John, you are an inCREDible player. You don’t need stellar endorsers, NO one sounds better than you when you shred. You’re too self-deprecating. I agree, your embouchure looks effortless. Man, I can only get to the third partial! Scary to think that you’re also as good a tech and a nice guy!
I initially learned overtones from Bob Reynolds. He in turn learned them from a book by Sigurd M. Rascher titled Top-Tones for the Saxophone. Even though I have been playing professionally off and on for over 50 years, playing the overtones starting at low Bb, B, C, C#, and D as long tones for 10 minutes every practice session, has improved my tone, embrouchure and altissimo. I practice 6 days a week for at least 2 hours sometimes more. If you want to sound good and be able to navigate the horn, you have to love your sound and be willing to put the work into it. Its worth it. Good info bro. Appreciate your video.
If you live or visit NYC, this should be your go to sax shop. I have personal experience working with John, and even early in his career as a tech, he has been conscientious and meticulous in his work. He now has the best place in NYC to buy a sax, new or vintage, sax accessories, and of course, have repairs and overhauls done. He is also a real player, so when he is working on your horn, or selling you a horn, it is from the perspective of someone who can play the instrument and knows what it should sound like and what it should feel like to play.
Been playing guitar violin and bass for years. Picked up alto a few years ago just to open my eyes. This video is definitely an eye opener. Never knew this was possible.
Thanks for taking the time to explain and demonstrate the harmonic series.You are bang on the money.You have a naturally cool way of explaining things and it is clear that you are a serious player.Great work and thank you so much for your enthusiasm.
i like to warm up playing the star spangled banner using only overtones. my embouchure strengthened quickly when i started doing ot exercises. they really help throughout the entire range of the horn and to align yourself with the instrument.
It’s just a coincidence that I saw this video today. You are from JL woodwinds repair from Manhattan. Only four five days back I think on 27 th my son has been to the JL woodwind shop in Newyork and bought packet of reeds ( French made) from your shop. I play tenor and I have got new reeds in strength 3 hope to play them soon. Thanks for the excercise.
Honestly, I think you can tell from the number of thumbs up that you didn't embarrass yourself at all. You put yourself out there, and that makes you authenticate no matter what. One thing that I struggle with is that I was told from a younger age that learning clarinet would help me with learning to play my first choice of instrument, which was the saxophone. I'm not sure what 'they' were thinking because the embouchure isn't the same. It's much tighter with the clarinet, and that's presented me with issues of producing proper tone and being able to get lower notes out. I can do the upper register just fine. It's just the lower notes that I struggle with, which I think is a combination of both embouchure and not producing enough air. I picked up an alto first but really wanted to pick up the tenor. I'm going to stop listening to other peoples' opinions of what I should do and in which order to do them.
Hey John, sounds great! I've worked a ton on harmonics, too! On that very horn, lol. :) I miss it. I found it easy to get lost in harmonics exercises and had to limit how much time I spent on them, but they're where it's at for getting control of your sound. Glad to see things are going well with the shop.
Very good lesson! I startet with Sax six weeks ago but feel convinced that it is very helpful. Tried the same with different Brass Instruments like trumpet and it was helpful. Greetings from Germany!
I have given up trying to produce a good sound. I have been very fortunate and uniquely placed in having some of the best instruments and mouthpieces at my disposal including, Zephr, Yamaha, Buescher, Conn , Selmer , Keilwerth , Courton etc etc and all that I have been able to produce is the Bombay Taxi Horn sound. So I have decided to concentrate exclusively on subtone playing. I have mastered the classical subtone with double lip embouchure as well as with the single lip embouchure on tenor and alto. I now intensely desire to be able to play jszz subtone on tenor and alto. Please do help me find suitable instructions or tutorials or pdfs or videos etc etc. Thanking you,
I'm just getting back to playing the saxophone after a break of more than 10 years and I lost some of my overtones and altissimo. Thanks for this lesson I'm going to do it every day.
Yes I have practiced out of that book before! I admit I didn't fully follow everything he taught in it but it inspired to get started on overtones. And it reallyyyyyy helps
I haven’t done overtones in a long time… proceeds to execute partials up to high E above palm key E from fundamental Bb. Don’t worry brother, I totally believe that you practiced overtones for hours in college.
Young man, I’ve had to come back and watch this again. I do everything wrong. Too much jaw pressure and I get exhausted in just a few minutes. It has to be said I’m in stage 4 kidney failure and am not what I used to be. Anyway I need to relearn my embouchure for comfort and stamina. How do I do this? I’m 63 and have been playing for 50 years.
