saxophone methods packet

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Saxophone MethodsMUS 2635

Course Packet

School of MusicOhio University

Matthew James, DMA

[email protected]

Ohio University Saxophone Studio

Website:www.ohio.edu/sax


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General Tendency of Saxophone Intonationat the Extremes of the Instrument's Range

General Tendency of Saxophone Intonationat Dynamic Extremes

Low Re ister Hi h Re ister

Shar

Flat

Piano Forte

Sharp

Flat


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Enhancing Intonation:

Strategies for High School & Middle School Saxophonists

OMEA Presentation

Matthew JamesProfessor of Saxophone/Jazz Studies

576 Music Bldg., Ohio University - Athens, OH 45701Phone: (740)593-0957 email: [email protected]

I. Introduction

II. Out of Tune Playing: Problems & Solutions

A. Using incorrect embouchure/posture/breath support

1. Review formation of embouchure

2. What is good posture?3. Using the airstream

B. Changing jaw position in different registers

1. Subtone defined2. Watch the mirror for jaw, embouchure, facial muscle movement

C. Incorrect mouthpiece placement on saxophone neck

1. No single setting works for all setups

D. Using an unsuitable mouthpiece or reed

1. Stock mouthpieces2. Classical mouthpieces vs. jazz3. Recommended mouthpieces4. Hard reeds vs. soft5. Recommended brands of reeds

E. Instrument out of adjustment

1. Key height2. Corks, felts and bumpers

F. Player is unaware of the pitch tendencies of all notes and corrective

measures for them1. Create a personalized studenttuning chart2. Pitch tendencies for all notes on saxophone

a. Playing and adjusting in extreme registersb. Flexibility exercises

3. Corrective fingerings & strategies


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G. Music includes extreme dynamics &/or requires high endurance

1. Forte vs. piano pitch tendencies

H. Hearing the pitch incorrectly

1. Anticipating problems before they occur2. Solfege3. Critical listening4. Tuners5. Computer programs

a. Intonation Trainerb. Toon Upc. Tune It II

6. Importance of playing in chamber ensembles/saxophone quartet

I. Using incorrect tuning procedure

J. Vibrato too wide

K. Not compensating for temperature changes

III. Questions & Discussion


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Components of the Saxophone Reed


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Components of the Saxophone Mouthpiece


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Additional Beginning Saxophone Materials:

A Supplement to Larry Teal,Art of Saxophone PlayingMatthew James, Ohio University

Saxophone Method/Etude Books

Starter Studies Philip SparkeNow Go Home and Practice - Jim ProbascoProgressive Saxophone Method Books 1 & 2 - Andrew ScottA Practical Approach to Playing the Saxophone - Steve MaukSaxophone Method, Vols. 1 &2 - Euguene RousseauPractical Hints on Playing the Saxophone- Eugene RousseauThe Alto Saxophone Student, vols. 1,2,3 - Willis Coggins/Fred WeberPlaying the Saxophone - vols. 1,2,3 - Jean-Marie LondeixA New Tune a Day for Alto Saxophone, Vols. 1 & 2 -Ned BennettPlay Alto Sax Today! Levels 1,2 Hal Leonard

Jazz Etudes

Basic, Intermediate and Advanced Jazz Conception for Saxophone -Lennie NiehausReading Key Jazz Rhythms- Fred LipsiusMintzer: 15 Easy Etudes

Solo Collections

Belwin Master Solos - easy solosThe Orchestral Saxophonist - Ronkin/Frascotti

Classic Festival Solos for Alto Saxophone(Belwin) - easy/intermediate - 2 vols.Concert & Contest Collection (Voxman/Rubank) - easy to advancedMaster Solos Intermediate Level (Hal Leonard) - intermediateProgram Solos (Larry Teal) -intermediate to advancedRubank Book of Alto Saxophone Solos - easy to intermediateSolos for the Alto Saxophone Player (Larry Teal) - intermediate to advanced

Band Methods

Essential Elements - Tom RhodesStandards of Excellence -Bruce Pearson

Learning Unlimited - Art JensonAccent on Achievement - John OReillyBest in Class- Bruce Pearson


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THOUGHTS ON BREATHINGMatthew James Ohio University

Muscles Involved With Breathing:

Intercostalsare the muscles between the ribs that serve to expand and contract the lungsThe diaphragmis an involuntarymuscle. It forces air out when it relaxes; air movesfrom greater to lower pressure areas when the lung cavity expands.

