| Archive for Forum of the Saxes A saxophone forum discussing everything sax-related |
| JPSaxMan |
Tricks used in improvWhat kind of 'spices' do you guys use in improvisational solos?My favorite spice is the growl. I'll usually growl more towards the end or right at the beginning. Another favorite is a few bends here and there. But of course my all-time hero spice is fun! Without some soul and without some enthusiasm, my improv goes down-hill (ask the judges from Music in the Parks at Dorney Park last weekend). |
||
| CMelodyMan |
Tricks used in improvI use growling, fluttertonguing, and vibrato. |
||
| altosaxgeek5 |
Fluttertonguing, growling a bit, vibrato, and what I call the David Sanborn trick: Repeat a singler note over and over in rhythm... you hear him do that a lot on his last two cds.. | ||
| JPSaxMan |
Gotta ask you guys sumtin...
Do you ever do altissimo notes (like F, F# typical max-out, G, A, and up)? I've been doing altissimo G on my alto a lot and most times the note growls on it's own...is that a good thing? Most of the time I can get it to come out clear, but sometimes it just does that...still in tune and all that...just growls...maybe I'll record it and let you listen 
|
||
| CMelodyMan |
When I remember the altissimo fingerings I use them, but most of the time I firget them so I don't use them that much in improv. I think your sax is gargling, try tightening your embouchere and see if that helps. | ||
| JPSaxMan |
Then the note cuts out because I'm cutting off the airflow...I usually do something different (don't know exactly what it is) to make sure it comes out clear...but I kinda like that growly sound I get...lemme record it so you can hear it. | ||
| CMelodyMan |
Yeah I wanna hear it. I think I know what you're talkin' about, but I'm not sure. If you're talking about what I think you are, it does sound cool but it's not growling. | ||
| Bleeding Gums Murphy |
I use a lot of vibrato, subtone, some smearing/bending, a tiny bit of growling (I play alto), and a lot of altissimo. It's always fun to see the audience's faces when you come off a nice ascending blues riff into a seemingly endless upward bend  .
|
||
| CMelodyMan |
I know the feeling. 
|
||
| MySaxMax |
fluttertonguing?how exactly do you fluttertongue? and growling... any tips on producing a really good growl? |
||
| CMelodyMan |
Re: fluttertonguing?
You fluttertongue by rolling your RR'S against the reed. It takes years to develop a good growl. To growl, hum into the mouthpiece while playing, or sing into the mouthpiece while playing. Hope This Helps, David |
||
| altosaxgeek5 |
I learned to fluttertongue quickly, but I'm still trying to get down my growling. Another thing, for growling: You can't hum the same note you're playing. And when fluttertonguing, I've heard you're not supposed to trill the tongue against the reed, but behind it. | ||
| MySaxMax |
OK, I think I have the fluttertonguing well enough that I'll be able to practice it more and improve... but... I can't seem to growl... sing or hum while playing? I haven't been able to do that, do you have any ideas about that? | ||
| JPSaxMan |
OK, here's how I growl.
Some disagree with this, and for all I know I could be doing something completely else...but I gargle while I'm playing like you're gargling mouthwash. But most of the time I do it faster than normal to get a more of a real 'growl' effect!
|
||
| MySaxMax |
yeah, that works a little better for me, thanks. | ||
| JazZz |
I've been working on growling for a while and gargling works great. But as for fluttertongueing, I am at a loss on how to roll my R's. My spanish teachers always get a laugh when they hear me act like a retard trying to roll my R's . What's Vibrato?
|
||
| MySaxMax |
Vibrato is played on longer tones. Instead of just having a steady sound... it sounds like the note is... I dunno... quivering? It can be really pretty. the sound is controlled with your mouth, it's kinda of like a fast succession of wawawa's, to get a better idea you could go to www.dogpile.com click on audio and search vibrato. You should come up with some decent sound files. | ||
| altosaxgeek5 |
To do vibrato, you move you jaw up and down rather quickly, depending on how fast you want your vibrato, kinda like you're chewing. That's jaw vibrato.
There's also another form of vibrato, called diaphragm vibrato, that I can do, but I can't discribe it. Kenny G uses diaphragm vibrato, but it's more often found in flutists. |
||
| JPSaxMan |
I do the jaw vibrato and it really is quivering your jaw
|
||
| JazZz |
I get it know, I've been doing some of this for a while and just now learning the name for it, thanks! | ||
| saxxydiva2000 |
i can play pretty well up to the C# above altissimo g. it takes practice. i think the G and A are harder to play than the notes above it. G is pretty fickle dependng on which fingering do you use. there's a huge scientific explanation for why that note sucks, but i wont go into that. i can give you a few other fingering that wont growl as much in case you want to play it in a classical peice or something. |
||
| altosaxgeek5 |
I can hit up to B, but everything about G# is WAAAY out of tune.
G doesn't seem to be a problem at all, but A is troublesome sometimes.. 
|
||
| saxxydiva2000 |
A is a pain too. which fingering do you use? i might be able to help you. -jazz |
||
| altosaxgeek5 |
I use Left hand: 23 right hand: 12 | ||
| saxxydiva2000 |
this is the fingering i use LH; 23 RH; 123 plus low c and Bb keys to bring the pitch down. or LH: 23 RH: 12 plus side Bb and C keys. it's really REALLY sharp but it's not very resistant. -jazz |
||