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Here are a few “effects” to get you started by John Laughter, author of “Rock & Roll Saxophone-2nd Edition”, “Contemporary Saxophone” and “The History of Top 40 Saxophone Solos-1955-2004”

The Flutter Tongue/Tone

I do not know when the flutter started. I have heard it done as early as the big band era. I feel certain that it started long before. I first became aware of it when I heard “Honky Tonk” part 2 by Bill Doggett . Clifford Scott used it in his 4th solo. And again on “Tequila” when Chuck Rio used it on the repeat of the main melody. Jr. Walker also used it in “Shotgun.” It has been performed on a more recent Top 40 hit titled “With Every Beat Of My Heart” by Taylor Dayne as played by Joel C. Peskin. Also listen to the second phrase of Bobby Keys’ solo on “Brown Sugar” by The Rolling Stones.

I would venture to say that it was probably developed by blues artist when they wanted to play a real “down and dirty” sounding solo. It really lends itself to that type of music. A combination of the growl, flutter tone and note bending will put you well on your way to playing some very suggestive sounds.

This technique gives the same effect as singing it front of a desk fan. It causes the tone to flutter by causing a separation in the airwave/tone.

I always suggest that you take the neck off the horn and learn by playing only the neck/mouthpiece then after you get the feel of it, attach it to the horn.

Before you play with the neck, see if you can make the sound that is similar to a small motorboat engine by blowing lightly and at the same time raising the tip of the tongue gently against the front portion of the roof of your mouth just behind the front teeth. Do not press the tongue into the roof. Just raise it enough to make a rapid flutter between the tip and the skin of the roof. The effect is also similar to the sound of a “cat purr.” However, there is no need to make a sound or hum anything while fluttering the tongue. If you can achieve this sound it will transfer to the m/p.

An “HEEEEEE” shape puts your tongue in a high arch and will draw the tip of your tongue away from the mouthpiece. Many players consider variations on the “EEE” vowel shape to be preferable for general tone production. Vowel shapes such as “Uhh” and “Ooooh” leave the tongue in a low position that does bad things for your airstream.

With the m/p in the mouth do the same thing as above but DO NOT TOUCH THE REED while the tongue flutters back and forth toward the roof of the mouth. The tip portion of the tongue ends up fluttering in the roof area in front of the tip of the m/p but if you touch the m/p it will stop the effect.

I hope this is enough to get you started.

Here are a few other links for the flutter tone;
http://personal.zcloud.net/timzart/fluttertongue.htm
http://www.petethomas.co.uk/saxophone-fluttertongue.html
http://www.nuoboe.com/html/fluttertongue.html

http://www.jodyjazz.com/article.interesting.improviser.html
http://www.halleonard.com/item_de...oduct&keywords=john+laughter+

The Growl

I have used the “hum” technique to produce the growl since 1956. Both the growl and the “flutter tongue”, were very popular techniques used by sax players in Rock & Roll and R&B music which was hitting the airwaves in the late 50s. For those of us who had joined that local school band, we were asking the band director what this new sound was that we were hearing on the Top 40 hits featuring Lee Allen and Grady Gaines on tenor and Earl Bostic on alto. Obviously these effects were around long before the 50s and still continue today in many forms of music. A 1985 hit that has a lot of growl is “Rockin' At Midnight” by The Honeydrippers. Keith Evans uses a lot of this technique in his tenor solo.

There are apparently one or two other ways to achieve the same results from what I have read on the NET over the years but I have only used the method of humming along with the note that I want to change to a growl tone.

I also suggest that the best way to learn to produce the growl on the sax is to start with just the mouthpiece attached to the neck. Using the entire horn can be a problem at first due to the coordination involved. Play a long note on the neck then starting “humming” a note that is higher or lower than the tone that is coming out of the neck. Some players think in terms of singing falsetto because that is the octave area that you will be in to get above the note that is produced by the neckpiece. Some will sing/hum a lower note. For example, when I play a G above the staff on tenor I find that I usually hum the pitch that is close to D below the G. If you hum the same note that is coming out of the N/P the effect will be cancelled.

You will soon begin to realize that it is taking a lot of air to play and hum at the same time on the neckpiece. This is natural because you will probably open your throat and let too much air out because of your efforts to sing and exhale at the same time. Easier said than done at first! In time you will be able to control the amount of hum and the coordination will become natural. Now put the horn together and see what happens.

Many of us use the growl in the middle and high range, especially from high A above the staff to high F#. I have found that the most effective area for the growl is starting on 2nd space A and up. Once you go below 2nd line G it becomes somewhat garbled.