Your breathing should expand the lower chest/belly horizontally.

Some problem signs and things to avoid:

Rising the chestSucking in the stomach musclesStretching ones neckTucking the chin down against the throatA slumping postureFilling only the upper chestExcess tension in the neck and shoulders

Results of good breathing:

Fuller toneBetter pitchEasier long phrasesQuicker deep breaths

Exercises:1. Breathe quickly through your nose as if water were pouring into you (think of a glass

filling with water from the bottom up). The diaphragm pushes down and yourstomach expands forward and sideways. There should be little movement in the chestand none at all in the shoulders. Hold your hands on either side of your stomach,with your thumbs under the ribs in back and the remaining fingers in front under thelower ribs. Feel the expansion of your hand as you try to push the fingers outwards.

2. Hold a sheet of paper against a smooth wall or window. Stand with your face about 9inches away. Take a good breath and blast the paper with a thin, fast, strong jet of air.See how long before the paper drops! Try increasing the distance between you and

the paper, or time yourself.

3. Get in a situation where you can really blast your saxophone let your horn ring andreally crescendo. Find different environments in which to do this: a closet full ofclothes, an open classroom, a recital hall, outdoors, etc. Avoid playing too much inflattering echoey rooms such as large classrooms, bathrooms, kitchens. Ablanketed, dampened situation can really help in your efforts to produce a good tone.Outdoor practice can be very revealing.


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4. Practice with a rag in the bell of your saxophone and play fortississimo. This inhibits

the extreme low tones, but can assist with volume production.

5. Warm vs. cold air: your goal should be the production of a warm airstream whenyou play. To produce this, try fogging a mirror or window with some warm air. Feelthe throat position when you do this. In contrast, try a cold airstream, whichconstricts the throat.

6. Conceptualize your tone projecting completely across the room when you blow.7. Breathe in and out without changing the throat position, or try yawning to illustrate

the open throat position.

8. To understand the muscles involved with breathing: pant like a dog and feel yourstomach, shout hey very loud and feel your stomach, lie flat on the floor, breathe in

and place a heavy book on the stomach, lie flat on the floor, breathe in and have afriend push hard on the abdomen.

9. As an exercise to illustrate how NOT to breathe, take in some air and expand only theupper chest and raise the shoulders. Then try a correct breath with the lowerabdomen expanding.

10.Practice long tones from pianissimo to fortississimo and back on one breath.11.Purchase an inspirator at a hospital supply store or pharmacy. This measures

inhalation and exhalation by milliliters.

Normal breathing according to Larry Teal:

---------------------------------------------------!-----------------------!-----------!INHALE EXHALE REST

Instrumental performance breathing according to Teal:

----------!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------!

----!

INHALE EXHALE REST

See these additional sources:Teal, Larry. The Art of Saxophone Playing.

Linklater, Kristin. Freeing the Natural Voice.


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Selected Influential 19th and 20th-century Classical Saxophonists

Claude Delangle France, teaches at Paris Conservatory (1989-present)

Donald Sinta America, University of Michigan

Frederic Hemke America, Northwestern University (semi-retired)

Eugene Rousseau America, long career at Indiana University, now atUniv. Of Minnesota

Jean-Marie Londeix - Bordeaux National Conservatory of Music, France

Jean-Yves Formeau - National Conservatory at Cergy, France

Arno Bornkamp Amsterdam Conservatory, Netherlands

John Harle - England

Inactive or deceased:

Adolphe Sax Belgian instrument manufacturer, 1stto teach saxophone atParis Conservatory, from 1857-1871

Sigurd Rascher German born, later settled in U.S. Taught at Royal DanishConservatory, Manhattan School, Eastman

Marcel Mule - Paris Conservatory, 1942-1968, father of classicalsaxophone

Daniel Deffayet - Paris Conservatory, 1968-1989, after Mule

Cecil Leeson American, 1st to perform Glazounov in America, taught atNorthwestern and Ball State. Much important repertoire written for him.

Larry Teal American, taught at University of Michigan, taught many

excellent players, wroteArt of Saxophone Playing

Rudy Wiedoeft American Vaudeville saxophonist in early 1900s


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Elise Hall influential American sponsor, amateur saxophonist whocommissioned new works for saxophone, including DebussyRapsodie.Orchestra Club of Boston.

Saxophone at the Paris ConservatoryTeacher lineage at the most important saxophone teaching post in the world:

Adolphe Sax taught at PC from 1857-1871

-Prior to the 1850s saxophone was taught in other places, such as the GenevaConservatory.-In 1847 the Paris Conservatory took on the responsibility of training military musicians.-In 1858 the first final examination saxophone performances received good reviews inFrench newspapers.

