great exercise!! any tips for getting that 3rd (and eventually the 4th) overtone sound out? also, is there any particular reason we always end on the base note?
As a proud owner of Total Tone Mastery, I can say this exercise is the real deal. I have only been playing for a little over a year and my tone continues to improve. It took me a few months to even be able to preform these exercises but now I do them daily.
As a beginner usualy I totaly get your video's but I don't understand this one. I thought an overtone was playing a low note and than try to make that sound like an octave higher but without changing your fingers. With only that as my knowledge of overtones I don't know what your doing here. Maybe it would be easier If your hands were showing in the video so I can both hear and see what your doing to understand it... What do you mean by "flip" after the low b? I love to work out on my tone so I would like to understand this.
Your fingers just play one of the 3 low notes, Bb,C,C#. You then use your oral cavity to manipulate the air stream to play the notes you are hearing without moving your fingers. These exercises teach you to get a more flexible oral cavity not have a static one, it’s the one exercise that will improve your tone and also help when you come to play altissimo notes. There are variations on this exercise to improve the tone of high notes that sound horrible when you are a beginner.
It also matters where your tongue is in your mouth - to get the low notes move your tongue to an ahhh position, middle harmonics a _ _ _ position and high notes an e _ _ _ position - this applies to normal notes and overtones/harmonics. For the middle exercise that Jamie is doing you move between the actual fingering and the bottom Bb fingering.
You've misunderstood the exercise @Ian Sim - you DO move your fingers. You alternate between the overtone with the low note fingering and the normal fingering for that pitch.
@@GetYourSaxTogether Thankyou. I get it now (I think). Only problem I get is that when I played the Bflat (with bis key) and than finger toow b flat, I get a different note. It's boy the same Bflat (biskey) but also not the low b flat. It's a good sounding tone but bot one of those two... Still doing something wrong I guess ...
Thanks Jamie, brilliantly explained. I have do this on and off for years having learned it from Dave Liebman's book on tone, but to see it done by someone else of your calibre is really helpful. It shows it is tricky but all about practise not performance - like a thing an athlete would do to build strength and control.
Hi Jamie, love these exercises - the upper register of my alto is sounding much better for it. A question, not just for tone production but for practice in general - I (only) have a tenor and an alto, how would suggest to best divide my time between the two in terms of practice?
Hi @Getyoursaxtogether. I’ve been doing this for years, it really works. You really have to concentrate on some of the overtones so they don’t drop out, some are on a knife edge. It’s also very useful when it’s foggy.🤪🤪 Will you be doing the other exercise next week where you sound the overtone with the Bb,C,C# and then flip your fingering to play the the note without altering anything in your oral cavity? This is more useful for getting a decent tone on those higher notes and teaches you where you need to position your oral cavity while playing them, as you switch there shouldn’t be and movement. P.S. I’m surprised at how many people don’t know about overtone exercises, which obviously means they haven’t been doing any. My advise to all these people is, find out what these exercises are and get doing them, these are THE most important exercise to improve tone and also get those rogue out of tune notes whipped into shape. Playing a scale on just the mouthpiece also is a similar exercise but a lot harder.
One of my greatest improvements came through playing major and minor scales following the circle of fourths/fifths sometimes and chromatically others. It took me like three years to memorize them all with little or no mistakes. It was also ver helpful to blow low notes without tonging from almost no sound to full blow and back to no sound but hearing only air come out, that really help me finding out the right embouchure for each note. Give it a try!
Hi Jamie....I started doing this exercise after you talked about it in some previous lesson (maybe on overtones generally) but I wasn't sure whether it was an exercise to help Altissimo playing or for general tone. I guess from this video the answer is "tone"! I notice you stopped at the 4th overtone but presumably there is value in going up further eg F, Ab and Bb on the low Bb and then the same on B, C and C#? Finally are overtone scales as good as an alternative? Thanks. Angus
Thank you very much for your advice, they are very helpful. Sorry about my English, I'm Spanish and I translate with the computer. When you do this exercise at no time do you move your fingers, you go up an octave with the embouchure looking for the next harmonic, right? It's a shame that you can't see your hands in the video. Thanks!!!
