Hi all,

Iv recently been looking to learn to growl on my saxophone as a way of developing/enhancing solo sections. Ie. to 'scream' on high notes etc.

Could anyone give me any advise on this at all? So far iv understood it to require vocalisation at a different pitch and at the same time as sounding your normal note! Something about the colliding sound waves etc etc. But anyway all i seem to get is this horrible clash or "bubble" for want of a better word! I understand that with a lot of time and effort, one should be able to learn to phase the growl in and out! Any thoughts?

Thanks a ton!

As a sax player, I have heard a little of such a thing. I cant really help out here though I have proberly heard the technique being used by various sax players around, but hadn't noticed it was either growling' or 'screaming' lol!

Do you have any examples? I would be interested to hear.

Sax Growling

Try that site ^. I think it also contains audio clips aswell.

The Growl can be difficult to maintain if used on Alto like Earl Bostic, but I find a mouthpiece with an open tip seems to help. On Tenor I have used it on Rock numbers but only sparingly on ballads as an emotional device.

I've used the technique on Flute also. Listen to Roland Kirk.

Humming the same note being played, will cancel out the growl, with the two notes being in phase.
This is explained in www.saxontheweb.net/resources/growl.html

Now where did I put those ear plugs ?

growling! - that could be fun