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Sax Intonation Lesson

Sax Intonation Lesson

Rated 5.00 out of 5 based on 1 customer rating
(1 customer review)

$9.99

SKU: 017 Category: Sax Tone Tags: audio lesson, intonation, playing in tune, saxophone
  • Description
  • Reviews (1)
  • Lesson Sample

Description

Having good intonation on the saxophone is crucial! No matter how good your tone might be, or how great your ideas, if you can’t play in tune, it all counts for nothing.

In this lesson, I begin by stressing the importance of intonation when choosing a saxophone and provide simple but important tips to keep in mind when trying out a new saxophone and how to avoid buying the wrong saxophone.

You’ll learn why a tuner is an invaluable tool for evaluating any potential saxophone and why you should take one with you when testing a new sax.

I teach you a simple exercise to help you get to know your saxophone’s intonation tendencies. Get to know every note on your horn and which notes are sharp or flat. This is a real ear opener!

If you know the pitch tendencies of your horn, you can adjust the wayward notes to bring them into tune, but you have to know which notes are out and by how much. I explain how to get to know your sax so that you know what to expect from every note.

I go on to show you some simple tips and tricks that you can use to correct these intonation inconsistencies. How to open your throat, change your air stream and tongue position, to bring these notes into tune.

Tame that sharp upper register! By teaching you how to work with your air and throat and tongue position, I guide you through the process of leaning to control the pitch of these notes and place them so that they play in tune.

I talk about why ear training is so important to playing in tune and how to work on this area to improve the way you hear and play. I then explain how to step beyond our reliance on using the tuner and learn to use our ears to play in tune with other instruments. I show you how you can use your favorite recordings and play along with the masters to learn to “lock in” the note and play with great intonation.

Learn how to play with other horn players. From small combo playing, to school concert band, to big band section playing, we all need to learn how to blend and tune with other horn players. I discuss how to achieve this and why it’s so rewarding when you do.

This lesson is fantastic for anyone who wants to improve their intonation and when combined with my other lessons on “Developing a Great Sound” and “Saxophone Voicing“, provides a comprehensive guide to getting that great saxophone sound we’re all after and learning to control and shape that sound to fit perfectly in any playing situation.  (Audio)

1 review for Sax Intonation Lesson

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    Rated 5 out of 5

    Soruyo – February 10, 2011

    The things covered in this lesson are something every sax player should know about, and put to practice as soon as possible. Incredible useful lesson! A must have.

    Thanks Steve!

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Lesson Sample

https://public.neffmusic.com/Sax%20Intonation%20clip.mp4

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Hello Steve, I’m getting so much out of your lessons and books, amazing how much one may think one knows, there is always a new frontier or new way to view something you think you had somewhat down. You have taken it all to a new level and am so grateful. Your lessons are so down to earth and understandable and clear!  Thanks so much Steve! Cheers, Eddie

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Hey Steve! I hope you and your family are well.  I’m just writing to say thank you so much for all the resources you have made available to the saxophone community. I have been using your material for many years and I always come back to it… in fact I just took a break from practicing to write this…( reviewing “CreatingModern II-V-I Lines with simple pentatonics”.) I am, and continue to be, one of your raving fans! Blessings to you and your family this holiday season! Wishing… Read more
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I just started looking at my lessons and I have to say, dude you are awesome.  I ABSOLUTELY will learn from you!  I started the tenor about 1 ½ yrs ago and have since picked up an alto, and more recently a soprano.  I spend most of the time on the tenor, followed by soprano, and have only gotten to the alto a few times.  I think I’ll be sticking with tenor.  I’m having a great time and hope one day to play well enough to get regular gigs.  I’ve been playing keys for about 35 years (… Read more
Wil
Thank you for all the educational information you provide.  I am a classically trained musician.  Professionally, I am a 4th and 5th grade band teacher.  I have played piano and sax for many years, but now I am starting to gig out more. I have always improvised by ear in the past. I have gotten by with my strong sense of pitch, rhythm and melodic contour. However, I want to go deeper. I want to play with a greater variety of melodic and rhythmic ideas to pull from.  I have studied to gain a … Read more
Ray
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Oliver
Steve really changed my way of practicing: I got a whole lot of new ideas for my playing the tenor.  His lessons are really helpful, give a lot stuff to practice and give clear answers to complicated stuff.  Steve has a lot of humor and I wish I had laughed so much in my former days with the horn.  All topics, from Blues to Approach note are dealt with clearness that wet ones appetite to play and practice that great ideas.
Uwe
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Your material is great! I got your New Altissimo Lesson 6 months ago and I have learned more from that than in all my 44 years of playing! I appreciate your down to earth teaching method and I really appreciate the heart that you teach with. I have been a subscriber to your lessons for the past 6 months and I have learned a great deal. Over that period of time I have had some questions and you have never failed to respond. Thanks! I have already recommended your lessons to a number of players in… Read more

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