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How to hit low notes

3K views 15 replies 14 participants last post by  DonnaSax 
#1 ·
I have a vita leblanc with 4C yamaha mouthpiece and 3 hemke reeds and I find it very difficult if not impossible at times to hit low notes. Some of my songs for band have low c played quickly and I find that I could never get that note out quick enough. I know the common remedies to drop jaw and pop the f key but I still can barely hold a low b, even if I slur down to it chromatically.
 
#8 ·
Not stupid at all. It's the first question to be asked.

Do you know your horn isn't leaking ?

No point in people giving you tips and tricks on embouchure calisthenics if in fact you are blowing right but your horn is leaky.

(With that said....when you blow low notes, do it as if you are saying "Daaaaaah". Old tip/trick a teacher friend suggests to her students and it's a pretty good one).
 
#4 ·
How long have you been playing for, and what type of sax are you playing on?
 
#9 ·
Having been in this situation a few years back, I would check things in this order:

1. leaks in the horn
2. mouthpiece issues (caused by non-flat table, uneven rails) - in my experience not the case for an unmolested Yamaha 4C
3. a softer reed
4. embouchure/throat, etc.

(in my case it was mainly #1, with a touch of #4)
 
#12 ·
Yeah, I would get your horn checked to see if it's leaking and then you can rule that out.

Try to relax and not think about it, as I find if I know something I struggle with is coming up in a song then I overthink and mess up. You could try with your scales by playing the root note in between each note (and go up two octaves) which forces you to change your embrochure to get the notes and then you can focus on how you are adjusting to get them, e.g c d c e c f. Etc

I have only been playing for four years so I know how frustrating it can be! I have to say I can just about get down quickly to a low Bb (on tenor) but it just takes practise! (Which I need to do more of)
 
#14 ·
I had this problem when I switched from alto to tenor. If your horn does not leak, then take a serious look at your embouchure and reed strength as mentioned a couple of times above.
Embouchure: 1. Take a look at the position where the reed first opens a gap to the rails, and focus on setting your embouchure in this location. The length of the reed that vibrates is longest for the lowest notes, and it can cause problems if your lower lip placement dampens the reed vibration. 2. Make sure that you are not rolling too much lip over your lower teeth, as this also dampens the reeds ability to vibrate freely.
Reed: Do not be afraid to go to lower stiffness reeds. This helps the reed vibrate easier in the low range.
After I worked on the above for about 2 weeks, low notes were no longer the "evil stepmother" of the sax.
 
#15 ·
Here are some embouchure tips from an earlier post from Phil Barone:

1. Remember that you can't take too much mouthpiece within reason. You shouldn't choke but try to pass the point that the facing starts on the rails of the mouthpiece, an inch for tenor, and 3/4 inch for alto. The teeth should be past that, not the lips. At first, this will be uncomfortable and the sound may be crass and hard to control but be mindful and you will persevere. The crassness will go away in a few days or less.
2. The only pressure on the reed should be with the bottom teeth through the lip USING HE JAW MUSCLES, NOT THE MUSCLES IN YOUR FACE. It should just be enough to FEEL the reed through the lower lip. Any more than that and you begin to close the tip opening of the mouthpiece off.
 
#16 ·
Low notes can be challenging for al skill levels.
First, you must get your horn checked for leaks.
Second, remember to not lose contact with the reed - that tends to happen when you drop your jaw.
Third, you can think of having an overbite. Your jaw is more in,and that position can help you with playing the low notes. (Someone mentioned Barney Rubble - that position to talk that way sets your jaw up for this)
Fourth - think about how you are articulating. Articulation can be a key factor as to why you're having difficulty with low notes.
Last - Your reeds could be too hard of a strength for you right now OR they could beunbalanced. Look into the ATG Reed Finishing System by Tom Ridenour, a simple system for adjusting your reeds.

Good luck to you!
 
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