Thanks great tutorial. My problem is that nothing comes out above octave key C#. The C# is hit and miss and nothing from palm key D. Do I need to do anything different to achieve these overtones? Thanks
I don’t think I’m the only one to admit this is confusing. Do you keep your fingers in the low Bb position while blowing a middle Bb sound ? Then play a higher Bb with your fingers in the same position? I’ve watched this a few times and I’m still confused.
Hi Jamie I am a little confused to, and because we arent able to see your fingering it kind of leaves me guessing, are we trying to replicate the low B flat on the higher B flat fingering or get the low B flat to sound like the the middle be and B flat an otave higher? Just want to get this Mothership exercise correct. Many thanks
All saviours aside, can you put your lab coat back on and explain if overtones are for the larynx what sit ups are for the abs? Is that what's going on? Im not sure why or what exactly overtones do to make us improve tone.
Great exercise! After going back & forth between the bis Bb & the overtone Bb, the octave F & the overtone F, etc. it is very hard for me to play the low Bb without first playing low C, easing my way down to the low Bb. I am not sure if it my embouchure or a slight air leak. (I also can only do this exercise when the neighbors are out. Ha)
You’ll find dropping back down to the low notes can be tricky at first as your oral cavity becomes locked in the position of playing the higher note, you have to relax it again to be able to play the low note. You can’t do these exercises for very long at first as the muscles just aren’t use to all this exercise and you can even get a sore throat the next day from it but this is why it’s a regular exercise, it a way of building the muscle and getting oral dexterity.
thanks for another great tutorial. I am not familiar with overtones and would like to try. Silly question, what note do I finger? Do I finger the fundamental note and make larynx work for getting out a bis B or use corresponding fingering for each note? Thank you!
@@GetYourSaxTogether awesome video on overtones, thank you so much for taking the time to respond! Love your technique, the info is clearly presented in a more common language and is spiced up with memorable jokes ;-) Just my kind of teacher 😄
Jamie….I love everything you do, but I gave up just about the time that your dog started howling. I am sure it is an awesome exercise but in all honesty I am not that dedicated. It’s like when my mum said "eat this tripe (in milk and onion sauce) it’s really good for you" and I am like, err…no. It’s never going to happen. Also I have an Alaskan Malamute (big, big husky) He will howl the place down (or call the RSPCA). Hats off to anyone who has the commitment and dedication to do this every day. I think it is a brilliant video. It’s the first one I have ever seen which lets you know what dedication it takes to become Pro!
lol Nice comment! Actually, I performed the whole thing in real time to show that it's only 5-6 minutes in total. Not too much imho.Thanks for your support!
Great exercise Jamie! However for me it helps significantly when I play the "intended note" e.g. middle B flat first as the "real note" before I try to do the exercise, since only then I know where to "aim" at; because otherwise it's like shooting at a target without really realizing where the traget (note) is actually located ;-) (for you pros this is different I am aware..)
@@GetYourSaxTogether thanks Jamie , highly appreciated your feedback; don’t want to interfere further with your time schedule but: is there anywhere on your website (paid or free) a section about higher notes (i.e. g, a , c, d in the upper register, i.e not altissimo); because in your videos your promote to use lots! of air while playing. if I try to do this with these notes they really sound ugly, I.e more ugly than my usual notes..;-) „Subtoning“ them would be a possibility but not in the higher range I guess? If not on your website already maybe a topic for a future video?;-) kind regards and keep up your inspiring work!
Thanks Jamie , another super lesson . I'm struggling getting that 4th overtone though ( any advice ? ) . I think doing this exercise daily will also help with getting the kids up in the morning and ready for school . So , two birds with one stone .
Close Encounters of the Third kind, but the aliens are drunk 😆 . I'm joking!! It's a really useful exercise, but it sure gets sone feedback from the household 😊
I know this is extremely important but sure looks like it puts one heck of a violent workout on the lips and I also fear my neighbors are going to have the police kick in my doors searching for probable cause that a cat maybe getting a beating by a siren after they hear me play this new excercise...Yeeikes!
Thanks so much, Jamie. Been playing sax for about 3 months now and I've only just begun practicing this exercise. I've already noticed tonal improvements...
I'm half way through my fourth month of playing the saxophone. As of now, I can only go one octave above the fundamental tone but do practice this every day. Should I be pushing myself to get the higher overtones or will it kind of just happen naturally?
