How to Tune a Saxophone... Perfectly

[@jasongreen6560]

If you're playing with a symphony orchestra, they might use A=442. And of course, as they temperature rises (on any kind of gig) the horn will rise in pitch. This is why we always have to listen. You're right about listening to the waves--some people are never taught to do this.

[@brentonkelly3780]

You are a legend Johnny. As a sound engineer, you are spot on. Thanks

[@edthesaxplayer8450]

Thank you I have been struggling with this tuning thing for years after watching and listening to your technic I can now hold the tuning on most of the range of my tenor.I thank you so much

[@jeanhodgson8623]

The "wavering" is called "beats". You also get that when a prop airplane has two or more engines. To beginners: A problem with tuning is that you tend to "lip" the note to get the A right, without getting the mouthpiece at the right position on the neck. It is a good idea to sit at the piano (if there is one), press the loud pedal, and play an A major chord, and play some phrases along with it. You will soon learn where, on the neck, the mouthpiece goes, for correct pitch. I leave the mouthpiece of my tenor saxophone at the same spot all the time. I also know where the mouthpiece of my soprano saxophone goes. I have to remove the mouthpiece to get the soprano into its case.

[@lamsan3100]

I experimented with this before and adjusted my embouchure like you did in the video and i noticed that if you release your embouchure and dont apply as much pressure you will get flatter and if you pressurize your embouchure you will get sharper

[@JiveDadson]

There's a big. big, BIG problem with pushing the mouthpiece in and pulling it out: The long-tube notes, like low C, are not affected nearly as much as the short-tube notes, like middle and high C. The best one can do is to get the horn to play in tune with _itself_. I do that by matching the first overtone of low C with middle C. Once that's done for a particular mouthpiece, mark the place on the cork, and put the mouthpiece there every time. If you are out of tune with the band, and they can't or won't tune to you, just deal with it using embouchure. At least all the notes up and down the horn will require the same adjustment. That will be a lot better than having one note in tune and all the others out of tune by varying amounts.

[@guritche]

Thank you kindly for the video. I am trying to get my sax tuned but I have to push the mouthpiece way into the neck almost to the end of the cork to get it in tune. When I see videos I often see the mouthpiece about half way into the cork, I'm wondering if I'm not pushing too much and may damage it? Thanks.

[@HK33E17516]

thank you very much, finally I understand I play the tenor and now I know how to tune

[@MarkPeotter]

Great lesson, Johnny! Mostly this is a lesson about listening - to hear the "waves"! I think it is important to mention at least 2 more things. #1 - Temperature - as the metal warms up, the pitch will go up a bit. #2 - Most players have a problem by getting sharper in pitch playing higher notes (C# and above). High notes will be more in tune if you play relaxed.

[@romeofernandez5088]

mark peottr5huji

[@GardensoftheAncientsHerbal]

I tune to c# every so often to check if my horn in properly working. I noticed centering to the c# before tuning like normal helps with intonation accross the whole horn and finds where the intonation wasn’t setup correctly on the horn.

[@Baboon4215]

Thanks much Johnny--I see exactly what I need to do. You shed some light on a few things here that I haven't seen anyone in other videos cover, I had some "wavering" problems for sure, so this will help.

[@saxjohnny]

Michael Bishop thanks Michael, I did notice the available videos explaining how to tune a saxophone only scratched the surface by telling you to push the mp in to sharpen or pull it back to flatten your note. this is only the beginning!

[@Baboon4215]

Johnny Ferreira That's exactly the point I've been saying and it's slightly frustrating for a student player like me...maybe as a suggestion it would be good if you could think about "expanding" on this subject just a little bit because, for myself, it would really help a lot and I'm sure I'm not the only one who needs help in this regard. I've learned so, so much from you...but I still have SO much to learn and it's a little frustrating for a student player like myself when all I get is "empty" answers from so many people if you get my meaning. My wife told me that yesterday, when we stopped by the local shop to check out their tuners, one of the reps told her I should "draw a line" on the cork so that I would know where to put the MP and being in tune every time....I told her I don't think that's good advice. I put a post about it on your forum in a little bit more detail, check it out when you get time.

[@SuperGarden78]

Michael Bishop A great advice is to put the mouthpiece on the cork about 2/3 of the cork lenght and then you PLAY the sax in tune. To practice to PLAY in tune, record yourself playing minimum three different major scales on the piano, then play the sax to those recorded scales. This way you will learn what parts of the saxophones register sound low or high.

[@Baboon4215]

@ Anders Yep--that's what my instructor told me around the time that I posted that comment---man, time flies by, doesn't it?!? Thanks for your tip! Rock on :)

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

@@SuperGarden78 I would not use a piano. I'd use a keyboard if you insist on using one. Piano starts to go out of tune pretty much immediately after you get it in tune. Keyboard will always be 440 unless you change it. :)

[@daniel_moretti]

On my tenor I tune for the most difficult note to play, which is G with the octave key. If F#, G and G# aren't in tune, I tend to get a multiphonic warble. On another note, lol, middle E is always sharp relative to the rest of the horn.

