Thanks for this fix for C#! I've been trying to fix this for ages with alternate fingerings being really tricky. This one is simple and works like a charm :).
I am always "floored" by the brilliance of your sax control and tonal quality during demonstrations; I hear therein a touch of Grover Washington, Jr.'s, if I may. Certainly, another excellent tutorial - another one of several visits! Thanks, Sir ValorSax. Lohvissimo!
Wow. Thanks, brother. I agree with an earlier comment about C# on a soprano. This helps...a lot. Video teck-wise, the blue screen with the closeups of the fingerings is really helpful. I know that adds a few layers of work (!) to produce but it’s impact is very valuable to this viewer. The extra production work is way worth it. Thanks for taking the time to bring your production value up several notches.
I could literally do C sharp THREE DAYS AGO and I changed absolutely nothing and now it isn’t sounding right, also my internet is being garbage I can’t even watch this video so now I’m just venting
My 2nd otv B sounds very boxy, almost nasally, no color in tone . A and C# are just fine, and overtone B is fine. Then #1 finger and octave key produce very boxy, wimpy 2nd otv B. Do you have any alternative fingering for this B? Any advice?
People need to remember that this is just one player’s solution on his setup and, just like all these altissimo fingerings floating around on the internet, it will vary with greatly between different horns. One thing that needs to be said is that *mouthpiece adjustment affects the C# more than ALL the other notes.* I personally haven’t ever had problems with C# being flat on my jazz setup. Commercial players usually voice further deeper down in the sound so they don’t usually have to add fingers for raising the pitch but may do so for resonance. Classical players often have the mouthpiece slightly further pulled out so we might need to vent side C# to bring the pitch up. This is my experience with Yamaha/Selmer SATB saxes but remember: on EVERY sax, a mouthpiece adjustment of 20 cents on C# will affect the pitch only about 10 cents on a D. It’s a balancing act and this is one of the reasons playing in-tune at extreme temperatures is such a challenge.
I'm really glad you brought up temperature. I played a gig with varying degrees of broken air conditioning where the sax would be covered with condensation from the heat and humidity only 20 minutes later for the AC would work and drop the temp by 25-30 degrees F. That was fun!!
There are 2 worst notes on tenor saxophone. C# and high G. C# is strange because this is the only tone, when no key is pressed and it is very confusing. High G often squeezes and is difficult to find the correct embouchure. Both often sounds sounds not good.
Thanks, you explain very clearly. Clarinet got me thinking like you. The mechanism & conical bore of Sax makes it harder, but we learn by experimenting. Thanks for reminding us to LISTEN & THINK. Great video. You've got yourself another subscriber.
The “flute” f# fingering (rh3 or 6) works on clarinets and saxophones. The sax and clarinet f# (rh2 or 5) works on flute. The same key linkage exists on all three instruments. The more flute I play the more I use the flute fingering everywhere. In each case the “false” fingering has a small timbre difference but it’s not horrible. With respect to middle D Greg Fishman has a video specifically on this one note. I think he calls it the three Ds. These types of videos are great especially when talking about the context of their use! Thanks for another great video!
Dude. Your style of teaching is the bomb. Not to be a dick though, but I’m glad I started sax in middle school and have studied with great teachers because starting this saxophone as an adult and trying to get hacks on You Tube won’t cut it.
On my alto, my middle c# is maybe ten cents flat compared to all the other notes below high c#, however, if I hold middle c# and maintain exactly the same embouchure, and just hit the octave key, it goes like 30-50 cents sharp. It goes crazy on high c#, and then one note up and it's back to being in tune. This new alto is the worst horn I've ever played >
WOW, that seems really unusual. Good idea to get it looked at. Sounds to me like there might be something strange with one of if not both of the octave mechanisms.
Dude! I love your channel, I have watched all your videos but this is so interesting ans now my favourite of you haha. I play vintage saxes so you know, almost we have tocreate all our altissimos fingers hahaha and this video gave me lot of new ideas to work and explore. Thx so much, big hug to you from Chile and sorry for my english if you cant understand something 😂😂
Some mouthpiece refacers minimize this issue via tweaking the position of the facing break in order to improve short tube (C#) intonation versus long tube intonation (D). Great tips on alternate fingering!
