above the B key onto the front F key.
Then adjust fingers as I mentioned before to the altissimo A.
The most awful noise will occur 😱 - def not the note you want or expect, but keep at it...possibly for days!... And it will sing eventually.

I have been there 🙂

 

[MrXesX]

Try the front fork high F - octave key, L2 in the usual place and L1 above the B key onto the front F key.
Then adjust fingers as I mentioned before to the altissimo A.
The most awful noise will occur 😱 - def not the note you want or expect, but keep at it...possibly for days!... And it will sing eventually.

I have been there 🙂

Trying this currently, I can't seem to do it one bit, just gives me a very breathy noise or an extremely high pitch noise.. :/ Usually when hitting altissimo, I'm able to hear the tune silently in the back, but now it's nothing.

 

[jbtsax]

A trick that sometimes helps is to play high C loudly with lots of fast air and then pop the front F open while you give a sudden added push of air pressure (breath support). Another idea is to sing the high F in falsetto, then blow that same pitch on your airstream like an air whistle. Keep the same shape and tongue position inside the mouth and play the note with that same feeling. Lots of fast cold air with lots of pressure behind it and the right shape inside the mouth is the key. Once you get it and get the "taste" of that note, then try high E adding the 3rd finger.

 

[Taz]

Hi I'm not sure if this will help but I did a rough tutorial a while ago (it took me ages to find it lol) but have a listen. Good luck

https://soundcloud.com/taz-16/growl-tutorial

 

[Nick M]

The high A is going to take some strong air flow to keep up with until it becomes natural, even though it is the easiest altissimo to play (in my mind). I would practice playing overtones in order to get used to how the shape of your mouth changes. You can cheat if you're desperate by biting a little and raising your chin. But like I said, its cheating and later on when your zipping through 4 octave scales you may notice you have poor intonation because of the biting. Altissimo is definite not easy, you are not alone.

 

[eb424]

As you may know my current tenors are a TJRaw and a 1952 conn 10m. Ive had a few issues with the raw and was looking at the custom z ( used) as my mates plays a treat.

Tried one out and was in the shop for several hours comparing the 2. Same mouthpiece, gaia 8 with a 2.5 legere sig..I couldn't decide between the 2.

Yam seemed an easier blow, more focused, brighter and louder..I felt the Raw had more bottom end and a bit of resistance which gave it a darker tone.

My question is would techniques such as growling be easier to learn on a freer blowing sax such as the z: Or does this just come with time? Would there be a major difference in someone who has only been playing for 4-5 years between the z and a mk1 62 with a g neck?.. Thanks as always..
Eddie

 

[turf3]

Even after 40 years of playing tenor I rather doubt I would find any important or lasting difference between two top line Yamaha tenors. Yeah, right there in the music store I might sense something subtle, but take the horn out of the store and play it for several months and that stuff will almost certainly die away.

What are the "some issues" with your current instrument?

 

[Colin the Bear]

Growling has nothing to do with saxophone or mouthpiece. Just say Grrr while you're playing. That's why it's called growling.
Comparing saxophones with the same mouthpiece and reed gives a limited impression of what's what. Different horns have different relationships with different mouthpieces. A dark mouthpiece on a bright horn will feel different to a dark mouthpiece on a dark horn. etc.

Lately I've been looking for a mouthpiece for my alto. I found one that sounded great in the music room and recorded pleasingly with backing tracks. However when I took it to a jam night to try with a live band it was a screamer. Bright, edgy and piercing. I'd taken two horns and two mouthpieces to try out. The other was darker, a little stuffy and muffled in the music room. It played sweetly and effortlessly and blended just right in the larger room with the band.

Where and who with, will be a big influence on your final choice of instruments. You have two fine horns. More practice and patience is where you should be focusing your efforts at the present time while absorbing theory at your own pace.

However...if you fancy a new horn and you can afford it, buy it. It won't make you a more accomplished player but they do look nice all lined up on their stands. 😉

 

[Colin the Bear]

What are the "some issues" with your current instrument?

I'm recalling a scene from "the big bang theory" when Sheldon was asked something by a new member of the group. The response was "Nooooooooo!"

 

[eb424]

Growling has nothing to do with saxophone or mouthpiece. Just say Grrr while you're playing. That's why it's called growling.
Comparing saxophones with the same mouthpiece and reed gives a limited impression of what's what. Different horns have different relationships with different mouthpieces. A dark mouthpiece on a bright horn will feel different to a dark mouthpiece on a dark horn. etc.

Lately I've been looking for a mouthpiece for my alto. I found one that sounded great in the music room and recorded pleasingly with backing tracks. However when I took it to a jam night to try with a live band it was a screamer. Bright, edgy and piercing. I'd taken two horns and two mouthpieces to try out. The other was darker, a little stuffy and muffled in the music room. It played sweetly and effortlessly and blended just right in the larger room with the band.

Where and who with, will be a big influence on your final choice of instruments. You have two fine horns. More practice and patience is where you should be focusing your efforts at the present time while absorbing theory at your own pace.

However...if you fancy a new horn and you can afford it, buy it. It won't make you a more accomplished player but they do look nice all lined up on their stands. 😉

Completely agree with you @Colin the Bear and know how you feel re mouthpieces. Mine seem to sound different indoors, caravan and church hall. Cant play the Durga at home but its sweet in the hall...i dont want loads of saxes 2 tenors 2 many got an alto ( thats different lol). My mate who plays the z tried mine and said he had 2 work twice as heard breathwise..I believe its the resistance that gives a nice tone..

 

[eb424]

I'm recalling a scene from "the big bang theory" when Sheldon was asked something by a new member of the group. The response was "Nooooooooo!"

Pmsl.. they were nothing that couldnt be sorted..I tried the z out of curiosity while the tech sorted mine...it seemed easier blowing so was just wondering if technique would be easier to learn...