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Chu Berry's sound

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#1 ·
Hello folks,
Some weeks ago I listened the first time to a recording of Chu Berry (Track: On the sunny side of the street and Stardust) and I was so touched from his sound that I decided to practice much to get a tone like him. I listened to this record also with my saxophone teacher and he told me to practice alot of long tones, vibrato and subtones. But he cant help me further at the moment because in music school there is at the moment vacation. My a current practice routine is I took my favorite standarts, make a stride piano playback (Piano is my main instrument) and try subtones and vibrato to sound Chu Berry like. My sound improved so much in this time and most of the time I practice more sax then piano at the moment which is absolutly unusual for me. That's why I want to know if anybody have some practice suggestions to reach my goal? Also I wanted to know if somebody know which mouthpiece and reed combination Chu Berry used or most likely was playing. I personally play Vandoren ZZ 3 and a Yamaha 6C. I often have the feeling that i can put more air in the horn then my mp allows me to. Maybe I should buy a new one but which will lead my sound in the right direction? Finally I have another question do you think that its nessesary to switch from Alto to Tenorsaxophone to achive my soundgoals? Latley I almost listen to Tenorsaxophonist like Chu Berry, Coleman Hawkins, Tex Beneke etc. this causes that I often have that feeling that iam wrong with the Alto. At last iam not anative english speaker I hope that I articulated myself clearly and understandable also I appreciate all constructive answers.

Best regards Bluenote94
 
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#3 ·
Also I wanted to know if somebody know which mouthpiece and reed combination Chu Berry used or most likely was playing.

I often have the feeling that i can put more air in the horn then my mp allows me to.

Finally I have another question do you think that its necessary to switch from Alto to Tenor saxophone to achieve my sound goals? Lately I almost listen to Tenor saxophonist like Chu Berry, Coleman Hawkins, Tex Beneke etc. this causes that I often have that feeling that iam wrong with the Alto.

At last I am not a native English speaker I hope that I articulated myself clearly and understandable also I appreciate all constructive answers.

Best regards Bluenote94
Your message is loud and clear, BlueNote94. You are drawn to the sound of the tenor sax. There are no substitutes - especially given the influences that you cite.

The comment regarding putting more air through the horn will also be answered by switching to tenor.

Tenor - It's all that matters (for me, and a great many others).
 
#4 ·
I love alto, I don't really warm up to playing tenor, though I periodically play to see if anything has changed. Some alto players sound as much or more like tenor players than some tenor players, but in this case, Chu Berry, on the songs you mention, well, you are going to have to play tenor to get that sound. That's a a sound that has tenor written all over it, period. Good luck achieving your goals, I think alto to tenor is easy, I would think tenor to alto would be much harder. Tenor is easier to get good intonation, so easy to blow too, if you have a good air supply. Have fun!
 
#11 ·
Hello folks,
Some weeks ago I listened the first time to a recording of Chu Berry (Track: On the sunny side of the street and Stardust) and I was so touched from his sound that I decided to practice much to get a tone like him. I listened to this record also with my saxophone teacher and he told me to practice alot of long tones, vibrato and subtones. But he cant help me further at the moment because in music school there is at the moment vacation. My a current practice routine is I took my favorite standarts, make a stride piano playback (Piano is my main instrument) and try subtones and vibrato to sound Chu Berry like. My sound improved so much in this time and most of the time I practice more sax then piano at the moment which is absolutly unusual for me. That's why I want to know if anybody have some practice suggestions to reach my goal? Also I wanted to know if somebody know which mouthpiece and reed combination Chu Berry used or most likely was playing. I personally play Vandoren ZZ 3 and a Yamaha 6C. I often have the feeling that i can put more air in the horn then my mp allows me to. Maybe I should buy a new one but which will lead my sound in the right direction? Finally I have another question do you think that its nessesary to switch from Alto to Tenorsaxophone to achive my soundgoals? Latley I almost listen to Tenorsaxophonist like Chu Berry, Coleman Hawkins, Tex Beneke etc. this causes that I often have that feeling that iam wrong with the Alto. At last iam not anative english speaker I hope that I articulated myself clearly and understandable also I appreciate all constructive answers.

Best regards Bluenote94
Sounds to me that you can't do or express what you want on Alto. You are probably discovering that the Tenor sound is more versatile than the Alto for lots of stuff. What's all the fuss...just get a Tenor.
 
#16 ·
Also check out Ben Webster. Oh, and be prepared to go against the grain. A lot of modern tenor players think that the heavy vibrato is "outdated". I personally think that it is a beautiful sound if it's done correctly. Now pick up a tenor and join the dark side. :twisted:
 
#17 ·
I guess your all right and its nessasary to switch from alto to tenor. I guessed this before but i think i needed some confirmation about my thoughts. Thanks to all of you for delivering. Two years ago I was a Bebopplayer and played quit modern this lead to the fact that it makes actually sense to play Alto and play Charlie Parker like Lines. But many thing changed in the last to years in my personal live and I guess I had to change myself musicaly and mentally. So I changed from Beboppiano playing to Swing Stride. Articulation and playing perfect on point become main goals instead of complex lines which are completely improvised. This lead to the situation I dont knew anymore what do to with the Alto. I have to go away from shredding scales up and down to playing wonderful, ornament melodies based on the melodie or abstraction of the melodie or the changes. And in my opinion the tenor is more viable for this goals. So I dont care how modern Tenorplayer play I want to make the sound happen which I have in my heard. I love heavy Vibrato, kitschy scopes and grolws how the old Saxophones uses in the Big Band Era. And thanks for the Link with the saxophones but I live in Germany and for me its not viable to buy a horn I cant touch and play before I will buy it. Moreover there is a really high risk with the shiping and taxing. I think I can afford a solid Tenor soon, I did very well in university latley maybe my parents will help me. They dont really like my flirtation with music but they unterstand how much it mean to me and how much I needed my musical compensation to perfom good in my way of studing chemistry. At last there is only one question in the room. Do you think Chu used hard or soft reeds and a opened or closed MPs?
Thankfully Bluenote
 
#19 ·
It is wonderful that yo have very advanced piano skill. If I could play stride I would listen to Ear Hines ( I do anyway). He has a sparkle that is palpable. You might want to get a "chu Berry" tenor. I play a fairly modern style on that type horn and it is , of course, the type horn Chu played. Joe Allard told me a long time ago that a mouthpiece size is like a shoe size. Coming from the alto yours might not be really big. And to get that deep sound like Chu and the Brute, you may want a very large chamber piece with an old Conn tenor. I find that my 253k serial number Conn transitional tenor from 1932 plays any style I can handle and the ergonomics now seem easier than my Mark VI. You sound like someone who will go back and forth in search of styles and influences. That is a good thing. Good luck on your journey.
 
#21 ·
From saxpics:


"Please note that the "Naked Lady" model can be broken down into:
Rolled tone hole models (1935 to 1947 -- generally regarded as the best horns)
Straight tone hole models (1948 to 1959)
Redesigned model with wire keyguards (1960 to 1971)
Same as above, but with sheet metal keyguards and different bell-to-body brace (1963 to 1971)"


The 10M body stayed pretty much the same though the run, if I got the story right. You may want to check up on this, because the sound you are looking for might be found in a horn 20 years newer than the Tatum days and (if money is a factor) whole way lots cheaper.

Personally, it is the New Wonder II that has me itching.
 
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