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overtones: what are they, why important?

2K views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  BlueNote 
#1 ·
hey folks,
are overtones when you (for example) finger a low b and strive for middle b tone, low c and strive for middle c, etc ? i ask because i see overtones are discussed a lot on the forum and it seems like people are referring to much more than just simply fingering one note while sounding another.

after conducting a search i could not find a thread on explaining what overtones are and why they are important to sax playing. is it because they teach you how to use muscles in your throat/mouth to achieve a tone vice just fingering? how does they apply when playing a song? thanks.
 
#2 ·
litespeed said:
hey folks,
are overtones when you (for example) finger a low b and strive for middle b tone, low c and strive for middle c, etc ? i ask because i see overtones are discussed a lot on the forum and it seems like people are referring to much more than just simply fingering one note while sounding another.
Yes, playing overtones you'd finger for example low Bb and sound middle Bb, and F, and the next Bb and so on.
litespeed said:
after conducting a search i could not find a thread on explaining what overtones are and why they are important to sax playing. is it because they teach you how to use muscles in your throat/mouth to achieve a tone vice just fingering? how does they apply when playing a song? thanks.
It helps a LOT in learning altissimo. The reason being that while playing altissimo you're not merely fingering notes, you want to just sound the note, regardless of the fingering.
They also are great for developing your tone and even moreso, your ear. You have to actually think about the pitch you want to play and sound it in your head.
Overtones aren't generally used in songs; they are an exercise to help you grow as a player.
 
#3 ·
BJ pretty much covered it.

It forces you to use your ears more than anything. One could simply play a high F with the octave key, but it's much more beneficial to be able to play that note from a completely different note. The higher you go, the closer the intervals become.

Overtones are a typical saxophonist's warmup exercise, just like scales. Even if you don't plan on using the altissimo register, still do them, because it will open up your ears a lot. It also makes you think about intonation between the notes. Just because you play a low C and then a high C doesn't mean they are both in tune. Listen for the pitches, and try to make it sound exactly the same.

Be familiar with how the saxophone works. There is always something new to learn about your instrument.
 
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