Saxophone Long Tones – Long Notes and Breathing.
When playing your saxophone, it is important to be able to play long tones and long notes.
Saxophone long tones or saxophone long notes strengthen your playing and improve your overall sound.
Being able to play long tones on your saxophone will make your musical life sooooooo much easier.
You will be able to play more notes without taking a breath.
You will be able to play your saxophone in tune.
You will become a Jedi Master.
Well, ok, perhaps not a Jedi Master per se, but it will help with your tone control and your concentration. Focusing on just the one thing – in this case playing one long, strong and not wobbly note – several times, over and over again is a fantastic way to clear your mind while strengthening your embouchure (cheeks and mouth), your diaphragm (air pushing muscles) and your lungs.
Having good breathe control is a vital part of being able to play the saxophone. Saxophone long tones should be a part of your daily practice routine.
Having control of your saxophone long tones allows you to look good, sound great and be the awesome saxophonist that you SHOULD be.
By listening to your long notes, over time you will be able to hear the subtleties of your tuning (or lack thereof). This in turn allows you to correct any parts of the sound that you do not like – be that tone, or volume, or tuning.
Hint: try your saxophone long tones with a tuner !
You will soon be able to know your specific body and your specific saxophone almost intimately. You will know that for “this not” you will need to adjust your mouth this way, but for “that note” you will need to adjust your embouchure that way. Soon you will instantly and instinctively know how your saxophone reacts in any given situation.
This in turn makes you a better musician.
Any robot can put their fingers in the right place and play the notes. It is a skilled musician who can make their saxophone sing and sound great at any volume for any length of time.
So, please practice your saxophone long tones. You’ll soon realise how important this little skill is for your overall saxophone success.
Thanks,
Matthew
P.S. If you would like simple step by step instructions to help you learn how to play the sax (just like this one in the video above), all neatly organised in the one convenient location, all provided by an experienced saxophone teacher who can help you to play the music that you want to play quickly and easily, then check out our saxophone lessons membership options. Get started on your saxophone journey today !
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