Circle Breathing & The Saxophone

What is circle breathing? Well, it basically allows a woodwind musician to play their instrument without taking a breath through their mouth. As you can imagine, this can be a damn handy thing when it comes to freeform jazz and other forms of "spontaneous" musicianship. The technique was invented by Rahsaan Roland Kirk in the 1960s and allows the musician to tap into an uninterrupted air stream without the need to draw breath.

Sounds impressive? Here's a video of Roscoe Mitchell inventor of free jazz skronk, playing his sax without drawing breath for over 10 minutes. Be warned, this may not sound quite like you were expecting. My cat, woke up with a look of utter disdain whilst I was playing this. And we all know that cats make the most credible jazz critics.

Amazing Cover of Georgia on My mind by Ray Charles

This is a simply breath-taking cover of the Ray Charles classic, covered here by Marty Paoletta. You can hear all the warmness of the alto saxophone in this song, halped along by some truly inspired playing.

In Marty's youtube account he says: "I get asked frequently how I am able to get the Sanborn tone. Believe me, I worked on it for months as a young musician. I finally figured out a couple of things, mainly to keep your mouth cavity wide open and let the reed vibrate naturally. The rest is just feel and passion. "

Hopefully beginner saxophonists wn't be put off, but rather motivated to keep up the practice and get this good!

What You Should Know Before Buying a Saxophone

Generally, you will find 4 standardized types of saxophone. These are named: soprano, alto, tenor and baritone. The keys for each go as follows: Soprano is the highest in pitch and is in the key of Bb. Then they progress downwards in pitch, with half an octave between each of the following: alto sax (key of E flat), tenor sax (B flat) and baritone sax (E flat).

Those seeking lessons are frequently advised in school to get started with the clarinet before taking up saxophone tutorial. The clarinet offers more intricate fingering so that it's assumed if you master this the saxophone will seem easy in comparison. Although, there is a counter-argument which says that the saxophone is the ideal instrument when you are new to the woodwind family because of its more gentle learning curve. The embouchure of the saxophone is reckoned to be less difficult. When we talk about embouchure we are referring to the method by which you apply your mouth to the mouthpiece to produce the desired notes. Because this and the standardized number of keys are more straightforward to work than both clarinet and flute, a learner saxophonist is likely to produce a agreeable tone from their horn more quickly.

But which of the four saxes is it best to start on?
Of the 4 primary saxophones the alto saxophone would be the model many beginners are urged to try out because of the instrument's pitch. New players will generally view this the most uncomplicated with which to strike up a favourable range of notes. This is because saxophones in the higher and lower ranges necessitate rather more difficult breath control. Furthermore, the scale for keys is more moderate on an alto sax which makes it an ideal starter sax for children and those with smaller hands. The alto sax is also the most typically employed variety of saxophone in classical arrangements and subsequently there is a mass of music made for alto saxophone to choose from.

Finally, the most important thing as regards to purchasing a sax is tracking down an example that you trust could keep you committed to practicing. They are certainly not the cheapest of instruments and thus it is worthwhile seeking advice from your local music store and trying out several different models before making your purchase. You can find plenty of saxophones online, but it’s recommended that you actually get to try out your saxophone before buying to make sure you’re completely satisfied with it.