To see how this works: Finger a low note without blowing in the horn, raise a finger then slam it down on the key like Jamie said, and you will hear the note resonate in the horn briefly. When you do this while blowing the low note gets a head start vibrating and comes out easier.
Gonna try this tomorrow when I practice!! Good to hear the low B is the hardest note to hit. It always wants to motorboat and I thought it was maybe broke or that I was maybe broken.
Being a bari player I've been doing things like this and also transferring them on other saxes, oboe/cor and flutes, so it's good to see others do the same. Also good when playing alto or bass flute for a clear, crisp attack in the low register when they can be a bit woolly.
I’ve just watched this whilst on holiday… now thinking “why didn’t I just pack my tenor instead of clothes…” - something to look forward to trying when I get back to Blighty! Thanks Jamie 🎷
@@tomaszszlapanski5988 I’m not sure the other people on their holidays would actually appreciate my “distressed cow stylings” while they’re relaxing by the pool 😂
I’ve also found that a week of working on your tongue stability exercise has really helped my low notes. Maybe it has dropped the tension / thought that low B just isn’t possible on my old instrument. And now I’ll add this hack!
What I have found is if you are getting those overtones on the saxophone, then you are biting on the mouthpiece. This means that you either are playing too hard a reed, too open a mouthpiece, or your embouchure is not set properly. I do not need any "tricks" to get the low notes out of any saxophone I play, because I have a good, strong, set embouchure. Playing with a relaxed embouchure will eliminate this kind of problem. My other problem with this is the added movement of the saxophone and the fingers which may result in intonation problems, rhythm problems, and just plain old technical problems in playing music and the saxophone. Asking the fingers to fix what is ultimately an embouchure problem is not good saxophone playing and will not lead to any mastery of the instrument.
@@josephneil8554 That is true. Here are my reasons for this opinion. First, my over thirty years as a professional saxophonist, with a Master of Music degree in teaching, the lessons I have been taught by people like Mark Colby, Arnie Lawrence, Tom Scott Hamiet Bluiett, Ronnie Cuber, Nick Brignola, Glenn Kostur, and about 400 other professional saxophonists and teachers over my years of playing and studying the saxophone. My opinion is based on experience of performing saxophone, listening to teachers, reading articles on saxophone embouchure by experts in the field, and plain old trial and error. Take my opinion or not. That is up to you. My many. many students who have gone onto get degrees in music along with multiple scholarships to play saxophone in college and at camps all over the Midwest have agreed with me and been hugely successful. For me. I will keep relying on the strength of my embouchure to allow me to do everything that I can to play my saxophones successfully and not rely on hacks to help me do what I can well.
You do you, but I'm curious. If you're going to rule out the option of using "non standard" fingering in this instance, what do you do with e.g. venting the D palm key to help with a stuffy D? That's quite a restrictive definition of "mastery" you're working with - there are so many variables in saxophone playing I don't see why you'd avoid using all the tools at your disposal to get the notes out.
While it’s good to have tricks to work with your instrument, I agree, a lot can be done with technique and embouchure before having to resort to different fingerings and methods. But do what’s best of course
what helps me on the tenor, getting these low notes, is apllying a little more lippressure, not biting, but just a littlebit more pressure, and as soon the note comes out, just ease off again to the normal embouchure, will try your hack offcourse to see which give me better experience.. thank you Jamie 😃
I tend to blow a bit initially, ie, blow into the the mouthpiece a nanosecond before pressing the low note key. It works for me, I will give Jamie's 'fix' a try also.👍🎶🎶🎷
Thanks for that. Low A is never a problem for me on my bari sax, but low Bb and low C# are problematic. I've wondered if I have leak somewhere, but I'll try this first.
Went from clarinet to bari sax in high school. My method to guarantee low note production for performances was to chew a whole pack of gum to the point of fatigue
>that placebo effect It's worth considering that there were studies that had placebos work better than the control even when the ones getting tested were fully briefed on the placebos, with "placebo" even being written on the sugar pill container to really drive the way home. It still worked. It's theorized that the ritual of a medical procedure still had an effect. This has a positive and negative aspect. The positive is: It's possible to get better using this effect. The negative is: If you're someone who is into 'niche medicines' (that may or may not have any actual effects) then that means you might end up not choosing tried and true methods with actual medicinal effects. But the saxophone isn't a pill, so... if the finger trick works, it works. Doesn't matter the reasoning, even if it's a placebo, so yeah.
