Playing Tenor Saxophone - McGill Music Sax School Online (2024)

Playing Tenor Saxophone - McGill Music Sax School Online (1)

How do tenor sax players achieve their sound?

Contents hide

1The Challenge

2Andy (Australia)

3Danilo (Mexico)

4Greg (Ireland)

5Gregory (United States)

6Melanie (England)

7Stewart (Scotland)

8Recording Effects

9Special Tips

10Practice Tips

11Tim (Alaska)

12Final Thoughts

Seven Sax School PRO members share their style tips on playing tenor saxophone in this video compilation.

Find out their saxophone set up, their recording gear, their technique and practice tips, to help you achieve the tenor sax sound you’re looking for.

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The Challenge

Within our Sax School Community, saxophone players from around the world regularly collaborate together – creating recordings and videos and even setting up their own YouTube channels. They support and encourage each other, and have fun making music together.

In this collaboration, 7 Sax School members set themselves the challenge of playing the same section of the song “She’s Like the Wind” from the classic hit movie Dirty Dancing.

Assisted by another Sax School member who is a whizz at video editing, they created this compilation to show their different playing styles.

All of these Sax School students have different levels of experience of playing tenor saxophone, and different approaches to this song.

The aim of the video is to inspire each other and also other saxophone players like you.

Andy (Australia)

How long have you been playing tenor saxophone?

I began playing the clarinet at 13 years old, then the sax. I later worked as a full-time clarinet player in the Australian Army Band and gigged with my sax in nightclub bands.

For a number of years, I taught 6 days a week and gigged 3-4 nights a week. In 2001 I hit a wall and totally quit the music industry. I had no inspiration to play again until mid-2021.

My current practice time is very limited due to life commitments. However, I’m extremely excited that I will be returning to playing gigs and teaching very soon!

Saxophone Inspiration

I find all musicians inspiring. I particularly like Michael Brecker & Bob Berg. However there are just so many great players out there that it’s challenging to list them all.

I also gain a LOT of inspiration from guitarists like Pat Martino, and Larry Carlton… like I said, too many to list. I spend my life on Spotify listening to as much music as possible.

Andy’s saxophone set-up

Mouthpiece: Eugene Rousseau Metal Jazz 7*
Reed: Légère American Cut, strength 2.25

Recording Effects

I generally don’t like to use a lot of effects. Most of the time (including this recording) I stick to the default settings for the following GarageBand options (EQ “Saxophone EQ”, Reverb “LiveClub”, Exciter (bit like a harmonizer) “Default User”).

Embellishments and techniques

I try to let the music dictate what kind of embellishments to use. In popular songs like this one, the audience expects things to remain reasonably close to the original (solid melody and mysterious solo) and that’s what I tried to achieve here.

Special Tips

I firmly believe that we need to “let the music play us”, rather than simply playing notes on a page, pushing air through the horn, and pressing buttons. Good players play from the heart, feel where the music is taking them and deliver the levels of emotion that the music requires. You can touch the heart of a listener with just one well-played note.

Practice Tips

Long Notes, overtones (anything to develop your sound and inner voice). Slow Down!

Every practice room should have a full-length mirror! It helps you to see and hear everything that is going on. You get a direct reflection of your sound, you can check your playing posture. Plus you can see what your fingers are doing, check your embouchure and see what your throat is doing.

Danilo (Mexico)

How long have you been playing tenor saxophone?

I’ve been teaching myself sax for just over 5 years. I’ve had no formal music training or private lessons.

Saxophone Inspiration

Greg (Ireland)

How long have you been playing tenor saxophone?

I’ve been playing for 6 years. I have played the piano and guitar since my early years (self-taught), playing in bars and restaurants, and latterly (pre covid) in a resident band in a co*cktail lounge.

I bought my first sax in 2016 and joined Sax School in 2017 as a complete beginner. I played in a jazz improvisation group for a year, but currently just play at home for enjoyment.

I am hoping to play publicly with my sax in the future, but I am in no rush – I plan to keep developing on the instrument so I am well prepared when the right opportunity arises.

