As a two year player, I'm relieved to have confirmed my 'secret' belief. I've always thought that listening to and adjusting tone whilst playing and learning and enjoying. Your lessons are invaluable. Thank you.
My daily go to for long tones is ‘Naima’. Vary articulation, dynamics and try to ‘colour’ the long notes differently each time. Backing track down low. I do one key each day in both octaves. Just once through. Nobody objects.
I never did long tones until I saw a Scott Padock video that explained the why and the how of it. Thanks for clearly explaining your methodology. It's mighty appreciated.
That was exceptional Jamie! Basically, you just summarized my concept after 42 years of teaching saxophone! For a long time I’ve believed that practicing long tones too early in a student’s development just ingrains bad habits. Thanks for presenting it so well! BTW - Another great Mobley solo full of melodic gems is his solo on ‘The Theme” (rhythm changes) from Art Blakey’s ‘Live From the Jazz Corner’.
Yes! Love the iconoclastic videos Jamie! Ivan Meyer, Brazilian saxophonist also teaches that, and the question of what one specifically wants to get with the practice of the long tones- steadiness of tone? Crescendo? Etc…
I just forced myself to play with a very relaxed embouchure for an hour and just let the air do everything just like when you do overtones. My tone improved more in an hour than in 3 months of long tones haha. Thank you so much, you're the best teacher out here 🤗
So you just used more air to keep the tone centered and in tune while the embouchure was super relaxed? Or were you just letting the tone do whatever b/c you wanted to practice playing w the relaxed emb to drill that habit? Because it seems like it would be nearly impossible to go an hour w that relaxation *and* keeping a centered tone (much less see a great improvement in tone) . . .at least until you'd done this for months. Just curious.
@@davidm.wilmington5325 I pushed the mouthpiece closer to the tube to compensate and focused more or using the air and my throat to modulate the sound however I want it, rather than doing it with my embouchure
@@GetYourSaxTogether Update after one day : it’s still hard for me to maintain that level of consciousness and throat effort for a long period of time. My high notes tend to fail after an hour or two of practice if I don’t compensate with my lip. I imagine I need to keep forcing myself to relax my lip until I get accustomed to it
Completely agree with you here. For me, I just don't have the time to practise long tones. ( I have 1 hour of sax. time per day allotted, and there are more things to practise.) I also find them *boring* - I play the sax for fun. ( Yeah, no pain, no gain and all that, but a sledgehammer to the head has never improved anyone.) For what it's worth: To improve tone, I usually play slow songs or exercises ( Lacour 30, for example - you can find examples on TH-cam), and try to adjust my tone during the "long tones" within the song. It excersises timbre, intonation, phrasing, dynamics all in one go, and is (in my view at least) more efficienct / effective than the isolated long tone. And it's more fun.
Thanks for your continuing wise words. Your advice and insight into loose lips and voicing greatly opened up the tone I had been stuck with for several years.
I've been warming up with your overtones exercise for a few months now, and it's revolutionized the way I produce saxophone tone - it feels almost as though I'm literally singing thru the horn, rather than the focus being on the reed/air/embouchre. I would highly recommend it to all players. Still, it takes concerted repetition to break bad habits. Many Thanks !!!
You have fantastic alternatives to developing a great tone! I rarely play long tones except when switching to a different mouthpiece or horn I haven’t played for a while. Since I mostly play tenor and soprano, I use long tones and overtones as a way to clear the cobwebs for my alto chops and get my breathing and voicing back in shape.
I’ve gotten more out listening hard to my favourite players and trying to emulate their sounds than I ever did with long tones . Sure I used to practice long notes but it’s so important to have a clear idea of what you want to sound like . Once that sound is in your head , it comes out of your horn . Also practicing ballads is very beneficial to developing a good sound .
@GetYourSaxTogether Another video of insights that are immediately useful and true! I’ve been on the road with many upper echelon horn players for decades and most of them do *not spend time on long tones but DO spend time on overtones (and they recommend the same for their students). Also, yes(!) to your main 3 points of what/how to practice to achieve a fuller, more mature sound. I hope to be back in your Inner Circle again soon ! hug 🫂 from the road, Dr D a late-life sax beginner but longtime professional touring musician.
Very interesting Jamie- I just started up with a new instructor and he is teaching me long tones. To a point I understand how it will help but after see this video I know not to push it too too far. You lesson of going in and out of notes is also very beneficial of hearing myself going in and out of notes. I’m Looking into what link you shared. Thank you!!
