Saxophone beginners I solved a problem

[Eoe]

Has anyone else gone through this. My first days playing the sax I went around about 6hrs a day with the mouthpiece attached to the crook. Just blowing on it trying to play songs and hit notes without the sax. Did this for about 7 days. So I've been having a problem hitting the D2 it's always a little Sharp. I just found out that when I hit the tuning note that I subconsciously tune to it. So I tried tuning to the D2 and then turning again to the tune note. And I am in tune all over the saxophone. My lips are trying to do all the work of tuning and not letting the sax do the work. I just thought I was really good at putting that mouthpiece in the exact right spot every time. OK also when I try to bend up a octive there is this break point I have a hard time getting over smooth. Talking about going up a octive now without using the octive key separate issue from above . it is possible to get over this smoothly right?

 

[Dabaqallo]

I used to play (unintentionally) an octave high notes without using the octave key. This used to happened when I was playing the lower register notes. I learned that loosening the embouchure and drawing the tongue back was the solution to play the low notes correctly. Also learned that tightening the embouchure and raising the middle of tongue up close to the roof the mouth helps with playing the higher register note (also help with switching octaves without using the octave key).

 

[Eoe]

But if you raise the pitch slow there seams to be a point where it jumps. I'm trying to get past that point smoothly.

 

[jbtsax]

Simple songs and scales can be played on the mouthpiece alone, but the mouthpiece and crook is limited to basically one note because of the natural resonance of the crook. It has been found that the pitch for the mouthpiece and crook for the tenor should be E concert. For the alto it should be Ab concert.

Because of the nature of the the instrument, D2 is sharp on all saxophones and must be "lipped down" or played with an alternate fingering such as adding the low B key or substituting the palm D for the octave key. Pulling out to make the D2 in tune will cause most of the other notes to be flat requiring "lipping up" which is harder than "lipping down" and which results in a pinched sound.

 

[Dabaqallo]

But if you raise the pitch slow there seams to be a point where it jumps. I'm trying to get past that point smoothly.

Yeah. It always jumps up for me too. Not sure if it's physically possible to smooth it up. Or at least without some magic inside your mouth.

 

[Eoe]

Hey thanks for the info on what the tunning is for the crook . I need to tune my lips on the crook I need to get the right feel . I have been tunning my lips and not the sax I discovered. And that d2 is still tricky but not nearly as hard now that I tune using both regesters to get as close to the same lip as possible then I tune the sax. I know I will forever know what f natural sounds like lol.

 

[Eoe]

Yeah. It always jumps up for me too. Not sure if it's physically possible to smooth it up. Or at least without some magic inside your mouth.

I have been reading to do this it has something to do with the throat but no one can explain it. It always comes back to a sax is not a instrument it is 1/2 a instrument and you are the other half.

 

[spike]

Do you play blues harp ?
If so how do you bend the notes ? If not :-
It all happens inside your mouth, forget the throat, we don't really have sufficient conscious control over the throat muscles, they are mostly so called "involuntary muscles" if you don't believe me check out Wiki or consult your local Ear, Nose, and Throat Doc.
Embouchure is what the lips do, it refers to the seal. The rest is inside your mouth and how you manipulate the sound. Think of it as a sound box. Your tongue plays an important and integral role in the creation of your sound. Is it arched, is it curved, is it wide, is it thin ? What's it doing ? You need to be aware of what it's doing.
Spend a few years !!! playing into a corner or up against a hard surface and listen very closely to your sound.
At the same time try to concentrate on what's happening inside your mouth. Quite often you'll play something and you won't know how you did it.

We're not born as saxophone players. We learn to speak and communicate by mimicking parrot fashion. If you have a sound in your head your brain will figure out a way to reproduce it.

Apart from that, playing in the upper register without the octave key with a little practice is or should be no problem at all, and with even more practice you can learn to control just how much or many of the lower partials you want to allow into your tone. The octave key is merely a vent that conveniently cuts off those lower partials.

And to conclude: I'm not a follower of the lipping up or down intonation theory.

Interesting thread 😉

 

[Rob Pealing]

alternate fingering such as adding the low B key or substituting the palm D for the octave key.

Hello @jbtsax , I did not know these alternate fingerings, I had a go at them tonight, they seem clumsy, so clearly take some practice, however what situations are they useful in?