Get A BETTER SAX TONE In One Simple Step!
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In this week's lesson you'll learn how slightly nodding your head down can really open up your tone by putting less pressure on the reed. If you want to know how to get a better tone on sax, this is a great tip. Make sure you're not choking your sound! Find out…are you a craner or a nodder? lol
Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:34 Don't Just Take It From Me!
01:14 Mouthpiece Angle and Effects...
03:07 Free Saxophone Masterclass
03:35 How To Change The Angle
04:29 How To Avoid Tension
05:28 So... What's The Difference?
07:22 Last Thing...
07:51 Thanks For The Coffees! 🙏🏼
08:06 Practice Hard, Practice Smart and Enjoy Your Music!
08:10 End Music and Bloopers
Get Your Sax Together is a fun and informative channel, packed with free online saxophone lessons. My name’s Jamie Anderson and I’ve been a pro saxophonist since 1996. I release new content every Sunday at 7am UK so you can Sax Up Your Sunday! Subscribe and 🔔 click the bell icon (set to ALL) to get notified when new content is released. Thanks for watching! Jamie 🎷
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#getyoursaxtogether #onlinesaxlessons #jamieanderson - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
Hey, get YOUR sax together with this awesome free lesson!▶️ www.getyoursaxtogether.com/masterclass
And after a slight bit of experimentation, my tone improved incredibly in a time span of like 3 minutes! Thank you!!
Excellent!
according to your pictures: you also need to play the tenor for a great sound. (except for Candy Dulfer of course. She can make a hosepipe sound sweet.)
Yeh good point. On alto the neck is a different angle and it doesn’t look as obvious.
@@GetYourSaxTogetherGreat video-How can you apply this to alto?
Ever since I got that advice some years ago and changed my posture I am able to play the low notes with great sound - it's so worth the effort!
Awesome. Love to hear that. 👍🏻
Thanks for keeping the tips coming our way!
You bet!
What a great tip, you are an awesome teacher Jamie. Thanks a lot!
My pleasure!
Wow! Everything makes sense now! Thanks! This is really helpful especially for beginners like me!
Glad it was helpful!
As always… excellent!
Thank you! Cheers!
So clear, thank you
You're welcome! Cheers 👍
This is an absolute helpful advice. Thank you!
Great! You are very welcome
Thanks Coach, that made a big difference! 😊
Happy to help!
I was having a problem with this yesterday (my sound on low B/BFlat was awful) and didn’t realize the cause until I watched your video. Looking back I remember feeling the strain in the neck and the pressure on my bottom lip. Thanks, Jamie. Great advice, as usual!
Glad it helped! Cheers 🙏
Nothing short of Awesome advise. It made and Immediate change that i never got with changes reeds or mouthpieces . You are an amazing Teacher.
Great. Thanks so much!
Great tip Jamie, not only did it make a difference to my sound but also helped with the low notes , especially on tenor, cheers mate
Great to hear!
Your Tips always make a big difference
Ta!
Wow! Instantly better! 🤯
Great!
Jamie, you are a blessing!!! The pouting / "Hoe" embouchure tip improved my sound and playing INCREDIBLY in like 10 seconds...and now this tip on the posture. Thank you thank you thank you.
Please never stop making videos. Best "virtual" sax teacher, hands down.
Big hug from Rome, Italy!!
🙏
Super helpful
Great!
When studying with Lee Konitz I also learned the importance of taking in more mouthpiece for an open sound!
There are lots of factors to consider. Experimentation and what works best for you. 🙏
It's work, Mr Anderson. Thank you very mach.
You're welcome! 🙏
Game changer!! Made such a huge difference
Awesome!
Great tip!
Glad you think so! Cheers 🙏
Lovely tip.
Glad it helped!
A good class, I was working on this subject today.
Thanks so much!
Ive been playing sax for a long time and could not figure why to stay in tune, my mouthpieces could practically fall off. I’ve learned quite a bit from Jamie.over the years, Taking several of his courses. Thanks a bunch for this one. 🎷👍🙏
Happy to help!
Good job !! 🎷🤞🏻
Thank you!! 🙏🏻
This video is very helpful for a beginner like me. Thank you for making this video.
Great! You're welcome
On Point, Jamie! It's uncanny how your recent videos have hit exactly the techniques I'm working on. I, for one, really appreciate it when you give the science behind these tips. I like to know "why!" This one makes perfect sense when you think about the difference the angle makes with the throat. It's like I was taught when having to swallow vitamins. If you crane your head up, it constricts the throat opening, but if you tilt your head down, the throat is opened up and it's much easier to swallow. Funny how we tend to do the opposite, but this change makes a big difference. Same concept here. It's science! Thanks, Professor 🤓😉
Fantastic. Glad to have helped! Thanks Cindy 🙏
very nice video !!!
