Beginner Update and a couple of questions

Hi Guys

I am now six weeks in to my saxophone adventure, practicing every day and still thoroughly enjoying it. Whilst I would make no claims about the noise being good, it is noticeably less horrible than before and I feel improvement in all areas, even sight reading, which has been a stumbling block in the past.

Vixen suggested that I get a teacher. Good advice, I'm sure, but this is not possible as I spend most of my time in China at the moment in an area where there are few expats and I can't even find a drinking buddy, let alone a sax tutor.

I bought a copy of 'Taming the Saxophone' Vol 1 which will be the basis of most of my practice but would like to fool around with some of the standards for fun and sight reading practice. I'm working on 'The Shadow of your Smile' at present and would like any suggestions about where I can find some other similar music. I'm just looking for the simple melody lines, no fancy arrangements and don't mind paying a reasonable amount if necessary. Any suggestions would be welcome.

On the subject of the 'Shadow...', I do have a problem. I think the music is in Am but in the first line, the change from 'your' (E) to 'smile' (lower F#), using the standard fingering(E - Left123 and Right12 on the home keys with the octave button pressed and F# - lift off the octave key and Left1), I get an alarming yelp before getting the F# under control. I had hoped this would disappear with some persistence but I have been at it for almost two weeks already without much improvement. Any help would be appreciated.
 
IF
the problem is the descending interval....

E D
E C
E B
E A
E G
E F#

Where the first E is with the octave key pressed.
 
It sounds as if it is a "voicing" or perhaps an embouchure tightness problem. To check the embouchure try the following. If you are playing alto, check the mouthpiece + neck pitch. It should be Ab concert or written F natural on the sax. If you are on tenor it should sound E concert, or F# on the sax.

The "voicing" has to do with the shape inside the mouth and the position of the tongue. Try singing "AHH" on a low note using warm air. Then play the low F# of the melody with that air and feeling inside the mouth. Then while you are holding that tone, simply change the fingers to E with the octave key while still mentally playing the low F#.

Once that is successful start on the E with the octave key playing that note with the "feeling" of a low F#. I like the expression "the taste of the low F#". That should produce a nice slur down to that note every time if there is no "biting" with the embouchure.
 
An exercise I'm working on at the moment involves playing intervals chromatically from one note, i.e. stepwise always returning to the root note - ascending and descending in half tone steps. Your problem as I understand it appears to be descending from the E to the F#. Try practicing descending in half tone steps from the E to the F# below (stepwise always returning to the root note) as well as ascending from the F# to the E above (stepwise always returning to the root note) - stacatto as well as legato. Bearing in mind tips from jbt with regards embouchure and voicing. Important, as jbt illustrates in his post, concentrate on what is happening inside your mouth, oral cavity, tongue position etc. Play into the corner or door of your practice room and listen very, very closely to your sound. Try to become consciously aware of what is happening inside your mouth. It's essential for the development and subsequently your ability to control your tone.
 
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