Thanks again for yet another great video on a fundamental practice technique. I’d also encourage folks to check out the video where you demonstrate practicing overtones on just the mouthpiece and neck. I found that to be more difficult, but at the same time more fundamental since it eliminates variables of intonation of the body of the sax.
I have never practiced long notes, I'm semi-self taught and when I started lessons, my teacher said: Wow, you sound like a pro! Thanks for confirming I was not wrong!
I...don't...know... I love you Jamie, and I'll keep an open mind, but... initially, I can't agree, for two reasons. First, I don't practice long tones much at all. Secondly, despite being a gigging musician for most of fifty years with a big sound and a good embouchure, sometimes my chops are just weak. Yes, I can play about anything I need to for as long as it's needed, but if I move the mouthpiece position even slightly in or out when practicing, or hold long tones after not having practiced for a couple of days, I am a hemidemisemiquavering mess! I feel that while we do need a relaxed, 'goldfish embouchure,' there's a necessary strength behind that. All this said, I do detest doing long tones, and I'll certainly keep this under advisement!
I would add reed selection to the list for improving tone. Reeds are in constant flux. The day of the gig I spend or waste time comparing my best reeds. At the moment I have 5 reed holders with 4 reeds each. I test the reeds after soaking them and making sure there is no wave with reed tips. I resort them putting my favourites in the first holder/case. Within reed case #1 I have the compartments numbered 1-4. As I go through testing the reeds and resorting them by preference I will compare 2 reeds to get a bit more accuracy in ordering. I limit my reed selection to 40 minutes. Reed placement on the mouthpiece alters results so try to develop consistency with this by having a repeatable method. The object of picking a reed is not just finding a beautiful tone as one varies the tone for a given situation. I sound like Paul Desmond on a bad day but when necessary I play much coarser and agressive. I find that testing my reeds on the day is good. When get to the gig that reed is ready to go. Many times it is difficult to test reeds at the gig. I
I'd be happy to get a tone. Right now I can hold my own in a conversation with some Canada Geese. Although it's kinda cool in a way, I'm going for a different result.
been strugging with my tone, This will be a great help, i suppose long tones done right are good, but i always thought that my tone would improve on its own, if i did long tones. hours and hours lost due to bad practice of long tones.
Long tones aren't necessary to build endurance. I never bothered with long tones, but... I started taking tenor lessons from someone who's playing I considered a considerable step up from mine, and thought I could learn from him. He started out expecting me to do long tones ad naseum, but was surprised to find out I could do much longer perfect tones than him. Hence, I went back to learning on my own. 😂
I added your overtone 'mothership' to my beginner practice routine and it definitely delivered more progress in a few days of doing that than a few weeks of normal long tones. I think there's one other big benefit you don't spell out in this video, which is that it trains you to adjust by ear (referencing vs the tuning and fatness of the overtone) instead of by eye (referencing your tuner). my tone's got a fair bit richer I think, although, when it comes to the 'try and match the sound of a top player' part, I tried playing along to king curtis and oh dear, it's like he's playing a completely different instrument :( i mean....in fairness to myself he WAS playing a different instrument (tenor vs alto) but even notwithstanding that.... I picked a tune with no altissimo at all cos I havent got there yet and whoops when I actually transcribe it does have loads of altissimo it's just he sounds so fat and warm I hadn't pegged it as such! oh well, he's not the king for no reason
So happy what you said about long tones😅. I don't like to practice it, I prefer overtones as you also said. Even Leo P said in a online workshop he hates it and practices long tones only 5 min. He combines it with extreme dynamics... By the way at 13 min 20 sec in your video it is a part of Improvisation Mastery 🤔🙊.
You've been playing saxophone for 37 years? That's how long I've been doing judo. Age 5 is kind of young to start playing the saxophone, though, isn't it? I've found that doing long tones eats up a lot of valuable time. I like doing drone training. Yes, it is kind of meditative, too. I found this video to be full of loads of helpful information. Thanks for posting it.
Not the main point of this video, but of all the many mistakes I've made playing the saxophone one was avoiding Transcription, or "Transcribe". I thought it literally meant sit with your music-stave paper and write something down. So I never did it. Eventually, playing in a band that played songs from the 50's-60's, after a while I thought to listen to what the original sax-player played and learn that, and it was a lesson each time. But I didn't write anything down, I'm not a good reader, I just learned it. I recommend that, because even if you don't reproduce it verbatim those guys were good and you learn something! I'm also practicing overtones...