Now about the “hum.” I have read some articles that suggest that you hum a 3rd above the note being produced on the horn. I can’t hear the note that I am humming due to the stage volume and I have never thought about the “3rd above” concept so I can’t comment on it. I hum in range that is below the notes being played and it works for me. Hopefully you will get more advice from other players. There is always more than one way to approach certain effects.

Other links for the growl;
http://www.petethomas.co.uk/saxophone-growl.html
http://www.wirelessdatasys.com/dea/music/growling.htm
http://www.bobrk.com/saxfaq/2.7.html
http://www.jodyjazz.com/article.interesting.improviser.html
http://www.halleonard.com/item_de...oduct&keywords=john+laughter+

Subtone

The term subtone is often used while playing with soft tone on slow songs and is a technique used mainly in the lower register.

If you are familar with Plas Johnson's tenor solo on “The Pink Panther” theme you will hear this tone in the beginning when he plays the low notes. Stan Getz was also noted for his beautiful subtone approach on tunes such as “Girl From Ipenema” and “Here’s That Rainy Day.” Others include “Danny Boy” by Sil Austin, Pete Christleib’s tenor solo in “Unforgettable” by Natalie Cole and Boots’ “Shadow of Your Smile.” Paul Desmond also had what I would refer to as a fuller subtone approach on alto. Fine player and classic tone. Another outstanding tenor who was a master of this technique was Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis.

I am not sure when this technique was developed but it was very popular in the big band era and remained popular in the 50s and 60s, especially on the slow Top 40 hits. And you will still hear it today in many forms of sax music.

To put it in basic terms, I like to refer to it as opposite of a “marching band” sax sound in the lower register when the player produces a loud honking tone. The subtone is a softer/warmer/whisper type tone. Some players also play with a mixture of tone and air for a special effect.

The subtone can be used in all registers of the horn and in up tempo music as well but is generally associated with slower tunes.

A few ideas to get started;

1. Assuming that all of the pads are leak proof, play a low G.

2. Bring the lower lip back over the bottom teeth so that more upper skin below the lip line area is pressing gently against the reed. Depending on the width of your lip, you may have more, or less, of the skin below the lip line against the reed. If you have a wide lower lip, this can work to your benefit. If you have a thin lower lip, more meat on the reed from the area below the lip line may be needed.

3. Take a little more m/p into the mouth and relax the jaw more than you would normally do in your standard embouchure setting. However, some teachers totally disagree about “relaxing the jaw.” It works for some us but perhaps not for others so keep an open mind.

4. Play the G. Relax and do not blow hard. Play a soft, yet full tone. Keep adjusting the lower lip until you are getting a little mix of air around the corners of the mouth with the tone. Not a lot of air (which is optional) but just enough to make the lower jaw ands corners of the mouth relax. If you can’t get a little air around the corners, no problem. It works for some and not others and is not vital to play the subtone. In place of that, you will probably get some air in your tone which is fine since many players get a mix of air and sound to make it sweet. The idea is to counteract the embouchure that calls for the “tight smile/flat lips” approach used by trumpet players to get the buzz.

5. Play G to F and hold the note long. Keep adjusting and think “whisper.”

6. Now G to F to E and so on.

7. When you get to low D and C, the note may crack and jump an octave. This tells you that you need more lip over the teeth and to relax the jaw. Some players will “lift” the horn slightly on low D and below to take the pressure off the lower jaw. It can help but not absolutely vital.

8. Repeat this over and over. G to F to E to D to low C holding and maintaining a soft whisper tone.

9. Once you began to get good control of it, you can adjust the volume, corners of the mouth, amount of lip in the mouth, amount of air/tone mix, etc. to develop your own subtone technique.

This is, by no means, the only way to approach the subtone but maybe it will help you get started. It is a technique that is well worth learning. If you need more info about a CD that covers the subject please send an email to JSAXL@aol.com

http://www.halleonard.com/item_de...oduct&keywords=john+laughter+

Alternate Fingering

Alternate fingering can be used to obtain a “double tone” (trumpet w/ mute on and off the bell) type of effect that is popular in a lot of solos. Some examples;

1. Play a 3rd space C then finger a Low C with or w/o the octave key and go back and forth.
2. Play a high A then close the right hand D, E and F keys and back and forth.
3. Play a 4th line D and maintain the fingering while opening/closing the left D palm key.
4. Play a 3rd line bis Bb then finger a low Bb with or w/o the octave key back and forth.
5. Play a 3rd space C# then go to the low C# fingering with or w/o the octave key.