Greg’s saxophone inspiration

Kirk Whalum – love his sound, style, interpretations – a smooth tenor player with a clear emotional voice that strikes a chord.
Paul Desmond – love his ethereal alto sound and beautiful melodic solos.
Sonny Rollins – love his lyrical jazz style
Felicity – Amazing alto player with a rich blues sound and beautiful sense for melody
Sax School’s Nigel and Fred! [Goes without sayin…!]

Greg’s saxophone set-up

Mouthpiece: Metal Berg Larson ‘Duck Bill’ Vintage mouthpiece *8
Reed: AWN, strength 3

Recording Effects

I use Logic Pro.

Compression – ‘live vocal’

Equaliser – for tenor I lower the right side [the high register sound] and slightly raise the left side [the low register sound] to fine tune what I hear back through the headphones and what I heard in my head while playing. I keep the mid sounds on the line.

Reverb – I used chromaverb/concert hall for this as it’s an ‘80s style and calls for big reverb. If I was playing something different – like a jazz piece, I would tone down the reverb a lot and go for a small room [space designer] or nothing at all.

Embellishments and Techniques

• Vibrato
• Grace notes
• Growls
• Bends
• Dynamic variations

Special Tips

I play to the words of the song. This helps focus on where to apply grace notes.

For example, the phrase “just a fool to believe I have anything she needs” has a sort of musical rhythm with an emphasis on the words in caps: “JUST a FOOL to beLIEVE she needs ANYthing from ME” … so I grace note into each caps word to make a sort of musical emphasis.

This is helped by the repetitive rhythm of this phrase and that the first four words in caps all land on the same note on tenor – C sharp so the grace note is the C which is easy to lift off to articulate that grace note.

I believe this ‘lyrical’ approach adds ‘life’ to a vocal melody performed on such a vocal instrument as the sax. And we as evolving sax players have an obligation to try to emulate that vocal quality in our playing!

Practice Tips

Long tones! I don’t do enough of them and every time I hear myself from my own recordings, I realise I need to forge a daily habit of long tones. I went through a spell for a while when I was practicing long tones daily for 5 minutes and my tone was much more resonant then. It has given me the absolute conviction that the key to that resonant musical sound that a sax can perform with even the simplest of notes, is only attainable by application of daily long tone exercise for a few minutes.

Play each note from mid G to upper G including half tones for 10 seconds a note – up and down again – nothing more required. Focus on keeping the notes really steady and gradually increasing volume and dropping off again while holding that steady tone with each note so breath support develops.

Gregory (United States)

How long have you been playing tenor saxophone?

I’ve been playing for 9 years. For the first 9 months, I took weekly classes and consumed masses of information from YouTube. I practiced 3-4 hours per day and spent another 1-2 hours teaching myself how to read music. I began playing publicly after 10 months and was allowed to sit in and play a few songs weekly with the Don De’Palma Jazz Trio. I got to play with the likes of Kris Jensen (Almen Brothers). It pushed me, because I wanted to “try” and prove myself.

Saxophone Inspiration

My Uncle, who played with James Brown, Chaka Khan and some others is the saxophonist that inspires me the most. I grew up listening to him and I always wanted to learn to play, like him. I’m still pursuing that dream.

Maceo Parker, John Klemer, Candy Dulfer, Grover Washington Jnr and many other notables are also high on that list.

Gregory’s saxophone set up

Mouthpiece: Jody Jazz DV Chi 7*
Reed: Boston Sax Custom, strength 3

Recording Effects

GarageBand: Reverb & Ambiance

Embellishments and techniques

Ascending glissando

Variable dynamics

Special Tips

I really don’t know what, or if there is anything which makes my sound any different that the next persons.

Truthfully, I never think about sounding different, I “try” and have the saxophone express emotion. I try to have the listener and me, feel a emotional connection to the sound.

Practice Tips

As we all know, practice practice practice. But It’s not just practicing, it’s practicing right. It’s staying with a song, until you can feel it in your soul.

