In this video I share the oldest saxophone approach exercise in the world that everyone should do to improve their sound. Whether you're a beginner or a pro, this exercise will help you perfect your saxophone sound!
If you do this exercise for 10 minutes every day, you will sound much better.
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Hello and welcome to the KZfaq saxophone channel! I'm Bernt from Sachbrick and Sachsvideotraining.com, an online platform for learning saxophone with courses. A warm welcome to all subscribers and to everyone who is new.
Today we're talking about the oldest saxophone embouchure exercise in the world: playing long notes. This exercise is explained in countless tutorials and is essential for wind players. It should be incorporated into your practice routine regularly, ideally daily, either as a warm-up exercise or as a permanent part of your training. Playing long notes helps you develop a good tone and improve various aspects of your saxophone technique.
What do we learn by playing long notes? It's not just about playing a long note without a goal, but about targeted training. The muscles around the mouth become stronger, which allows you to play longer and more loosely without tensing up. A relaxed approach is crucial - don't bite, play relaxed. The stronger the muscles, the longer you can hold out and the less you tense up.
Compare it to sport: if your muscles are not fit, you will quickly start to shake or cramp when doing certain exercises. The same applies to the mouth muscles. If your embouchure is not well trained and you play an exercise for 10 minutes, everything will eventually become tighter and the sound will squeak.
Playing long notes also helps you practice breathing and intonation, especially when playing with a backing track. It helps you gain control over your embouchure and find the best sound. You can fully concentrate on the note because there are no other distractions.
Start in an easy register, often in the lower octave at G, and work your way up into other ranges, both higher and lower, to develop a smooth, relaxed sound.
I have a little mnemonic for you: the 3L rule. This means that you should play loosely, for a long time and with plenty of air. Make sure to stay loose, hold the note for as long as possible and use plenty of air. Play at a medium volume, about mezzopiano.
Now let's try this with the note G in the lower octave. Take a deep breath, breathing into your stomach to take in as much air as possible. Play the note evenly, without shaking or vibrating, and hold it for as long as possible. Then take a short break, take a breath and repeat the exercise.
You can then move up chromatically, eg from G to G sharp, then A and so on, or down to D. This routine can be used as a daily warm-up. You will see that your muscles get stronger, you can last longer and your tone improves.
I have prepared a playalong video for you, for both alto and tenor saxophone. Click on the corresponding video to join in directly. It only takes a few minutes and is a great warm-up exercise. Have fun and see you in the next video! Yours, Bernt. Ciao, ciao!
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