Thanks so much! 🙏
OMG!! Thank you so much for this! I legit played at a gig yesterday and was wondering why I sounded like that and why at times it sounded like that every now and then. But now it makes sense! Thank God for youtube recommendations cuz I didn't even search for anything and boom here you are! Life saver!!!
Glad it helped! Keep up the great work
Thanks Jamie. That has helped a lot. Geoff in France.
Great. Glad it helped Geoff! 🙏
Thx this helped a lot!
Glad it helped!
Hello. You are my King today and forever. Thanks old for the tip. It took me to a new level.
Ha! Good to hear. You're welcome 🙏
Muchísimas gracias!!! Un gran saludo desde Argentina!!!
Thanks 🙏🏻
Today is my first time on this channel and I'll be subscribing. Great insight!
Great to have you here! Thanks so much 🙏
thx
👍
Sos un genio gracias!
🙏
I'll try this tech nxt time.. the slight nod. Thanks. Completely Beginner 39 y o . Peace
Good luck 🤞🏻
This is lowkey how I be sounding. Wow. Such a simple fix for a great result. Thank you so much
Great! So glad it helped
Sure.. I always tell this to my students!
Great!
Thanks so much Jamie, that fantastic, I will try it.
Hope you like it!
Yes it was great. Your advice is always spot on as usual.
Thank you for this lesson! My teacher used to emphasize NOT to nod my head down, because it restricts the air flowing across the larynx and upper pallet. Some of those photos you used were probably taken while the musician was looking down at sheet music. David Sanborn has managed to get a lot of air flow despite his "crane" angle. However, I think he developed that angle so he could get the sax neck out of his view of the sheet music.
I believe David sanborn played like that due to his polio? Have you tried both?
@@GetYourSaxTogether I often play with my head down when I am on stage with a loud band. I do it to hear myself better. But it limits my air flow and do not like it. Otherwise, I play straighter.
@@MarkPeotter fair enough! 👍🏻
you're the best man, I heard this from other saxophonist but didnt quite getit or the explanation that i needed to tilt downward and was wondering why I could not achieve that sound ive been longing for.. thought it was my cheap mouthpeice or the instrument again. IOU coffee Jamie lol
Glad it's working for you man. Thanks!
We used to call it dropping the jaw for a more open sound.
Taking more mouthpiece into your mouth also opens up your sound!
👍
Clearly you deserve WAY more views.
Aw, thanks! 🙏🏻
I used to have the strap too high for years and it pushed my neck back .
I switched to the nodding position a few years back and it made the world of difference . My lower lip has far more endurance . Of course there are exceptions like Lew Tabakin and David Sanborn but most of the old school players used the head slightly forward position .
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Not mentioning names but some teachers are teaching the ‘ extended back neck ‘ method as the way to get a sound .
Try doing this while singing and the sound becomes constricted ! Then sing with the head a little down just a little and the sound opens up .
It’s the same with the sax and to me , one gets a much fuller sound with the ‘ nodding ‘ position and more control too .
Oh, hey Ray! Thanks for commenting man. 🙏🏻
Many thanks for this "Tip". I have been playing for 40 + years and have been out of business for the last year due to Bells Palsy.. definitely disheartening. I have been playing on an AE 30 Wind Synth but I just don't compete on stage with Rock/ Blues dynamics. It has been good to keep me in the game with smaller/ solo gigs, but I have missed the real sax!.
Thankfully I have been able to slowly start gigging again on my Soprano and for limited numbers of songs on my Alto. Praying I can support Bari and Tenor again soon and this video may help. By INCREASING that angle with a steeper nod, I am easing the load on my lower lip on my Alto! It reduces the BLOWOUT due to the weakness on the right side of my lower lip from the Bells Palsy. AMAZING Thank you so much!
I think I will also buy an angled neck for my straight Soprano as I have struggled with the "Muffled" feeling on Soprano for some time and never considered the rather steep angle down I normally play it at.
This is my first viewing of your channel; it will not be the last. Hopefully this will speed my return to longer sessions and gigs from this Palsy. Thank you again and great success to you!
Hey Jesse, really sorry to hear that you have been going through it. Hopefully, you'll keep building and come through it all the stronger. I'm so glad that this has helped in any way.
All the best and thanks so much!
Well, this is a game changer for me. I've never had advice on this before and none of the other coaches mention it - this simple tip has changed my tone and the ease of shaping notes. Thanks very much!
That’s made my day John!