The small variance of intonation between the above alternate notes help to make the effect. (You can get a little grit in the tone on C, C#, D and Bb w/o the octave key by dropping the jaw to get a split octave.) Add some "ghosting" as you go back and forth to add color.

Other alternate fingerings can be used to help when speed and clean fingerings needed, especially in classical or fast jazz passages;

To play a first space or fifth line F to F# trill, play F then press the alt. F# key that is under the right palm with the 3rd finger. Or, to play F to F# to G real fast or G to F# to F, use the the F# alt. key with the 3rd finger. This will help stop the “crossing noise” that can be produced by uneven fingering that is common with fast F to F# to F fingering.
The same key can be used to play E to F to F# in a fast passage.

There are 4 basic fingerings for Bb;
1. B and A keys with the bottom side key of the 3 keys under the right palm,
2. the first finger of both hands,
3. and the B key with the bis key.
4. Low Bb fingering w/ the octave key.

To make a smooth change from F to Bb, use the bis key (pearl key between the B and A keys.) Finger F then release all fingers except the B key and bis key. Press both keys with the left pointing finger. Or you can go from F to Bb by fingering Bb with the first finger of each hand. Play F then raise the G and A finger. To go from B to C and stop the “crossing noise”, play B then press the middle key of the 3 palm keys under the right hand, i.e. the side key above the side Bb key.

Middle C to D can also present a problem with crossing noise if you have a rapid passage back and forth. Many players will leave the right hand D, E and F keys down when going back and forth from D to C real quick. This takes away a lot of key action and noise.

Slap Tongue

The “slap tongue” effect dates back to at least a 1928 in a piece of published music. Some contemporary classical music arrangements have made use of the effect but I do not remember that name of the compositions. I recall hearing the sax section in a 40s big band movie using it in a novelty type arrangement. James Brown’s tenor player, J. C. Davis used it on the 1962 version of “Night Train” in the 2nd part of the melody as an 8th note answer to the low C that is played at the end of the melody line.
Another point of view from a contributor on a sax message board indicates “the technique actually originated in jazz & pop. First record I can recall offhand is a 1923 King Oliver side with an obscurity named Stump Evans playing the C melody. By ‘24 Rudy Wiedoeft and Coleman Hawkins had picked it up. Bennie Krueger was another novelty sax guy, and I think he did it too. You might have thought it came later to pop/jazz, because it got corny very quickly and disappeared from popular taste.”

Jazz artists John Klemmer, James Carter and Yoseff Lateef have all used it in their solos.

The sound is created as a result of the release of suction in the mouth and the popping sound that the reed produces which amplifies as it travels through the horn.

Lay the tongue against a lot of the reed. Gently push upward so that the tip and rail of the reed is closed. Get rid of as much air in the oral cavity as you can and seal off the lip so that you have an airtight fit. The tongue is quickly released in a downward motion. When you release the tongue downward, you also drop your jaw and open your mouth in a “popping” motion. This is all done very quick. DO NOT pull the tongue back towards your throat. It needs to pop downward away from the roof of the mouth to get the most volume. Do not blow air through the horn and do not inhale when you release the tongue.

Low F or G fingering works the best for me. They produce the most volume but I would imagine that fingerings differ from player to player. Hope this helps.
Additionl info from a sax message board;
While I was learning how to slap tongue, I came across this. I forget where I got it, perhaps the NASA listserv, but, who knows. I’ve listed the author at the bottom so as NOT to take credit for the information that follows. Hope this helps;

Slap-tonguing requires some time and patience to develop. Most people take several months of attempts before they get a true slap on the attack. Things to keep in mind are:

1. Make certain you use your normal embouchure for the pitched slap tongue. The non-pitched variety requires that you pull the lower jaw away from the mouthpiece in one motion as you articulate; but the pitched variety requires that you keep your normal embouchure through the process.

2. It is far easier to slap tongue on low notes than high. Think about the heavy clicks we tend to get in the low register with the tongue when we’re not careful. These are mild slap tongue sounds, so try it on your low Bb and B until you have some success. Also, you might want to begin on the tenor or baritone saxophone until you have the feel for it.

3. Place your tongue on the entire exposed reed inside your mouth. Cover the whole reed with the tongue and do some short, staccato articulations. This generally leads to a heaviness, or a “click” at the beginning of the articulation, much like what a beginning student would get. Eventually this tends to work better when you do not end the tone with the tongue, and again, this sound is especially easy to produce in the low register.