Your sound is incredible.............I know you´ve been asked this many many times, but please....could you please share what model of morgan mouthpiece you use on your tenor and alto?.......thanks!
Very nice video! thank you so much for this but I would love to know what model of Morgan mouthpiece do you use, New York? Indiana? Florida? and what opening. Thanks!!!!!
I have been doing pitch isolation on the low Bb for about a month now and can comfortably go up to the second octave and play the overtones below in any order. How would you suggest I learn to play overtones as high as you show in the video. By the way, you have a beautiful tone! Perfect meaty brightness.
I just started 'toying' around with a similar exercise. I enjoyed the video. Some very helpful tips. lol..Btw, thanks for the 'Peanuts' Christmas' selection ;)
I used to do that one. Now I have a new daily exercise. My emboucher is of the bottom-lip-out kind, _a la_ Joe Allard and just about every great jazz sax man. I build my lower lip muscles by playing as loosely, quietly, and steadily as I can. It's OK to get some whoosh or frying bacon sound because of playing so quietly, but there must be no warble, and keep it reasonably in tune. (Most people do not push the mouthpiece on far enough.) Do not tongue to start notes. Start with a full lungs-full of air play it all out, going up a half tone just as the air runs out. Start at low D. Repeat at Eb, E, etc. chromatically to second octave G. Don't hurt yourself. It will be extremely tiring at first.
That was good you achieved a lot of notes on low bflat. What's your technique I cant get higher than 3 notes and my throat hurts . Maybe you can give me some pointers. Thanks man.
Hi can I ask what tip opening you have on your Ralph Morgan Excalibur? Also is it the "Max" or Florida Model? Love that exercise by the way. Also practiced a similar exercise when in college, way back when! Cheers
@@jlwoodwinds6394 Thanks a million for your reply. Can I ask, have you always played a tip opening as small as a 7? I only ask, as I know it was a common tip size back in the day but modern players have often used much larger, including myself. What’s the benefit of a smaller tip opening? Cheers
Thanks so much for listening I play on a Ralph Morgan Excalibur 7M available at my sax shop, and I also play out on gigs a custom tenor that I designed and assemble myself which is also available
I totally understand why overtones help develop a saxophone sound - however, I've never had any success with more than the 1st (octave) and 2nd (octave and a fifth) overtones. Any ideas where I can learn to play higher overtones with any success? Would this be related to why I struggle with G and G# altissimo?
What part of the video did you not understand? I though he just explained it very well. It's about you controlling your sound rather than the your finders dictating what sound comes out of your sax. Anyone can blow into a sax and make a particular fingering note sound come out, even without any prior experience. But to make it sound the fullest you need to shape the embouchure to put all the energy on that precise note with intent. Practicing overtones teach to do that because they are harmonics of that original fingering. They won't come out unless you have this control.
I was playing one fingering... low Bb. And I was was playing pitches that are all hidden within that note called over tones. All of those notes exist within the note.low Bb. When you blow into the instrument differently it brings out the other notes.
What's up John. My son plays alto sax in middle school a Yamaha Yas -26. I read one of your comments today "Reed strength you use will depend on your mouthpiece tip opening " He's using 1.5 on the standard mouthpiece is this correct ? thanks
Ben Wendel now plays on 1.5. Matching reed strength to mouthpiece is important for the sound type you want, but any strength reed can achieve overtones.
"Highly annoying," indeed. I can only practice so much in my tiny apartment, and I generally play songs so my neighbors and landlady *think* they are listening to the radio or whatever, rather than a musician, because everybody knows that people hate musicians (especially landlords...). So I do it outside, and coyotes show up.....
Much love friend. I wanted to tell you that The Father in Heaven’s Name is not “the LORD” it is YAHUAH (YA-WHO-AH) The Son’s Name is NOT “jesus” it is YAHUSHA (YA-WHO-SHA). We must repent of our sins (sin is transgression of The Law Of YAHUAH The Father in Heaven. The Law YAHUAH The Father Gave through Moses). We must repent of our sins and Have Belief On YAHUSHA The Messiah. HE Died and Rose three days later so that we can be forgiven of our sins! Let’s all run to HIM today while we still can. Much love to you friend.
A good book for daily practice is "Top tones for the saxophone" by S. Rascher. It can be downloaded from pws.npru.ac.th/silapachai/data/files/Book%20Etudes/Top%20Tones%20for%20the%20Saxophone.pdf
John, you are an inCREDible player. You don’t need stellar endorsers, NO one sounds better than you when you shred. You’re too self-deprecating. I agree, your embouchure looks effortless. Man, I can only get to the third partial! Scary to think that you’re also as good a tech and a nice guy!