Would it be viable to use the palm key D to play the middle d or would that cause more problems than it fixes, Its working for me so far but I'm weary to why I've never heard about it.
I think he plays an overtone of Eb which is wrong on the tenor and sounds like a E. He already explained that in one of his altissimo video (actually the one about alternative fingering for palm keys)
In other videos you teached a coulple more of very useful alternative HIGH F , wich are like middle A FLAT plus HIGH F SHARP KEY and another, like middle E, MINUS FINGER 3, (left ring finger?) (for those, among other amazing stuff i could never thank you enough)
can you do a review of the jody jazz Giant Garzone edition? i dont see alot of reviews of that mouthpiece nor do i see alot of info on it at all other than the videos that jody jazz has up there
Good Sir, thank you. Intonation/resonance improvements using whole horn technique is an important theme threaded across your teachings. Challenging implementation. Until my Neuralink is implanted it's back to the woodshed. P.S. I only wish any of my 5 playing horns was in perfect mechanical condition.... and my way cool flute needs work, too. Poor excuse, however.
I have a question. It is one that had bothered me for years when I played. When I just play a song by ear, I feel that the note/ key that I am playing in is the only note/key I can play in. Songs in a sharp key are difficult and some songs in flat keys are easier. I guess it has to do with the song. I realized that I was developing a note/key bias. Have you ever dealt with this situation?
BIG TIME! In fact, I should do a video on these types of biases while playing sax. It usually manifests itself when it comes to keys. We have to get used transposing which is inherently very difficult anyway. Anytime you learn a lick or a phrase in a comfortable key, immediately learn it in the key you aren't comfortable in.
Thanks, I love alternate fingerings. I never noticed open C# being super flat on any of my saxes until I got this Beaugnier vito duke tenor right before covid. That note is pretty unbearable on the horn but the horn sounds beastly overall
@@Sirvalorsax Normally sopranos have special mechanism for this problem. Yani and Selmer have "donut keys" and Yamaha has two tone holes for c#. Even vintage sopranos have some linkage between c# and octave key. Mine soprano unfortunately doesn't have anything like that so I have to learn this alternate fingerings.
Thank you so much!!!!! Currently, for me, this is very advanced stuff, but I am so very thrilled you showed this. I learned a lot. Thank you so much. Speaking of alternatives. I discovered a song in a music book that is my speed, and I so want to play it. But there are a few places where a couple of notes, unlike the rest, go very low. All the fingering charts I have in the saxophone books I have do not go below the two ledger lines below the Clef lines. I am wondering if it is possible to play any lower notes on a saxophone, even four ledger lines below? It seems it might be possible, but I am not sure. Can you tell how amateur I am? Grin. If you already have a video on how low a saxophone can go--per sheet music, please point me to it. I would so appreciate that too. Thank you so much for your time. I love your videos. Thank you. God bless you in Jesus' Name.
The lower limit is pretty set for any saxophone. Usually people will put some device in the bell or even cover the bell with their knee in order to force the pitch lower, There is no alternate fingering to play lower on sax though.
@@Sirvalorsax Thank you so very much for your time and reply; I so very much appreciate it. I believe my confusion is because I have always been a sheet music type person, and I do see that the instructional books for the different saxophones all have their own books, but if they are all with the same fingerings, I was not sure why all of them were/are necessary. I was seeing outside these books, for example, a classic famous movie song for alto have a different one for tenor, that is, somewhat lower on the staff for the tenor. Both, of course, in the range of the notes found in the fingering charts, but wouldn't the song reaching well into the higher octave fingering be the preferred choice? Or would it sound just as good dropped down a little? I think I am confused on this matter, because I even see where some post on UA-cam a play along sheet music for alto saxophone will exclusively been for alto mentioned but not for a tenor or the others. I don't get that. There is a cool chart in one of my instructional books, and it shows a column on the left--the notes for alto and baritone (Eb instruments), the middle column is the C concert pitch you will actually hear when playing those notes and on the right is the likewise notes for the tenor and soprano (Bb instruments) with their notes, but both sides when played will actually be hearing if tuned properly the note set to piano C concert pitch in the center column. I believe this chart is great for transposing songs. But all these instruments are only 3 (Eb) or 2 (Bb) semitones off from concert pitch and per fingering design of instruments, so if anything, I don't get why some things are the way they are. Like a baritone in Eb...if they play their lowest note they are actually three semi-tones higher. Would that not seem odd to someone who wants to play super low notes? Why would it not be made into a Bb instrument, that is constructed in design, so it actually be even lower, two semi-tones actual sound? But perhaps that is why, for example, like a tenor in Bb is actually sounding two semi-tones lower on the bottom but it does not show up on the fingering charts which makes it seem like it is more limited per sheet music versus actual concert pitch sound; that is, if actual sound it would have another ledger line below per the two ledger lines as the bottom limit in the fingering charts set in Bb. I perceive that is why it can be a little hard to play easy music set in the Key of C because a number of these do seem to go a little lower on the lines. But perhaps it would be hard to use easy to play flute music as some of that will go too high then. But one thing I have to absolutely appreciate...to have all these instruments with the same fingering and set where it is, is so awesome...it is just finding the sheet music in this range, and it is wonderful.