[@saxjohnny]

welcome to the saxophone nightmare!

[@marianofolio9074]

Merci pour tes explications intéressantes! Amitiés, Mariano

[@jasonhumphries]

hi, Johnny i have just watched this video of you and i am now one more step at getting my sound right i am new to saxaphone playing and i heard that you have to tune a saxaphone buit thought this was something made up, i have been playing now for 8 months and have been wandering why i am unable to get a lovely sound out of my trevor james classic 11, as when i watch videos of some of my favourtie sax tunes like bakers street and so on that i thought i didnt have a good enough saxaphone, but i have just realised that it maybe that my saxaphone is not in tune, from the help of your video, i am a memeber of the sax school nigel mcgill and i think that his school is very good. but it was your video i hope that has made me realise that it just maybe that like i said , my saxaphone is not in tune. well come saturday 18/2/2017 i will have hopefully got my saxaphone in tune. i will defernetly let you know how i got on thanking you jason (jaygo) PS I HAVE SUBSCRIBED TO YOUR CHANNEL

[@MarkPeotter]

Good luck with your sax-O-phone, Jason! I would suggest practicing long tones with no vibrato and watch the tuner closely. If you have another mouthpiece, compare results.

[@gscheidlinger]

Thanks Johnny, very helpful !

[@TommyOnSax]

Great video!

[@J_larry]

I’ve been doing this: If Flat push out, If sharp push in. I’m a dummy

[@abagthisbig2894]

I was looking for tuning each tone on the saxophone so this video was not for me.

[@chriss1152]

so what is it on tenor saxophone

[@Ireland299]

THANK YOU GREAT LESSON FOR ME ..... FROM PAUL IN IRELAND

[@alexstels1]

what sax is he using?thx

[@gregorystrang]

what note do you play on the alto sax when tuning to A 400

[@saxjohnny]

+Gregory Strang F#

[@joyrebel8201]

So, if I'm understanding this , part of the tuning comes from the pressure you put on the reed?

[@saxjohnny]

yes the fine tuning does. but first you gotta get the mp on the right spot on the cork.

[@joyrebel8201]

Thats not easy for me, thank you!

[@TheMrE1974]

Thanks Johnny. Just out of interest...what's that amp you're using?

[@saxjohnny]

ha, just picked it up last week! It's a Sony Solid State 300 watts made in the early 70's. Love those older ones, very nice.

[@TheMrE1974]

Johnny Ferreira Nice one...I love my vintage amps as well.

[@ziruini5071]

I can hear it really clearly here, but hardly at all in person. I guess I just need to develop my ear? Thanks, good video

[@saxjohnny]

maybe, developing our ears is (can be) hard work, but it can be done and will pay off in your overall progress as a musician.

[@dwightfontenot9064]

It doesn't have to be A. You can tune to a Bb or concert F as well.

[@saxjohnny]

you can also be in tune with the universe...I chose A

[@jeanhodgson8623]

Tuning to Bb is just not done. It should be A.

[@RGSneaker]

Not "everybody". Lots of bands tune to A 442Hz. Just for your info.

[@jeanhodgson8623]

That's right, and it is annoying. It took a long time to get A 440 as the standard. Before that A 456 was used. It is known as "sharp" pitch. A major pitfall, when buying a used saxophone, was that some of them were sharp pitch. These cannot be used with 440 instruments. Fortunately, that isn't a problem anymore. But now, you've got Selmer making clarinets to 442. That is so stupid. Stick to the standard. It is much harder to adjust the pitch on a clarinet than on a flute or saxophone. If you pull a clarinet mouthpiece, or the barrel, out, it throws the intervals between the notes out badly, and you have to do a lot of lipping to play in tune. Not recommended.

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

do they un-tune the piano, then?? Because that's just dumb. :)

[@Felixsusan]

My saxaphone is playing a full tone and a half sharp, is something wrong with the saxaphone? Just pulling the mouthpiece forward and back isn't enough

[@CommunistBearFighter]

Nope, that's because the sax is in E flat. So you need to play an F# to tune to a concert A. Your sax is fine.

[@martinlong2074]

Wa wa wa wa wa wa wa wa Ha ha ha ha ha ha

[@johnbake9304]

u look like my auntie.

[@espr7564]

😱 he is soooo sharp the whole time !! This video doesn't really help anyone!

[@madmadrigal66]

Thanks so much for the tips!! You need a hair cut my friend 😆😆😆

[@kristinashamgunova851]

I was already thinking: Tuning a saxophone perfectly? Is he nuts? I agree, there is no way to have good intonation on the saxophone without using ear and ebochoure.