I initially learned overtones from Bob Reynolds. He in turn learned them from a book by Sigurd M. Rascher titled Top-Tones for the Saxophone. Even though I have been playing professionally off and on for over 50 years, playing the overtones starting at low Bb, B, C, C#, and D as long tones for 10 minutes every practice session, has improved my tone, embrouchure and altissimo. I practice 6 days a week for at least 2 hours sometimes more. If you want to sound good and be able to navigate the horn, you have to love your sound and be willing to put the work into it. Its worth it. Good info bro. Appreciate your video.
Dude you are so charismatic, and such a comedian, too. I cracked up when you said "now it's turning into a psychology sesson"
If you live or visit NYC, this should be your go to sax shop. I have personal experience working with John, and even early in his career as a tech, he has been conscientious and meticulous in his work. He now has the best place in NYC to buy a sax, new or vintage, sax accessories, and of course, have repairs and overhauls done. He is also a real player, so when he is working on your horn, or selling you a horn, it is from the perspective of someone who can play the instrument and knows what it should sound like and what it should feel like to play.
This guy can play sax like a trumpet, awesome!
Lol
You've changed my playing forever, thank you so much
Wow…🙏🙏🙏 such a high compliment… thank you for following our stuff! 🙌
@@jlwoodwinds6394
Like wise bro.. 🤩
Been playing guitar violin and bass for years. Picked up alto a few years ago just to open my eyes. This video is definitely an eye opener. Never knew this was possible.
Thanks for taking the time to explain and demonstrate the harmonic series.You are bang on the money.You have a naturally cool way of explaining things and it is clear that you are a serious player.Great work and thank you so much for your enthusiasm.
You did great I like you. I hv 9 months playing the sax and I'm loving the journey.
i wish i had a place to play this without getting beaten by the neighborhood
i like to warm up playing the star spangled banner using only overtones. my embouchure strengthened quickly when i started doing ot exercises. they really help throughout the entire range of the horn and to align yourself with the instrument.
It’s just a coincidence that I saw this video today. You are from JL woodwinds repair from Manhattan. Only four five days back I think on 27 th my son has been to the JL woodwind shop in Newyork and bought packet of reeds ( French made) from your shop. I play tenor and I have got new reeds in strength 3 hope to play them soon. Thanks for the excercise.
Impressive that you get those top tones so clean....I can get maybe 4 and then it's over. Back to the practice room.....
Thank you John!
Great job John! Thanks for the window into the years of a single man at study!
You’re freaking amazing! Thank you for this video! This is a game changer and love the ‘loose-y goose-y’
Sounds superb to me brother!
Honestly, I think you can tell from the number of thumbs up that you didn't embarrass yourself at all. You put yourself out there, and that makes you authenticate no matter what. One thing that I struggle with is that I was told from a younger age that learning clarinet would help me with learning to play my first choice of instrument, which was the saxophone. I'm not sure what 'they' were thinking because the embouchure isn't the same. It's much tighter with the clarinet, and that's presented me with issues of producing proper tone and being able to get lower notes out. I can do the upper register just fine. It's just the lower notes that I struggle with, which I think is a combination of both embouchure and not producing enough air. I picked up an alto first but really wanted to pick up the tenor. I'm going to stop listening to other peoples' opinions of what I should do and in which order to do them.
You are an excellent player!! You got those high overtones out so beautifully. No more negative statements sbout yourself!☺️
You have a very nice delivery
Hey John, sounds great! I've worked a ton on harmonics, too! On that very horn, lol. :) I miss it. I found it easy to get lost in harmonics exercises and had to limit how much time I spent on them, but they're where it's at for getting control of your sound. Glad to see things are going well with the shop.
Such a great tutorial.
Thank you.
Very good lesson! I startet with Sax six weeks ago but feel convinced that it is very helpful. Tried the same with different Brass Instruments like trumpet and it was helpful. Greetings from Germany!
Amazing and very useful video, brother!!!
Keep it coming brother 👍
Nice SBA, sounds great!
I have given up trying to produce a good sound. I have been very fortunate and uniquely placed in having some of the best instruments and mouthpieces at my disposal including, Zephr, Yamaha, Buescher, Conn , Selmer , Keilwerth , Courton etc etc and all that I have been able to produce is the Bombay Taxi Horn sound. So I have decided to concentrate exclusively on subtone playing. I have mastered the classical subtone with double lip embouchure as well as with the single lip embouchure on tenor and alto. I now intensely desire to be able to play jszz subtone on tenor and alto. Please do help me find suitable instructions or tutorials or pdfs or videos etc etc.