Nice observation. I only switched it because it covered the T shirt that I'm wearing under the other shirt. Those shirts are for sale in the merchandise bar.
I’ve been using the bg shoulder strap lately, it’s a nice compromise between pressure relief and ease of taking on and off. It will definitely keep covering the short tho
Hey sirvalorsax c# problems are a thing of the past. Years ago I used those alternate fingerings you mentioned, but no more. You should give Ken Beason a call at 8285518518 and he can put a end to intonation and timbre problems on your sax
That is a great question. I'm looking to replace my current tenor and I would love to unify the saxes by having them all from one company. 1st and foremost, they need to make a great easy to play low resistance soprano sax and offer a curved one as well. I'm currently on this quest now and I have no clue which one I will land on
'were gonna go over the worst note on the saxophone... Middle c sharp'
*Clicks like*
:)
Totally! As a beginner I thought I was doing something wrong! Good to know it is by design a "tough" note intonation-wise.
Thanks for this fix for C#! I've been trying to fix this for ages with alternate fingerings being really tricky. This one is simple and works like a charm :).
I am always "floored" by the brilliance of your sax control and tonal quality during demonstrations; I hear therein a touch of Grover Washington, Jr.'s, if I may.
Certainly, another excellent tutorial - another one of several visits!
Thanks, Sir ValorSax.
Lohvissimo!
Cool, thanks!
Wow. Thanks, brother. I agree with an earlier comment about C# on a soprano. This helps...a lot. Video teck-wise, the blue screen with the closeups of the fingerings is really helpful. I know that adds a few layers of work (!) to produce but it’s impact is very valuable to this viewer. The extra production work is way worth it. Thanks for taking the time to bring your production value up several notches.
Glad it helped!
I have to watch this again, and again.
Love that opening theme!!! It's symphonic!!
Thanks
You are a great communicator and a lifesaver……thank you!
Dear Sir: my low C on the curved soprano plays flat. Any tips on correcting this? Than you. Keep up the good work in helping us.
You should make a video explaining the differences between a classical and jazz embouchure
I could literally do C sharp THREE DAYS AGO and I changed absolutely nothing and now it isn’t sounding right, also my internet is being garbage I can’t even watch this video so now I’m just venting
My 2nd otv B sounds very boxy, almost nasally, no color in tone . A and C# are just fine, and overtone B is fine. Then #1 finger and octave key produce very boxy, wimpy 2nd otv B. Do you have any alternative fingering for this B? Any advice?
People need to remember that this is just one player’s solution on his setup and, just like all these altissimo fingerings floating around on the internet, it will vary with greatly between different horns. One thing that needs to be said is that *mouthpiece adjustment affects the C# more than ALL the other notes.* I personally haven’t ever had problems with C# being flat on my jazz setup. Commercial players usually voice further deeper down in the sound so they don’t usually have to add fingers for raising the pitch but may do so for resonance. Classical players often have the mouthpiece slightly further pulled out so we might need to vent side C# to bring the pitch up. This is my experience with Yamaha/Selmer SATB saxes but remember: on EVERY sax, a mouthpiece adjustment of 20 cents on C# will affect the pitch only about 10 cents on a D. It’s a balancing act and this is one of the reasons playing in-tune at extreme temperatures is such a challenge.
