BIG FAT SAXOPHONE TONE TUTORIAL

[@chrismills5110]

One of the very best Sax teachers I have encountered so far. He nails it

[@ScottPaddock]

Thanks Chris!

[@TheLdskr]

omg you soloed on my fave jazz song ever Summertime. my jaw dropped 😩

[@ScottPaddock]

love that song too!!!

[@Yourbosskid]

Dude. The lip out thing just changed my life. Reduce my tension a lot aswell I was stifling the reed. I saw Dexter Gordon doing that.

[@courtneywitt1006]

same for me! i'm an oboist so it was natural for me to do it wrong haha

[@smoke09able]

Every topic you cover Scott, you make it very intuitive and easy to follow. Thank you.

[@ScottPaddock]

Thanks Rick! That's the plan going in :-)

[@brodysinko7872]

Fr tho The thing about where my mouth goes on the mouthpiece like how far really really helped

[@larrywarr3954]

Many thanks, I’ve found getting a better tone is the hardest part of playing sax. This video helps so much. Great please keep posting 😎

[@rosivoordouw9485]

This is so helpful and easy to understand and practice. Thank you!

[@JohnJohn-zf4qw]

Just want to say that the description about the straw and air flow made an immeadiate improvement for me, well done and thanks a lot.

[@ScottPaddock]

awesome!!!

[@dr.kennyp1754]

How do we produce a dark mellow sound that is good for ballads and churchy songs?

[@ScottPaddock]

Check out my video on subtones.

[@darrenhill9931]

wished I had come across your techniques/explanations months ago, one thing I was never told even when having lessons was about where to place my bottom lip to give the reed maximum effect. : ) good man,, thanks..

[@ossleepthread4679]

This video is awesome, concise, clear, and helps a ton. Thank you, don't stop making videos

[@ScottPaddock]

Thank you! I'm uploading one on Modes today. Hoping to do a few a week.

[@yun_saxophone-studio]

thank u so much ~!! you are the man who teaches very well

[@gaoldroyd]

Another great video

[@tabatha3918]

Where have you been all my lifeeeee, this helped tremendously thank youuu 🤍

[@ScottPaddock]

Happy to help!

[@wicked_8193]

Damn, this actually really clicked for me. Thanks!

[@ScottPaddock]

Glad it helped!!

[@davidmora2950]

Scott, thanks again!

[@joshcharlat850]

Thanks, Scott. Nicely concise and clear instruction.

[@ScottPaddock]

👍👍👍

[@benjaminmarquez1211]

muchas gracias scott me alludaste mucho con este tutorial

[@ScottPaddock]

Gracias!!

[@bobikeda3892]

5 people that only know how to play the recorder disliked this

[@ScottPaddock]

Haha!!! 😁😁😁

[@KaySax67]

Excellent analogies, really helpful. Thanks.

[@franklinligh7175]

Great tips thank you g

[@grantparkis1382]

Scott, your information is so concise and perfectly taught

[@colinanderson6831]

Hi Scott. Thanks for the great tutorial, Just one comment , the bit about the fast air and straw idea. Is that conceptual, old wives tales or physics. how can you focus air , unless you are truly pinching it at the control surface at the reed opening, blowing more or channeling it , we all have the same anatomy? From my understanding the frequency of the reed is set by the standing wave series that sets up , which is complex enough, as you have tuned length then the overtones. Then you have amplitude of the reed vibration which is going to be a function of the reed stiffness, damping(innate and lip), free reed length (lip position) , air flow rate , which is a function of the back pressure from the sax and mouthpiece, and diaphragm pressure, and the throat pressure drop. This amplitude can be varied with volume (blow harder) and also with damping(bite less) , and with turbulence (stepped mouthpiece) which is going to disturb the reflected sound wave and break up the air stream, increasing the Reynolds number to separation, dropping the pressure thus increasing air flow, and maybe accentuating overtones at higher frequencies, . and then the horn which resonates, magically like a bell, and probably helps drives the overtones. so that's interesting. I still cant play anywhere near as good as you do, but I reckon some real science here , even some R&D would really lay this part of it bare and get a lot more people playing with better sound.(universities get on board!) Id love to see the wave spectrum of a master, against a student to see how the overtones are getting affected by technique. (using fourier series, not wave form pages.mtu.edu/~suits/sax_sounds/index.html). For me the biggy is playing with control and in tune, and I reckon you have a great sound and pitch ,so bravo. see ya mate!, Col

[@georgeh.whiteiii2121]

Whazzup Scott... Thnx for sharing this info, it is very helpful. One question though...when the lower lip is flattened are the teeth still pressing against the lower lip? Continue 2B GREAT!Stay safe 😷 ...peace & blessings🙏🏽

[@BringBackMasculinity1987]

Im diggin your sound man, got that Warren Hill sound👍

[@ScottPaddock]

Thanks!

[@Tsax1949]

Thank you Scott! I am interested in your lower lip technique ... I will try it. Would like to know more about this topic. Cheers!

[@perioax6506]

I know your playing alto but does this also work on bari like especially the embouchure

[@ScottPaddock]

Yes, any sax, but the bigger the horn the more relaxed your embouchure has to be and the lower your tongue goes in your throat.