No big hurry at this point - the most important thing is to learn how to get the overtones but voicing them in your throat and mouth and not pinching up on the Reed.
@@GetYourSaxTogether Of course that was just a joke as to what the answer to the most important exercise would be in another category. I do long tones and overtones every day, but your exercises are a leap forward.
What's the point of overtones any way? Is it just so much cooler not to move your fingers or is it the goal to add all these in every note you play adding fullness. It's tough enough trying to play one note well. On another tangent. I always struggle with low notes. Everything is good till low C, so all the table keys. Seems small leaks may be the case but I struggled with it on alto and got confident. Now trying tenor and it just seems to need even more air. Gonna take it to the shop but it can take a month to get it back. Had some luck moisturizing dry pads and cleaning and oiling it but not ez to go B-C#-B. Nailing B flat,B or C# at the end of long passages. Hitting the low notes at times causes a collapse in the air column. Other times I can get it. Trying different depth of mouthpiece past lips,tighter looser,lips,Reed position, mouthpiece angles on neck and they all do something but it's getting to be like black magic. I don't see leaks using a light in the closet. Any tips on low notes?
I know, it can be confusing. Watch this for more detailed info on overtones th-cam.com/video/0ueHJw-dIvQ/w-d-xo.html (start at 5:38.) Re low notes, it’s all in my total tone mastery course, but can’t say it all in a comment I’m afraid.
I really appreciate your tips! I'd like it best if you really knew Jesus Christ as your savior rather than a name you use in a casual way with a dog in the background.
![เปิดบ้าน พี่ตูน Bodyslam หลังใหม่คนแรก ที่ภูเก็ต l [Nickynachat]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/flFwcmyDQSk/mqdefault.jpg)
Get your FREE PDF sheet music for the exercise here www.getyoursaxtogether.com/mothership
Joe Allard used to teach something similar to this. The "Pedagogy" section of the website dedicated to him is pure gold.
My neighbors will love this😂 Thanks again for the great videos and exercises.
Yeh, the perennial problem! 😬
Thanks Jamie
Thank you! 🙏🏻
Great lesson! 👍
Thank you Patrick!
Thanks! Are you using the tongue, when you flip to the overtone. It’s much easier when one uses the tongue.
Yeh, you can do that if you want. Eventually try not to though. 👍🏻
great exercise!! any tips for getting that 3rd (and eventually the 4th) overtone sound out? also, is there any particular reason we always end on the base note?
Check out this Overtones video> th-cam.com/video/QubznBjAWDI/w-d-xo.html
As a proud owner of Total Tone Mastery, I can say this exercise is the real deal. I have only been playing for a little over a year and my tone continues to improve. It took me a few months to even be able to preform these exercises but now I do them daily.
That’s awesome Josh! 👌🏻
Deep dark saxophone magic!! Thank you
Anytime!
As a beginner usualy I totaly get your video's but I don't understand this one. I thought an overtone was playing a low note and than try to make that sound like an octave higher but without changing your fingers. With only that as my knowledge of overtones I don't know what your doing here. Maybe it would be easier If your hands were showing in the video so I can both hear and see what your doing to understand it...
What do you mean by "flip" after the low b? I love to work out on my tone so I would like to understand this.
Your fingers just play one of the 3 low notes, Bb,C,C#. You then use your oral cavity to manipulate the air stream to play the notes you are hearing without moving your fingers. These exercises teach you to get a more flexible oral cavity not have a static one, it’s the one exercise that will improve your tone and also help when you come to play altissimo notes. There are variations on this exercise to improve the tone of high notes that sound horrible when you are a beginner.
It also matters where your tongue is in your mouth - to get the low notes move your tongue to an ahhh position, middle harmonics a _ _ _ position and high notes an e _ _ _ position - this applies to normal notes and overtones/harmonics. For the middle exercise that Jamie is doing you move between the actual fingering and the bottom Bb fingering.
You've misunderstood the exercise @Ian Sim - you DO move your fingers. You alternate between the overtone with the low note fingering and the normal fingering for that pitch.