Good stuff. It's also good you added the P.S. at the end, because long tones can be a help in the proper context. By the way, was that a "Better Sax" tenor you had today?
I play a bit sharp no matter how relaxed a play and how far back my mouthpiece is. Interesting enough, I played with a different mouthpiece (low baffle) and I'm more in tune. Any suggestion? Thank you.
Do you make large adjustments to your embochure and voicing between alto and tenor? My alto embouchure is somewhat more focused and disciplined (but not tighter), while using a "sloppy chops" approach to tenor seems to make my tenor sound come to life. This has been my experience, but I would appreciate your thoughts.
Yes!!!!! I have a mk vii and I have to fight it to play in tune. Its previous owner had it serviced WEEKLY trying to win the battle (and gave up and bought a yani.) I now have both of them (sentimental) and I keep battling the Selmer. This is the true definition of insanity 😂
why do I practice long tones i'm using circular breating a lot then you need long tone exercises another reason for long tones is to train the lungs and a third is with long tones I can hear mistakes and weaknesses in my tone but I don't ONLY practice long tones
first of ALL trainings we MUST to be sure oud instrument is in FINE, not only good, but FINE! condition. otherwise all our efforts will not give us any good mode and any well-feeling results.
![HIWWHEE | OHM [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/OJJLtTLqLag/mqdefault.jpg)
Instantly have a breakthrough with this free masterclass 🎷 www.getyoursaxtogether.com/masterclass
As a two year player, I'm relieved to have confirmed my 'secret' belief. I've always thought that listening to and adjusting tone whilst playing and learning and enjoying. Your lessons are invaluable. Thank you.
You're very welcome!
My daily go to for long tones is ‘Naima’. Vary articulation, dynamics and try to ‘colour’ the long notes differently each time. Backing track down low. I do one key each day in both octaves. Just once through. Nobody objects.
I never did long tones until I saw a Scott Padock video that explained the why and the how of it. Thanks for clearly explaining your methodology. It's mighty appreciated.
That was exceptional Jamie! Basically, you just summarized my concept after 42 years of teaching saxophone! For a long time I’ve believed that practicing long tones too early in a student’s development just ingrains bad habits. Thanks for presenting it so well!
BTW - Another great Mobley solo full of melodic gems is his solo on ‘The Theme” (rhythm changes) from Art Blakey’s ‘Live From the Jazz Corner’.
Yes! Love the iconoclastic videos Jamie! Ivan Meyer, Brazilian saxophonist also teaches that, and the question of what one specifically wants to get with the practice of the long tones- steadiness of tone? Crescendo? Etc…
See my above reply. 50+ year player here. Long tones rock!
I just forced myself to play with a very relaxed embouchure for an hour and just let the air do everything just like when you do overtones.
My tone improved more in an hour than in 3 months of long tones haha.
Thank you so much, you're the best teacher out here 🤗
So you just used more air to keep the tone centered and in tune while the embouchure was super relaxed? Or were you just letting the tone do whatever b/c you wanted to practice playing w the relaxed emb to drill that habit?
Because it seems like it would be nearly impossible to go an hour w that relaxation *and* keeping a centered tone (much less see a great improvement in tone) . . .at least until you'd done this for months. Just curious.
@@davidm.wilmington5325 I pushed the mouthpiece closer to the tube to compensate and focused more or using the air and my throat to modulate the sound however I want it, rather than doing it with my embouchure
Fantastic! Thanks so much 🙏
@@GetYourSaxTogether Update after one day : it’s still hard for me to maintain that level of consciousness and throat effort for a long period of time. My high notes tend to fail after an hour or two of practice if I don’t compensate with my lip. I imagine I need to keep forcing myself to relax my lip until I get accustomed to it
Thank you so much, Mr Anderson. It is interesting lesson.
Дякую за урок! Будемо працювати! Цікаво слухати поради справжніх виконавців, які на власному досвіді доводять свої теорії.
Completely agree with you here.
For me, I just don't have the time to practise long tones. ( I have 1 hour of sax. time per day allotted, and there are more things to practise.)
I also find them *boring* - I play the sax for fun. ( Yeah, no pain, no gain and all that, but a sledgehammer to the head has never improved anyone.)
For what it's worth:
To improve tone, I usually play slow songs or exercises ( Lacour 30, for example - you can find examples on TH-cam), and try to adjust my tone during the "long tones" within the song. It excersises timbre, intonation, phrasing, dynamics all in one go, and is (in my view at least) more efficienct / effective than the isolated long tone. And it's more fun.
