Tone Studies

Saxophone Stability and Flexibility Exercises Dr. Mark Watkins Brigham Young University–Idaho

"A" Octave-Key Exercise

œ

& œ

œ

œ

œ

œ

œ

œ

Mouthpiece Pitch

w

w

Soprano

(Instructor or another student depresses octave-key.)

&

(˙)

low Bb fingering

œ

bw

œ

œ

œ

œ

w

Tenor

Baritone

(w/o side E key)

œ œ œ œ #œ œ bœ nœ œ bœ œ œ n œ œ œ

œ

Mouthpiece Wedge

(w )

play low G

œ

œ

w

(Instructor or another student depresses left-hand keys.)

Low G Exercise

&

œ

#w

Alto

High Register Tone

Low Note Tone

˙

w

w

lower jaw until note disappears, keep blowing

raise jaw until note resumes

w

¿

w

¿

tone

air

tone

air

etc.

While blowing, pull mouthpiece in and out of embouchure. Keep embouchure stable, no collapse, no movement. Tone resumes with only a slight wedge.

Low Note Long Tone Intervals

Play slowly at F to f dynamic level. Practice beginning notes with air only. Start each measure separately. Repeat exercise with tonguing. Minor Seconds: , simile , ,

& w #w w w #w nw #w nw w w w w w bw n w bw bw w w w w w #w w #w n w #w nw w w w w w bw nw bw bw Major Seconds:

Minor Thirds:

& w w # w # w w n w w b w n w w w b w bw# w w w w # w # w n w w w w #w bw bw w w w w w#w bw w bw n w w bw Major Thirds:

& bw w w w bw bw w w w w bw w bw bw #w #w w nw w bw w w w bw #w w nw w bw #w #w Perfect Fourths:

& w w #w #w nw w w w bw bw w w #w w w bw & bw

Tri-Tones:

#w

w

w

&bw w w bw

#w w

w bw

w

w #w #w nw w w w w w bw

bw

Major Sixth:

w

#w

w

w

bw

w #w #w bw

w

bw

#w #w #w w nw w w w w bw bw Minor Sixths:

Perfect Fifths:

w

w w bw

bw w

w w

#w bw

w w

w #w

bw w

w

w #w w bw

Tone Matching Long Tones Start on the best sounding note of the practice session (this may vary). Bring this tone with you as you proceed.

& &

˙

#œ

#œ

˙

#œ

n˙

#œ

U˙

#œ

n˙

nU˙

#œ

b˙

œ œ

b˙

œ œ

˙

bU˙

continue up to high F or F#

U˙

continue down to low Bb

œ œ

˙

(expand exercise to larger intervals: M2, m3, M3, P4, etc.)

Octave Slurs

& œ

œ

œ

œ

œ

œ

œ

œ

bœ

˙

bœ

œ

œ

œ

œ

œ

œ

˙

#œ

continue chromatically up to C#

#œ

œ

œ

œ

œ

œ

œ

˙

Mouthpiece Pitch Pivot

w bw nw w w #w w nw w w w bw w w w w w w w w # w n w w b w w & (mouthpiece pitches: soprano = C, alto = A (as above), tenor = F# , baritone = D)

Palm-Key Note Bending

&

œ #œ œ (#œ )

œ nœ œ ( œ )

œ

œ œ (œ )

œ bœ œ ( bœ )

œ œ œ œ ( )

˙

Ó

Use D fingering for notes in parenthesis. Low note: soprano = Ab, alto = A (as above), tenor = Bb, Baritone = B.

D Pivot

, bœ bœ œ #œ œ n œ œ n œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ bœ œ n œ œ œ œ œ œ œ & œ #œ

All notes should be slurred.

(keep checking D for intonation)

&

œ

œ

œ

œ

œ

œ

œ

œ

#œ

œ

œ

bœ

œ

œ

, bœ œ œ œ

œ

bœ

œ

nœ

œ

œ

œ

œ

œ

œ

œ

#œ

œ

œ

bœ

G Pivot All notes should be slurred.

& œ bœ

œ nœ

œ #œ

œ bœ

œ nœ

œ

(tenors should keep checking G for intonation)

& œ

œ

œ

œ

œ

bœ

œ

œ

œ

nœ

œ

bœ

œ

(Pivot exercises can be done on every not of the instrument.)