-In 1871 the saxophone class was suspended due to largely to Frances defeat byGermany and the need to do away with the luxury of the military bands.-In 1892 a commission suggested reinstating saxophone into the curriculum of the ParisConservatory, but it didnt happen.

Marcel Mule taught at PC from 1942-1968

-Joined the famous Garde Republicaine band in 1922, and 2 months later was sax soloistwith them.-Established a saxophone 4tet in 1928, and the members added vibrato to their sounds by1932.-Curtailed his career to teaching and quartet in 1960

-Arranged and transcribed more than 100 works for other instruments-Premiered in United States in 1958 with Boston Symphony Orch.-Many, if not most, of the standard pieces in the French repertoire are dedicated to Mule.

Daniel Deffayet taught at PC from 1968-1989

-Studied at the Paris Conservatory during German occupation of France in 1942, andremained in Paris during the liberation of France. He subbed for Mule on performances(Paris Opera Comique, etc) and at the conservatory in classes.-Tester-advisor to Buffet-Crampon and Vandoren-Studied with Marcel Mule. Mule hand-picked Deffayet as his successor.-Won 1943 Premier prix.

-Played saxophone for vonKarajan and Berlin Orchestra.My goal is to continue as well as I can the work started by Marcel Mule for thesaxophone...-Deffayet was asked to include more avant-garde music at the PCI think that the taste right now, in the official circles, is going towards ugliness.When I hear avant-garde music I find it ugly.


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Claude Delangle taught at PC from 1989- http://www.sax-delangle.com/

-Speaks fluent English. His wife is his accompanist.-Delangle was taught by Serge Bichon for 7 years at the Lyon Conservatory. Otherteachers included Deffayet, some lessons with Mule, Londeix.-Won Premier Prix in 1977

-Delangle has written the Delangle Collection, which includes pieces for contemporarysax and new techniques. Vol 2 is what he calls easy listening pieces for sax.-Founded the Association for the Expansion of Saxophone in 1983, which promotescomposition and performance.

Course of study, solos de Concours

-According to Frederick Hemke, the 1st foreign student of sax at the conservatory,foreigners could only observe classes. Mule arranged for Hemke to participate as astudent. Hemke won the Premier Prix while at PC.-Jazz has never been seriously studied at the Paris or Lyon Conservatories.-Students who are accepted for study are already at a very good playing level.

-The conservatory trains in the fields of composition, musicology, performance anddance.-They study analysis, history (optional).-The original conservatory was designed as a Jesuit college. But in September of 1990 anall-new 5 story building was completed for 1200 students, with 3 concert halls, recordingstudio.


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Selected Influential Jazz Soprano & Alto SaxophonistsMatthew James, Ohio University

I. Sidney Bechet (1897-1959)

A. New Orleans clarinetist who started using the sopranoB. 1st person to use saxophone in jazz

II. Frank Trumbauer (1901-56)

A. C-melody player and band leader (also played alto later on)B. Earliest influence of the cool school (esp. L. Young)C. Recorded "Singin' the Blues" w/ BeiderbeckeD. Light tone, graceful melodies and articulationE. Influenced by WiedoftF. Played on Whiteman Orchestra

III. Jimmy Dorsey (1904-1957)

A. Great technician on alto and clarinetB. Not an accomplished improviser - largely prepared solosC. Influenced by Wiedoft

IV. Benny Carter (1907- )

A. One of the three great alto players of 1930sB. Also plays trumpet, piano, and sings

C. Great arranger - took over for Don Redman in Fletcher Henderson's BandD. Numerous performances in Europe

V. Willie Smith (1908-1967)

A. Second of the 3 important early alto playersB. Played w/ Ellington, Lunceford, James

VI. Johnny Hodges (1906-1970)

A. Last of the 3 important early alto players

B. Studied w/ BechetC. Influential lead alto player for Duke Ellington Orchestra

VII. Charlie Parker (1920-1955)

A. From Kansas CityB. Jay McShannC. Influenced by Buster Smith, Lester Young


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D. Invented Bebop with Gillespie, othersE. Possibly the most influential saxophonist of all time

VIII. Sonny Stitt (1924-1982)

A. Parker clone - claimed to have developed bebop independentlyB. Clean, precise bebop lines

IX. Lee Konitz (1927- )

A. Cool schoolB. Studied w/TristanoC. Played w/Tristano, Miles, KentonD. Long lines, counterpoint, played ahead and behind the harmony

