How to make C# blend

[Jay]

How do folk make their middle C# (ie the open note) blend? In my hands, it really 'blares' out compared to the notes around it.

On my tenor, I can add the RH fingers, which helps a bit, though it alters the tuning a bit. But on my alto and sop this alters the tuning too much. I know I can adjust for that, but in a 'run' I am not good enough to do that reliably.

Anyone got any tips for sweet C#s?

 

[Nick Wyver]

Narrow tip mouthpiece, hard reed, breath control and plenty of practice.
Otherwise, put up with it. It's a crap note.

 

[BigMartin]

If you need to play a held C#, try fingering a D2 and lifting the first and Second fingers of the left hand (keep the octave key pressed). It's not that great, tbh, but a bit nicer than the open C# in my experience. Good for a smooth transition to the D too.

 

[Ivan]

Play a C melody and your C# will be some other note

 

[Targa]

Try low C# with octave key.

 

[jbtsax]

Try low C# with octave key.

This is called the "long C# fingering" in the sax literature. On some makes and models it helps to raise the first finger of the left hand to voice the note better. This fingering is useful in a slow lyrical passage where D goes to C# because it is closer to the timbre of the D.

In faster passages the open "dry" sound of the open C# is not as noticeable. The tonal color of that note is just part of the character of the saxophone.

 

[Colin the Bear]

Some notes speak better than others. It's up to the player to adjust. Some reeds exaggerate it, some help even things out.

 

[brianr]

I felt the same about this C sharp, and complained to a teacher.

His advice was to play only that note in my long note practice for a while, until it became my "favourite" note.

Months later, it wasn't my favourite, but I liked it better, and could hold it if needed, without squirming.

 

[ellinas]

There are many notes with idiosyncrasy. Some with intonation, some with the quality of sound some, with both.
In order to make them feel as close and as in tune as can be, one must practice interval long tones and try to isolate note pairs in scales work that have an issue. Isolating such problematic notes and playing them over and over again will help you "cure" as much as you can those notes, by teaching your brain to compensate for them.

I remember struggling as a complete novice with 2nd G. It was just squeaking.
I asked if it was the sax, the reed, the ligature or the mouthpiece.
My teacher advised to go and play this G as a long tone single and in pairs with descenting/ascenting intevals for 1 hour at a practice room and come back. When I started playing big intervals for example G2->B1 and vice versa B1->G2 etc, I quickly understood that there's sooooo much more than fingering and blowing.

His "crazy" advise please go outside, spend some time with your high G and come back was really wise.
I never asked him again about D2, C#2, Low notes Bb,B,C.C# etc or later altissimo G etc...

This kind of thinking will lead to wonderful concepts, like tuning using multiple reference notes etc etc etc. it never ends.

Persistance is the key. The saxophone is not a piano. It needs "taming". We need to have a close relationship with the instrument. 🙂
That's why sax is not like other instruments.

 

[Saxmole]

How do folk make their middle C# (ie the open note) blend? In my hands, it really 'blares' out compared to the notes around it.

On my tenor, I can add the RH fingers, which helps a bit, though it alters the tuning a bit. But on my alto and sop this alters the tuning too much. I know I can adjust for that, but in a 'run' I am not good enough to do that reliably.

Anyone got any tips for sweet C#s?

My C# is also a horrible note being not only more strident than B and D2 but also noticeably flat. I find I can not only 'sweeten' the timbre but also improve the intonation by playing it with the octave key and the G key (left hand third finger) depressed. It's slightly fiddly in a run of notes but works on my YAS 275.

 

[gladsaxisme]

Silly maybe but try careless whisper It does tend to blare but it's supposed to I feel and it starts to fit in with the other notes,just watched a tutorial on you tube by a bloke in a big black hat he starts by calling C# a terrible note and ends calling it a fabulous note

 

[Alice]

Silly maybe but try careless whisper It does tend to blare but it's supposed to I feel and it starts to fit in with the other notes,just watched a tutorial on you tube by a bloke in a big black hat he starts by calling C# a terrible note and ends calling it a fabulous note

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

 

[AndyWhiteford]

maybe it's just me , but that video-guy's two C# are not in tune with each other......
Nice jazz-hat, though.

 

[gladsaxisme]

Thanks for that Alice I struggle trying to put links to these things

 

[Alice]

Thanks for that Alice I struggle trying to put links to these things

That's ok 🙂 I knew the bloke you meant. YouTube doesn't have it's little "share" button underneath videos any more so I had to copy the link from the top of the web page.

 

[zebrafoot]

On my bari I hate my C sharp too....it's really "honky" and very flat; I find I can lip up a bit, but it's still horrible sounding (to me), although my wife seems not to notice. Mouthpiece/reed set up might change that...I find on my tenor, with some reeds the high A is really breathy, but interestingly, this effect goes away with a harder/newer reed.

 

[Colin the Bear]

Careless whisper? Still can't listen to that anymore. And who uses a bell mic when they want demonstrate a good sound.

 

[gladsaxisme]

I'm nothing if not controversial 🙂

 

[jbtsax]

On my bari I hate my C sharp too....it's really "honky" and very flat; I find I can lip up a bit, but it's still horrible sounding (to me), although my wife seems not to notice. Mouthpiece/reed set up might change that...I find on my tenor, with some reeds the high A is really breathy, but interestingly, this effect goes away with a harder/newer reed.

Opening the middle side key on "open C#" will help to raise the pitch.

 

[Pete Thomas]

That's ok 🙂 I knew the bloke you meant. YouTube doesn't have it's little "share" button underneath videos any more

Oh yes they do