Forums > Second Octave Sax Playing

gofeen

Jul 13 2009, 01:02 AM

Hi. I'm currently trying to teach myself some alto saxophone and really enjoying it.

I reckon I've had it out of the box about 6 times and have had one lesson. I do intend to have more lessons come August but in the mean time I'm messing around with it. I have got the bottom octave quite secure but I'm not so sure about the second octave. I can manage D' and sometimes E' but not much more and it sounds too thin. Should the embouchure change for the high notes or am I not supporting enough? I play flute and have tried supporting like I would on the flute but it seems like I'm using the wrong muscles for the sax or something. Anyone got any ideas to help me over the next month or so?
P.S. We need a sax smilie.

barry-clari

Jul 13 2009, 05:48 AM

I find most problems on the sax are caused by a breathing problem, so I'd look there first. Not enough support is going to make some notes on the sax difficult/impossible. It is possible you're squeezing/biting as regards embouchure, but I'd look to the breathing first.

madbassoonist

Jul 13 2009, 06:19 AM

QUOTE(gofeen @ Jul 13 2009, 02:02 AM)

P.S. We need a sax smilie.

Sorry, I'm not much help with the actual question!

I don't really play the saxophone, although I have had a go on my brother's.

TSax

Jul 13 2009, 10:34 AM

QUOTE(gofeen @ Jul 13 2009, 02:02 AM)

Hi. I'm currently trying to teach myself some alto saxophone and really enjoying it.

I reckon I've had it out of the box about 6 times and have had one lesson. I do intend to have more lessons come August but in the mean time I'm messing around with it. I have got the bottom octave quite secure but I'm not so sure about the second octave. I can manage D' and sometimes E' but not much more and it sounds too thin. Should the embouchure change for the high notes or am I not supporting enough? I play flute and have tried supporting like I would on the flute but it seems like I'm using the wrong muscles for the sax or something. Anyone got any ideas to help me over the next month or so?
P.S. We need a sax smilie.

If you've only got it out of the box 6 times you're not going to be able to play 2 octaves with a decent sound. Even if your embouchure, support and breathing are all correct you need time to develop the muscular strength you need. Think back to when you started playing flute and how much you could manage after you'd played it 6 times. Although the flute playing will help you in things like fingering it's not going to be any use in developing a saxophone embouchure. Like much of this music making business, patience, practice and hard work is the key. The best thing I've found for developing my sax sound is long-tone practice (and overtone work, but leave that for a while). It's boring, and it can hurt, but it doesn't half make a difference quickly.

nickjones8

Jul 13 2009, 11:56 AM

QUOTE(TSax @ Jul 13 2009, 11:34 AM)

QUOTE(gofeen @ Jul 13 2009, 02:02 AM)

Hi. I'm currently trying to teach myself some alto saxophone and really enjoying it.

I reckon I've had it out of the box about 6 times and have had one lesson. I do intend to have more lessons come August but in the mean time I'm messing around with it. I have got the bottom octave quite secure but I'm not so sure about the second octave. I can manage D' and sometimes E' but not much more and it sounds too thin. Should the embouchure change for the high notes or am I not supporting enough? I play flute and have tried supporting like I would on the flute but it seems like I'm using the wrong muscles for the sax or something. Anyone got any ideas to help me over the next month or so?
P.S. We need a sax smilie.

If you've only got it out of the box 6 times you're not going to be able to play 2 octaves with a decent sound. Even if your embouchure, support and breathing are all correct you need time to develop the muscular strength you need. Think back to when you started playing flute and how much you could manage after you'd played it 6 times. Although the flute playing will help you in things like fingering it's not going to be any use in developing a saxophone embouchure. Like much of this music making business, patience, practice and hard work is the key. The best thing I've found for developing my sax sound is long-tone practice (and overtone work, but leave that for a while). It's boring, and it can hurt, but it doesn't half make a difference quickly.

As usual, TSax is right. these things take time. I'd bet that your 2nd octave notes are sharp as well. Stick with a soft reed (maybe a 1.5), relax the embouchure, concentrate on breath support and practice long notes. Do that every day, then come back in six months ;-)