Squeaks in low register

[Rogerb]

Just thought I'd share this .... maybe some of you have experienced it, too!

I have been having problems with low D-G especially when dropping to them from the high register.
I thought:
1.Reed
2.Leak(s)
3.Embouchure

At my lesson today, my teacher eliminated the second (by play-testing) and we settled on the third as most likely.

What I was doing was tightening my embouchure for the higher notes and when I tried to drop down the still-tight emb resulted either in squeaks, or just playing an octave too high 🙁

So I have exercises to do, and have seen an improvement immediately!

Too late to cancel all those new reeds I've ordered ... maybe I'll like 'em better, anyway!

 

[Linky Lee]

This is an incredibly common problem, one that I suffered from and I guess still do with trying to hit those altissimo notes. (pinching)

Tightening or Pinching as I've heard many call it can make it easier for those higher octaves to pop out, but at sacrifice to intonation as you get progressively higher as you pinch more and more to get them out. The higher notes should be gotten with better breath support and leaving the embouchure alone.

I'm sure your teacher has advised you on how to go about doing them. I'd be interested in hearing what these exercises he/she's given you though. I can't think of anything that will help it other than general playing in that register making a conscious effort to keep a consistent embouchure.

 

[Bobby G]

On the positive side Roger, this phenomenon shows that you are progressing - like Linky says, it's a very common problem that most people I've spoken to seem to go through. I found it more pronounced on alto than tenor, especially on low D for some reason, which kept jumping up an octave. I found a slight adjustment of my embouchure and more care with tonguing did the trick. Also incresing your reed strength may help, it did for me going up a grade with the Jazz Selects.

Cheers, Bob

 

[Rogerb]

For a start, I am simply playing, say B in first the lower and then the upper registers, tonguing both, then the same for A, G, F, E & D, getting a sense of playing the upper with the same, relaxed embouchure as the lower.
Then repeat, but playing upper first(same emb).

As I said above, just a few attempts and I could feel that I had been 'dropping' my jaw to play the low register... the awareness immediately allowed me to make a correction, although I have to 're-program' over the next week!

I also have some 'tunes' to play which will 'test' me, including the Bach Minuet in G which had highlighted the problem.

 

[Bobby G]

All the best, Roger, it sounds like you're getting there
Is the Bach typical of what you're playing, or just a good exercise as you're passing through, so to speak?

Cheers, Bob

 

[Rogerb]

It's the latter, Bob, just an exercise in the Tune A Day book.

I have the slight advantage of having known the tune well, but I'm finding the dexterity required to be absent (so far!) 🙁

I have a very good memory for 'toons', so I listen to Don playing the exercises, then tend to play 'em mainly by ear, which rather hampers my progress in learning to play from the notes on the page! (especially when the exercise is slightly different from my 'remembered version', as in the case of a the first few bars of the Surprise Symphony, on the same page!)

 

[tris]

When I went through this I cured it via less embouchure pressure. This lowered my overall pitch slightly so I took a little more mouth piece.

I have been doing a lot of work to get my embouchure / MPC angle and amount in my mouth "just so." I am say 90% there. There is this sweet spot where you can flick the octave key and bounce between the two octaves with virtually no change in embouchure pressure. (I am not tounging here.)

To be honest, working on my breath support has really fixed a lot and I mean a lot of things in my sax playing. I am finding that if anything starts to be a bit squirrelly it is due to a breath support issue.. or can be traced back to this problem. If anything is ever going wrong with my embouchure 99% of the time it is compensating for running low on air.

 

[Bobby G]

tris wrote:

When I went through this I cured it via less embouchure pressure. This lowered my overall pitch slightly so I took a little more mouth piece.

Exactly how I fixed it too! A good side-effect of this for me was an improvement in tone.

I know it's probably not ideal, but as you may know I do most of my practising in the car, so I'm sitting. It's comfortable enough, I'm not in a cramped position, although I suppose it's not ideal for playing from the diaphragm/air support angle, but what I've found is that once I've mastered something sitting down, it is so much easier when I'm standing, like going down a reed strength with no loss or change of tone.

Cheers, Bob

 

[Linky Lee]

Sitting down shouldn't make a difference if you are able to sit down properly, which I don't think you can do in a car.

Really you need to be on the edge of your seat, with a nice straight back and your neck up allowing all the tubes to open up and your thraot. Give it a go if it's physically possible in a car. See what happens, it might be an interesting experiment?

 

[Bobby G]

My back is pretty straight when sitting. Fortunately there's enough clearance and headroom (thank you Mr. Vauxhall for your Zafira!) with the seat pushed right back to allow me to sit quite well. If the weather's nice I sit on the side of the seat with the door open, playing to the outside world (sheep mostly).

I'd play more at home, the neighbours don't mind. The complaints come from Doreen :erm:

Cheers, Bob

 

[Linky Lee]

There's a solution to everything. You sign them up for some kind of club as a 'present' really it's just an excuse to get them out of the house so you can have your affair at home one night a week 😉

 

[Rogerb]

Linky_Lee wrote:
There's a solution to everything. You sign them up for some kind of club as a 'present' really it's just an excuse to get them out of the house so you can have your affair at home one night a week 😉

:erm: I was completely baffled by this post, in relation to the thread topic :S

 

[Melissa]

ahh life and all its randomness 8)

 

[Linky Lee]

it was justa test to see if you were all paying attention 😛

You passed!

(Obviously I meant to post here, not in a different thread or something ridiculous like that 😛)

 

[tris]

There is also a natural tendency to rotate your left hand upward while dropping down to the low D-G or playing up into it from Bb- F.

I caught myself doing it and realized that rotating my hand in this way was creating tension that manifested in breath support, embouchure etc.... the net result being impaired tone quality.

Apparently everyone does it and you just have to re-program.

 

[charliem]

Best tune to practice jumping high to low (and back) is "Delta City Blues" by Mike Brecker. It's available as a transcription online I'm sure.

The tune, as played by MB, is almost entirely using overtones, but for the purposes of developing embouchure can be played straight. I use it very frequently for 2 octave jump practice, and in solos on gigs to add a touch of spice!!

Have fun!