X. Paul Desmond (1924-1977)

A. Famous w/ Dave BrubeckB. Cool player - melodic

XI. Cannonball Adderley (1928-1975)

A. Bird and Benny Carter were influencesB. Bebop oriented w/blues, soul elements

XII. Art Pepper (1925-1982)

A. Influenced by Bird, Young, Konitz, and SimsB. Cool player - Kenton, Chet BakerC. Drug addict, served prison time

XIII. Jackie McLean (1931- )

A. Influenced by ParkerB. Hard-bop, Blue Note records in 1960s

XIV. Phil Woods (1931- )

A. Influenced by Parker and CarterB. Accomplished player, not necessarily innovative, except for his styleC. Also a talented clarinetist

XV. Marshall Royal (1912-1995)

A. Pillar of Count Basie Orchestra - musical director


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B. With Hodges, one of the most influential lead alto players of all time

XVI. Ornette Coleman (1930- )

A. R&B background and influenced by Bird

B. Developed solos based on melodic and rhythmic content rather than harmonicC. Free jazz - loads of special effects (honks, squeaks, recording effects)D. Quartet w/Don Cherry, Charlie Haden, Ed Blackwell/Billy Higgins

XVII. Eric Dolphy (1928-1964)

A. Bass clarinet, flute, and altoB. Goal was to make instruments sound like the voiceC. Combined elements of bebop and free jazz -- incredibly angularD. Mingus, Ornette, and Coltrane

XVIII. Additional active alto players:

A. Donald HarrisonB. Kenny GarrettC. Antonio HartD. Vincent HerringE. Dick OattsF. Brad LealiG. Bud ShankH. David SanbornI. Dave Koz

J. Kenny GK. Gerald AlbrightL. Wessell AndersonM. Arthur BlytheO. Charles McPhersonP. Gary BartzQ. Anthony BraxtonR. Jerome RichardsonS. Jamey AebersoldT. Bunky GreenU. Lennie Niehaus

Selected Influential Jazz Tenor SaxophonistsMatthew James, Ohio University

I. Frank Trumbauer - see alto outline

II. Coleman Hawkins (1904-1969)


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A. 1st important tenor playerB. Performed with Fletcher Henderson, then Mamie SmithC. Vertical improviser w/gruff soundD. 1st bebop session in 1944 w/Roach and GillespieE. Influenced Webster, Byas, H. Evans, Chu Berry

III. Lester Young (1909-1959)

A. Influenced by TrumbauerB. Played w/Kansas City bands- King Oliver, Blue Devils, Count BasieC. Cool playerD. Horizontal improviser w/lighter soundE. Unique personality, featuring a fascinating lexicon

IV. Ben Webster (1909-1973)

A. Influenced by Hawkins and HodgesB. Played w/Moten, Henderson, Benny Carter, and Duke EllingtonC. Ellington's 1st tenor soloistD. Great ballad player also Cottontail

V. Don Byas (1912-1972)

A. Hawkin's harmony and Young's lyricismB. Replaced Young in Basie's band 1941C. 1945 w/Slam Stewart --I Got Rhythm

VI. Dexter Gordon (1923-1990)

A. Adapted Bird's bebop to tenor (the tenor bebopper)B. Huge tone of Hawkins w/ laid-back YoungC. Played w/ loads of big bands including Hampton and Eckstine

VII. Stan Getz (1927-1991)

A. Influenced by Young - soft tone, cool playerB. Kenton, Goodman, and HermanC. Bossa nova propagator

VIII. Sonny Rollins (1930- )

A. Influenced by Hawkins, Bird, and DexterB. Thematic ImprovisationC. Played w/ everyone including Miles, Roach, Brown, Monk

IX. John Coltrane (1926-1967)


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A. Influenced by Stitt, Monk, Bostic, Bird, DexterB. R&B, Dizzy big band, Miles quintet '55, Monk 56-7C. Miles 58 - sheets of sound "If I Were a Bell" and "Straight, No Chaser"D. Complex harmony ("Giant Steps" - 59)E. Modal ("Kind of Blue")

F. Repopularized the soprano saxophone - Bechet, Middle eastern "My FavoriteThings"G. 60s quartet - Tyner, Elvin, GarrisonH. last years - free jazz w/ Alice Coltrane and Rasheed AliI. Extremely influential saxophonist

