- For saxophone high notes, it is important to blow with air directed as if breaking through the mouthpiece and to be mindful of the space behind the nasal cavity to create resonance
- For low notes, blow with the image of directing the air downward, in the opposite direction from high notes, and expand the space at the boundary between the throat and mouth to produce a deep tone
- The high and low registers require different air direction and oral cavity space usage compared to the middle register, and the key to improvement is understanding these concepts and then physically experiencing them
In saxophone performance, producing beautiful resonance in both the high and low registers is a challenge many players face. In the middle register, good tone can be achieved by blowing along the neck, but in the high and low registers, the air direction and use of oral cavity space must change. True improvement comes from understanding these concepts and then physically experiencing them.
High Register Concept: Air Direction and Nasal Cavity Space
To produce beautiful resonance in the saxophone high register, it is important to be conscious of air direction. For high notes, blowing with the air directed as if breaking through the mouthpiece makes it easier to produce well-resonating tones. Especially for the highest F-sharp and similar notes, blowing with a normal air direction inevitably causes the sound to become constricted, resulting in a compressed tone that fails to gather resonance upward. Additionally, creating an especially wide space inside the mouth is important in the high register. Just as opera singers use the space behind the nasal cavity when singing high notes, on the saxophone you can create a more resonant tone by blowing with the image of gathering your sound and air into the nasal cavity space to create resonance.
Low Register Concept: Downward Air Direction and Throat Space
In the low register, it is important to direct the air in the opposite direction from the high register. Blow with the intention of directing the air downward, aiming toward the area where the ligature is positioned. While it is better to be mindful of the nasal cavity space when playing high notes, for low notes, blowing with the image of slightly expanding the space around the lower part of the mouth, at the boundary between the throat and mouth, allows you to produce a deeper low-register tone. By physically experiencing this difference in how space is used, you will be able to bring out the characteristic resonance of both the high and low registers.
Causes and Solutions
Here we explain in detail the causes of poor tone quality in the high and low registers and their solutions. We introduce specific approaches to address issues such as insufficient awareness of air direction, inability to differentiate oral cavity space usage, and playing with the same sensation as the middle register.
Problem 1: High Notes Are Constricted and Lack Resonance
When playing in the high register, the problem of sound becoming constricted, resulting in a compressed tone that fails to gather resonance upward occurs. Especially for high notes like the top F-sharp, blowing with a normal air direction inevitably causes the sound to become constricted. This is caused by the air direction being straight rather than directed as if breaking through the mouthpiece. Solution: Focus on blowing with the air directed as if breaking through the mouthpiece. Additionally, by being mindful of the nasal cavity space and blowing with the image of gathering sound and air there to create resonance, you can produce high notes with greater resonance.
Problem 2: Low Notes Are Shallow and Lack Depth
When playing in the low register, the problem of tone being shallow and lacking depth occurs. If you continue to blow in the low register using the same air delivery as the middle register, the resonance does not settle downward, and you cannot produce a deep low-register tone. This is caused by the air direction being the same as the middle register, with no awareness of directing air downward, and the oral cavity space being used the same way as for high notes. Solution: Blow with the intention of directing the air downward, aiming toward the area where the ligature is positioned. Additionally, by blowing with the image of slightly expanding the space around the lower part of the mouth, at the boundary between the throat and mouth, you can produce a deeper low-register tone.
Problem 3: Unable to Differentiate Between High and Low Registers
The problem of playing both the high and low registers with the same sensation, being unable to bring out the characteristic resonance of each occurs. Since good tone can be produced in the middle register simply by blowing along the neck, players tend to apply that same sensation to the high and low registers. However, because the air direction and oral cavity space usage differ in the high and low registers, the same approach will not produce beautiful tones. Solution: It is important to understand that the high and low registers require different air direction and oral cavity space usage compared to the middle register, and to physically experience this. By understanding the concepts and then actually playing to physically sense the differences, you will be able to bring out the characteristic resonance of each register.
- ① Be conscious of air direction for high notes: Blow with the air directed as if breaking through the mouthpiece. This directionality is especially important for the highest notes such as F-sharp
- ② Use the nasal cavity space for high notes: Blow with the image of gathering your sound and air into the nasal cavity space to create resonance. Use the sensation of how opera singers sing high notes as a reference
- ③ Direct the air downward for low notes: Blow with the intention of directing the air downward, aiming toward the area where the ligature is positioned
- ④ Expand the throat space for low notes: Blow with the image of slightly expanding the space around the lower part of the mouth, at the boundary between the throat and mouth
- ⑤ From concept to physical sensation: Understand that the high and low registers require different air direction and oral cavity space usage compared to the middle register, and actually play to physically sense the differences
In saxophone performance, producing beautiful resonance in the high and low registers requires understanding air direction and oral cavity space usage, and physically experiencing them. For high notes, blow with the air directed as if breaking through the mouthpiece and be mindful of the nasal cavity space to create resonance. For low notes, blow with the image of directing the air downward and expand the space at the boundary between the throat and mouth to produce a deep tone. The high and low registers require different air direction and oral cavity space usage compared to the middle register, and the key to improvement is understanding these concepts and then physically experiencing them. By putting these methods into practice, you can bring out the characteristic resonance of each register and achieve musically expressive and rich performances.