Hi Jamie, sorry, but if your low notes are fluffy then there is a leaky/poorly sitting pad or poor regulation somewhere. It can be a leaky top F, the lowere stack or G# regulation, the low Eb, C pad or the low C# being the most common. Additioanlly, as the sax warms up and the pads moisten this can help. The best test is to play sub-tones from low F down. Otherwise, I will try your work-around. The lower pads are the one's that seem to dry out worse and get hard over the years. Especially if you keep your sax on a stand for long periods. So, best to keep ypour horns in the case ... ... although, I'm the worst for this latter issue!
Thats true, if there is even the slightest vent the wave will have difficulty forming properly around the bow. I suspect this hack sets up a vibration on the antinode which the breath then reinforces. Once formed it will (if the leak is not too severe) stay stable. If there are leaks affecting the low notes they will be in the large low note pads and they will be close to the node which will be close to the next fully open pad. If this is not secure because of a vent the wave will not be stable, but if it can be encouraged to form with luck it will hold.
What's the science behind this?? I can't make any logical sense out of it.. haha~😅 What I've noticed about my horn with regards to low notes however, is that it is significantly more difficult to have the low notes pop out and especially so with sub tone when you have the slightest leak high up in the sax. In my case, it was a leak at the neck tenon and receiver area that was the cause of it. No matter how minuscule the leak might be, it is still significant enough to make it harder for the player as I found out in an A B test. Had my tech expand the neck till it fitted snugly (ZERO wobble) without having to tighten the neck screw, fingered the low B/Bb, and BOOM, the notes came out in an instant. So I'd advise everyone to ensure ur neck isn't causing a leak at the top because that is really gonna make it difficult for the low notes to pop instantly and sure makes one question what the hell is the issue when all the pads are sealing as they ought to.. I know it did for me! 😅
Low notes are like your crazy uncle who shows up at family gatherings and consistently says the wrong things. Once you learn how to deal with him, thing go much more smoothly.
I have more success with important low notes, starting a phrase, if I roll down to it a bit. Maybe the same principle. Having a bari now has made me a better tenor player, including hitting low notes. I even bought a pad job many years ago for a tenor just because low B was pissing me off so much. Probably an unnecessary pad job.
It's not that they don't come out. It's that they come out in two phases. First a weird higher note blurp and then the correct note that I can't appreciate because the blurp has annoyed me.
@@GetYourSaxTogether What really seems to help is you advice from a previous video about keeping the back of the tongue steady. Also doing a HA breath attack seems to be more consistent. Using the undertone exercise to find the correct embouchure gives me something to do.
Check out this free masterclass! 😊 www.getyoursaxtogether.com/masterclass
Holy smokes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have a great day Jamie. Another outstanding post.
Thanks! You too!
To see how this works: Finger a low note without blowing in the horn, raise a finger then slam it down on the key like Jamie said, and you will hear the note resonate in the horn briefly. When you do this while blowing the low note gets a head start vibrating and comes out easier.
👍🏻
I have never heard of this before! I will be giving this a try. Thanks!
Hope you like it!
43 years playing....never stop learning.....thanks Jamie.....big help
you have to focus on the next 43 years !!!!
You're welcome
Gonna try this tomorrow when I practice!! Good to hear the low B is the hardest note to hit. It always wants to motorboat and I thought it was maybe broke or that I was maybe broken.
Great!
@@GetYourSaxTogether It worked!!
Wooo!!! Short and price, very relevant and useful!!! Thank you!
You're welcome
You just saved my low Bb, thank you so much!!
Great
Thank you for that tip! I surely work!
You're welcome!
Brilliant! Thanks, Jamie!!
My pleasure!
Great hack. Thanks Jamie
You're welcome
Being a bari player I've been doing things like this and also transferring them on other saxes, oboe/cor and flutes, so it's good to see others do the same.
Also good when playing alto or bass flute for a clear, crisp attack in the low register when they can be a bit woolly.