X. Joe Henderson (1937- )

A. Influenced by JATP, R&B, Coltrane, RollinsB. Kenny Dorham and latin playingC. 60s Blue Note player

XI. Wayne Shorter (1933- )

A. Great writer - unconventional chord changes (not always functional)B. Miles 60s quintet w/Hancock, Williams, CarterC. Influenced by ColtraneD. Weather Report, 1971E. Also a soprano player

XII. Michael Brecker

A. Influenced by Coltrane, David BakerB. Pentatonic, motivicC. Horace Silver, Billy Cobham, Brecker Brothers, many others

XIII. Additional important tenor players

A. Earl BosticB. Warne MarshC. Paul GonsalvesD. Zoot Sims and Al CohnE. Joshua Redman

F. Joe LovanoG. Chris PotterH. Chu BerryI. Vido MussoJ. Charlie BarnetK. Arnett CobbL. Illinois JacquetM. Bud Freeman


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N. Gene AmmonsO. Al CohnP. James MoodyQ. Zoot SimsR. Rashaan Roland Kirk

S. Yusef LateefT. Bob BergU. David LiebmanV. George ColemanW. Steve GrossmanX. Branford MarsalisY. David MurrayZ. Jan GarbarekAA. Pharoah SandersBB. Archie SheppCC. Sam Rivers

DD. Sam ButeraEE. Jimmy HeathFF. Frank Foster

Selected Influential Jazz Baritone SaxophonistsMatthew James, Ohio University

I. Serge Challoff

A. one of the Woody Herman Orchestras Four Brothers

II. Gerry Mulligan

A. great cool player and writerB. Gil EvansC. Thornhill

III. Harry Carney

A. With Duke Ellington his entire life, a huge sound

IV. Pepper Adams

A. West coast style

V. Additional important baritone saxophonists:

A. Cecil PayneB. Hamiet BluiettC. Joe Temperley


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Purchasing a SaxophoneHighlights from web site by Jason DuMars:

http://www.saxophone.org/buyersguide/

New vs. Used Saxophones

Pros of buying a new saxophone:- ready to play- has no wear or tear- lacquer or plating is perfect and the pads are new- has the most modern mechanism available and utilizes all of the modern production

techniques- offers support from the factory and/or the music store where you purchased it- holds its value fairly well for the first few months of ownership

Cons of buying a new saxophone:- can be very expensive- there are less than a dozen true professional manufacturers out there- lack of consistency in quality of manufacture-with mass production, the artistic nature of producing a musical instrument is often lost

Pros of buying a used saxophone:- most cost-effective option- materials and craftsmanship of older used horns is usually superb- more likely to be plated (instead of lacquered) and have much stiffer brass.- wide variety of sites on the Internet where literally hundreds of old saxophones are

bought and sold daily. (E Bay, USA Horn)

Cons of buying a used saxophone:- Knowing what it is worth and what kind of condition it is in- Many people will try to take advantage of you if you don't know what you are doing- Buying horns over the Internet poses another level of complexity since you are relyingon a written description or electronic photographs- Most of the time, the horn has been sitting for a period of time (usually years) and willleak fairly badly- Sometimes the horn you are looking at has been stolen from someone

Warning Signs for Stolen Saxophones

Filed down or missing serial number A case that has a school's name painted on the outside Unrealistically low price for condition and model (especially Selmer!!) Strange behavior by the selling party Someone who is nota sax player selling a pro horn that looks recently played Someone who knows nothing about saxophones or the sax they have


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Someone who will only show the sax outside their home or business Someone who is too anxious to sell the horn

Purchasing Checklist

- Bring someone who knows how to play it and have them try it out

- If you are a player yourself, it is easy to get caught in the moment and not try a horn outas thoroughly as possible - stay objective!- For players, when you go to try a horn always pack the following essential items:

Mouthpieces (preferably jazz, classical, and medium models) Good reeds Cork grease (this is a MUST) Tuner Lots of different strength reeds Flashlight Common sense Disinfectant!

-Try to examine the horn as closely as possible. If it is a used horn, spend at least 10minutes just examining the body for damage.- Test every note against a tuner, and play loud and soft. Also, try a chromatic scaleslowly from the lowest to the highest notes so you can check for leaking pads. Anadvanced "trick" is to play the overtones of Bb, B, C and D and compare them to theirfingered counterparts. There will be timbral differences, but on a great horn, there willnot be a change in the intonation.