Full details here (start 5 and a half minutes in) th-cam.com/video/0ueHJw-dIvQ/w-d-xo.html
@@GetYourSaxTogether Thankyou. I get it now (I think). Only problem I get is that when I played the Bflat (with bis key) and than finger toow b flat, I get a different note. It's boy the same Bflat (biskey) but also not the low b flat. It's a good sounding tone but bot one of those two... Still doing something wrong I guess ...
Thanks Jamie, brilliantly explained. I have do this on and off for years having learned it from Dave Liebman's book on tone, but to see it done by someone else of your calibre is really helpful. It shows it is tricky but all about practise not performance - like a thing an athlete would do to build strength and control.
For sure. Great comment. And yes, I learned it from Lieb.
Hi Jamie, love these exercises - the upper register of my alto is sounding much better for it. A question, not just for tone production but for practice in general - I (only) have a tenor and an alto, how would suggest to best divide my time between the two in terms of practice?
If I were you I’d just focus on one for a while. Even for a pro it’s quite hard to juggle between different horns. Get to know one really well first.
Hi @Getyoursaxtogether. I’ve been doing this for years, it really works. You really have to concentrate on some of the overtones so they don’t drop out, some are on a knife edge. It’s also very useful when it’s foggy.🤪🤪
Will you be doing the other exercise next week where you sound the overtone with the Bb,C,C# and then flip your fingering to play the the note without altering anything in your oral cavity? This is more useful for getting a decent tone on those higher notes and teaches you where you need to position your oral cavity while playing them, as you switch there shouldn’t be and movement.
P.S. I’m surprised at how many people don’t know about overtone exercises, which obviously means they haven’t been doing any.
My advise to all these people is, find out what these exercises are and get doing them, these are THE most important exercise to improve tone and also get those rogue out of tune notes whipped into shape.
Playing a scale on just the mouthpiece also is a similar exercise but a lot harder.
Yup, OTs are a vital exercise!
Finally got myself a tutor boss, he currently has me running scales and long tones, daily.
One of my greatest improvements came through playing major and minor scales following the circle of fourths/fifths sometimes and chromatically others. It took me like three years to memorize them all with little or no mistakes. It was also ver helpful to blow low notes without tonging from almost no sound to full blow and back to no sound but hearing only air come out, that really help me finding out the right embouchure for each note. Give it a try!
Cool!
A verry thank you from Germany and a happy new year for you and your Family
Same to you!
Great exercise Jamie. Hard part I find is slurring down from the first overtone to the root, I suppose it’s cheating to use a little tonguing🥴
Yeah that can be sticky.
Hi Jamie....I started doing this exercise after you talked about it in some previous lesson (maybe on overtones generally) but I wasn't sure whether it was an exercise to help Altissimo playing or for general tone. I guess from this video the answer is "tone"!
I notice you stopped at the 4th overtone but presumably there is value in going up further eg F, Ab and Bb on the low Bb and then the same on B, C and C#?
Finally are overtone scales as good as an alternative? Thanks. Angus
It all helps for altissimo as well 😊
Very wonderful, thank you for your quality and dedication
Our pleasure!
so its basicaly the ability to finger octave lower than what you are sounding ?
Thanks for the comment!
Thank you very much for your advice, they are very helpful.
Sorry about my English, I'm Spanish and I translate with the computer.
When you do this exercise at no time do you move your fingers, you go up an octave with the embouchure looking for the next harmonic, right?
It's a shame that you can't see your hands in the video.
Thanks!!!
That’s right. But you mostly change your larynx not really your embouchure.
Thanks great tutorial. My problem is that nothing comes out above octave key C#. The C# is hit and miss and nothing from palm key D. Do I need to do anything different to achieve these overtones? Thanks
Yeh, one of these things that’s impossible to diagnose by TH-cam comment I’m afraid 😳
I learned this exercise either at Uni or Conservatory, it’s the real deal and it’s more fun than straight long tones.
Good stuff!
I am struggling to get my first High Bb note, any suggestions to get it? thank you.
See if this helps: th-cam.com/video/kURzx_fZ6Ho/w-d-xo.html or this: th-cam.com/video/TaWU53PWEjY/w-d-xo.html
Good luck!
I don’t think I’m the only one to admit this is confusing. Do you keep your fingers in the low Bb position while blowing a middle Bb sound ? Then play a higher Bb with your fingers in the same position? I’ve watched this a few times and I’m still confused.
