Saxophone Playing

7/28/2019 Saxophone Playing

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\1. PLAYING THE INSTRUMENTThe Instrument

Neck Cork

Posture\

To have good technique it is necessary to use the correct posture. The backand neck should be straight, allowing for proper breathing. Sit straight; your weightshould be supported by the legs and not the lower back.The saxophone is primarily supported by the neck strap. The neck strap mustbe pulled up far enough so that the mouthpiece comes to the mouth. Make sureyou are sitting up straight, and it is a comfortable position for you. Adjust themouthpiece such that your head is straight (and not tilted). Do not shift the head to themouthpiece.The tenor and baritone saxophones must be held along the right leg, althoughthe alto saxophone can be positioned between the legs. The player must be sure not tolean the instrument against the chair or on the lap; this can change the placement

of the mouthpiece in the mouth.The right thumb is placed in the thumb guard so that the hand can gentlycurve with the fingertips on the pearls. The right pinky finger is placed where the Eband C keys meet so that they can be used quickly. The left thumb acts as a balance tohold your instrument in place. The thumb should be placed so that it can easily reachthe octave key. The rest of the left hand is curved around the palm keys so that thefingertips touch the pearls. The left pinky is placed on the G# key so it can be used

quickly. It is important to keep the fingers that are not being used as close to the keysas possible. When playing middle C#, when no keys are depressed, all fingertipsshould still be touching the pearls. Keeping fingers close to the keys eliminateswasted motion and allows more rapid movement between notes. Another exampleoccurs when playing a low G. The three left fingers should be down and the left pinky


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should touch the G# key. The fingers of the right hand should be resting on the pearls.(For more illustrations, please refer to the Standard of Excellence.)To be effective, technical learning must be slow and methodical. Slowlyteach the fingers what they need to do. Establishing a good practice routine,

setting short and long term goals, and employing constructive critical thinkingwill help one become a more accomplished saxophonist.Breathing

Good posture with a straight back and neck will greatly aid the breathingprocess. Do not raise and lower the shoulders when breatbing. Lifting theshoulders creates tension that will affect the sound and the fingers. It is importantplayers should try to use their entire lung capacity, allowing the lower part of thelungs to push the stomach forward, then filling the upper cavity. The air is thenreleased steadHy, controlled by a muscle called the diaphragm. The air stream shouldalways be steady, never choppy.

For beginners, you can tbink of yawning as a good way to fill your lungswitb as much air as possible. Try it, tben imitate the action again. Feel yourlungs expand and contract wben you breatbe in and out when you yawu.* Remember, when you breathe in and out it is witb warm air, and warm

air is important in playing the saxophone!A player can think of filling the instrument or the whole room, never stoppingthe air except at the end of a phrase or during a rest. Using too little air can result in

playing sharp, while using too much air can cause a note to go flat. A good way topractice producing a steady air stream is to play scales at various speeds. Concentrateon producing an even air stream and consistent sound all the way up and down.Emboucbure


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1. Cover the bottom teeth by folding in your lower lip over the teeth.2. Place the bottom lip on the reed at the point where the mouthpiece curves awayfrom it.3. Place the top teeth on top of the mouthpiece at approximately the same spot abovethe bottom lip. (Refer to image below.)4. Create pressure around the mouthpiece so that no air escapes from the comers ofthe mouth.The embouchure should remain consistent for the entire range of the instrument.There should be no movement of the jaw to produce any note- avoid opening up forlow notes or squeezing for high notes. The embouchure is generally consistent.Saxophonists should be able to play all pitches by simply producing a steady ai rstream and pressing fingerings. You should be relaxed and not tensed (at moutharea) at all times!

Qu.lqu es exemples d'ernb!lu(,hure. A COtl..'\CiJler - A eVlter !! Some examples 0/ I1wu$hpiece position WI",il\! advised Wnw i.1" W be (lvoided II

PHOTO!boone embouchure.""'opro{'


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IntonationAll saxophones have pitch inconsistencies that must be identified andcompensated for in order to achieve good intonation. No two saxophones are thesame.However, various registers of all instruments do have similar tendencies.Typically, low Bb through low D# are sharp, low E to middle C# are flat, and middleD to high F are sharp. Many of the elements (such as mouthpiece, reed, condition ofthe instrument, and air support) can greatly affect the intonation.The pitch and timbre of some notes can be extremely troublesome. High A can

be flat, middle C# extremely flat, and middle D and E can be somewhat sharp. Thesenotes need to be corrected with alternate fingerings or by tightening or loosening theembouchure.Two rules can guide the tuning of individual pitches: first, tighten theembouchure to raise the pitch of a note; second, loosen the embouchure to lower thepitch of a note. However, only adjust your embouchure slightly to not affect theoverall tone/sound.

TonguingTonguing refers to the way the saxophonist articulates particular notes andrhythms. The tongue can produce light staccato, heavy marcato, long legato,emphasized accents, and many more sounds.

