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TAMING PITCH IN THE
SAXOPHONE’S UPPER REGISTER
“ T by Neal Postma Are you
L
he saxophone is the easiest instrument to learn.” I have heard this
a thousand times, but I prefer, “The saxophone is the easiest instrument a teacher?
to play poorly.” Pitch in the high register of the instrument has a lot to
do with this—these notes are not particularly difficult to squeeze out,
but they are incredibly out of tune until tamed. Here are some tips to
help you tackle this problem with your students.
First, you must understand the problem. For an octave key to
function perfectly, it must be half the distance up the instrument from
the lowest tone hole closed. So for all notes using an octave key to play
perfectly in tune, we would need a separate octave vent for each note!
Our compromise is having two vents that help the most notes. If an
octave key is not in the right place, the note being played will be sharp. JOIN THE D’ADDARIO
So naturally, the upper register of the instrument tends to play sharp.
But this only applies if the saxophone is being played properly… EDUCATION
When I say properly, I mean using a developed embouchure
with the correct reed strength (this correlates with the mouthpiece tip, COLLECTIVE
but that is for another post!) A student playing on a stock mouthpiece
with a 2 or 2 ½ reed will have a hard time taking on the upper register
because the reeds are too soft to play above a B. The result will be a flat Get access to educational
pitch. As the student develops their embouchure and moves up to a 3
reed, they will find the high range much easier to control, but sharp. In resources, promotions, product
theory, there should be a time when their combination of reed strength testing opportunities, a dynamic
and embouchure development will be in perfect balance to play these
high notes in tune without having to think about it…but I have never profile page and more. Win gear
seen it. and other exclusive prizes!
For younger students trying to take on this upper range with softer
reeds, and an embouchure being developed in the process, have them Visit: www.daddario.com/dec
attempt to play “high in the sound.” I never say bite, but rather, keep
a very firm embouchure and a high tongue position. Unfortunately, if
the reeds are too soft and their embouchure too weak, the student will JOIN TODAY
likely never play these notes in tune. If the music is calling for a lot of
upper notes, the students should be in a place where they are ready to
move up in reed strength.
For students who are in a good place with their embouchure and
reeds, have them first understand how much flexibility is in the upper
notes. Have them work on bending the pitches as high and low as
they can,utilizing both embouchure and tongue manipulation. Most
high school students have the tendency to clamp down on these upper
notes—work with them to make sure that they can still produce a good
sound when playing deeper in the sound. They should spend some
time with a tuner to see just how far down they need to pull each pitch.
Then, of course, move them onto a tuning drone so they can train their
ears. They will likely need some guidance when they first start working
with these drones, a little assistance can go a long way!
Saxophonist and pedagogue NEAL POSTMA holds degrees from the University
of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (MM) and the University of Colorado
(BM) and is a currently a DMA Candidate at the University of South Carolina
where he serves as an Instructor of Music Appreciation. He is also on the faculty of
Claflin University teaching applied lessons on saxophone. As a concert saxophonist
Neal has performed across the United States, Europe and Asia. He has given recitals 29 Texas Bandmasters Association
Bandmasters Review • September 2017
at universities and various regional, national and international conferences.
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