Can you tune a saxophone

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Hard Soldering. Soldering Accessories. Ultimax Lubricant System. Alisyn Lubricants. Greases and Bore Oils. Buffing Wheels. Buffing Compounds. Lapping Compounds. Sanding Sticks. Saxophone Pearls. Large Pearl Square. A loose embouchure tends to make the saxophone sound a little flat lower. A tight embouchure tends to make the saxophone sound a little sharp higher. Thanks, Matthew. YES- I'd like to be Awesome! Rodney on May 3, at am.

I am just starting and need all the help I can get. Thanks in advance Reply. Matthew on May 5, at pm. Hi Rodney, Firstly — please keep smiling!

Thanks, Matthew Reply. Submit a Comment Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Useful Sax Stuff. Remember Me Forgot Password? Yes Please! Link Text. Open link in a new tab. You could also do some long notes to get the whole instrument up to temperature. Once warmed up , make sure your alto or tenor sax is in tune overall. Generally a tuner will display the note it hears in concert pitch — or what note it is on a piano or guitar.

Because saxophones are in a different key than piano, the note displayed on your online tuner may be different from the note you are playing. All tenor saxophones and soprano saxophones are in the key Bb. Start by playing a solid long tone on each of these notes while watching your tuner display.

If your tuner says you are playing sharp, or too high, then move your mouthpiece out slightly on the neck cork. If your tuner shows your sound to be a little low or flat, then you will need to push your mouthpiece further in on the neck cork. When making adjustments to the mouthpiece position, only move a millimeter or so at a time and then re-check with your tuner.

With some practice you will soon get to know where your mouthpiece needs to be on your sax to be in tune and the process of tuning becomes much faster. It is however a great idea to make tuning part of your daily routine. Even if you have been playing for years there will still be notes that you can improve your tuning on! Move on to other notes. Once you have a handle on A and F , continue the process with other notes. Alter your embouchure the way you apply your mouth to the mouthpiece to play notes sharper or flatter.

Add more pressure to make a note flatter. It's important that if you do change your embouchure during tuning, you're in a comfortable position embouchure wise , and are playing naturally.

This will take time. Close your eyes and listen to each one as you play. Mouthpiece designs vary greatly, so even if you master your embouchure on one mouthpiece, those same techniques may not work on the next. Play scales. Start with the lowest note in the scale. Work your way up to the highest and then work your way back down.

Aim to alter your embouchure as little as possible while still coaxing out the correct notes. Keep an ear out for notes that consistently sound wrong no matter what you do, which may indicate a problem with your sax. Method 2. Use the right mouthpiece. Mouthpieces vary in design. Make sure your saxophone is compatible with the mouthpiece, since older saxes may not work well with more modern mouthpieces. Check the baffle, the size of the chamber, and the width of the tip, all of which may effect your sound.

Straight baffles are known for their steady sound. They are ideal for older saxophones and sopranos. Roll-over baffles , which are popular with jazz players, add a bit of a bang with growl effects and a suggestion of brightness at the beginning of a note, while still maintaining a loud, steady sound throughout.

Step baffles may be the easiest barrel to work with. Because of this, they're hardly ever used except to produce very specific effects. Be consistent. Choose a type of reed to play with: hard or soft. If you are a beginner, consider using a soft reed around Although they tend to produce flat sounds at first, you will have an easier time manipulating the sound between sharp and flat than you would with a hard reed. Whichever one you choose, stick to it, since switching from one to the other will result in drastic changes in sound.

Check the temperature. The colder the sax, the flatter the sound. If your sax has been stored in a cold area, move it somewhere warm so it can reach room temperature before you start tuning. The top of the sax may feel warm over time, thanks to the body heat from your hands and fingers, while the base remains cold.

If the temperature between top and bottom is inconsistent, play long notes to circulate warm air throughout the whole instrument. Low-pitch saxes are considered standard these days, but before that was established, manufacturers made high-pitch saxes as well.

Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do to tune the latter precisely to other, more modern instruments. Adapt to your sax.