Student models

-Choices abound for you, but so do pitfalls.-There are a lot of differences in the quality and manufacturing of saxophones.-The most significant differences between student and professional horns are in themechanics and materials. Student models generally use more rigorous materials, such asnickel-silver rods, stronger bell braces, side-rod configurations, and heavy-duty lacquer.-The trade offs are in sound, feel and appearance. Student horns are usually devoid ofdecorative engraving and subtle artistic touches. The mechanics of the horn are usually"stiffer," making it harder to press the keys down.

New brands

- Recently (within the last ten years), there has been a great influx of central-Asian made

instruments on the American market. These horns look and sometimes feel likeprofessional models, but are actually student models. How do you know? Sometimes youcan't. Just be careful of brands that are made anywhere but the USA, France, Germany,and Japan. If the horn has no country of manufacture, be verywary. Also, these inferiorhorns are usually lacquered all over the body and rods, just like a professional model(recall that American, Japanese and German student models generally use silver rodswith a gold-lacquered body). This is to try and make you think it is a professional model,even though it is not.


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-A common trap is for parents to blindly go to the music store and take any offered givento them for any price. This scenario is very common in rent-to-own situations. Be surethat you evaluate the purchase price of the horn as a whole (including the interest) andcompare it to your other options.-For the price of a new student model at the music store, you might be able to buy two

good vintage horns.- The student models I see in the paper and Internet most frequently are the King 613 andCleveland, the Bundy, and the Vito. These three are fairly common, and each horn, if ingood condition, is a good horn to start on. The Bundy and Vito both have key structureswhich are similar to prefessional horns (although because of this, they tend to have keyproblems after being played by less than careful students) and have a solid reputation asgood instruments.-Stay away from: Belmonte, Antigua Winds, Jupiter, El Dorado, Olds Parisian, Connsafter the M was dropped from the serial number, Grassi, Conservarte, and just about anyChinese-manufactured horn.

Professional models- Professional saxophones can run up to $4000 for soprano, $6000 for alto and tenor, andup to $7,000 for baritone.- Yamaha, Selmer, Keilworth, Yanigasawa

Vintage models- Selmer, Conn, King, Martin, Buescher

General Condition- If you open the case and detect a foul odor and find green deposits all over the horn,chances are this horn isn't the one for you.

-If the owner says "this horn belonged to...", be skeptical, unless the owner has positiveproof.

Questions to ask the owner of that vintage horn...1. Is the horn in good playing condition?2. Does the horn play reasonably well in tune in all of the registers?3. Does the horn still have its original, factory finish?4. What percentage of the finish is still intact?5. When was the last complete service and repad?6. What is the exact serial number?7. What is the model name or number?8.

How long have you had the saxophone?9. Who owned it before you?

10.Do you know any specific information such as manufacture date? If so, where didyou get this info?

11.Do you play it regularly, or has it been sitting for an extended period of time?12.Has the horn ever been seriously damaged?13.Has the horn ever had dents removed?14.Does the horn currently have dents?


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15.Why are you selling this horn?16.How did you determine the value of the horn*

The Body

- If the horn is dented or damaged, pads may not seat correctly or unusual tonalanomalies can occur.-The body should be smooth and round. There should not be flat spots or raised, bumpyspots. Some small dents, called ping dents, are fine. These usually occur on the bow andare a result of careless players whacking the horn on a chair or other items. Small (lessthan 5mm across) dents will not affect the sound of the horn, but excessive dents shouldbe figured into the price.- Look for spots where there are vertical lines of distortion in the lacquer. These arecaused by the technique used to remove dents from a saxophone. A repair person puts ametal ball on the end of a metal rod, then slides the saxophone onto the rod. The sax isthen pushed gently down onto the ball and rocked back and forth. This pushes the dent

back up, but also distorts the lacquer where the dent is. The lines are a result of therocking motion used to pull the dent. On horns that are plated, this will be harder to see.Just look for any abnormal distortion in the finish. Chances are if it looks strange, thehorn may have taken a hit at sometime. It's just like looking for Bondo on a used car.- Another facet of the body is the soldering. Solder is used to hold all the parts onto asaxophone. You should never really see solder unless the horn has been damaged andrepaired at some time. If you see lots of solder globs on the horn, consider it a warningsign.- On some horns, especially those manufactured by Martin, the tone holes are soldered oninstead of drawn from the metal of the body. This can be a real challenge for repair techs,because when the horn is heated up, sometimes the solder comes loose and the tone holes

actually fall off the horn. This can be a repair nightmare and can cause a great deal ofexpense. When looking around the tone holes, be sure and look for solder. It might nothurt to ask if the tone holes are drawn or soldered.- Ask if the tone holes have been filed. This process involves physically filing down themetal on the tone hole. Although this may seem like a good idea to some repair persons,in my opinion it is not. This process leads to the degredation of integrity of the tone holemetal and can eventually make a tone hole unusable. The worst danger is that the repairperson will take off too much metal in the process. Once the metal is gone, you can't goback. When you look at the tone holes, make sure there are no pads actually touching thebody of the horn, especially on the palm keys. The pads should always rest on top of thetone hole, and never touch the main body of the instrument!

