I initially learned overtones from Bob Reynolds. He in turn learned them from a book by Sigurd M. Rascher titled Top-Tones for the Saxophone. Even though I have been playing professionally off and on for over 50 years, playing the overtones starting at low Bb, B, C, C#, and D as long tones for 10 minutes every practice session, has improved my tone, embrouchure and altissimo. I practice 6 days a week for at least 2 hours sometimes more. If you want to sound good and be able to navigate the horn, you have to love your sound and be willing to put the work into it. Its worth it. Good info bro. Appreciate your video.
If you live or visit NYC, this should be your go to sax shop. I have personal experience working with John, and even early in his career as a tech, he has been conscientious and meticulous in his work. He now has the best place in NYC to buy a sax, new or vintage, sax accessories, and of course, have repairs and overhauls done. He is also a real player, so when he is working on your horn, or selling you a horn, it is from the perspective of someone who can play the instrument and knows what it should sound like and what it should feel like to play.
John, you are an inCREDible player. You don’t need stellar endorsers, NO one sounds better than you when you shred. You’re too self-deprecating. I agree, your embouchure looks effortless. Man, I can only get to the third partial! Scary to think that you’re also as good a tech and a nice guy!
Thanks for taking the time to explain and demonstrate the harmonic series.You are bang on the money.You have a naturally cool way of explaining things and it is clear that you are a serious player.Great work and thank you so much for your enthusiasm.
I have given up trying to produce a good sound. I have been very fortunate and uniquely placed in having some of the best instruments and mouthpieces at my disposal including, Zephr, Yamaha, Buescher, Conn , Selmer , Keilwerth , Courton etc etc and all that I have been able to produce is the Bombay Taxi Horn sound. So I have decided to concentrate exclusively on subtone playing. I have mastered the classical subtone with double lip embouchure as well as with the single lip embouchure on tenor and alto. I now intensely desire to be able to play jszz subtone on tenor and alto. Please do help me find suitable instructions or tutorials or pdfs or videos etc etc. Thanking you,
i like to warm up playing the star spangled banner using only overtones. my embouchure strengthened quickly when i started doing ot exercises. they really help throughout the entire range of the horn and to align yourself with the instrument.
Hey John, sounds great! I've worked a ton on harmonics, too! On that very horn, lol. :) I miss it. I found it easy to get lost in harmonics exercises and had to limit how much time I spent on them, but they're where it's at for getting control of your sound. Glad to see things are going well with the shop.
It’s just a coincidence that I saw this video today. You are from JL woodwinds repair from Manhattan. Only four five days back I think on 27 th my son has been to the JL woodwind shop in Newyork and bought packet of reeds ( French made) from your shop. I play tenor and I have got new reeds in strength 3 hope to play them soon. Thanks for the excercise.
I haven’t done overtones in a long time… proceeds to execute partials up to high E above palm key E from fundamental Bb. Don’t worry brother, I totally believe that you practiced overtones for hours in college.
Young man, I’ve had to come back and watch this again. I do everything wrong. Too much jaw pressure and I get exhausted in just a few minutes. It has to be said I’m in stage 4 kidney failure and am not what I used to be. Anyway I need to relearn my embouchure for comfort and stamina. How do I do this? I’m 63 and have been playing for 50 years.
Honestly, I think you can tell from the number of thumbs up that you didn't embarrass yourself at all. You put yourself out there, and that makes you authenticate no matter what. One thing that I struggle with is that I was told from a younger age that learning clarinet would help me with learning to play my first choice of instrument, which was the saxophone. I'm not sure what 'they' were thinking because the embouchure isn't the same. It's much tighter with the clarinet, and that's presented me with issues of producing proper tone and being able to get lower notes out. I can do the upper register just fine. It's just the lower notes that I struggle with, which I think is a combination of both embouchure and not producing enough air. I picked up an alto first but really wanted to pick up the tenor. I'm going to stop listening to other peoples' opinions of what I should do and in which order to do them.
Very good lesson! I startet with Sax six weeks ago but feel convinced that it is very helpful. Tried the same with different Brass Instruments like trumpet and it was helpful. Greetings from Germany!