I'm really glad you brought up temperature. I played a gig with varying degrees of broken air conditioning where the sax would be covered with condensation from the heat and humidity only 20 minutes later for the AC would work and drop the temp by 25-30 degrees F. That was fun!!
Thanks for this, the first option, octave key plus 3/G key, worked like a charm on my C melody sax.
There are 2 worst notes on tenor saxophone. C# and high G.
C# is strange because this is the only tone, when no key is pressed and it is very confusing. High G often squeezes and is difficult to find the correct embouchure. Both often sounds sounds not good.
I have trouble with middle C sharp to. Especially when slurring into another note.
Thanks, you explain very clearly. Clarinet got me thinking like you. The mechanism & conical bore of Sax makes it harder, but we learn by experimenting.
Thanks for reminding us to LISTEN & THINK. Great video. You've got yourself another subscriber.
Rock on!
The “flute” f# fingering (rh3 or 6) works on clarinets and saxophones. The sax and clarinet f# (rh2 or 5) works on flute. The same key linkage exists on all three instruments. The more flute I play the more I use the flute fingering everywhere. In each case the “false” fingering has a small timbre difference but it’s not horrible.
With respect to middle D Greg Fishman has a video specifically on this one note. I think he calls it the three Ds.
These types of videos are great especially when talking about the context of their use!
Thanks for another great video!
Thanks
I play flute and sax and I can see why you called it flute f sharp. On flute you can play f sharps the same fingering as sax too!
... I feel duly educated. Thank you. Immediate sub 👍🏻
Hope this works for alto sax too
thank you Guru🙏❤️🇳🇵
Dude. Your style of teaching is the bomb. Not to be a dick though, but I’m glad I started sax in middle school and have studied with great teachers because starting this saxophone as an adult and trying to get hacks on You Tube won’t cut it.
There are a lot of people that offer online lessons though. Good to know if you are interested in learning other instruments
On my alto, my middle c# is maybe ten cents flat compared to all the other notes below high c#, however, if I hold middle c# and maintain exactly the same embouchure, and just hit the octave key, it goes like 30-50 cents sharp. It goes crazy on high c#, and then one note up and it's back to being in tune. This new alto is the worst horn I've ever played >
WOW, that seems really unusual. Good idea to get it looked at. Sounds to me like there might be something strange with one of if not both of the octave mechanisms.
Thank you. That's a great performance...🎷🎷
Cool!!
If you do the same thing with A, just lift the G finger, you can blow a really strong A that way, also the whole covered A trill.
Dude! I love your channel, I have watched all your videos but this is so interesting ans now my favourite of you haha. I play vintage saxes so you know, almost we have tocreate all our altissimos fingers hahaha and this video gave me lot of new ideas to work and explore. Thx so much, big hug to you from Chile and sorry for my english if you cant understand something 😂😂
Glad you like them! I want to try to do a video in Spanish.
How dare you!!!!🤠that war grand .
maaaan this blues licks ! wow
Thx for teaching C#
Thank you foe this Boss. Helps a lot on my saxophone. Your moth piece and ligature look ridiculously amazing btw.
Thanks
The worst is middle D...
Great video! Very informative and useful.
Some mouthpiece refacers minimize this issue via tweaking the position of the facing break in order to improve short tube (C#) intonation versus long tube intonation (D). Great tips on alternate fingering!
Thanks
I'm auto subscribed... you has helped thousands of beginner sax player to solve this problem
My middle c-sharp doesn't sound either. So I have been using the low c-sharp fingering with the octave key. Thanks for your help.
Would it be viable to use the palm key D to play the middle d or would that cause more problems than it fixes, Its working for me so far but I'm weary to why I've never heard about it.
On most saxes it's SUPER flat.
maybe ok for a C# to D trill where it's so fast you can't tell how flat it is. hha
Hey Adrien thanks for another great video.
Hope all is well.
Hey, thanks. All good here
totally agree on F# is the more in-tune note and C# ... hum well... is so thin!
:)
Little lost on the front E substitute. You played a standard Eb but bended it up to an E?
I think he plays an overtone of Eb which is wrong on the tenor and sounds like a E. He already explained that in one of his altissimo video (actually the one about alternative fingering for palm keys)
The "E" substitute is an overblown middle Eb.
In my sheet music it says
B Sharp
Is there such thing as Bb?