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The tip of the tongue'is arched fonvard and, as the syllable is produced, thepart of the tongue slightly above its tip contacts the tip of the reed, momentarilyblocks the air, and causes the note to be rearticulated when released. The air streamremains steady, without stopping. The tongue should move quickly, and moves from the reed fast as well. Itretreats back to its starting position, then repeats the cycle again. Only half the tongue is moving, not the whole tongue!In general, the saxophonist creates the syllable to be produced with the tonguebefore sounding the note. Use the syllables "doo," "dah," or "dee" for a lighter tongue,

"tah" or "tee" for a heavier tongue. Do not let the tongue slap against the reed, it willproduce a thud-like, unfavourable sound.Tonguing should be practiced with scales. Often, the hardest part of perfectinga technical tonguing passage is coordinating the tongue with the fingers. The speed ofthe tongue can be developed by doing exercises to strengthen it.


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\2. FINGERING CHART

Instrument Care RemindersBefore pu tting your instrument back in its caseafter playing. do the following:

Remove the reed, wipe off excess moisture andreturn it to the reed case.

Remove the mouthpiece and wipe the insidewith a clean doth. Once a week. wash the mouthpiece with warm tap water. Dry thoroughly.Remove the neck and shake out excess moisture.Dry with neck cleaner.Drop the weight of the chamois or cotton swabinto the"bell. Pull the swab through the bodyseveral times. Return the instrument to its case.Your case is designed to hold only specific objects.If you try to force anything else into the case,it may damage your instrument.

o = Open = Pressed downThe most comm on fingering appears first when two fingerings ar e shown.

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C# Db 00eO

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E.. 00.. -e - I1o . . ,0.. . 05 or 5.. 00 eO eO


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\. 3. TAKING CARE OF YOUR SAXOPHONEReed aod mouthpiece care

After playing, wipe out the mouthpiece dry with a soft cloth, not a brush. Thiscleaning will prevent gurgles and foreign objects from hampering sound production.Exercise care to avoid chipping the tip or scratching the bore and rails of themouthpiece.Saxophonists should maintain a minimum of four playable reeds at all times.Reeds that are waterlogged, chipped or cracked should not be played.

When putting the saxophone away, do not leave a reed on the mouthpiece. Itcan easily chip, become discoloured, or develop an unpleasant odour. Reeds should bestored in a reed guard or the plastic covers that come with some reeds. This will keepthem safe until the next use and they will dry evenly without warping. A reed guardcan be made from a piece of glass, with rounded sides for safety, and rubber bands tohold the reeds in place. Reeds should be rotated frequently, allowing them to dry outproperly and last longer; this will cost less in the long run because fewer reeds will beneeded.Assembling the mouthpiece, reed and ligature

I. Take the reed out of its case carefully. Be careful not to chip or damage thereed. Place the reed onto the mouthpiece. The flat side of the reed should betouching the mouthpiece.2. Take your ligature and slot it onto the mouthpiece. The wider part of theligature should be at the bottom while the narrower part should be at the top.3. Adjust the reed. The reed should be at the same height as the mouthpiece.

Mouthpiecere


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Assembling the saxophone1. Take out the neck and the saxophone.2. Insert the neck of the saxophone in. If the neck opening on the saxophone istoo tight, apply some cork grease.3. Tighten the screws on the saxophone.4. Make sure the neck and the saxophone is straight and inline with each other.5. Insert in your mouthpiece that has already been assembled.

Saxophone neck

Saxophone Neck with Mouthpiece Inserted


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4. EXERCISESSuggested exercises: Symphonic Band TechniqueSuggested exercises to develop musicality and key sense: number 89 and 90

Please take note that all notes are played correctly and that music is playedmusically as much as possible.Suggested exercises to practice articulation: number 104, 107, 108, 113, 115, and 123

Please take note that articulation should be constant and precise. Tongueeach and every note similarly. Follow the articulation marks.Suggested exercises to practice for rhythmic sense and sensitivity:number 136, 138, 140, 142, 162 and 167 Please take note that rhythm should be precise. Tempo should be kept

strictly constant and not fluctuate in order to develop a good rhythmic sense.It is recommended to use a metronome.More exercises: Universal Method for SaxophoneEighteen exercises in articulation: Page 52 - 54Forty exercises on slurred and detached notes: Page 165 - 17820 progressive exercises: Page 45 51Exercises on eighth notes, sixteen notes, dotted and rests; dotted sixteenth notes andthirty-second notes: Page 159 - 162Tips on playing exercises

When playing each exercise, players can vary the tempo, dynamics andarticulation. For example, players can tongue every note, replay the exercise slurringevery two notes and replay using light staccato etc. Take note of the intonation whenplaying. Also, check on the articulation to make sure it is accurate. If necessary, use ametronome. Play the exercises slowly (around 40) and then speed up as you get moreand more familiar with the exercise. It is best to practice everyday.

Saxophone Playing

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