Forum of the Saxes

Yani-992 · Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Posts: 20 Location: singapore

How do you play overtones? I've never gotten my hands on any overtones book. I've tried by playing low C and tightening my embouchure. I can only manage another two more octaves higher. After that, no matter how much i tighten, a higher note just won't come out.
Or am i doing it wrong?
Is there a certain way?

altosax4ever · Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 7:42 pm Post subject: Well...

Yani, If you've only been playing a little while, say a year or two, you might not want to try overtones yet. My private teacher/director wouldn't even let me TOUCH overtones until I developed a nice firm embrochure.

R
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Altosaxophonerules · Joined: 25 Aug 2005 Posts: 130 Location: Canada

The way I do it.

LOW B flat, everything closed. middle B flat. Middle F. Middle G or A. ( I do both) and then High B flat. And then High E. And then Altissimo.

I don't think the order or way I'm doing it is right. (but it works for me, so it's fine)

Jacob · Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 9:12 pm Post subject:

You must use both your ears and a firm embochure in order to play overtones.

Start by playing a low Bb (everything closed). Now, adjust your embochure slightly so that you are able to play the Bb an octave higher WITHOUT fingering a different note. Let your ears do the work. Once you can play the Bb an octave higher by fingering a low Bb, try and play up a 4th (you should be playing an Eb). Listen harder and try and play up to the 7th, etc.

Once you can play a couple overtones on the Bb, move up to a B, C, and C#. What you will notice is that the higher you go on the horn, the harder it is to hit those overtones.

It does take time to get good at. Overtones are used to improve your low register sound, and work on developing your altissimo register as well. Several months ago I could only overtone up a 4th, but through practice, I can now manage to hit the 3rd octave notes, all by fingering the lowest notes on the horn.

A very useful book to get is Sigurd Rascher's Top Tones for Saxophone, which deals with overtones and the altissimo register. I highly recommend it, especially if you are unsure if the method you use to achieve overtones is correct or not.

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