œ

œ nœ œ

œ

œ bœ œ

œ

œ

œ #œ

œ

œ œ

œ bœ

œ œ

œ

œ

œ

#œ

Overtones: Pitch Matching

w

Match intonation.

& b w (b w )

(w )

(finger low Bb)

w

b w (b w )

(low Bb)

w

(w )

(low Bb)

(low Bb)

bw (bw )

b w (b w )

(w) (low Bb)

(low Bb)

(low Bb)

Repeat exercise with low B, C, C#, and D fingerings (modulate accordingly).

Overtones: Bugle Calls Use low Bb fingering.

&

œ . œ b˙ .

˙. œ. œ

˙ œ. œ .

œ œ ˙. œ. œ œ. œ œ. œ

œ. œ ˙.

œ. œ ˙.

Œ

Repeat exercise with low B, C, C#, and D fingerings (modulate accordingly). One can also use other bugle calls.

Underblowing Play with octave-key on.

(palm-key)

& œ bœ n œ œ #œ œ bœ nœ bœ nœ œ #œ œ œ nœ œ bœ œ bœ œ œ n œ œ bœ œ

Overblowing

bœ œ œ bœ nœ bœ nœ œ œ #œ œ #œ œ œ œ bœ nœ bœ nœ bœ nœ œ # œ œ # œ œ # œ œ œ bœ nœ œ # œ &

Play with octave-key off.

C# Exercise play C#

maintain C# while fingering notes within this range (fingering "B" alone will change the pitch)

#w

&

œ

œ

Vowels Envision, form the following vowels while playing various ranges.

& 1. i ( e )

6. a ( ah –as in "say ah", wide mouth, harsh sound)

2. I ( i )

7. u ( u –"oo")

3. e ( a ) 4.

8.

(e)

5. æ ( a )

( u –as in "book")

Fingering:

&

#œ C#

#œ

œ D

16.

( as in "sudden")

17.

13. Y ( i –mid tongue, French)

18.

(as in "picture")

19.

( as in "learn")

20.

( as in "learn" with less "r")

15. œ ( e –mid tongue, French)

( aw )

Altissimo: 6ths

( ahw –but not as harsh as #6)

12. y ( e –mid tongue, French) 14. ø ( a –mid tongue, French)

9. o ( o ) 10.

11.

œ

œ

end soprano

bœ

Eb

nœ E

#œ

œ F

œ

#œ F#

#œ

Altissimo: 9ths

√

Fingering:

& #œ

#œ #œ

œ

C#

œ

œ

bœ

D

œ

œ

Eb

#œ #œ

œ E

œ

œ

œ

#œ #œ

#œ

F

F#

Altissimo: Overtones

Fingering:

&

√ œ

œ

œ

œ

Bb

#œ

#œ

#œ

#œ

B

œ

œ

#œ

C

œ

bœ

œ

œ

Db

Aural Concept Listening Classical: Eugene Rousseau Donald Sinta Harvey Pittel Fred Hemke Marcel Mule Debra Richtmeyer Ottis Murphy

Sigard Rascher Russ Peterson Tom Walsh Paul Bro Kenneth Tse Roland D. Dowdy III

James Houlik Mark Watters Tim McAllister Joe Lullof Claude Delangle Robert Faub

Alto

Tenor

Bari

Johnny Hodges Charlie Parker Sonny Stitt Paul Desmond Cannonball Adderley Phil Woods David Sanborn Kenny Garrett Eric Marienthal

Lester Young Coleman Hawkins Dexter Gordon Sonny Stitt Stan Getz John Coltrane Sonny Rollins Wayne Shorter Bob Berg Michael Brecker Bob Mintzer Joshua Redman Ed Calle Joe Lavano Igor Buttman

Harry Carney Gerry Mulligan Pepper Adams Serge Chaloff Sahib Shihab Denis DiBlasio

Listening Jazz:

Jen Ives Formeau Daniel Deffayet George Wolfe James Umble Michael Jacobson Andy Wen

John Bleuel Gregory W. Yasinitsky David Demsey Michael Hester Preston Duncan François Daneels

bœ