[@pahnchanpum8848]

Hi what mouthpiece do you use? You sounded amazing

[@2012tupi]

Those tips were really usefull! Thanks, Scott

[@ScottPaddock]

Glad it helped! Thanks

[@Redwane-Music]

is there a more preferable way to chose the keys to play a note. for example you can try to play a song from a music sheet but the notes or some don't sound like the recording. that is because for example the D note instead of being played with the upper D key it is played with the low D But the octave key or vice versa or instead of the upper B key the note is played with the low B with octave key. Nobody seems to talk about his

[@ScottPaddock]

Sorry, I'm not quite sure what your talking about, but I think you are referring to the octave a song is played in. So if you are playing a song that is typically sung by a singer, it may not quite fit on the saxophone very easily, so it may need to be played an octave up or down so the notes fit the range of the sax. Or you may need to only change a few notes in the melody to make the notes fit. Sometimes it is just easier to change the key that you play it in so it fits the sax better, BUT then it won't work if you are playing with a backing track. Hope that was what you were asking.

[@Redwane-Music]

@@ScottPaddock ok , let me simplify and elaborate on my question many times when you see someone playing a tune you see them switching back and forth from and middle note key to a low key using overtone or with the octave key pressed instead of just pressing the middle key corresponding to that note. for me without actually seeing what the player is doing with his fingers I many times don't know if he is for example just using the upper D key or actually using the low D with the overtone or with the octave key pressed. I really believe that the good player chooses the more appropriate keys each time when he has more than one option.. so my question is: is there a more preferable way to chose the keys to play a note. for example 1/if you want to make a song that you hear playable with a saxophone. like if you want to do a cover for a song or you just want to imitate someone singing. 2/or you can try to play a song from a saxophone music sheet but some of the notes don't sound like the recording. that is because for example the D note instead of being played with the upper D key it is played with the low D with overtone or with the octave key pressed or vice versa or instead of the upper B key the note is played with the low B with octave key. We can definitely hear that there is a difference in timbre. sometimes you just feel that the notes are supposed to be more open, full and free as if there is no octave key pressed or the other way around, or you can tell that the player pressed a key instead of releasing a key and it just sounds more right. i look at it as the instrument art of talking.and that can be done with non-percussion instruments like wind instruments, or strings, or guitars etc .. because you can play a note by both pressing or hitting with your finger, releasing ie taking off your finger from a key or a string. we can't do the later on a piano. Nobody seems to talk about.this subject I hope i was clearer now

[@mchenrymaney262]

What type of horn is that? It looks and sounds very nice

[@ScottPaddock]

Thanks! It's a P. Mauriat 67RX

[@paulsage6849]

How about a detailed video about what to practice for a beginner. Great videos scott, love your direct no fuss approach.

[@ScottPaddock]

Thanks!!! I'll work on some more beginner stuff. I've been doing mostly intermediate up to this point.

[@dougmoran3340]

Fascinating. I’ve wondered, since I started playing about three years ago, how important is the position of the ligature along the length of the reed ? Can this impact on sound quality/volume ?

[@ScottPaddock]

Yes! If it's in the wrong position it can have a big impact.

[@dougmoran3340]

Scott Paddock ....... thanks Scott. Next question ....... what is the correct position ?

[@Craig2760]

An addendum to this tutorial would include the importance of listening to grasp the concept of a big sound. Listening to guys like Cannonball Adderly on alto and Dexter Gordon on tenor is an absolute necessity.

[@augustosantos708]

Thank u so much. Do u have some tipe of book references about that subject?

[@ScottPaddock]

I'm going to be a launching an online saxophone school in March that will go into depth on a lot of these subjects.

[@petersnowden1332]

Great sound man and thanks for the tips! The only problem I'm having is when I roll my bottom lip out to get the fatter sound, I can't stop salivating and have to stop playing every few seconds. Any tips here to stop this happening?

[@ScottPaddock]

I've never heard of that happening before, maybe you're rolling your lip out a bit to much

[@bbltix]

can you adapt an alto mouthpiece on a soprano sax so as to get rid of the soprano's instability?

[@ScottPaddock]

No, you just need to find a soprano mouthpiece that works well for you. Try my Syos Scott Paddock artist series. That's what I play and I love the way it feels and plays. www.syos.co/en/artists/scott-paddock

[@dannymcclain7068]

Any tips to do this on Bari? Is there anything different I have to do for bari?

[@ScottPaddock]

No, it's the same on all saxophones.

[@markmoore7074]

How can I develop that "Clarence Clements" tone on tenor.?

[@SamChaneyProductions]

Thanks for this very helpful video! Technically, the reed isn't vibrating faster because the rate at which the reed vibrates determines the pitch of the note. Really, the column of vibrating the air in the horn based on which lowest hole is open forces the reed to vibrate at the same frequency as the air. When you focus your airflow more, the reed is just vibrating up and down further, making a wider arc up and down and bending more on each vibration.