Thanking you,
zu ende gesehen und gehört... Thank you very much
Thanks so much for watching my videos and following along!
I've been trying this. And it works. I can't get the range you have! But even shifting up one octave on low C, B, Bb makes a difference. Quality tip 👌
Great Nick! It’s all about control… learn to control them and you will have strong command of the instrument
I'm just getting back to playing the saxophone after a break of more than 10 years and I lost some of my overtones and altissimo. Thanks for this lesson I'm going to do it every day.
Great insights!! Thank you!!
Dude you sound great!!! Thank you
Too kind! Haha thanks so much for listening 🎶
Thank you so much!
Could we please have another?❤️
Love your videos. This is like Sigurd Racshers book Top Tones. God bless. I hope one day to visit your shop in NY.
Yes I have practiced out of that book before! I admit I didn't fully follow everything he taught in it but it inspired to get started on overtones. And it reallyyyyyy helps
Wonderfool overtones 👏👏👏
That was Great. I have to wait until Everyone leaves the house ,
Fantastico! Gracias
Ben Wendel has a new book on harmonics that's very good.
This is true! I haven’t checked it out, but I would recommend everyone do so!
I haven’t done overtones in a long time… proceeds to execute partials up to high E above palm key E from fundamental Bb. Don’t worry brother, I totally believe that you practiced overtones for hours in college.
Young man, I’ve had to come back and watch this again. I do everything wrong. Too much jaw pressure and I get exhausted in just a few minutes. It has to be said I’m in stage 4 kidney failure and am not what I used to be. Anyway I need to relearn my embouchure for comfort and stamina. How do I do this? I’m 63 and have been playing for 50 years.
Your sound is incredible.............I know you´ve been asked this many many times, but please....could you please share what model of morgan mouthpiece you use on your tenor and alto?.......thanks!
Thank you!!!
Thanks so much for checking out my channel! I really appreciate it 🙏
You did all of those different sounds with only your mouth?
Very nice video! thank you so much for this but I would love to know what model of Morgan mouthpiece do you use, New York? Indiana? Florida? and what opening. Thanks!!!!!
Super,👍
Thanks, Man for this Information, Greetings from Egypt.
Hope To Can Visit NY Again & Pass By your Workshop once again.
Peace
Thank you so much for your support! 🙏❤️🎷
I play mostly alto, would like to see and hear this on alto, tanx John, saludos desde las islas galàpagos😉
Wow...finger position stays the same right ? Low B flat. Impressive ...
harder reed ? 3 ?
How many hours per day did you practised in that 3 months?
Me encanta esa Excalibur, like Degibri hehe, o quizás es una Meyer... XD
I have been doing pitch isolation on the low Bb for about a month now and can comfortably go up to the second octave and play the overtones below in any order. How would you suggest I learn to play overtones as high as you show in the video. By the way, you have a beautiful tone! Perfect meaty brightness.
Amazing. I'll give it a try.
I just started 'toying' around with a similar exercise. I enjoyed the video. Some very helpful tips. lol..Btw, thanks for the 'Peanuts' Christmas' selection ;)
I used to do that one. Now I have a new daily exercise. My emboucher is of the bottom-lip-out kind, _a la_ Joe Allard and just about every great jazz sax man. I build my lower lip muscles by playing as loosely, quietly, and steadily as I can. It's OK to get some whoosh or frying bacon sound because of playing so quietly, but there must be no warble, and keep it reasonably in tune. (Most people do not push the mouthpiece on far enough.) Do not tongue to start notes. Start with a full lungs-full of air play it all out, going up a half tone just as the air runs out. Start at low D. Repeat at Eb, E, etc. chromatically to second octave G. Don't hurt yourself. It will be extremely tiring at first.
Thx, this was amazing!! I assume you would do it the same way for alto?
Correct… same is true for all saxophones
Good job 😂😂😂
Thanks a lot bro👍
That was good you achieved a lot of notes on low bflat. What's your technique I cant get higher than 3 notes and my throat hurts . Maybe you can give me some pointers. Thanks man.