@@GetYourSaxTogether The only trouble is I could do with the opposaite being true! My dentist wants to take out my front top two teeth, so I need less tooth pressure, not more!
@@johnwhyte-venables2167 tell your dentist, hell no,!!
you need those teeth to play the saxophone!!!!
I tried the crane today and I was actually able to play the low c# at a ppp lvl I’m going to try the nod tomorrow
👍
Beautiful and very useful video. Thanks.
In my case I love David Sanborn and Rangell’s music. I would like to know, how do they do to sound like they do it if they put the head with the head up.
Best wishes from Ecuador and thanks again for this video
That’s the beauty and mystery of saxophone. You can do it many ways!
In my case, I think angling the mouthpiece like that of Sanborn and Rangell greatly helps with overblowing.
Craning the neck does not necessarily mean you play with a lot of pressure on the reed, but it probably is the case with beginners, so the "head nod" is good advice for most players.
If you want to emulate the Sanborn style, I would suggest finding a position that makes overblowing easy (since that's a huge part of the style) while still maintaining comfort and an overall good sound.
Hey Jamie. Nice point. The airflow is very importaint. However i think David Sanborn have skipped this lesson, but his sound is still very powerful :)
Yeh! Sanborn is an exception!
An interesting thing I’ve noticed: most sax players crane their neck when they’re playing into high altissimo, notably brecker. he kept a nod when playing in middle register, but when he went higher, he gradually craned his neck.
Yeh, it’s interesting isn’t it?
This was very true for me recently. I misplaced my tenor neck strap for a day and tried using my alto strap instead. It wouldn't adjust long enough and forced me to play in that "crane" position. It was very uncomfortable and closed off my sound. Don't ever use a too short neck strap! 😕
👍
Months of overtones-hitting-the-brick wall. This one video, sir, and it has changed my tone, overtones come out easy, tonguing feels more natural. Nobody has said it like you did. Even the best of youtube teachers profess "neutral position". No. NOD! Thank you so much!
Brilliant! Glad to have helped 🙏
I mostly agree with you but there are some who "crane" with success too. Dave Sanborn and Ralph Bowen come to mind. Perhaps the tongue angle trumps horn angle. I myself think neutral is best as extremes could introduce consequences to technique.
Always exceptions absolutely!
Good tip, Jamie. You can't see me right now but I'm nodding in approval 😁
🤣🤣
Follow Stan Getz double lip embouchure with no teeth bearing down on the mthpiece. His first instrument was the bassoon with a double reed and all bassoonists use that loose downward jaw and loose lower lip. His technical mastery to produce all the natural full warm sound it was originally designed for, at all speeds and volume levels throughout the range !
👍🙏
I showed this to my wife and it works for couples too 😂
🤣
Thank you for this detail. I’m learning on a baritone and holding it at the right angle is more challenging to me. This video made me realize that I’m probably ‘teeth heavy’ at a higher angle. I’m looking forward to making some adjustments during today’s practice session toward a fix 🎷
Glad it was helpful!
Very useful tip as usual!
Thanks 🙏🏻
For the time being, I exclusively play the soprano sax. My straight sop has no neck or you could say that it's fused with the body in one integral piece, a straight shot all the way from the tip of the mouthpiece to the bottom of the bell. It's a common design. I'm positive that you've seen these before. I typically hold it at a 45 degree angle with the floor. I've found that I get that kind of muffled sound when I slack off and allow the mouthpiece to drift out of my mouth from where it should be. Lately, 've been good at keeping enough mouthpiece in my mouth, though.
Ok cool. Thanks for sharing.
Ya this is a great video! Really not enough talked about. I'm curious if this can be affected by different neck (sax neck) angles? I've noticed the BSS neck create a bit more crane if that makes sense. I also wonder if players might find their setup more resistant when they move to the 'NOD' configuration?
I think head down feels less resistant if anything. I guess neck angle must matter, yes.
Hi Jamie, good tips.
Any advice with the alto, as the neck is already angled downwards.
Cheers
It’s just the same thing but it won’t look the same because, as you say, the angle is different. But it’s the mouthpiece angle in your mouth that matters.
Eddie Lockjaw Davis is one of my absolute favorite players, great sound. Maybe his sound had been even greater if he had seen this?
Being British means my sarcasm radar is finely tuned! 🤣
Can we get a video on playing the high D !!!
This might be a start? th-cam.com/video/dXrFmqIRWTc/w-d-xo.html
David Sanborn, Harry Allen would disagree. I tt Harry a little about this and he said he angled his airstream to the baffle because Coleman Hawkins did it so he started doing it. Do what works best for you.