👍
I’ve just watched this whilst on holiday… now thinking “why didn’t I just pack my tenor instead of clothes…” - something to look forward to trying when I get back to Blighty! Thanks Jamie 🎷
I bought curved soprano (cheap Chinese) and I taking it on hols with me , not perfect but good enough to practice 👍
@@tomaszszlapanski5988 I’m not sure the other people on their holidays would actually appreciate my “distressed cow stylings” while they’re relaxing by the pool 😂
🤣👍
Very interesting advice. Thanks a lot Mr Anderson.
You're welcome
I’ve also found that a week of working on your tongue stability exercise has really helped my low notes. Maybe it has dropped the tension / thought that low B just isn’t possible on my old instrument. And now I’ll add this hack!
Great!
I learned a similar technique for starting certain high notes on bassoon. Sometimes I need it, sometimes not, but it works for some unknown reason.
🙏
Love it🎉
👍
What I have found is if you are getting those overtones on the saxophone, then you are biting on the mouthpiece. This means that you either are playing too hard a reed, too open a mouthpiece, or your embouchure is not set properly. I do not need any "tricks" to get the low notes out of any saxophone I play, because I have a good, strong, set embouchure. Playing with a relaxed embouchure will eliminate this kind of problem. My other problem with this is the added movement of the saxophone and the fingers which may result in intonation problems, rhythm problems, and just plain old technical problems in playing music and the saxophone. Asking the fingers to fix what is ultimately an embouchure problem is not good saxophone playing and will not lead to any mastery of the instrument.
Oh look! An opinion that's not shared by others! Good for you dude! Good for you 😊
@@josephneil8554 That is true. Here are my reasons for this opinion. First, my over thirty years as a professional saxophonist, with a Master of Music degree in teaching, the lessons I have been taught by people like Mark Colby, Arnie Lawrence, Tom Scott Hamiet Bluiett, Ronnie Cuber, Nick Brignola, Glenn Kostur, and about 400 other professional saxophonists and teachers over my years of playing and studying the saxophone. My opinion is based on experience of performing saxophone, listening to teachers, reading articles on saxophone embouchure by experts in the field, and plain old trial and error. Take my opinion or not. That is up to you. My many. many students who have gone onto get degrees in music along with multiple scholarships to play saxophone in college and at camps all over the Midwest have agreed with me and been hugely successful. For me. I will keep relying on the strength of my embouchure to allow me to do everything that I can to play my saxophones successfully and not rely on hacks to help me do what I can well.
Glad you’ve got it all worked out. 👍🏻
You do you, but I'm curious. If you're going to rule out the option of using "non standard" fingering in this instance, what do you do with e.g. venting the D palm key to help with a stuffy D? That's quite a restrictive definition of "mastery" you're working with - there are so many variables in saxophone playing I don't see why you'd avoid using all the tools at your disposal to get the notes out.
While it’s good to have tricks to work with your instrument, I agree, a lot can be done with technique and embouchure before having to resort to different fingerings and methods. But do what’s best of course
Really useful thanks 😊
You're welcome Em!
Totally important!! Thanks.
Glad it helps
what helps me on the tenor, getting these low notes, is apllying a little more lippressure, not biting, but just a littlebit more pressure, and as soon the note comes out, just ease off again to the normal embouchure, will try your hack offcourse to see which give me better experience.. thank you Jamie 😃
You are welcome
I tend to blow a bit initially, ie, blow into the the mouthpiece a nanosecond before pressing the low note key. It works for me, I will give Jamie's 'fix' a try also.👍🎶🎶🎷
interesting!!! I will try this
Wayne Pharo
👍
I love abradabra😜 as well calling this trick “placebo” as finally I can realize that my tongue needs to go low. So this trick should work. Thanks
👍
Cool tip!
Thanks!
Thanks for that. Low A is never a problem for me on my bari sax, but low Bb and low C# are problematic. I've wondered if I have leak somewhere, but I'll try this first.
Hope it helps
Went from clarinet to bari sax in high school. My method to guarantee low note production for performances was to chew a whole pack of gum to the point of fatigue
🙏
How would it work ??
Or play an old Buffet Crampon S1 tenor! (A Super Dynaction with improved key work).
👍
It works on Alto too....👍
👍
😀. Thanks. On an alto, I'm more challenged by the highest notes... F# hack ?
Hmmm you’ll need to watch my altissimo videos.
Hi. Nice to see you! Did Dr. Walley see this video?😳
I have no idea!
