Tech/maintenance Low Notes Sound Like Upper Register

[James9327]

Hi, I am a senior in high school and have played clarinet since 8th grade.

Rencently I have took interest in the alto sax and decided to purchase one. After playing for about an hour I realized that any note I play that is under a f sounds as if I am holding the octave key. So, I took it to a repair shop and they gave a loaner sax while they "fix" my old one. I tried playing this one and the same thing happened. So, at that point I realized that it's not the saxophone, its me. I tried researching about my problem and couldn't find anything helpful. So I came here for help. Hopefully you guys can deliver some advice about my problem.

Thanks, James.

 

[Tenor Viol]

Hi - there are a number of teachers on here who will probably step in to offer advice, but my guess is embouchure is too tight and you're blowing too hard in effect over-blowing so it sounds up an octave.

 

[6441]

Welcome to the café, James. Also, what reeds do you use?

 

[GCinCT]

I concur with @tenorviol. This is a fairly common issue for beginners, particularly since you are a clarinet player. A looser embouchure will probably fix the problem, but I am not a teacher. I'm sure one will be along shortly.

 

[JayeNM]

OK ...first to make certain horn #2 isn't the issue...have a schoolmate play your current Alto and see if they encounter the problem. Probably not, because I would think a tech wouldn't give out a poorly adjusted loaner - but just to make sure.

Then indeed it is your clarinet embouchure...and as stated by others, a few lessons with a sax teacher can likely get things moving in the right direction.

 

[MandyH]

I always suggest to my beginners that they need to imagine they are a male opera singer about to sing a really low note.
That way you open the inside of your mouth and throat appropriately to make the lower sounds.
You need to know what the sound of the low note is that you are trying to play and be able to sing it at pitch. It you can sing it, your ear will know what you are pitching, so you may be able to loosen up and play it.

Also, if you’ve never played an Eb instrument before, only Bb, your brain may be expecting a different note from the one the instrument is about to produce.

I would also suggest you start with a note you can produce (say G - L1,2 & 3) and work down step wise from there until you get to your lower notes. Your ear will know what to expect, your lips & mouth need to relax enough to produce the right pitch.

 

[jbtsax]

I have copied this from a post I wrote a while ago describing the basic differences between the clarinet and the saxophone that I learned from my teaching experience.

Saxophone - mouthpiece goes straight into the mouth
Clarinet - mouthpiece tilts downward 45°
Saxophone - plays nearer the center of the mouthpiece pitch (can lip notes up)
Clarinet - plays at the top of the mouthpiece pitch (tightening closes off the reed)
Saxophone - chin rounded and slightly bunched
Clarinet - chin flat and pointed
Saxophone - bottom lip forms a cushion for the reed
Clarinet - bottom lip stretched thin to provide the smallest amount of contact with the reed
Saxophone - the air is directed through the opening between the reed and mouthpiece
Clarinet - the air is directed at the reed
Saxophone - GENERALLY SPEAKING plays with warmer slower air.
Clarinet - GENERALLY SPEAKING plays with cool faster air.

The clarinet embouchure is formed by saying "EE" with the muscles pulling out, and while holding that saying "OO" with a different set of muscles pushing in. This sets up a tug-o-war that ends in a tie. The saxophone embouchure is formed the same way, but the "OO" muscles win with the "EE" muscles not giving up completely.

To check to see if the saxophone embouchure is too tight one can check the pitch of the mouthpiece alone. The pitch on the alto should be no higher than A=880. The pitch on the mouthpiece + neck should be an Ab concert which is the same as the written F2 on the saxophone.

A common issue when players start on clarinet and switch to the saxophone is that they are used to the resistance they feel when they blow the clarinet. The more open and "free blowing" saxophone is uncomfortable at first so they unconsciously try to replicate the resistance they felt on the clarinet. This is sometimes done by constricting the throat, biting the reed to a more closed opening, or raising the back of the tongue. It is the raising of the back of the tongue as if saying "EE" that acts like an octave key and causes the pitch to jump up an octave or higher.

 

[DartmoorHedgehog]

As somebody who learnt on clarinet, all the above is very familiar. What I find I have to do when playing sax to override my inner clarinetist is to slacken my embouchure a lot and relax my throat (pretending to sing a low note works for me, as has been suggested above). The saxophone seems to work better if you blow into it almost as if you're blowing air into a hose, with very little pressure on the reed from your bottom lip compared to clarinet technique.

When I started playing alto sax (doubling in a concert wind band) I got away with playing it pretty much like a clarinet for ages, but low notes are hard that way. Playing it with a slacker saxophone embouchure and relaxing the throat for low notes not only makes the bottom notes easier to play, but sounds much more sax-like as well. I've got a baritone now as well, and that _really_ doesn't like being played like a clarinet! After 30-odd years of blagging it on alto, having the bari has really forced me to play like a proper saxophonist, and my alto suddenly sounds much better - and now seems far easier to play 🙂

 

[Fraser Jarvis]

Its been said a million times before: Long tones! I was given a go on my old teachers clary a few years back but for the life of me couldn’t get anything out of it so would guess the same thing is happening here but in reverse.

 

[Colin the Bear]

To add to the very good avice above, make sure you're not fudging any keys.