I know, it can be confusing. Watch this for more detailed info th-cam.com/video/0ueHJw-dIvQ/w-d-xo.html (start at 5:38.)
Hi Jamie I am a little confused to, and because we arent able to see your fingering it kind of leaves me guessing, are we trying to replicate the low B flat on the higher B flat fingering or get the low B flat to sound like the the middle be and B flat an otave higher?
Just want to get this Mothership exercise correct.
Many thanks
I know, it can be confusing. Watch this for more detailed info th-cam.com/video/0ueHJw-dIvQ/w-d-xo.html (start at 5:38.)
All saviours aside, can you put your lab coat back on and explain if overtones are for the larynx what sit ups are for the abs? Is that what's going on? Im not sure why or what exactly overtones do to make us improve tone.
All in my Total Tone Mastery course!
@@GetYourSaxTogether 👍
This is a great exercise . Thanks .
Thanks 🙏🏻
Great exercise! After going back & forth between the bis Bb & the overtone Bb, the octave F & the overtone F, etc. it is very hard for me to play the low Bb without first playing low C, easing my way down to the low Bb. I am not sure if it my embouchure or a slight air leak. (I also can only do this exercise when the neighbors are out. Ha)
You’ll find dropping back down to the low notes can be tricky at first as your oral cavity becomes locked in the position of playing the higher note, you have to relax it again to be able to play the low note. You can’t do these exercises for very long at first as the muscles just aren’t use to all this exercise and you can even get a sore throat the next day from it but this is why it’s a regular exercise, it a way of building the muscle and getting oral dexterity.
Thanks rob!
@@GetYourSaxTogether I realized the difficulty with going back to the low note after playing the overtones; I was trying to play subtones.
Can you please do these for the tenor saxophone?
I did! It's literally on the video lol
Great tip and great video. For some reason, I can't get to the D6 overtone. I've been trying for months but nothing yet :(
You can do it!
Super lesson.. Thanks a million Jamie 👍👍👍
You’re welcome ☺️
My dog howls at all my playing 😂
🐕
thanks for another great tutorial. I am not familiar with overtones and would like to try. Silly question, what note do I finger? Do I finger the fundamental note and make larynx work for getting out a bis B or use corresponding fingering for each note? Thank you!
I know, it can be confusing. Watch this for more detailed info th-cam.com/video/0ueHJw-dIvQ/w-d-xo.html (start at 5:38.)
@@GetYourSaxTogether awesome video on overtones, thank you so much for taking the time to respond! Love your technique, the info is clearly presented in a more common language and is spiced up with memorable jokes ;-) Just my kind of teacher 😄
@@sbooontheroad 😎
Jamie….I love everything you do, but I gave up just about the time that your dog started howling. I am sure it is an awesome exercise but in all honesty I am not that dedicated. It’s like when my mum said "eat this tripe (in milk and onion sauce) it’s really good for you" and I am like, err…no. It’s never going to happen. Also I have an Alaskan Malamute (big, big husky) He will howl the place down (or call the RSPCA). Hats off to anyone who has the commitment and dedication to do this every day. I think it is a brilliant video. It’s the first one I have ever seen which lets you know what dedication it takes to become Pro!
lol Nice comment! Actually, I performed the whole thing in real time to show that it's only 5-6 minutes in total. Not too much imho.Thanks for your support!
This is terrific, thanks!
You're very welcome!
I wish I could see your fingers while you're doing this.
They aren’t doing anything, just playing that low note.
@@ian_s7481 I don't think you're right about that.
1:40...
Full details are here th-cam.com/video/0ueHJw-dIvQ/w-d-xo.html
Thank you.
It looks really hard to do, but l'll give it a go.
Good luck!
Hi Jamie, I love your exercise👍
Thank you! 😃
Great exercise Jamie! However for me it helps significantly when I play the "intended note" e.g. middle B flat first as the "real note" before I try to do the exercise, since only then I know where to "aim" at; because otherwise it's like shooting at a target without really realizing where the traget (note) is actually located ;-) (for you pros this is different I am aware..)
