what technique is this?

[kill it with motown!]

hi guys. I was listening to one of grover washington's songs, & My question is, what technique is he doing as he moves from certain notes to another at 0:31, 0:41, & and at the 1:52 mark?:http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=fvwp&NR=1&v=MuGIKA_pNz4

 

[aldevis]

You might be referring to note bending
http://tamingthesaxophone.com/saxophone-note-bending

 

[Colin the Bear]

It sounds like he's skipping up from a semitone lower. Finger the note a semitone lower than the one you want to play and as it sounds lift off quickly. You can bend a note down but not up. It's a technique piano players use to simulate bending a note.

 

[Targa]

In my ignorance I thought I could bend a note up; isn't that what I'm doing if I make it sound sharper?

 

[Nick Wyver]

In my ignorance I thought I could bend a note up; isn't that what I'm doing if I make it sound sharper?

Yes. You just can't bend it as far as you can down. If you have a clarinet style embouchure you'd probably have trouble bending it up.

 

[kill it with motown!]

I want to learn how to bend the notes the same way GWJr did, to sound better. like I learned how to ghost notes, I will devote time to learning how to bend notes exactly like how i want it to sound.

 

[aldevis]

follow the link I posted, listen to blues harmonica, imitate GWJ

 

[Nick Wyver]

imitate GWJ

Eww.

 

[jbtsax]

In classical playing this is called a "grace note". This stylistic "inflection" is very characteristic of "New Age" saxophone style. For example if your target note is high G, first tongue F# and (as Colin said) immediately slur up to a G. These stylistic inflections seem to always start from a half step below and go up. I would vocalize this sound as "Dwee".

"Pitch bending" is a different technique where the fingering stays the same but the embouchure alters the pitch. If the embouchure starts loose and then tightens it is a "scoop". If the embouchure begins tight and relaxes at the end of the note it is a "fall" or a "drop". If the embouchure relaxes in the middle of a note, it is a "bend". About high A and above these pitch changes can be done inside the mouth without relaxing the embouchure, but this works only in this range. This link provides more information and how these effects are commonly notated. Jazz Style Markings

 

[Nick Wyver]

I would vocalize this sound as "Dwee".

Hmm...
I think it's actually more of a "Twee".

 

[aldevis]

This link provides more information and how these effects are commonly notated. Jazz Style Markings

This is really helping me to put together my English terminology on the subject. Thanks.

About grace notes, there is a point that often goes lost, is the difference between acciaccatura and appoggiatura.
Ornament (music) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Acciaccatura (=dent) starts before the embellished note
Appoggiatura (=leaning) starts on the embellished note.

GWJr seems to think more often in terms of acciaccatura.

The term "embellishment" might also indicate a protruding stomach due to excessive consumption of cheap beer (OK, I am making this up....)

 

[Colin the Bear]

Dwee? Twee? I think Mulligan christened it with Bweebida bobida. Perhaps get Dwee ,Twee down and then go for Bweebidabobida.

http://youtu.be/QzrbhV_wNmc


I thought embellishment was a hanky in the jacket top pocket.

 

[Targa]

Dave Dwee, Dozetwee, Mweek and Tweetch.

(6 hours later I realised I'd forgotten about the other one, but then didn't everybody)

 

[Jeanette]

The term "embellishment" might also indicate a protruding stomach due to excessive consumption of cheap beer (OK, I am making this up....)

Given this definition of embellishment I think not

noun: embellishment; plural noun: embellishments
a decorative detail or feature added to something to make it more attractive.

Jx

 

[jbtsax]

Dwee is derived from the legato jazz articulation du dah du dah (which typically follows: "de Camptown ladees sing dis song")

 

[Colin the Bear]

I thought a doo dah was the g# trill key. You know as the scouse phrase "what do dat do dah dere do lah"

 

[aldevis]

Dwee is derived from the legato jazz articulation du dah du dah (which typically follows: "de Camptown ladees sing dis song")

 

[kill it with motown!]

Eww.

Not if I know what I'm doing & if I carefully use my ear.

 

[jbtsax]

Is there a question in there somewhere Aldevis???

 

[aldevis]

Is there a question in there somewhere Aldevis???

Dwee is derived from the legato jazz articulation du dah du dah (which typically follows: "de Camptown ladees sing dis song")

(some problems with my browser...)
Just the unstoppable urge to post one of my favourite movie scenes (contains moderately strong language):