ALTO SAXOPHONE MASTERY

By Dylan Cramer

"It's the best of this kind of book, in the sense its exploration of technique is grounded in a deep and philosophical sense of what we are trying to do when we play music, and how technique is connected to heart and soul."  —Joel Bakan, filmmaker and author of The Corporation

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dylan Cramer
• Release date: Apr 2, 2019
• ISBN: 9781999051211

Book preview

ALTO SAXOPHONE

MASTERY

DYLAN CRAMER

Copyright © 2019 by Dylan Cramer

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise – without the prior written permission of the publisher, except for brief passages quoted by a reviewer in a newspaper or magazine. To perform any of the above is an infringement of copyright law.

ISBN: 978-1-9990512-1-1

Publisher: Dylan Cramer ([e-mail])

Editing Assistant: Alan Rudrum 

Publishing Assistant: Joy Ross

Musical Examples: Liz Kinnon

Cover Design: Riley Cramer

For my two teachers—

Sonny Criss and Phil Sobel;

and the one I never met but wish I had—Henry Lindeman.

READER REVIEWS

It's the best of this kind of book, in the sense its exploration of technique is grounded in a deep and philosophical sense of what we are trying to do when we play music, and how technique is connected to heart and soul.

—Joel Bakan, filmmaker and author of The Corporation.

What a great book! This is going to be standard literature for saxophone students and teachers of every wind instrument.

—David Sherr, woodwind artist.

Absolutely wonderful, Dylan. There is nothing that surprises me about the stories you wrote about my father. He was a man of intense, deep feelings that resonated through his music. Great job, brother.

—Steven Criss

Your book is fantastic. I especially like the introductory part which is very moving and shows your love and brilliant understanding of music.

—Yang Hong Yan, Associate Professor,

Suzou University of Science and Technology.

READER REVIEWS

Fantastic job, Dylan! It's so clear, interesting and thorough. It really clarifies so much of Phil's stuff. Great job on the stories too!

—Bryan Savage, professional saxophonist and recording artist.

Brilliantly presented in every way.

—Ernie Colledge, band teacher and educator.

I really enjoyed Dylan's personal story about his time spent with jazz legend Sonny Criss and master woodwind artist Phil Sobel. Sonny's advice and teaching takes up the first part of the book, and it's priceless. The remaining bulk of the book features his study with Phil. For those familiar with Phil's teachings, this is a great and succinct reminder of the method. For those who aren't, Dylan very clearly explains and breaks down Phil's magical methods that can lead to real saxophone mastery. I also love the way Dylan applies the method to jazz music, using contemporary examples.

—Robert Kyle, freelance jazz saxophonist.

The book of a lifetime for alto saxophonists!

—Richard Carter, saxophonist.

Dug your book. Especially liked the ‘man downstairs’ reference.

—Ted Sobel

TABLE OF CONTENTS

READER REVIEWS

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

HOW I STUDIED THE ALTO SAXOPHONE

PART ONE: THE PHYSICAL

QUALITY OF SOUND

CH 1: POSITION

POSITION OF THE LEFT THUMB

POSITION OF THE MOUTH (EMBOUCHURE)

POSITION OF THE TOP TWO TEETH

POSITION OF THE SPOT

POSITION OF THE REED / LIGATURE

CH 2: AIR

CH 3: FINGERS

OPEN VS. CLOSED

PART TWO: TECHNIQUE

CH 4: THE FOUR CORNERSTONES

THE ENTRANCE NOTE

THE BOTTOM NOTE

LONG TO SHORT

OPEN VS. CLOSED

CH 5: ARTICULATION

TONGUING

CH 6: DYNAMICS

CH 7: ACCENTS

CH 8: VIBRATO

CH 9: HORIZONTAL VS. VERTICAL

CH 10: TEMPO VS. RHYTHM

CH 11: COLOR & CIRCLE / PLANT & FLOWER

CH 12: OCTAVE TO NON-OCTAVE

CH 13: LOOKING AHEAD / COMING IN EARLY

CH 14: MAGNETIZING

CH 15: BEGINNINGS & ENDINGS

PART THREE: THE CEREBRAL & THE HEART

CH 16: INTERPRETATION

CH 17: IMPROVISATION

CODA

PREFACE

When asked to describe what made Jascha Heifetz the greatest violinist of his generation, renowned Italian conductor Carlo Maria Giulini replied: Quality of sound, virtuoso technique, interpretation – these three things one must possess in order to attain the highest musical character. This also rings true for the alto saxophonist who wishes to master the instrument. The quality of sound must be unique and captivate the listener; the technique must be sufficiently fluid enough to cope with the myriad of musical phrases to be encountered; and interpretation, the soul of a musician’s playing, must be guided by a heart that urges and pushes one towards songs to be mastered and delivered to an audience.

The concepts presented in this book will attempt to assist the alto saxophonist in achieving the above and are the result of my time spent with my two teachers, Sonny Criss and Phil Sobel, along with my own insights. Some of these ideas will be new to the saxophone community and it is my hope that they will add interest and inspiration to those interested in better understanding this most fascinating instrument, the alto saxophone.

INTRODUCTION

Since its invention in the mid 1840s, the alto saxophone has been an extremely popular instrument and has produced some incredible artists. Sonny Criss, Paul Desmond, Johnny Hodges, Charlie Parker, Cannonball Adderley, and Phil Woods instantly come to mind. These giants of the alto possessed outstanding technical abilities, but more than that, had their own distinct sound and style, making them instantly recognizable. For most alto players, however, finding their own sound seems nearly impossible. Because of this, the only option remaining is to copy someone else’s. For many years in the jazz community, Charlie Parker’s playing was the standard; then, when David Sanborn burst onto the scene, he was emulated by almost every young alto saxophonist thereafter. But in the same way that a painter cannot simply duplicate a Picasso or a Rembrandt but instead must find his or her own style of artistic creation, the alto saxophonist must do the same. And so the question becomes a simple one: how do you find your own sound and style?

The standard approach to solving the above is to become consumed with the outside of things: the saxophone, mouthpiece, ligature, reeds, etc. The thinking is that by having the best horn and setup your sound and style will evolve from there. However, this approach often fails to work, leaving the saxophonist more frustrated than ever. The purpose of this book is to present the idea that it is not the outside approach but the inside approach that is the secret to finding yourself on the horn. The inside approach represents the journey of learning to play the alto perfectly in tune through your ear, air and fingers. Most players start by focusing on the music and then try to force the alto to sound the way they want it to, but it is actually the opposite approach that ensures success. The alto saxophone is a machine; learn how to operate it first, and then and only then, move to the music at hand. The distinguished composer Igor Stravinsky said, There is no creativity without discipline. Your discipline will be to master the sound of the alto, plain