Yes. B sharp is the same as C natural. Bb is the same as A#
Dig it! I have got to get some new teeth and horn 🎷.
LOL
My low c# is sounding exactly like my low c
It might be sticking
Holy shit, it works, love your videos
😁
I do not understand why all that, all saxophones have different notes, the interpreter is the one who makes the difference that is my experience
thanks man. this will help me big time.
Glad to hear it!
In other videos you teached a coulple more of very useful alternative HIGH F , wich are like middle A FLAT plus HIGH F SHARP KEY
and another, like middle E, MINUS FINGER 3, (left ring finger?)
(for those, among other amazing stuff i could never thank you enough)
Thanks. I wanted to keep this one kind of short and focus mainly on C#.
can you do a review of the jody jazz Giant Garzone edition? i dont see alot of reviews of that mouthpiece nor do i see alot of info on it at all other than the videos that jody jazz has up there
5:13 - Thanks for this tip and fingerings. Finally I can play Snafu (Y Lateef) with a better tone and quickly.
Nice...Thanks 😊
What music is that for the intro and outro? Mesmerizing!
Its a sax arrangement of "in The End" by Linkin Park
Sirvalorsax 😃
Good Sir, thank you. Intonation/resonance improvements using whole horn technique is an important theme threaded across your teachings. Challenging implementation. Until my Neuralink is implanted it's back to the woodshed.
P.S. I only wish any of my 5 playing horns was in perfect mechanical condition.... and my way cool flute needs work, too. Poor excuse, however.
You are welcome! Hit me up with that Neuralink when they come out LOL!!!
Essas posições servi para qualquer saxofone?
1:22 Deep Cover by Dr Dre?
LOL, Yep!
Top Shelf Gold !
Thanks
I thought you were going to say middle D
I have a question. It is one that had bothered me for years when I played. When I just play a song by ear, I feel that the note/ key that I am playing in is the only note/key I can play in. Songs in a sharp key are difficult and some songs in flat keys are easier. I guess it has to do with the song. I realized that I was developing a note/key bias. Have you ever dealt with this situation?
BIG TIME! In fact, I should do a video on these types of biases while playing sax. It usually manifests itself when it comes to keys. We have to get used transposing which is inherently very difficult anyway. Anytime you learn a lick or a phrase in a comfortable key, immediately learn it in the key you aren't comfortable in.
Thanks, I love alternate fingerings. I never noticed open C# being super flat on any of my saxes until I got this Beaugnier vito duke tenor right before covid. That note is pretty unbearable on the horn but the horn sounds beastly overall
Yea, it's super flat on my series II alto lol
Fantastic
Thanks
Solid stuff! Wished i had stumbled on this before heading on a grueling journey to find the substitutes!!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
How long has he had a better camera and mic? He looks and sounds much better than in his older videos!
I'm still looking to get an even better camera in the future
Is sirvalorsax's sax ensemble intros available to buy? I would love to use them in my sax quartet
I'm looking into this for the future.
I'm really not a fan of the G on the stave, that change of embouchure still catches me of guard some times
I hope this video helps
Thank you for sharing! God bless!
😀
GOOD GOD!!!!!!!!! I know you A.S. UA-cam was on AutoPlay and you just popped up on my screen. We went to BG together.
Oh yeah man!!! Good times. I still keep in touch with Brian every now and then😁
@@Sirvalorsax Glad to see you still out there playing so great!
On soprano sax C# it's a nightmare
True
@@Sirvalorsax Normally sopranos have special mechanism for this problem. Yani and Selmer have "donut keys" and Yamaha has two tone holes for c#. Even vintage sopranos have some linkage between c# and octave key. Mine soprano unfortunately doesn't have anything like that so I have to learn this alternate fingerings.
I've heard cannonball use that high F to sound like a ray gun. Pretty cool stuff. Thanks for the info!!
:)
Thank you for this I always use open C# and the then the side C key to raise the pitch
Cool
Two thumbs up!
Thanks
Your videos are always awesome. Thank you my brother.
I appreciate that!
