Intonation: Part 1 || Playing Your Saxophone In Tune

This is the first video of several where I discuss issues and tips relating to intonation.
Dr. Young is the saxophone professor at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (www.uncsa.edu)
Gear in the video:
Tuner: Korg OT-120 (amzn.to/2xyxVJa)
Metronome: Boss DB-90 (amzn.to/2yuGKQO)
Selmer Series III Jubilee Alto Saxophone: (bit.ly/2hzgIJ0)
Selmer S90-190 mouthpiece: (bit.ly/2fTc8lo)
Ishimori solid silver ligature (bit.ly/2fzRXMe)
Breathtaking strap (bit.ly/2xyBK0D)

[@rloomis3]

Great stuff, as usual -- I kept nodding, and saying, "Yep! Yes, that's right!" I hope many players out there are listening!

[@robertyoungsax]

rloomis3 thank you!

[@mrcrowleyoz]

New musicians must understand that it takes years to get to know your instrument (and mouthpiece), plus developing your ear. After that you can start adjusting to styles, ensembles, dynamics, and venues….etc.

[@DerrickBigWalker]

Great video! You reminded me of things I had forgotten years ago as well as gave me new information. Looking forward to the rest of your series on intonation.

[@akitikallc6161]

I just got to the vent placement explanations and their effect on intonation...A beautiful explanation! Thanks...

[@glitchgatsby4290]

Knew I wouldn't be disappointed. You always have great stuff to share

[@colinhoulihansax]

This is just...so wholesome.

[@BfMoriturus]

Incredible work. Thank you.

[@robinmarwick1982]

Excellent video Dr Young thank you I feel that I have learned a great deal and have a very positive direction to work to

[@erzo9005]

What happened to Part 2?

[@oldrocker3438]

Thank you so much for this. I could not previously work out why I had to work so hard to get good pitch on my old Pennsylvania alto, and a few days ago I downloaded a tuning app and started along the lines you suggest. You have greatly increased my confidence that I am doing the right thing. It is so reassuring to find that my very sharp D natural (concert F) is not unusual!! Thank you again. I will keep watching, and working on the other notes. (I am a clarinettist who took up alto. The clarinet is a lot easier, but I love the alto too.)

[@cmacdhon]

Brilliant video. Thanks Robert!

[@bobblues1158]

Thank you Robert Young. Finally the truth in a cohesive logical form.

[@tracezacur6784]

so ready for part 2

[@morrischoo9717]

Great mechanical breakdown of lengths. And training to know what pitch on each note should be and how to embed that with long tones. This will be my first one third of each practice going forward. As it also will move every key and pad to warm up the instrument a bit for use.

[@pas0003]

Such a great explanation!

[@fivebyfivesound]

Insightful. Thank you!

[@Cantbuyathrill]

"...a relatively centered starting point" Well said. Amen

[@AntonHarris]

Nice demonstration! Your channel is a great resource that I will share with other.

[@robertyoungsax]

Thank you!

[@roanmccormick2297]

Thanks very interesting points!

[@funk4ever]

Nicely done.

[@user-tm6ir7wy5s]

nice one! most of the sax reviewers on utube dont mention this in their intro videos! thanks!

[@carlwilson4375]

Thank you. 🤘😎

[@eveline1986]

two years ago i did buy a flute and fight so much with myself for a half year to make it sounds! now I have a 1920 alto saxophone rampone and the same. very difficult but very beautiful! thanks!

[@denisgabel7429]

Thank you! When is part 2 coming out?

[@stangetz534]

Thank you great explination of why the D is notoriously sharp

[@bugchallin]

D being notoriously sharp is something I thought only I experienced 🤣glad to be validated in my struggle

[@augustosantos708]

waiting for part 2

[@RoseCadenza]

I've added alto sax to my repertoire of musical instruments. I've played tenor sax for 4 years. Alto sax is more different from tenor sax than I thought. I find that, on the alto sax that I'm playing, the B and C are super flat and have to adjust my embouchure quite a bit. Even more than I have to do with the clarinet.