The Finish-The finish of the saxophone is the subject of a great debate. Does the finish actuallyaffect the tonal characteristics of the horn? In my experience, the type of finish doesaffect the timbral characteristics, although not in an extreme way.-The metal that the horn is made ofseems to make a much greater difference than thefinish used.


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-The one difference in the way the finish affects the horn is in the case of relacquering.This is not because a new layer of lacquer has been added, but because the old layer oflacquer must first be stripped off the horn through a buffing process which can removeprecious metal from the body and tone holes.- Finish also significantly affects the value of a horn. If a horn is gold plated, it is worth

more than a horn that is silver plated. If a horn is silver plated, it is worth more than onethat is lacquered. If a horn has its original finish, it is worth more than one that doesn't. -As a buyer, you need to determine if the horn you are looking at is what the personselling it says it is. I have been told many, many times that a horn was gold plated when itwas actually lacquer. If I didn't know what gold plating looked like, I could have easilybeen fooled.

Clues of a relacquered saxophone:

The engraving is "fuzzy" looking, or worn unevenly compared to the rest of thehorn

The serial number is unreadable Decorative dots or lines are faded (especially on Selmers) Overly bright appearance on an older horn Uneven or mixed-color finish

Rods and Pads- Basically, you need to make sure that the rods are not overly pliable and do not moveback and forth. Good rods will be strong with almost no play side-to-side between thesupporting posts. Also, there should never be rust by the screws or ends of the rods. Rustin these spots means that the rod is water-damaged and will eventually need to bereplaced if possible. Sometimes it is not possible to replace a rod -- it depends on themodel. This can be the end of an otherwise perfect sax.

- Pads are simple enough. They should be soft, with no rips or tears, and should cover thehole completely. Also, pads should have some type of resonator on them, either plastic ormetal.- Pads without resonators can lead to a "stuffy" or muffled sound and should be avoidedat all cost. Some repair technicians use these non-resonator type pads because they arecheaper than the other type. Certain horns, such as early Bueschers, use pads whichrequire metal snap-on resonators that hold the pad in the key cup.

The neck-The neck is a very sensitive part of the horn. Neck damage can be an elusive andtroublesome problem.

-The neck should be completely smooth with no dents. The neck should not have anykinks in the metal. A common and sad misfortune to befall necks is the "pull-downsyndrome." This comes from inserting the neck into the horn, then putting themouthpiece on afterwards. Sometimes a careless player will pull down on the neck whileit is inserted in the horn and cause it to bend down and split the metal. This is the kiss ofdeath for a neck. Sometimes this damage can be repaired, but usually it cannot.- The neck should be the correct one for that horn. If there is a serial number on the neck,make sure it matches the serial number of the body.


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- Also, the neck should usually have the same color of finish (there are some exceptions,such as the King Super 20 which has a silver neck) and should have matching identifyingmarks. If it is a Buescher Aristocrat, and there is a big "S" on the octave key on the neck,then you have the wrong neck.

Where to purchase a saxophoneNewspaper

- single best place to look for local, cheap, used horns- horns sold through the paper are usually student modelsMusic Store

- usually the friendliest place to buy a sax- you can normally try the horn out-music stores can also be dangerous for buyers that are uninformed. Music storessometimes take advantage of the fact that they are businesses and fleece the unsuspectingor uninformed. First-time buyers can wind up paying a lot more than a horn is worth,especially in rent-to-own situations. Music stores are sometimes just as ignorant about

saxophones as the uninformed buyer. This can either be good or bad, depending on ifthey charge more or less for their instruments. The more you know, the better equippedyou are to do business with a music store.Pawn Shops

-pawn shops are notorious for stolen and over-priced hornsInternet

Mail Order


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Demystifying the High Register:

Fundamental Practice Regimen for Beginning Altissimo Practice

(improving tone and intonation at the same time!)

