Long notes

[mark_br]

Everybody goes on about how it is important to practice long notes.
Could someone define long notes, how long, how much time should be spent, any particular notes, or any advise on the subject.

Cheers.

 

[Thaumaturge]

Mark,

Have a look at Pete's 'Learn The Saxophone' articles.

Thaumaturge

 

[Smiffy]

Just blow to you can't no more, each and every note, then play with them, bending up down soft loud, you will know when you have it as you will be able to play any music using just one note 😛

 

[Pjonah]

Most biginners will have a wobbly tone, non stable, Ideally the long notes help you to develop your embouchure, tone production, breathing and facial muscules. A good thing to do is record yourself now as a beginner and listen to your tone. You'll see what a wobbly tone is, I got an old recording of me in the early 70's shortly after I started and its so wobbly and weak. You wake up one day and its no longer like it.

Tone is something that can deteriorate if you don't keep working at it, so I'm afraid you'll need to get used the long note practice!

Its worth the effort though, its without doubt the best instrument ever invented

😉

 

[ByteOfTheCherry]

I bought a Boss looper couple of months ago, a RC50, but their are several versions on the market, brilliant because its very immediate, I have good home recording gear but I cannot be bothered to set up. The looper is very fast, the recording time is limited although I can get up to 49 mins in mono on mine, brilliant for long note practise, playing duets/trio/quartet stuff...but you have to be brave, its like recording your own voice..when you hear it it sounds totally different, same goes for the sax..but a weeks work of recording, listening, wiping, thinking, made vast improvements, really starts to make you think about section sounds also(i'm really into James Brown/Stax Soul /Tamala)...get a looper...

 

[mark_br]

A Bossa whata?

 

[ByteOfTheCherry]

He's using a looper

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=LWbj7FYEi3M

 

[TomMapfumo]

Mark wrote:
Everybody goes on about how it is important to practice long notes.
Could someone define long notes, how long, how much time should be spent, any particular notes, or any advise on the subject.

Cheers.

Hi Mark!

A useful way to start off is to use a metronome and set it to approx. 60bpm and play a note for 4 beats, then have a 2 beat break, then play another 4 beats. Could either be using the same note or doing a scale/ few notes (say 4) or similar. The emphasis should be on the lower notes below the octave key. When that is comfortable do up to 6 or 8 beats - the object is to try and maintain a consistent tone and practice your breathing in between.

No need to be silly about it
😛

Kind regards
Tom 8)

 

[Greywolf]

This is going to sound like a load of hippy **** but I really do think it works.

As a longbow archer one of the ways of shooting, a bit Zen I know, is to 'be the arrow'. To imagine yourself flying with the arrow.

When you're playing long notes, then 'be the note'. By that I mean don't just blow it but try and make every long not you play, the most beautiful sound it can possibly be, then long note practice is less an exercise and more about beautiful sounds and music.

Well I did warn you it was a bit hippy **** but thinking about it that way makes my long not stuff much more about music.

Thinks....must go and do some long note practice.

 

[filipe]

I'll resume the post above that Greywolf so eloquently wrote:

Listen. But really listen!

 

[o_c_v_]

A lot of good advice re long notes. They are so important in a practice routine. I might also add that its a good idea, while playing long notes, to do your best to control any vibrato you may have. Aim to play them as smooth as possible. Only use vibrato in a controlled way. We may get a whole load of opinions about vibrato now.
O.C.V.

 

[mark_br]

Greywolf wrote:
This is going to sound like a load of hippy **** but I really do think it works.

As a longbow archer one of the ways of shooting, a bit Zen I know, is to 'be the arrow'. To imagine yourself flying with the arrow.

When you're playing long notes, then 'be the note'. By that I mean don't just blow it but try and make every long not you play, the most beautiful sound it can possibly be, then long note practice is less an exercise and more about beautiful sounds and music.

Well I did warn you it was a bit hippy **** but thinking about it that way makes my long not stuff much more about music.

Thinks....must go and do some long note practice.

I thought all music should sound as beautiful as possible?

 

[thomsax]

I think long tone exercises and overtone exercises are basic when it comes to saxophone practise. If I remember right, I think we had covered this subject before but her comes my reflections about long tone exercises:

Start like Tom say at 60 bpm but take try to it down to 50 - 45 bpm .... . Play chromatic from the bottom to the top or from the top to the bottom, in certain patterns, intervals, chord tones ..... You can also use a tuner. This is important when you practise the high notes.

Play-

- in various volume
- with note bending
- with a growl
- with ghosted tongue ....

Play -

- with a full tone - loud
- greasy - nasty
- beautiful - pretty
- soft- gentle ....


Try also to play without using the octave key or try to use the octave key in the low register. You can do a lot with long tone exercises. After warm-ups 10-15 minutes with long tone practise is good.

Thomas