Hi can I ask what tip opening you have on your Ralph Morgan Excalibur? Also is it the "Max" or Florida Model? Love that exercise by the way. Also practiced a similar exercise when in college, way back when! Cheers
Hi there it is a 7 Medium chamber 🥹🤘🎷❤️
@@jlwoodwinds6394 Thanks a million for your reply. Can I ask, have you always played a tip opening as small as a 7? I only ask, as I know it was a common tip size back in the day but modern players have often used much larger, including myself. What’s the benefit of a smaller tip opening? Cheers
which horn and mouthpiece do you play? it sounds very good
Thanks so much for listening I play on a Ralph Morgan Excalibur 7M available at my sax shop, and I also play out on gigs a custom tenor that I designed and assemble myself which is also available
I totally understand why overtones help develop a saxophone sound - however, I've never had any success with more than the 1st (octave) and 2nd (octave and a fifth) overtones. Any ideas where I can learn to play higher overtones with any success? Would this be related to why I struggle with G and G# altissimo?
What strength reed do you use? ... 2.5, 3, 3.5? Thanks!
Reed strength you use will depend on your mouthpiece tip opening also. I use a 3.5
9:22
I have no idea how to get way up there 😭
Ooph, I went from Alto to Tenor, I seriously have to practice those low tones on the Tenor as they currently sound quite unstable. 😖
Sometimes it can be a combination of issues. Sometimes the instrument is leaking
Haha my friend in my band plays alto like a champ and tried my tenor - he sounded like a student again lol takes more power and getting used to
@@toomuchtoofast4533 Yeah! That's the honest truth!
What is the point of overtones I don’t understand them.
What part of the video did you not understand? I though he just explained it very well. It's about you controlling your sound rather than the your finders dictating what sound comes out of your sax. Anyone can blow into a sax and make a particular fingering note sound come out, even without any prior experience. But to make it sound the fullest you need to shape the embouchure to put all the energy on that precise note with intent. Practicing overtones teach to do that because they are harmonics of that original fingering. They won't come out unless you have this control.
If the pressure is not on the bottom lip then where is it? On the sides? I am trying to stop being a biter
were you playing the one note all the time and changing it or you were playing different notes
I was playing one fingering... low Bb. And I was was playing pitches that are all hidden within that note called over tones. All of those notes exist within the note.low Bb. When you blow into the instrument differently it brings out the other notes.
@@jlwoodwinds6394 thanks so much.
I'm struggling to play that note coz of my small finger doesn't reach the Bb note in middle range
Bro if I close my eyes you sound exactly like Greg from Succession lmao
What's up John. My son plays alto sax in middle school a Yamaha Yas -26. I read one of your comments today "Reed strength you use will depend on your mouthpiece tip opening " He's using 1.5 on the standard mouthpiece is this correct ? thanks
Ben Wendel now plays on 1.5. Matching reed strength to mouthpiece is important for the sound type you want, but any strength reed can achieve overtones.
I made it to the second overtone and everyone's dog barking throughout the neighborhood...hmmm
I don't get it, what are doing besides playing long tones?
I find hitting low B and lower the hardest. It always sounds like a shaky train horn instead of a note
Long tones
Most youtuber will start stuffs like this with, "like and subscribe blablabla"..
Moment I heard your tone, I found what I was looking for...
"Highly annoying," indeed. I can only practice so much in my tiny apartment, and I generally play songs so my neighbors and landlady *think* they are listening to the radio or whatever, rather than a musician, because everybody knows that people hate musicians (especially landlords...).
So I do it outside, and coyotes show up.....
Talker
Yeah, but why does it work? What about practicing your overtones improves your sound?
I mean overtones
There are meny different ways to practice OVERTONES OBVIOUSLY...THIS IS JUST ONE WAY
Lol.
Called long notes.
Yes the best way to improve your tone.
And get a bigger sound.
"I've done too much talking" So he goes back to talking. Too much.
So much talking
Much love friend. I wanted to tell you that The Father in Heaven’s Name is not “the LORD” it is YAHUAH (YA-WHO-AH) The Son’s Name is NOT “jesus” it is YAHUSHA (YA-WHO-SHA).
We must repent of our sins (sin is transgression of The Law Of YAHUAH The Father in Heaven. The Law YAHUAH The Father Gave through Moses).
We must repent of our sins and Have Belief On YAHUSHA The Messiah. HE Died and Rose three days later so that we can be forgiven of our sins!
Let’s all run to HIM today while we still can. Much love to you friend.
Too much talk.
A good book for daily practice is "Top tones for the saxophone" by S. Rascher. It can be downloaded from pws.npru.ac.th/silapachai/data/files/Book%20Etudes/Top%20Tones%20for%20the%20Saxophone.pdf