[@benjaminmiller5649]

pls part 2

[@bogdanfrincu3226]

Thank you very much,that was very helpful :)

[@robertyoungsax]

Thank you! Im glad that it helps!

[@bogdanfrincu3226]

Waiting on part 2

[@robertyoungsax]

Frincu Bogdan coming soon!!

[@---wd3ij]

Still waiting for part two ...

[@ldever3]

My G# is very sharp, both octaves. I noticed that if I start to close the key, the note will become less sharp, then be in tune. Should I make an adjustment so that key doesn't open so far? That key is closed for the rest of the notes, so it shouldn't screw up anything else.

[@asterzaster1]

But the tuner is also hearing the drone (you’re not using headphones) so of course it’s in the center?

[@ricardom159]

My question is: what happens if your concert A is perfect, but other notes (let's imagine middle C sharp and high F) are so out of tune that the embouchure alone is not enough to fix them, and neither is changing slightly the fingering to increase / decrease pitch? Is there a solution to that? Or does it simply require the saxophone to be fixed / get a different one?

[@MarcKellerSax]

On most decent horns, you can get any note in tune with the help of fingerings. For middle C# it'll often suffice to add the G# key or G+8tve key, for high F you may experiment with dropping some keys (e.g. high D). If that doesn't help, in many cases a skilled technician might be able to fix it, e.g. by adjusting the opening heights of some keys.

[@macomputersuck]

What piece of music are you playing in the intro?

[@robertyoungsax]

Gradient: Baljinder Sekhon

[@MrSax93]

@Robert Young Why are you not using more the strap to fix A buzz?

[@robertyoungsax]

Hello! I actually have a new adjustment that I made to fix it!

[@MrSax93]

@Robert Yound hello. Can you show us the new adjustment, please? Thanks a lot.

[@MrSax93]

thanks also for your video :)

[@ImJustJAG]

40th comment. The balence has been restored.

[@stangetz534]

No saxophone plays by itself in tune (Except Yamaha) lol

[@1rocknroy]

So whoever makes a saxophone in perfect tune will make several fortunes? Today we sent 2 guys to the space station and no one can make a sax in tune? I mean for crying out loud WHY? WHY? WHY??????

[@Cantbuyathrill]

Why? Because it's not a matter of deficient technology, uninspired sax research&development, or science not wanting to tackle that problem. It's all a matter of the nature of the beast; and our beast is by nature untamable; in other words, once you get to high c# and all the closed keys above it (the bitchy palm keys), every tone and timbre gets more unstable, whiny, thin, kazooy, and unforgiving, because it's all at the narrowest part of the tube (which begrudges good (as in easier and more full-bodied) sound production, because you have LESS to work with. I hate playing altissimo for that same reason: it all starts to sound less saxophone-like and more like ear-piercing Lenny Pickett, Mariah Carey dog-whistle falsetto pyrotechnics. But I aint one to gossip, so you didn't hear it from me!

[@bluegoose555]

the reason is the physics.. and tapered tubes ... you will get the middle in... but the ends will always have to be "tempered" (adjusted) its simply the physics of sound waves.. essentially inside a cone with holes.. ..and hence...the more open (bell end ) of the instrument will tend to sound sharp... and the smaller (mouthpiece end) will tend to sound flat... those high end Yamaha's YTS..YAS 82Z's 875EX's etc..are about the best one can do... those guys are like NASA scientists ....and do make several fortunes !

[@picoroa3535]

You look like if Jason Derulo had a baby with Kanye West

[@espr7564]

Started well and then rambled on you a piece of string ???? Sorry thumbs down

[@SkylersRants]

Actually, the string was a very effective demonstration of the problem.

[@mcemu]

@@SkylersRants I thought so too..