No, that’s a perfectly good stepping stone for the exercise. 👍🏻
@@GetYourSaxTogether thanks Jamie , highly appreciated your feedback; don’t want to interfere further with your time schedule but: is there anywhere on your website (paid or free) a section about higher notes (i.e. g, a , c, d in the upper register, i.e not altissimo); because in your videos your promote to use lots! of air while playing. if I try to do this with these notes they really sound ugly, I.e more ugly than my usual notes..;-) „Subtoning“ them would be a possibility but not in the higher range I guess? If not on your website already maybe a topic for a future video?;-) kind regards and keep up your inspiring work!
@@Hueho1 I don’t think I’ve got a specific video about that but it’s a good idea so watch this space!
Good contents!!!!Thank you!!!
You’re welcome ☺️
cansador , pero genial!!!
😎
Thanks Jamie , another super lesson . I'm struggling getting that 4th overtone though ( any advice ? ) . I think doing this exercise daily will also help with getting the kids up in the morning and ready for school . So , two birds with one stone .
🤣🤣 Love it!
lol. Go here for more info (start and 5 and a half mins) th-cam.com/video/0ueHJw-dIvQ/w-d-xo.html
Close Encounters of the Third kind, but the aliens are drunk 😆 . I'm joking!! It's a really useful exercise, but it sure gets sone feedback from the household 😊
For real!
I know this is extremely important but sure looks like it puts one heck of a violent workout on the lips and I also fear my neighbors are going to have the police kick in my doors searching for probable cause that a cat maybe getting a beating by a siren after they hear me play this new excercise...Yeeikes!
🤣
Yeh it kinda is like that.
Thanks so much, Jamie. Been playing sax for about 3 months now and I've only just begun practicing this exercise. I've already noticed tonal improvements...
Excellent, keep up the practice!
Ahhh I missed commenting first.
:-)
I'm half way through my fourth month of playing the saxophone. As of now, I can only go one octave above the fundamental tone but do practice this every day. Should I be pushing myself to get the higher overtones or will it kind of just happen naturally?
No big hurry at this point - the most important thing is to learn how to get the overtones but voicing them in your throat and mouth and not pinching up on the Reed.
Im musically dyslexic and find this way to confusing ...... obviously my problem and not your fault. Sounds so tedious
More details here (start at 5 mins 30 s) th-cam.com/video/0ueHJw-dIvQ/w-d-xo.html
Guess what I start every session with ? 😃😉🤫
Works amazingly…
Hope your backhand ripes down the line 🎾
Cheers Jamie
Ha! Actually, I’m more about the percentage shot cross court these days! 😉
@@GetYourSaxTogether good choice ! 😎🎾🙏🏻
It can't be that easy, you are turning red in the face😜
🤣
So is this the LOTR or mothership exercise?
You could call it either! 😀
does that include tenor and the other sax?
Yup!
I want to download this PDF how do I do it
Click this link: www.getyoursaxtogether.com/mothership and enter your email address. You will get an email with the link for the pdf. Thanks
First guess - squats?
ok....
@@GetYourSaxTogether Of course that was just a joke as to what the answer to the most important exercise would be in another category.
I do long tones and overtones every day, but your exercises are a leap forward.
What's the point of overtones any way?
Is it just so much cooler not to move your fingers or is it the goal to add all these in every note you play adding fullness.
It's tough enough trying to play one note well.
On another tangent.
I always struggle with low notes.
Everything is good till low C, so all the table keys.
Seems small leaks may be the case but I struggled with it on alto and got confident. Now trying tenor and it just seems to need even more air.
Gonna take it to the shop but it can take a month to get it back.
Had some luck moisturizing dry pads and cleaning and oiling it but not ez to go B-C#-B.
Nailing B flat,B or C# at the end of long passages. Hitting the low notes at times causes a collapse in the air column.
Other times I can get it.
Trying different depth of mouthpiece past lips,tighter looser,lips,Reed position, mouthpiece angles on neck and they all do something but it's getting to be like black magic.
I don't see leaks using a light in the closet.
Any tips on low notes?
I know, it can be confusing. Watch this for more detailed info on overtones th-cam.com/video/0ueHJw-dIvQ/w-d-xo.html (start at 5:38.)
Re low notes, it’s all in my total tone mastery course, but can’t say it all in a comment I’m afraid.
I really appreciate your tips! I'd like it best if you really knew Jesus Christ as your savior rather than a name you use in a casual way with a dog in the background.
Yikes. 😳