Because I get bored fast. One week I will do scales, the following week I will do vibrato, another week I will work on dynamics. The circle back around. It may not be the best, but it helps me.

I only spend a few minutes on these drills. Even with the week of scales, I pick one or two a day and run through them for about five minutes, and move on.

Melanie (England)

How long have you been playing tenor saxophone?

I have played the tenor sax for 15 years. Prior to that, I learned to play alto in a Soul Band.

I’m self-taught, but I had the advantage of my classical training as a violin teacher, so understood music theory etc.

I joined Sax School in 2018, when I began to focus on technique. I am now on the Sax School Accelerator programme.

I currently play in two bands: a Ska Band and a David Bowie Tribute Band.

Saxophone Inspiration

I take my inspiration from Clarence Clemons, Dexter Gordon, Courtney Pine, and the Sax School Tutors.

Melanie’s saxophone set up

Mouthpiece: Jody Jazz Jet 8
Reed: D’Addario Select Jazz, strength 2 medium

Recording Effects

I like to keep things simple as I’m still discovering my own sound. I just use the default settings in Audacity.

Embellishments and Techniques

Varied dynamics

Varied articulation

Bends

Passing notes

Vibrato

Special Tips

It’s important to discover your own sound and style as we are all individuals. I am now starting to discover my own sound and style by incorporating techniques that I have heard listening to players that I like.

Articulation, expression and dynamics are very important to me and I like to keep things melodic and enjoy rhythmical playing too.

Practice Tips

Focused Practice. If you have time constraints, a little amount and often is better than one long practice every now and again.
Try playing different genres. In each genre you will find different techniques which will enhance your playing across all styles.
Incorporate some listening into your sessions. You can learn a lot from just listening.
Enjoy your practice!

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Stewart (Scotland)

How long have you been playing tenor sax?

I’ve been playing for 46 years. I played in various cover bands from the age of 16.

I then went pro as a cabaret act, playing internationally. I’m still gigging and building up a roster of students to pass on my knowledge.

Saxophone Inspiration

King Curtis, especially his version of Spanish Harlem
Dick Morrissey – check out his solo on the track “Dragonfly” from the Badness album. He also played on the Shakatak track “Streetwalking”.

Stewart’s sax set-up

Mouthpiece: West Coast Sax MOAM 115 Tip Opening
Reed: cane, Robertos Winds, Strength 2 Hard

Recording Effects

Grace notes
Fall offs
Glissando
Scoops
False fingering (play low C# fingering with the octave key to produce middle C#)
Growls

Special Tips

Be yourself but copy licks from anyone who impresses you. And listen to tons of other players and learn from them.

Practice Tips

Always try riffs/licks over whole range of your instrument.
Break down difficult parts and learn as slow as pouring treacle. Record yourself often and pick up mistakes and improve on them.

Tim (Alaska)

How long have you been playing tenor sax?

I’ve been playing for 43 years. I played in my high school band and then sporadically in church. Ten years ago, I became very serious about it and now gig regularly.

Saxophone inspiration

Boots Randolph

Euge Groove

Richard Elliott

Tim’s saxophone set up

Mouthpiece: Drake Son of Slant 9 (tip opening .120)

Reed: Rico plastic cover Baritone sax reed on my tenor, strength 4. This gives me a slightly bigger, fuller sound. (I would use a tenor reed 2.5 – 3 but need to go up to 4 when using bari reeds)

Recording Effects

I use a flat EQ with a slight delay (no treble or bass added). I don’t use reverb – I don’t like how it muddies the sound.

Embellishments and Techniques

Fall offs

Vibrato

Glissando

Special Tips

I like to make a “pretty sound” with my horn so I concentrate on voicing (adjustments done in the mouth/tongue/throat to improve sound quality) and pay special attention to my tone.

Practice Tips

Always practice slightly above your current level. Stuff that is too easy will leave you bored, and stuff that is too hard will leave you discouraged.

Tim’s website: www.timhallmusic.net

Final Thoughts

Feeling inspired by the great playing of our Sax School students?

Do you want to learn to play tenor saxophone like this too?

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