Thank you so much!!!!! Currently, for me, this is very advanced stuff, but I am so very thrilled you showed this. I learned a lot. Thank you so much. Speaking of alternatives. I discovered a song in a music book that is my speed, and I so want to play it. But there are a few places where a couple of notes, unlike the rest, go very low. All the fingering charts I have in the saxophone books I have do not go below the two ledger lines below the Clef lines. I am wondering if it is possible to play any lower notes on a saxophone, even four ledger lines below? It seems it might be possible, but I am not sure. Can you tell how amateur I am? Grin. If you already have a video on how low a saxophone can go--per sheet music, please point me to it. I would so appreciate that too. Thank you so much for your time. I love your videos. Thank you. God bless you in Jesus' Name.
The lower limit is pretty set for any saxophone. Usually people will put some device in the bell or even cover the bell with their knee in order to force the pitch lower, There is no alternate fingering to play lower on sax though.
@@Sirvalorsax Thank you so very much for your time and reply; I so very much appreciate it. I believe my confusion is because I have always been a sheet music type person, and I do see that the instructional books for the different saxophones all have their own books, but if they are all with the same fingerings, I was not sure why all of them were/are necessary. I was seeing outside these books, for example, a classic famous movie song for alto have a different one for tenor, that is, somewhat lower on the staff for the tenor. Both, of course, in the range of the notes found in the fingering charts, but wouldn't the song reaching well into the higher octave fingering be the preferred choice? Or would it sound just as good dropped down a little? I think I am confused on this matter, because I even see where some post on UA-cam a play along sheet music for alto saxophone will exclusively been for alto mentioned but not for a tenor or the others. I don't get that. There is a cool chart in one of my instructional books, and it shows a column on the left--the notes for alto and baritone (Eb instruments), the middle column is the C concert pitch you will actually hear when playing those notes and on the right is the likewise notes for the tenor and soprano (Bb instruments) with their notes, but both sides when played will actually be hearing if tuned properly the note set to piano C concert pitch in the center column. I believe this chart is great for transposing songs. But all these instruments are only 3 (Eb) or 2 (Bb) semitones off from concert pitch and per fingering design of instruments, so if anything, I don't get why some things are the way they are. Like a baritone in Eb...if they play their lowest note they are actually three semi-tones higher. Would that not seem odd to someone who wants to play super low notes? Why would it not be made into a Bb instrument, that is constructed in design, so it actually be even lower, two semi-tones actual sound? But perhaps that is why, for example, like a tenor in Bb is actually sounding two semi-tones lower on the bottom but it does not show up on the fingering charts which makes it seem like it is more limited per sheet music versus actual concert pitch sound; that is, if actual sound it would have another ledger line below per the two ledger lines as the bottom limit in the fingering charts set in Bb. I perceive that is why it can be a little hard to play easy music set in the Key of C because a number of these do seem to go a little lower on the lines. But perhaps it would be hard to use easy to play flute music as some of that will go too high then. But one thing I have to absolutely appreciate...to have all these instruments with the same fingering and set where it is, is so awesome...it is just finding the sheet music in this range, and it is wonderful.
When did you switch neck straps, and what are you using now? I’m used to seeing you in the bg harness.
Nice observation. I only switched it because it covered the T shirt that I'm wearing under the other shirt. Those shirts are for sale in the merchandise bar.
I’ve been using the bg shoulder strap lately, it’s a nice compromise between pressure relief and ease of taking on and off. It will definitely keep covering the short tho
Really appreciate these alternative fingerings. Thank you! The C# on my Selmer series II alto is sooo flat
Thanks
Oh god, there's times where I have to octave, 3, and side c and side b flat on my series II. Easily the worst note on the horn imo
First
Sorry to get off topic but if you were buying a new tenor (any price) what ones would you go for? I'd sure appreciate your input.
Hey sirvalorsax c# problems are a thing of the past. Years ago I used those alternate fingerings you mentioned, but no more. You should give Ken Beason a call at 8285518518 and he can put a end to intonation and timbre problems on your sax
That is a great question. I'm looking to replace my current tenor and I would love to unify the saxes by having them all from one company. 1st and foremost, they need to make a great easy to play low resistance soprano sax and offer a curved one as well. I'm currently on this quest now and I have no clue which one I will land on
I guess I should've asked if you could buy any tenor sax right now what would it be? Thank you much for your reply.
Thank you so much !!
Cool
Thanks a lot. 👍
Most welcome!
Nice info!
Glad it was helpful!
Excellent.
Many thanks!
Great video!
Thanks!