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Having problems with subtone

1K views 1 reply 2 participants last post by  milandro 
#1 ·
I hope this is the correct section to be posting this in.

I have recently been trying to develop my subtone to get a sound along the lines of Gene Ammons, or at least closer to that than I currently am. It's going pretty well so far, but it isn't as fuzzy as I would like yet, and once I get down to low D (tenor) and below, the note starts gurgling and sounds like I'm tonguing over and over again when in fact I'm not tonguing at all. Is this a common thing and something that I am doing wrong? Also, any tips to get as much subtone as possible? I already feel like I have my bottom lip pulled back as far as can be and my teacher says to keep working for more subtone, but I feel like I don't know how to get any more.

Thanks!
 
#2 ·
Welcome to SOTW.

it seems that you are doing most of what you should do but I think that you are lacking a little bit of breath support and possibly your reed might be too thick for the purpose. Try improving your breath support and go go 1/3 or 1/2 a size.

Soon you will ( if your horn is closing which needs doing well to do this right) go to Bb without problems. Incidentally, it is more difficult to subtone the high notes well than it is to subtone the lower ones.
 
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