Thanks Jamie, my sax teacher told me that.
but when playing fast that would be an issue 🤔🤔
That's great!
>that placebo effect
It's worth considering that there were studies that had placebos work better than the control even when the ones getting tested were fully briefed on the placebos, with "placebo" even being written on the sugar pill container to really drive the way home.
It still worked. It's theorized that the ritual of a medical procedure still had an effect.
This has a positive and negative aspect.
The positive is: It's possible to get better using this effect.
The negative is: If you're someone who is into 'niche medicines' (that may or may not have any actual effects) then that means you might end up not choosing tried and true methods with actual medicinal effects.
But the saxophone isn't a pill, so... if the finger trick works, it works. Doesn't matter the reasoning, even if it's a placebo, so yeah.
Cool. Thanks for the interesting comment! 👍
Hi Jamie, sorry, but if your low notes are fluffy then there is a leaky/poorly sitting pad or poor regulation somewhere. It can be a leaky top F, the lowere stack or G# regulation, the low Eb, C pad or the low C# being the most common. Additioanlly, as the sax warms up and the pads moisten this can help. The best test is to play sub-tones from low F down. Otherwise, I will try your work-around. The lower pads are the one's that seem to dry out worse and get hard over the years. Especially if you keep your sax on a stand for long periods. So, best to keep ypour horns in the case ... ... although, I'm the worst for this latter issue!
Thats true, if there is even the slightest vent the wave will have difficulty forming properly around the bow. I suspect this hack sets up a vibration on the antinode which the breath then reinforces. Once formed it will (if the leak is not too severe) stay stable.
If there are leaks affecting the low notes they will be in the large low note pads and they will be close to the node which will be close to the next fully open pad. If this is not secure because of a vent the wave will not be stable, but if it can be encouraged to form with luck it will hold.
A degree of common sense is always required watching my videos!
I learnt this exact same trick yesterday from Alan Barnes.
Cool!
Alan Barnes! Is he still with us!
@@hugovandermeer1566 he certainly is. Still sounding great.
I had a classmate show me that one around 1964 in college. He said he got it off of a bass clarinet player!
Cool
I’ve been doing that for awhile, but didn’t know if it was allowed 😂
The sax police are on their way!!
👍
What's the science behind this?? I can't make any logical sense out of it.. haha~😅
What I've noticed about my horn with regards to low notes however, is that it is significantly more difficult to have the low notes pop out and especially so with sub tone when you have the slightest leak high up in the sax. In my case, it was a leak at the neck tenon and receiver area that was the cause of it.
No matter how minuscule the leak might be, it is still significant enough to make it harder for the player as I found out in an A B test. Had my tech expand the neck till it fitted snugly (ZERO wobble) without having to tighten the neck screw, fingered the low B/Bb, and BOOM, the notes came out in an instant.
So I'd advise everyone to ensure ur neck isn't causing a leak at the top because that is really gonna make it difficult for the low notes to pop instantly and sure makes one question what the hell is the issue when all the pads are sealing as they ought to.. I know it did for me! 😅
All true!
🙏🏼💕
👍
Low notes are like your crazy uncle who shows up at family gatherings and consistently says the wrong things. Once you learn how to deal with him, thing go much more smoothly.
🤣
I have more success with important low notes, starting a phrase, if I roll down to it a bit. Maybe the same principle.
Having a bari now has made me a better tenor player, including hitting low notes.
I even bought a pad job many years ago for a tenor just because low B was pissing me off so much. Probably an unnecessary pad job.
👍
Wiggling your toes on your left foot does the same thing.
🤣
It's not that they don't come out. It's that they come out in two phases. First a weird higher note blurp and then the correct note that I can't appreciate because the blurp has annoyed me.
🙏
@@GetYourSaxTogether What really seems to help is you advice from a previous video about keeping the back of the tongue steady. Also doing a HA breath attack seems to be more consistent. Using the undertone exercise to find the correct embouchure gives me something to do.
This is nice to know but I've never had a problem playing low notes ... hopefully, I'll never need to do thus hack.
👍
Low notes, including low A, are not, and never have been a problem on my Yanagisawa 901 baritone - not even when ghosting in.
Great.
Low B is not a nice person. 🏴☠️😅
Correct.