Thanks for your continuing wise words. Your advice and insight into loose lips and voicing greatly opened up the tone I had been stuck with for several years.
I've been warming up with your overtones exercise for a few months now, and it's revolutionized the way I produce saxophone tone - it feels almost as though I'm literally singing thru the horn, rather than the focus being on the reed/air/embouchre. I would highly recommend it to all players. Still, it takes concerted repetition to break bad habits. Many Thanks !!!
You have fantastic alternatives to developing a great tone! I rarely play long tones except when switching to a different mouthpiece or horn I haven’t played for a while. Since I mostly play tenor and soprano, I use long tones and overtones as a way to clear the cobwebs for my alto chops and get my breathing and voicing back in shape.
I’ve gotten more out listening hard to my favourite players and trying to emulate their sounds than I ever did with long tones . Sure I used to practice long notes but it’s so important to have a clear idea of what you want to sound like .
Once that sound is in your head , it comes out of your horn .
Also practicing ballads is very beneficial to developing a good sound .
Love the loosy goosey, free the reed mantra! Nice one Jamie. 🎷🎶
@GetYourSaxTogether
Another video of insights that are immediately useful and true!
I’ve been on the road with many upper echelon horn players for decades and most of them do *not spend time on long tones but DO spend time on overtones (and they recommend the same for their students). Also, yes(!) to your main 3 points of what/how to practice to achieve a fuller, more mature sound.
I hope to be back in your Inner Circle again soon !
hug 🫂 from the road,
Dr D
a late-life sax beginner but longtime professional touring musician.
Very interesting Jamie- I just started up with a new instructor and he is teaching me long tones. To a point I understand how it will help but after see this video I know not to push it too too far. You lesson of going in and out of notes is also very beneficial of hearing myself going in and out of notes. I’m
Looking into what link you shared. Thank you!!
You are right as always Jamie, love your playing, totally sound like Tim Copolla and Clarens Clemens, love your energy.
Thanks again for yet another great video on a fundamental practice technique. I’d also encourage folks to check out the video where you demonstrate practicing overtones on just the mouthpiece and neck. I found that to be more difficult, but at the same time more fundamental since it eliminates variables of intonation of the body of the sax.
thank you for your work
I have never practiced long notes, I'm semi-self taught and when I started lessons, my teacher said: Wow, you sound like a pro!
Thanks for confirming I was not wrong!
I Like Your advice to corespond between listening to models, performing and hearing
Great video thank you
I...don't...know... I love you Jamie, and I'll keep an open mind, but... initially, I can't agree, for two reasons. First, I don't practice long tones much at all. Secondly, despite being a gigging musician for most of fifty years with a big sound and a good embouchure, sometimes my chops are just weak. Yes, I can play about anything I need to for as long as it's needed, but if I move the mouthpiece position even slightly in or out when practicing, or hold long tones after not having practiced for a couple of days, I am a hemidemisemiquavering mess! I feel that while we do need a relaxed, 'goldfish embouchure,' there's a necessary strength behind that. All this said, I do detest doing long tones, and I'll certainly keep this under advisement!
every word - true!!
I would add reed selection to the list for improving tone. Reeds are in constant flux. The day of the gig I spend or waste time comparing my best reeds. At the moment I have 5 reed holders with 4 reeds each. I test the reeds after soaking them and making sure there is no wave with reed tips.
I resort them putting my favourites in the first holder/case. Within reed case #1 I have the compartments numbered 1-4.
As I go through testing the reeds and resorting them by preference I will compare 2 reeds to get a bit more accuracy in ordering.
I limit my reed selection to 40 minutes. Reed placement on the mouthpiece alters results so try to develop consistency with this by having a repeatable method.
The object of picking a reed is not just finding a beautiful tone as one varies the tone for a given situation. I sound like Paul Desmond on a bad day but when necessary I play much coarser and agressive.
I find that testing my reeds on the day is good. When get to the gig that reed is ready to go. Many times it is difficult to test reeds at the gig.
I
I'd be happy to get a tone. Right now I can hold my own in a conversation with some Canada Geese. Although it's kinda cool in a way, I'm going for a different result.
been strugging with my tone, This will be a great help, i suppose long tones done right are good, but i always thought that my tone would improve on its own, if i did long tones. hours and hours lost due to bad practice of long tones.
Long tones aren't necessary to build endurance.