Yeh! Experimentation and do what works best for you absolutely!
Thank you for showing this technique, it was pretty informative. But I wish you would be more genuine/transparent in demonstrating your examples, like adding vibrato and trills to make it sound even better on one side.
Yeh that is a fair call out I guess, soz.
Hey Jamie, thanks for such an informative video! I was wondering if you tend to keep the back and middle of your tongue humped for the whole range of the horn, or just for the low and high notes? I've heard a 'ayyyy' (flat tongue) position is advisable for the mid range notes. Thanks again! 🤟🏻
Not that I’ve seen inside my mouth, but I think it changes all the time. Not one shape fits all.
@@GetYourSaxTogether thanks Jamie. You mentioned in your video on low notes that a 'you' tongue position works well for those notes and I just thought there might be other syllables for high or middle notes. Appreciate the note!
Que legal, parabéns! Gostei do seu canal. Estou usando legendas e tradução para português, pois infelizmente não sei inglês. Desculpe. Vou me inscrever no seu cal. Muito obrigado.
Muito obrigado!
What do you think of the new Dickerson Resonator Ligature - it's new and popular
Never tried it. Soz.
Eddie Lockjaw Davis would be a notable exception to this.
Yeh. There are exceptions!
Dave Sanborn might be an exception too
Dave Sanborn is definitely the odd one out! He tilts his head so far up he looks like a clarinettist!
Yes, there are exceptions of course!
When you talk about nodding the head down to keep the neck muscles loose, it is very important to mention that the head nods NOT the head and neck. You CANNOT move the head forward. You can actually achieve a marvelous tone while looking up IF your throat is open (larynx). It is the opening of the airway and the ability to keep the weight of the head light on top of the neck that produces the brilliance in tone that we're after.
If you look at a musician like Grace Kelley, she can literally jump up and down while playing with her sound because she has that light coordination of the head neck and back.
Just my two cents as I work this all out for myself!! :)
I'd also like to point out that the neck muscles you describe along the front of the throat are at their greatest ease when you look up. It is the large trapezius at the back of the neck that will engage when you stiffen up. This will have the affect of tensing up the jaw as you look up and THAT will really kill your sound. So I love the idea of the video, but the anatomical reasoning behind the nod producing good sound is not quite there. BUT as a sax sound tip for a beginner, it can help to play with the idea and see what happens to the sound!
Thanks John. There’s actually a few misconceptions there though. Your larynx, or more precisely your vocal folds inside your larynx, are actually often almost closed in your airway, especially for note bending, palm keys and altissimo. Weird that, but true. And I’m not sure you make your head lighter on your neck? It’s always the same weight? Maybe you mean something else.
@@GetYourSaxTogether yeah i'm talking about the musculature surrounding the voice being open and engaged. It's a darn tricky thing for me to put into writing so sorry for the confusion! When I talk about the weight of the head feeling lighter on the neck, this is a sensation that will occur as the neck softens up and comes to it's greatest volume. If the muscles at the base of the skull have extra tension, this will pull the head down onto the atlas (top vertebra), increase the jaw tension, and stiffen up the rib cage. So while your head has the same weight, it can exert different degrees of pressure onto the spine based on how all of the neck muscles are coordinating. As you can tell, I think this is maybe THE most helpful thing for someone to understand to improve their tone :)
and apologies for posting a link. it was simply an attempt to communicate the balancing dynamic of the head!
I think Brandford Marsalis would disagree. I remember watching a clip of him taking about setting the sax very high. Something he learned from Joe Allard.
Yeh - someone else said that too.
Well, that’s one theory.
The picture of Michael Brecker is old, probably when he was between 20 and 30 years. Look at pictures of him the last 10 years of his life: He has changed the angle of the mouthpiece in his mouth from “NOD” to “CRANE”. The same will you find if you look at pictures of Branford Marsalis: “NOD” when he was younger, but “CRANE” when he got older. Marsalis even have a video/workshop where he explains why it is so important to play “CRANE” not “NOD”.
Yup. I’ve heard him say the same actually. Can’t beat a bit of saxophone controversy! Just do what works best for you I guess. Even if this video just makes people think about it to do the opposite that’s cool with me.
@@GetYourSaxTogether Brecker CRANE in 1977 :-)
th-cam.com/video/OgNVreyX_II/w-d-xo.html
Gracias
🙏
what about Sanborn?
Yeh Sanborn is one of the exceptions
Bit annoying but good to learn so early, i found it way easier to make a sound craning oof
Well, there’s always more than one way of doing things I guess.
