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How to improve tone in 3-4 weeks?

4K views 25 replies 21 participants last post by  SchlockRod 
#1 ·
Hey guys. My tone isn't bad right now, it's decent towards the good spectrum. I just want to make it as great as possible before my Jazz course starts in 4 weeks. What would you guys recommend to better my tone in that time? I plan on buying a new mouthpiece with my next paycheck in the coming week, so that should hel[ some. Besides that, what do you guys recommend?
 
#3 ·
If OP has a bad tone he probably has no idea on how to do overtones too.

I had someone with a crappy tone telling me that he was squeaking overtones before he could produce a decent tone. Not a good idea!

Play a lot, build embouchure and improve breath support which is the most important thing that any beginner always lacks.

Persevere.
 
#4 ·
+1 for the Rascher if you focus on the first pages instead of rushing to the altissimo! He has a very interesting chapter about building inner tone, I wish I had found the book sooner. If you dig a little it's availaible online on pdf.

Milandro is right about playing as much as possible everyday, but there are a few more specific exercises you could do also:

long tones: I don't get why people find them boring, they're only boring if you treat them like a chore! It forces you to find a comfortable way to play and to enjoy your sound. Then you can see what effects little tweaks of the throat and embouchure have on the tone. You can practice circular breathing, dynamic levels, crescendi/diminuendi, getting fat low register, getting clear high register, working to get an even tone thorough the whole ranger. Focus on one thing at the time, don't be obsessed with playing every single note each session, but don't neglect any either, focus on just getting it 'right' each time.

playing the higher octave without using the octave key (don't bite! at all or it's just detrimental to your embouchure, it's not a problem if you don't get the whole range at first)
playing the lower octave with the octave key pressed (it forces you to have air support and control and gives you a very robust sound quick, don't overdo it though)
Those two are great if done correctly, but are dangerous if not: don't bite, don't force and it'll help a lot. The second one is a bit dangerous if you force. Do it just a little and very calmly and methodically.

Meditation and yoga on deep breathing: this helps a lot if you're serious about it, you can practice it anywhere, which is a bonus. Good breathing is paramount! Meditations also helps improve focus and attention, which is always helpful.

I'll also add that playing with other musicians and playing in public is beneficial and necessary! Playing in group teaches you to be flexible and focus on your environment, playing in public (it can be in the street, doesn't have to be a gig if you don't want to) doesn't allow for complacency and help you get the best out of you! It's often after a gig that the practice sessions really 'soak in' at least for me.

Also try to get a teacher to check on you even if it's just once a month or every 2 weeks. Find a guy with a good tone and tell him exactly what you're trying to do, it'll save you a lot of time!

Hope this helps even a little, good luck with the jazz course and enjoy your sax!
 
#6 ·
I teach even my beginner students the first couple of overtones (octave and 12th), any player should be able to hit these if they can hear the note first. There's no better way of learning to control the instrument with your embouchure and airstream in my very humble opinion.
 
#8 ·
Lots of good advice so far, especially playing long tones, but this stuff takes time. 3 to 4 weeks is a very short period of time for something like tone development. Take the jazz course and learn as much as you can from it, but don't expect anything to happen overnight. Certainly you can make some improvement in a few weeks, but most of this happens incrementally.

Getting a new mpc can result in dramatic tone change, depending on the mpc, but not necessarily an improvement right away. More likely you'll need time to adjust to a new mpc and it can actually set you back, temporarily. However, if you really need a better mpc by all means look for one.

Let me put it this way:

There are no instant fixes.

Sorry to be so blunt, but every time I see someone come on here wanting to master something in a couple of weeks that normally takes years, I have the same reaction.
 
#11 ·
and LISTEN while you practice.

If you've already been playing several years and you want to improve your tone NOW, then something has been missing. A couple dozen more posts here is not going to make a change. It's all been written before.

Go to jazz camp with a good mouthpiece, many good reeds, and your horn in good playing condition. Tell your instructor(s) that your tone is something you want to work on.
 
#12 ·
Unless you're convinced that there's something actually wrong with the mouthpiece you have, I'd be wary of the "new mouthpiece" route.

A new mouthpiece will make you sound different, but it won't improve your embouchure, air stream, mental concept, etc. I would be worried that, in getting a new piece, you might feel like you'd made a bunch of progress, but in reality you were just experiencing the novelty of hearing a different sound. And then a month later the novelty wears off and you decide you need a new mouthpiece, and then another new mouthpiece. And then this goes on for a few years and costs lots of money. And then eventually you realize that you have improve your embouchure, air stream, and mental concept.

How do I know this can happen? Don't ask.
 
#13 ·
You don't have much time, so the rules are different than in a long term situation. Play, play, play, and play some more. Play things that you love, and try to play them how you would love to hear them. Don't just press the keys to get some noise out of the horn: play with you heart, listening to each phrase, creating the tone you would love to hear: play to please yourself. Get your heart into it.

If you can't make the new mp sound better than your old one in a day then better get back to the old one. You can't afford the time to get lost in a quest to make a new mp work right now if it is not doing the trick in a good day of playing. You could confuse yourself and waste away a few days that you don't have.

Play in a way that makes you love what is coming out of your horn. And do it a LOT.
 
#16 ·
I think most got the wrong idea lmao. I have good tone, I just want to make it great...
In that case, you can't be in a hurry. It won't happen in 3 weeks. Maybe in 3 years if you work at it. But what I'm saying is to NOT worry about how long it takes. Instead concentrate on doing whatever it takes. The fact is, if you really care about your sound it will always be a work in progress.

I don't think anyone got the wrong idea; you've been given lots of great advice and ideas on this thread. Everything mentioned so far applies to improving your tone, whether or not it's already pretty good.
 
#17 ·
A few things that have helped me:

Play outdoors. You will automatically put more air through the horn and loosen up your chops.

Try a much lighter reed. It actually requires more air and embouchure control to do this well. Lighter reed offers a bigger range of tonal colors compared to harder reed. It's not comfortable for most though especially in respects to time and pitch.

Transcribe a solo. You'll get lost in the music and your tone will improve without any thoughts about it at all.

Best of luck with whatever you try.
 
#18 ·
Hi zacmann558, what do you mean exactly? what do you think needs improvement in your tone? When you play, do you sound like what you hear in your head? do you want it to be warmer, darker, brighter, bigger, more focused, more even in the different registers, fatter, lighter, more edgy, less edgy etc...?
 
#19 ·
Take a video of yourself playing, and make sure that your mouth is in focus. Post the video on YouTube, then post the link on this thread. Attempting to diagnose tone issues, with a very brief description, is like shooting from the hip at a moving target in a dark room while being blindfolded.
 
#26 ·
+++

+ also G and Bird Lives... they said listen to yo bad self. Good advice, but if you say you want to be more like Joe and Trane, get good recordings of your favorite examples of their playing, then get some more of their recordings, maybe ones you haven't yet heard, and spend every minute when you're not playing, listening to them. I mean LISTENING. As in get a good pair of headphones and close your eyes. Or a good pair of loudspeakers and turn off all the lights. At night...

and all the other stuff others said to do.
 
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