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Tips for Young Saxophone Soloists

While judging hundreds of saxophone contestants in solo & ensemble festivals over the past 20 years, I have heard some fine performances, a great many mediocre ones, and a few disasters. Along the way I have noticed that my comments to those students who did not earn a high rating had remarkable similarities and usually dealt with problems in tone, intonation, technique, or interpretation. Here are some commentsextracted from solo & ensemble adjudication forms along with some explanatory remarks.

Tone. "Work for more beauty of tone. Your sound is somewhat stuffy (or harsh); faster air and less jaw pressure may help. Ask your teacher about vibrato."

A beautiful tone is essential to an effective performance. Many tone problems result from the use of too much jaw pressure and/or inadequate air pressure. Sax players should be able to produce a strong, clear tone on the mouthpiece alone. If jaw pressure is correct, the alto mouthpiece should sound a concert A, the tenor mouthpiece a concert G, and the Bari mouthpiece a concert C.

Many players simply don't push the air through the horn fast enough to produce a beautiful, singing tone. There are a number of strategies for improving breath support; any one of them will work if emphasized regularly. Of course, a good reed is also necessary for a beautiful tone.

Vibrato is an essential part of a characteristic saxophone tone and can be taught as soon as tone production is fundamentally correct. I have taught vibrato in sectional rehearsals with players in grades 7-12, and, after four meetings at weekly intervals, three quarters of the players were on their way toward an effective vibrato.

Intonation. "Tune more carefully to the piano. Pitch is generally a bit sharp, especially the Dís and all notes above the staff. "

Many students rush through the tuning process in an attempt to get the performance over as soon as possible. In some cases student performers have little opportunity to practice the process of tuning to a piano and are apprehensive about the procedure. Perhaps they mistakenly believe that the adjudicator is in a hurry to get started; I am sure that most judges would give as much time as needed to find the right pitch level.

I suggest that the saxophonist sound the pitch first, with the accompanist answering the pitch on the piano. This helps avoid the (almost) automatic tendency to favor the pitch with the embouchure to match the piano pitch. Mouthpiece placement should be adjusted and the process repeated until the student finds the right instrument length. For alto saxophonists I find that top line F# (concert A) is a reliable tuning note. Tenor and baritone saxophonists can use the same written F# (concert E and A respectively) as well as written B natural (concert A) to find the best compromise in mouthpiece setting.

Because many young saxophonists cannot tell when they are slightly sharp, I often suggest the when-in-doubt-pull-out procedure that is similar to the way string players tune. Most students can tell when they are well below the pitch and can then come up to the correct pitch level.

Because the saxophone has some notes that are naturally out-of-tune, student performers should practice favoring those notes until the process is automatic. The use of an electronic tuning device helps to identify these problem notes, and regular work with the tuner will help the student learn how much correction is needed.

Technique. "Some problems with steady tempo and counting. Keep fingers closer to horn. Tonguing style is a hit too heavy."

An understanding of rhythm as the life pulse of music and the frequent use of a metronome can help improve the rhythmic accuracy of a performance. The soloist and accompanist should develop a real sense of rhythmic ensemble.

Good hand position is essential for technical facility. The most common hand position problem involves lifting the fingers too far above the keys, a bad habit that can be corrected with diligent practice.

Many young saxophonists use a tonguing style that is too heavy for many styles of music. Most teachers suggest contacting the tip of the reed with an area slightly back from the tip of the tongue. Students should work to develop a variety of tonguing styles.

Interpretation. "Tempo was a bit too fast/slow to project the allegro/sostenuto character of the music. Need more attention to phrase endings. Work for more dynamic shaping and contrast."

Appropriate tempo is the most essential element of a good interpretation. The character of the music, not technical problems or the emotion of the moment, should dictate the tempo.

Many students do not give full value to the last notes of phrases, nor do they taper the ends of phrases when they should. I often suggest that students think of following through with the air (like swinging a tennis racquet) to help them learn to end phrases effectively. Students should imitate the natural phrasing of singers.

Even the youngest students can understand how to use dynamic shaping to create emotional intensity. Although many young performers like to play it safe by staying in the middle of the dynamic range, teachers should encourage students to expand their dynamic range and to utilize dynamic shaping to enhance the expressive potential of the music.

Musical Effect. "Some nice moments, but small technical problems and lack of musicality hurt the overall musical effect. Good music is more than just the right note at the right time."

Adjudicator remarks like these hardly need explanation. Many students underestimate just how much preparation is necessary to ensure a performance that isn’t marred by minor errors. Attention to dynamics, shaping, and style should begin with the first rehearsals of a composition. Expression is not something to be added, like frosting to a cake, just before the presentation.

Appearance. "Okay, but posture could be better. Bring the horn to you."

Other Factors. "Okay. Let's choose a more challenging solo next year."

Again, these comments are self-explanatory. It is important that students read the evaluation sheet carefully and ask their teacher to explain any comments that are unclear. While the rating of that particular performance may seem very important at the time, it is the judge’s commentary that offers guidance for real improvement over the long term.

Dr. Andrew Gowan
Associate Dean/Director of Undergraduate Studies
School of Music, Univ. of South Carolina