Forget about practicing boring long tones.
Playing slow melodies on sax is my favourite way to build an amazing tone.
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Now the reasons for this are simple.
More fun
Slow melodies are so much more fun to play than dull long tone exercises. Choose a tune you really love and you’ll be building your embouchure without even realising it!
Practical skills
Plus, slow melodies are practical. This is the way you play your sax in real life. As well as building your tone, when you play slow melodies on sax you’re building your playlist too. And that’s always handy when you join a new band or a jam session.
Technique
Finally, slow melodies combine a load of techniques that you use when you’re actually playing.
- You need to think about your breathing. Breathe from low in your abdomen. Keep your shoulders relaxed and support your breathing with your diaphragm.
- You need to think about your embouchure.
- You need to think about the way you connect your notes.
- And you can also be expressive.
So by far, slow melodies are the best way to really boost your tone.
Choosing slow melodies on sax
There are loads of lovely slow melodies to choose from.
Here’s a selection of the slow melodies you can learn inside Sax School, to inspire you.
Classical slow melodies
Jazz Standards
My Funny Valentine
When I Fall in Love
Summertime
Pop
Film and Stage
Bring Him Home (Les Miserables)
Gabriel’s Oboe (The Mission)
Your Turn
So in your practicing this week, have a think about some slow melodies you love and see if you can put them into action to really get your tone super-charged.
Next Steps
If you want to improve your sound on saxophone, here’s some more resources to help you.
Hate your sound? Fix it here
Record your playing to boost your practice – find out how
5 Tips for a better sound on saxophone
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