Get A BETTER SAX TONE In One Simple Step!

Game changer!! Made such a huge difference

It’s like changing the EQ it’s so dramatic. Wow.

Potrei avere una sintesi in italiano? Grazie

Sos un genio gracias!

Lovely tip.

Wow! Instantly better! 🤯

A good class, I was working on this subject today.

Thank you for this lesson! My teacher used to emphasize NOT to nod my head down, because it restricts the air flowing across the larynx and upper pallet. Some of those photos you used were probably taken while the musician was looking down at sheet music. David Sanborn has managed to get a lot of air flow despite his "crane" angle. However, I think he developed that angle so he could get the sax neck out of his view of the sheet music.

Many thanks for this "Tip". I have been playing for 40 + years and have been out of business for the last year due to Bells Palsy.. definitely disheartening. I have been playing on an AE 30 Wind Synth but I just don't compete on stage with Rock/ Blues dynamics. It has been good to keep me in the game with smaller/ solo gigs, but I have missed the real sax!.

Thankfully I have been able to slowly start gigging again on my Soprano and for limited numbers of songs on my Alto. Praying I can support Bari and Tenor again soon and this video may help. By INCREASING that angle with a steeper nod, I am easing the load on my lower lip on my Alto! It reduces the BLOWOUT due to the weakness on the right side of my lower lip from the Bells Palsy. AMAZING Thank you so much!

I think I will also buy an angled neck for my straight Soprano as I have struggled with the "Muffled" feeling on Soprano for some time and never considered the rather steep angle down I normally play it at.

This is my first viewing of your channel; it will not be the last. Hopefully this will speed my return to longer sessions and gigs from this Palsy. Thank you again and great success to you!

Hey Jamie. Nice point. The airflow is very importaint. However i think David Sanborn have skipped this lesson, but his sound is still very powerful :)

Ive been playing sax for a long time and could not figure why to stay in tune, my mouthpieces could practically fall off. I’ve learned quite a bit from Jamie.over the years, Taking several of his courses. Thanks a bunch for this one. 🎷👍🙏

Well, that’s one theory.
The picture of Michael Brecker is old, probably when he was between 20 and 30 years. Look at pictures of him the last 10 years of his life: He has changed the angle of the mouthpiece in his mouth from “NOD” to “CRANE”. The same will you find if you look at pictures of Branford Marsalis: “NOD” when he was younger, but “CRANE” when he got older. Marsalis even have a video/workshop where he explains why it is so important to play “CRANE” not “NOD”.

This is lowkey how I be sounding. Wow. Such a simple fix for a great result. Thank you so much

When you talk about nodding the head down to keep the neck muscles loose, it is very important to mention that the head nods NOT the head and neck. You CANNOT move the head forward. You can actually achieve a marvelous tone while looking up IF your throat is open (larynx). It is the opening of the airway and the ability to keep the weight of the head light on top of the neck that produces the brilliance in tone that we're after.

If you look at a musician like Grace Kelley, she can literally jump up and down while playing with her sound because she has that light coordination of the head neck and back.

Just my two cents as I work this all out for myself!! :)

Clearly you deserve WAY more views.

Today is my first time on this channel and I'll be subscribing. Great insight!

This is an absolute helpful advice. Thank you!

Gracias

Wow! Everything makes sense now! Thanks! This is really helpful especially for beginners like me!

Thanks Jamie. That has helped a lot. Geoff in France.

I feel this does not take into the mechanics of our body and this is much more likely to cause postural problems in the neck and shoulders. Almost all photos demonstrated have the neck at about a 45 degree angle while playing, which causes much more force on the cervical vertebrae.

Sure.. I always tell this to my students!

Que legal, parabéns! Gostei do seu canal. Estou usando legendas e tradução para português, pois infelizmente não sei inglês. Desculpe. Vou me inscrever no seu cal. Muito obrigado.

But what to do when you have a lower jaw protrubation?

you're the best man, I heard this from other saxophonist but didnt quite getit or the explanation that i needed to tilt downward and was wondering why I could not achieve that sound ive been longing for.. thought it was my cheap mouthpeice or the instrument again. IOU coffee Jamie lol

Thank you for showing this technique, it was pretty informative. But I wish you would be more genuine/transparent in demonstrating your examples, like adding vibrato and trills to make it sound even better on one side.

Not mentioning names but some teachers are teaching the ‘ extended back neck ‘ method as the way to get a sound .
Try doing this while singing and the sound becomes constricted ! Then sing with the head a little down just a little and the sound opens up .
It’s the same with the sax and to me , one gets a much fuller sound with the ‘ nodding ‘ position and more control too .

I used to have the strap too high for years and it pushed my neck back .
I switched to the nodding position a few years back and it made the world of difference . My lower lip has far more endurance . Of course there are exceptions like Lew Tabakin and David Sanborn but most of the old school players used the head slightly forward position .

Does that work on a soprano sax without a removable neck? I would imagine it being a little bit more difficult

thx

Can we get a video on playing the high D !!!

very nice video !!!

Stop the coke , please.

An interesting thing I’ve noticed: most sax players crane their neck when they’re playing into high altissimo, notably brecker. he kept a nod when playing in middle register, but when he went higher, he gradually craned his neck.

Muchísimas gracias!!! Un gran saludo desde Argentina!!!

Beautiful and very useful video. Thanks.
In my case I love David Sanborn and Rangell’s music. I would like to know, how do they do to sound like they do it if they put the head with the head up.
Best wishes from Ecuador and thanks again for this video

Eddie Lockjaw Davis is one of my absolute favorite players, great sound. Maybe his sound had been even greater if he had seen this?

have you seen david sandborn??

Look at David Sanborn and Eric Marienthal. They are known for their tone, and refute your hypothesis.

I hate when theres distortion on my sax

Dave Sanborn is definitely the odd one out! He tilts his head so far up he looks like a clarinettist!

Thank you for this detail. I’m learning on a baritone and holding it at the right angle is more challenging to me. This video made me realize that I’m probably ‘teeth heavy’ at a higher angle. I’m looking forward to making some adjustments during today’s practice session toward a fix 🎷

When studying with Lee Konitz I also learned the importance of taking in more mouthpiece for an open sound!

I might be wrong, but it seems to me that David Sanborn and Eric Marienthal do not do that and they have the brighter sound I have ever heard. It seems they blow directly into the baffle

We used to call it dropping the jaw for a more open sound.
Taking more mouthpiece into your mouth also opens up your sound!

Hello. You are my King today and forever. Thanks old for the tip. It took me to a new level.