Matthew James Ohio University

In every practice session, there should be a little section calledGO FOR IT!!! -Lee Konitz

Exercises to develop muscle memory:

1. Whistle, and feel your throat and tongue positions. How is pitch changed?

2. Mouthpiece limbo!! Play your mouthpiece only, to produce various pitches.How is pitch changed? How low can you go??

3. Palm key and Front F limbo!! Practice pitch bends using palm key fingerings,

and/or Front F, then descend by !steps. How low can you go?? See Sinta pp. 8-10

4. Octave exercise: Play with the octave key but produce notes one octave lower.See Sinta pp. 11-17

5. Octave exercise 2: Play without the octave key but produce notes one octavehigher. See Sinta pp. 33-35

6. Practice bridging the registers using scalar passages that incorporate front E and FSee Sinta pp. 50-58

7. Open the high F key with paper, then finger up from low without the octave key,and ascend. See Rousseau p 15.

8. Practice the overtone series off of low tones two ways:

work up from fundamental, OR

work down from standard fingering to the fundamental (example: play bis Bb,then match the pitch but finger low Bb, then produce low Bb. What happens withthe oral cavity? Then repeat this technique on all chromatic notes up to F)

Hint: Consider having another saxophonist produce the overtones in the roomwith you. Having this audible model in the room with you dramatically improvesyour success rate (sympathetic vibration??).

See overtone exercises in altissimo guides by Sinta,Rousseau, andRascher (seebelow).


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9. Its time to try altissimo!! Attempt some of the fingerings from altissimo guidesfound below. TheRossishows the most common altissimo fingerings. If havingtrouble with lowest altissimo notes (G, G#, A), try higher notes (D, C#, C) andwork down from there.

Hint: hum or imagine the notes you are striving for, by first playing the note anoctave lower

Hint: if not having success with your classical setup, consider using a jazzmouthpiece

Hint: use air attacks, rather than tongue, when first attempting altissimo notes

Hint: when you successfully play an altissimo note for the first time, play as longa tone as possible to memorize muscle position

--softer reeds play flatter in highest register, also dont allow highest partials to come out

--experiment with taking in more mouthpiece when you play, or with changing theamount of embouchure pressure

The most respected altissimo guides include:

Rousseau, Eugene. Saxophone High Tones 2nd

edition. Shell Lake: Etoile Music, Inc.,1978.

Rossi, Jamal. Altissimo Repertoire Studies. Ithaca, NY. Available at www.hickeys.comSinta, Donald J. and Denise C. Dabney. Voicing: An Approach to the Saxophone's

Third Register. Laurel: Sintafest Music Company, 1992.

Additional altissimo guides to be familiar with:

Rascher, Sigurd. Top Tones for the Saxophone. NY: Carl Fischer, Inc., 1977.(**the fingering guide in Top Tonesdoesnt always apply to newerinstruments**)

Teal, Larry. The Art of Saxophone Playing. Princeton: Summy-Birchard Music, 1963.

BEWARE of websites and older altissimo fingering guides, which likely used olderinstruments as the foundation for fingerings.

Some selected solo and small chamber works that employ altissimo:

Benson:Aeolian Song Maslanka: SonataMaslanka: Song Book (with marimba) Phillips:Night Vision

Creston: Sonata Phillips: Sonic Landscapes (sop)

Daneels: Suite (unaccompanied) Schuller: ConcertoDebussy:Rapsodie (Etoile Music edition) Tower: Wings (unaccompanied)Glazounov: Concerto von Koch: Concerto


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Morosco:Blue Caprice (unaccompanied) Lennon:Distances Within MeMuczynski: Sonata Feld:Elegie (soprano)Noda:Mai (unaccompanied)Rorem:Picnic on the MarneAustin: Tarogato! (w/ CD)

Harbison: San Antonio

Hartley:Duo

Ibert: Concertino da CameraPhillips: mnage trois (alto, tenor and piano)Smith:Fantasia

Albright: SonataAustin: BluesAx

Bassett:Music for Alto Saxophone and Piano, Duo Concertante

Bevelander: Synthecisms No. 3 (w/ CD)Bolcom:LilithDahl: Concerto

Denisov: Sonata

Desenclos:Prelude, Cadence et Finale

saxophone methods packet

Documents

saxophone methodsmus

saxophone neck1

pitch incorrectly1

piano pitch tendenciesh

incorrect mouthpiece

ohio university athens

incorrect tuning procedurej

enhancing intonation