A good book for daily practice is "Top tones for the saxophone" by S. Rascher. It can be downloaded from pws.npru.ac.th/silapachai/data/files/Book%20Etudes/Top%20Tones%20for%20the%20Saxophone.pdf
Your sound is incredible.............I know you´ve been asked this many many times, but please....could you please share what model of morgan mouthpiece you use on your tenor and alto?.......thanks!
I used to do that one. Now I have a new daily exercise. My emboucher is of the bottom-lip-out kind, _a la_ Joe Allard and just about every great jazz sax man. I build my lower lip muscles by playing as loosely, quietly, and steadily as I can. It's OK to get some whoosh or frying bacon sound because of playing so quietly, but there must be no warble, and keep it reasonably in tune. (Most people do not push the mouthpiece on far enough.) Do not tongue to start notes. Start with a full lungs-full of air play it all out, going up a half tone just as the air runs out. Start at low D. Repeat at Eb, E, etc. chromatically to second octave G. Don't hurt yourself. It will be extremely tiring at first.
Been playing guitar violin and bass for years. Picked up alto a few years ago just to open my eyes. This video is definitely an eye opener. Never knew this was possible.
I have been doing pitch isolation on the low Bb for about a month now and can comfortably go up to the second octave and play the overtones below in any order. How would you suggest I learn to play overtones as high as you show in the video. By the way, you have a beautiful tone! Perfect meaty brightness.
Yes I have practiced out of that book before! I admit I didn't fully follow everything he taught in it but it inspired to get started on overtones. And it reallyyyyyy helps
What part of the video did you not understand? I though he just explained it very well. It's about you controlling your sound rather than the your finders dictating what sound comes out of your sax. Anyone can blow into a sax and make a particular fingering note sound come out, even without any prior experience. But to make it sound the fullest you need to shape the embouchure to put all the energy on that precise note with intent. Practicing overtones teach to do that because they are harmonics of that original fingering. They won't come out unless you have this control.
I'm just getting back to playing the saxophone after a break of more than 10 years and I lost some of my overtones and altissimo. Thanks for this lesson I'm going to do it every day.
That was good you achieved a lot of notes on low bflat. What's your technique I cant get higher than 3 notes and my throat hurts . Maybe you can give me some pointers. Thanks man.
Very nice video! thank you so much for this but I would love to know what model of Morgan mouthpiece do you use, New York? Indiana? Florida? and what opening. Thanks!!!!!
Thanks for this! I've been trying to loosen my neck muscles, lower the chin, etc. which I'm making pretty good progress with but the position of the mouth on the mouthpiece just beyond the fulcrum was huge! Thank you very much!
I totally understand why overtones help develop a saxophone sound - however, I've never had any success with more than the 1st (octave) and 2nd (octave and a fifth) overtones. Any ideas where I can learn to play higher overtones with any success? Would this be related to why I struggle with G and G# altissimo?
I just started 'toying' around with a similar exercise. I enjoyed the video. Some very helpful tips. lol..Btw, thanks for the 'Peanuts' Christmas' selection ;)
Thanks so much for listening I play on a Ralph Morgan Excalibur 7M available at my sax shop, and I also play out on gigs a custom tenor that I designed and assemble myself which is also available
I was playing one fingering... low Bb. And I was was playing pitches that are all hidden within that note called over tones. All of those notes exist within the note.low Bb. When you blow into the instrument differently it brings out the other notes.
Hi can I ask what tip opening you have on your Ralph Morgan Excalibur? Also is it the "Max" or Florida Model? Love that exercise by the way. Also practiced a similar exercise when in college, way back when! Cheers
@@jlwoodwinds6394 Thanks a million for your reply. Can I ask, have you always played a tip opening as small as a 7? I only ask, as I know it was a common tip size back in the day but modern players have often used much larger, including myself. What’s the benefit of a smaller tip opening? Cheers
What's up John. My son plays alto sax in middle school a Yamaha Yas -26. I read one of your comments today "Reed strength you use will depend on your mouthpiece tip opening " He's using 1.5 on the standard mouthpiece is this correct ? thanks
Ben Wendel now plays on 1.5. Matching reed strength to mouthpiece is important for the sound type you want, but any strength reed can achieve overtones.
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