Does that work on a soprano sax without a removable neck? I would imagine it being a little bit more difficult
Same principle yeh. It's all about the mouthpiece angle, not the neck of the sax.
Playing the sax is like trying to perfect your golf swing lol
🤣
I'm a flute player trying to learn sax. I'm so not used to the sax at full volume and keep trying to push up the reed to make the sax quieter lol. is there a way to not get sued by my neighbors while get the full saxophone experience?
Talk to them.
I noticed that Sanborn did not appear in the "nod" photo gallery. I always wondered why he is using such a "bad" angle.
Good morning Christoph Brykla,
David Sanborn suffered through polio as he grew up and this caused considerable damage to his spine, muscles, posture (at one point he needed wheelchairs and crutches) and these continue presently.
He needed to adapt; thus, changing from the normal embouchure and posture to what you see. He is quite conscious about this including his daily life.
Please talk to Bill Singer about this.
Bill is not only his good friend but also his sax technician.
I wish you health and joy.
-Dr D
@@dr.rolanddavis Thank you for your swift response. That explains it very well, wasn't aware of it. So it's even more remarkable that he has such a huge sound.
@@christophbrylka6256
You are welcome.
I hope your saxophone and musical journey is fun and rewarding. I’m *still trying to learn and improve … and I’m old !
I wish you many more rapturous musical moments.
-Dr D
Yeh. Different sound. Different technique. As Dr. Roland says. Cheers
With the alto saxo is the same?
Yeah I guess. But there’s lots of different ways to get a good sound!
Look at David Sanborn and Eric Marienthal. They are known for their tone, and refute your hypothesis.
Yeh. There are exceptions, of course!
I have to disagree with your force diagram.
There will always be an equal force distribution between upper and lower jaws (lips or teeth).
Otherwise the mouthpiece would move to the zone with lower pressure to equalize the forces.
The exception to this would be if the weight of the horn or additional physical force is used to pull the horn down, to allow light pressure with the teeth.
I think the benefit of this technique is actually to create an expanded resonant cavity to allow better control and individual expression.
Hang on though - your top teeth on the mouthpiece are effectively an immovable object aren’t they? The mouthpiece isn’t gonna start moving up through your teeth and head. That just leaves your bottom jaw as the pressure regulator on the reed? The mouthpiece isn’t gonna move as you put less or more pressure on the reed? It can’t.
But what to do when you have a lower jaw protrubation?
That’s the kind of thing I’d have to see you for personally. Tricky to say over a YT comment.
I tried these techniques as you explained them but I just couldn’t hear any difference, does this mean I’m doomed to never get that iconic sound?
Practice!
Sanborn doesn't nod and sounds awesome😅
Aye. He does.
How does this work when you are playing a straight soprano sax?
Good question - I guess you just have to use the same theory. Keep your nose down a bit! Dave Liebman often looks like that.
Sidney Bechet preferred to hold the soprano horizontally at 90 degrees so that the whole column of air went up from the diaphragm and then just turned right, as opposed to up and down again, like some classical clarinet players. Sidney had complete control but also used a mouthoiece with a long lay and aperture beneath the reed, from pianissimo to double forte, rivalling any trumpet player. Totally contrary to Branford Marsalis, able to bend with tonal effects, growls and glissandos !
Thanks for the tip, but do you have any recommendations for someone with overbite?
Same advice - at least try it and see what happens. It’s all just experimentation. 👍🏻
I feel like students have issues with this more nowadays because modern saxophones have a very different neck angle than vintage saxophones.
Yeh. Quite possibly!
The NOD more jazzy, the CRANE more classical
🙏
Potrei avere una sintesi in italiano? Grazie
Sorry, don’t speak Italian.
have you seen david sandborn??
Yes. An exception!
"When...with one very small change, you could be sounding like this !!"
A plastic kazoo.
😮
I hate when theres distortion on my sax
Yeh.
I might be wrong, but it seems to me that David Sanborn and Eric Marienthal do not do that and they have the brighter sound I have ever heard. It seems they blow directly into the baffle
Yeh there are exceptions!
This was then tip I needed. My bottom lip thanks you, I would kiss u myself (not that way of course 😂) seriously, I was able to practice longer, with less lip pain. I believe this Nodding fits best for Tenors, because the Alto it isn't soo easy to Nod, but possible. I have to hold the Alto a bit further away from my body with the right hand.
Perfect! So glad to have helped John 😊
the 'head nod' can be so slight and subtly down that it might not even be noticeable in a video. The main thing that you want to feel is a completely open throat and huge cavity inside the mouth with the soft palette rising. There absolutely will be a difference between s/a/t/b saxes!
A big difference made by such a simple thing !..
👍🏻