[@ScottPaddock]

You must be a scientist :-)

[@stevehenry9826]

Hello Scott! I just restarted playing Saxophone (Alto Sax) Going on my second month and learning some Sax Solo's for a band I've been helping out. (Been playing guitar and Keyboards for many years) When I am playing some of the solos the notes will come out but all of a sudden no notes will come out no sound at all. Not good when this happens at a gig Lol. I know I still have a long ways to go with the Sax. Any advice? On no sound coming out Keep up the Excellent channel! Thanks Steve Henry

[@ScottPaddock]

Hey Steve, that sounds like more of a horn repair issue. There might be a spring or something that is off.

[@stevehenry9826]

@@ScottPaddock Thanks for getting back to me to Scott. Now that you mentioned it, it looks there's something missing by the octive key but I will have it checked out. Keep up the Excellent channel! Thanks Scott! Steve Henry

[@AndreasAmorsen]

3:41 - Does anyone have some advice on how to focus your air directly (dead-center) into the mouthpiece? After practicing long tones for a while my notes starts to get wobbly - like GgGgGgG instead of a steady G (kzbin.info/www/bejne/pmPJeHaLrtSqrpo there's an example of me doing it here, if you're interested). Thanks! Also Scott; your content is top quality! Much appreciated!

[@ScottPaddock]

Hey, looking at the video it seems like you have way to much mouthpiece in your mouth. The reed can't control the air when your embouchure is like that. I did a video on embouchure, check it out. You may also be overblowing a bit.

[@AndreasAmorsen]

@@ScottPaddock Thank you, Scott! I'm on it! 🎷

[@AndreasAmorsen]

Yup, less mouthpiece worked wonders. It didn't require as much air and I was able to extend my practice by another 20min before my mouth got too tired. Also tonguing became easier. I also tried to angle the mouthpiece as demonstrated by this guy; kzbin.info/www/bejne/kGXUXmueid94eNU If you've got any contradictory thoughts on this, please let me know. I'm very impressed by your dedication to connecting with your audience. Very admirable!

[@ScottPaddock]

Glad that worked out for you. As for the angle of the mouthpiece ...it should pretty much be straight on. Your head might bent up or down just a little but it should be a pretty straight path for the air coming out of your mouth into the saxophone.

[@AndreasAmorsen]

@@ScottPaddock I have had so much fun practicing these past few days as I feel so much closer to "getting it". Thank you, Scott!

[@SylvainChazalette]

*Thank you for this interesting tuto ! :)* just a little suggestion for the poor French I am... :( for comprehension is it possible to speak a little bit slow ? Or to have french and other langages sub heading ? I am sure you will get more interaction in this way ! :) see you soon my friend ! :)

[@francescogmail3225]

May I suggest to adjust the speed of the video playing? It's an option that could help.

[@vincentgaglio5106]

Awesome

[@ScottPaddock]

Thanks!

[@GeorgeSKLeong]

Really love your videos, especially this and those on overtones/altissimo. The explanation are clear and simple and I have learnt a lot and realized that I need to unlearn my personal bad habits. Thanks Scott! Does focusing the air stream on the ‘dead center’ help in producing the nice bright tone of yours? I would really like to have that bright tone. I have another request but this may put some people off. Can you also do a lesson on how to play smooth jazz sax like Dave Koz, Eric Marienthal etc. I am avoiding mentioning of the G man BTW LOL Thanks again

[@ScottPaddock]

Hey! they faster you move your air the bigger your sound will be. Your reed and mouthpiece help with the brightness and darkness. Although air speed rules over everything. All of those sax players are super solid players. I'm going to do a video on developing your personal sound which will touch on how to figure this stuff out.

[@thegreenstache6163]

Trying to get closer to Doc Kupka's fat sound on my bari

[@isaiahgotkicks]

Scott to improve my embochure do i have to change where i bite the mouthpice

[@soybeans2734]

i always sound so muffled ahhh

[@ScottPaddock]

You either have the wrong equipment, a leaky sax, or are not putting the air through the saxophone correctly.

[@Stizzedd]

@@ScottPaddock Would different strength reeds make you sound more muffled if not used to it

[@nolinhmoss.g7557]

So does he mean that my teeth should be directly on the red when playing

[@ScottPaddock]

No. Top teeth are on the mouthpiece. Bottom teeth are covered by your lower lip. check out the video I did on embouchure for a more thorough explanation.

[@ethanmolitor6636]

I cant seem to shake this ‘breathy’ tone. Its kinda hard to explain but it sounds like the airstream moving through the sax-like if you just blew in your sax instead of playing....any help? Edit:nvm found the problem

[@isaiahgotkicks]

Because i bite the mouthpice in the tip

[@ScottPaddock]

you should never bite! check out my video on embouchure!

[@Lutemann]

Why do teachers teach the rolled up lip in the first place?

[@ScottPaddock]

Why do they teach it? Because it sounds better and gives you a much bigger sound. Why don't they start teaching with a rolled up lip to beginners? because it is a more advanced technique. It would be really tough to teach a beginner with no awareness of their lip how to roll and control it.

[@dankmemo6457]

@@ScottPaddock really

[@anungunrama9344]

Hey why do you squint? Does it make you better player

[@ScottPaddock]

I don't know. It's not something I do on purpose.