Playing the saxophone Slurring G down an octave

[eb424]

Ok.
According to Google



Maybe, for a long jump, it's just legato?
Moving from 2nd to 1st register legato can be challenging?

Hi the issue discussed tho was one note and 2 ( possibly 1) octave.

 

[mizmar]

Hi the issue discussed tho was one note and 2 ( possibly 1) octave.

In my book, 1st and 2nd register Gs are two different notes. They'd be on different lines when written.

 

[Pete Thomas]

Maybe, for a long jump, it's just legato?

Long jumps can be slurred. Slurring octaves was the main part of my flute practice for a long time.

I didn't use the word legato because it can be confusing in the sense that legato means consecutive notes are played smoothly and without gap. As its possible to play smoothly with a tongue articulation (if very light) then I used the more specific term slurring as it definitely means without Tonge on a wind instrument (on a string instrument it would sully be within one bow movement).

The OP was about having to use the tongue as opposed to slurring the octave.

Just wondering, how do we write "slurring" when we read music? With a legto bow or another sign.

it's a curved line over/under the notes to be slurred.

 

[eb424]

In my book, 1st and 2nd register Gs are two different notes. They'd be on different lines when written.

Oh ok..thought it was the note that defined it rather than the register..Everydays a school day huh..

 

[mizmar]

Oh ok..thought it was the note that defined it rather than the register..Everydays a school day huh..

In fairness, moving between different 2nd and 1st register notes - eg E2 to D1 - without articulation is easier than G2 to G1 because physics. In that sense you are right... But G1 and G2 are still different notes...

 

[eb424]

In fairness, moving between different 2nd and 1st register notes - eg E2 to D1 - without articulation is easier than G2 to G1 because physics. In that sense you are right... But G1 and G2 are still different notes...

Ta..is D1 D no octave and E2 E with octave..i.e. 1 is any note no octave 2 an octave higher 3 Altisimo..etc

 

[Pete Thomas]

Ta..is D1 D no octave and E2 E with octave..i.e

Yes

1 is any note no octave 2 an octave higher 3 Altisimo..etc

No. The terminology that has evolved is that:

• 1 = the lowest version of that note
• 2 = the next octave up of that note
• 3 = the next up again from that and so on

Octave key is not relevant because (e.g.) There are 2 x Bb in the lower register :

• Low Bb (below 1st bottom ledger line) = Bb1
• Bb (on middle line) = Bb2 (no octave key)
• Bb on 1st ledger line above = Bb3 (with octave key)

There is now an anomaly due to low A instruments

 

[thomsax]

I do this as warm-up. Just pick some tones ......

And this is a more embouchure/work out excercise.

I think it's good to learn to "slurr" and to play legato without tounge. Learn both.

 

[thomsax]

As its possible to play smoothly with a tongue articulation (if very light)

Are you "ghosting" (the tongue should be able to cradle the reed while playing a note with out affecting the pitch. The tone will become darker and the volume will drop a bit as well). ?

 

[Pete Thomas]

Are you "ghosting" (the tongue should be able to cradle the reed while playing a note with out affecting the pitch. The tone will become darker and the volume will drop a bit as well). ?

I don't understand. Ghosting (dooden tonguing) is a different thing.

Ghost tonguing on saxophone

The special effect also known as dooden tonguing, which creates a kind of muffled ghost note sound by holding your tongue against the reed

tamingthesaxophone.com

 

[Vlad]

when I was about 16 I discovered that holding the tongue against the reed could give you a faux Ben Webster-ish sound, which I was well into, it was also a good dodge to get the low notes out of a leaky old wreck saxophone.
so I was Ghost Tonguing then? who knew. eh. 🙂

 

[skeller047]

@eb424 G is particularly hard in this regard, though slurring (yes, this is the correct term) from the second register to the first anywhere can present problems. The main reason G is hard is that it's a difficult note in the 2nd register, and we often unconsciously adapt to it somewhat, so when dropping the octave we have to do some manipulation too. Other notes aren't quite so hard (though D2 -> D1 can also be tough, for many of the same kind of reasons).

If you work on it slowly, over time you will figure it out, and it will help your overall playing. But I wouldn't spend more than 5 minutes at any one time working on it.

 

[Pete Thomas]

Other notes aren't quite so hard (though D2 -> D1 can also be tough

I think the lower notes can be harder for those who tend to subtone the lower notes to make them easier (especially when using hard reeds).