4. The amount of tone you want to have with the slap tongue is determined by the amount of air you put through the instrument -- it is not determined by the tongue. You can play either a very short note, or a very long note or passage of notes with the slap as a beginning attack. I find that the shorter notes seem to be easier to produce the slap, at least initially.

5. Basically, the slapping procedure involves pulling the reed away from the mouthpiece with the tongue. When the strength of the reed is too much for the tongue, it pulls away and cracks back against the mouthpiece, producing the slap sound. Over time I have learned to do this with far less effort than I thought was necessary originally. Most people who concentrate on the tongue flicking the tip of the reed initially tend to break a lot of reeds, so you may want to do this on a softer, old reed that won't be on your recital program any time soon.

Cliff Leaman Associate Professor of Saxophone University of South Carolina Columbia, SC 29208

http://www.halleonard.com/item_de...oduct&keywords=john+laughter+

Slurs and Note Bending

Here are a few thoughts about note bending that can used to add expression to a solo. We tend to hear note bending a lot in blues and rock. This approach has also been very popular in ballad work for years and can help to turn an otherwise straight melody into one that seems to make a good impression on the listener's ears.

Slurs can cover from a half step up to as many notes upward or downward that you want to play. Although a glissando is used a lot with the slur, the slur tends to be the bending of the pitch of notes that can go in either direction. If you have ever noticed a trombone making a smooth slide from 1st position to 2nd, 3rd, etc. or from 7th to 5th or 1st, etc. this is another concept to keep in mind.

For example, play F # to a G above the staff and make the change without the noticeable lifting of the F# key. Play the F#. Just as you begin to lift the right middle finger, drop the jaw slightly so that you continue to sound the F# pitch while fingering G. Now, slowly lift the lower jaw and bring the G up to pitch. Now from F to G. Do the same exercise. You will find that you have to listen to the pitch as you lower the jaw and lift the finger to G. Do the same with D to E, D to F and D to G. You will find that it becomes a little more difficult as the note spread widens and you almost have to let the jaw drop way down to maintain the starting pitch when going up several notes.

To slur down we reverse the process. Play a G then slightly drop the jaw to an F# pitch and at the same ease the key down. However, be sure to work the bottom lip and finger at the same time to make it work well. For larger slurs such as G to D support the air stream while the jaw is dropping. Some players who use a lot of slur/bend technique find that a larger than average tip opening helps to exaggerate a smooth slur.

When you lift a note and want to make it pronounced, take your time in lifting the lip up to the pitch. For example, take the old standard “Crazy” by Patsy Cline. Starting at the beginning play Eb E G (I’m craz...zy) then to G# to A to C#. Let’s take the A to C# and make the most out of it by dropping the jaw on A then VERY slowly lift the two left fingers to C# and at the same time draw more lower lip back over the teeth on A then let the lip out a little as you get to the C# pitch. This will add a little more tone color to the entire process. As you lift the two left fingers, keep them close to the keys and body of the sax so that your fingers will ease up slowly. And do the same with the subsequent F to A notes of the melody.

Some blues players will use wide and pronounced slurs along with the growl and gliss’s to add some sleazy effects to the solo. This not only compliments the dancers but is also picked up by the listeners. Same holds true for something as simple as a solo on Mustang Sally. Will it send a message to the dancers?

One of the early fine jazz players who used a fair amount of slurs and gliss’s was Eddie “ Lockjaw” Davis. You might want to pick up a CD and take a listen to his style.

Lastly, if you get into a lot of slurs and gliss’s you will soon realize that you must learn to be flexible with the embouchure. The more pronounced you want to get with this effect, the more embouchure changes. However, I have had some teachers totally disagree with the embouchure change suggestion but it works for me. Obviously I am not going to be as flexible in a sax quartet because it does not normally call for a lot of these effects so it depends on the style. What can’t be explained very well on the message board are the many nuances, muscle changes, oral cavity size, tongue position and jaw positions that are being done by some performers. You do not want to loose sight of the common sense habits of good basic performance but you need to think outside of the box once in a while to see what can come out of the horn to add to expression!

Another web site that features an older book titled SAX-ACROBATIX that was scanned;

http://rain.prohosting.com/mrchops/sax-acro/sax-acro.html

John Laughter
JSAXL@AOL.COM

http://members.aol.com/jsaxl/music1/index.htm
http://www.geocities.com/harrir/saxophone/John_Laughter.html
“The History of Top 40 Saxophone Solos-1955-2004”
http://www.halleonard.com/search_...r&catcode=00&type=product

Hiya · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 40

Wow. I can't tell how helpful this thread is to me. Thanks for all the tips. I'm getting out my horn right now. :D