I never bothered with long tones, but... I started taking tenor lessons from someone who's playing I considered a considerable step up from mine, and thought I could learn from him. He started out expecting me to do long tones ad naseum, but was surprised to find out I could do much longer perfect tones than him.
Hence,
I went back to learning on my own. 😂
I added your overtone 'mothership' to my beginner practice routine and it definitely delivered more progress in a few days of doing that than a few weeks of normal long tones. I think there's one other big benefit you don't spell out in this video, which is that it trains you to adjust by ear (referencing vs the tuning and fatness of the overtone) instead of by eye (referencing your tuner). my tone's got a fair bit richer I think, although, when it comes to the 'try and match the sound of a top player' part, I tried playing along to king curtis and oh dear, it's like he's playing a completely different instrument :( i mean....in fairness to myself he WAS playing a different instrument (tenor vs alto) but even notwithstanding that.... I picked a tune with no altissimo at all cos I havent got there yet and whoops when I actually transcribe it does have loads of altissimo it's just he sounds so fat and warm I hadn't pegged it as such! oh well, he's not the king for no reason
longtones helps you to play a long steady pitch, that's it, do the things with your embouchure, and have an amazing sound with the right pitch
So happy what you said about long tones😅. I don't like to practice it, I prefer overtones as you also said. Even Leo P said in a online workshop he hates it and practices long tones only 5 min. He combines it with extreme dynamics...
By the way at 13 min 20 sec in your video it is a part of Improvisation Mastery 🤔🙊.
You've been playing saxophone for 37 years? That's how long I've been doing judo. Age 5 is kind of young to start playing the saxophone, though, isn't it? I've found that doing long tones eats up a lot of valuable time. I like doing drone training. Yes, it is kind of meditative, too. I found this video to be full of loads of helpful information. Thanks for posting it.
Not the main point of this video, but of all the many mistakes I've made playing the saxophone one was avoiding Transcription, or "Transcribe". I thought it literally meant sit with your music-stave paper and write something down. So I never did it. Eventually, playing in a band that played songs from the 50's-60's, after a while I thought to listen to what the original sax-player played and learn that, and it was a lesson each time. But I didn't write anything down, I'm not a good reader, I just learned it. I recommend that, because even if you don't reproduce it verbatim those guys were good and you learn something! I'm also practicing overtones...
Great video! From one topic to another, I'm curious about your setup. What type of mouthpiece, ligature and reed are you currently playing on tenor?
Good stuff. It's also good you added the P.S. at the end, because long tones can be a help in the proper context. By the way, was that a "Better Sax" tenor you had today?
Thanks. Yeh it is!
How does he know I stare at Tonal's smiley face???
I play a bit sharp no matter how relaxed a play and how far back my mouthpiece is. Interesting enough, I played with a different mouthpiece (low baffle) and I'm more in tune. Any suggestion? Thank you.
Do you make large adjustments to your embochure and voicing between alto and tenor? My alto embouchure is somewhat more focused and disciplined (but not tighter), while using a "sloppy chops" approach to tenor seems to make my tenor sound come to life. This has been my experience, but I would appreciate your thoughts.
That is the main problem that every sax player lay in
Yes!!!!! I have a mk vii and I have to fight it to play in tune. Its previous owner had it serviced WEEKLY trying to win the battle (and gave up and bought a yani.) I now have both of them (sentimental) and I keep battling the Selmer. This is the true definition of insanity 😂
Very good video brought in an inspiring way. Well done Sir.🙂
why do I practice long tones i'm using circular breating a lot then you need long tone exercises another reason for long tones is to train the lungs and a third is with long tones I can hear mistakes and weaknesses in my tone but I don't ONLY practice long tones
What I really like actually, is to do long tone... of overtone :D
no vsauce music at the start is actually criminal
If anyone's rolling their bottom lip over THAT much on a clarinet embouchure, they're doing clarinet embouchure wrong 😂
I practice long overtones just with mouthpiece and the neck.
Some people say they practice only long tones. Everyone has a tip on how they practice🙄🎶🎵🎷 Do what you feel☮️
Is it a “Better sax”?
It is indeed
first of ALL trainings we MUST to be sure oud instrument is in FINE, not only good, but FINE! condition. otherwise all our efforts will not give us any good mode and any well-feeling results.
Weird to see you hugging something other than your MK IV.
Ummmm you said "bollocks" . 😅
I've never played long tones for practice. Complete waste of my time.