Saxophone Effects

Saxophone Sound Effects and Techniques

Once you have become competent at playing you will probably want to start incorporating some sax effects into your music.

A well placed growl or the occasional note bend can add immensely to a well played tune so it's always good to have at least a couple of effects in your inventory.

However, be aware, too many effects can ruin it totally and the tune just ends up being a mish mash of noise that makes people cring and gets you booed out of the room. (Think Michael J Fox, Back to the Future guitar solo uugghhh!)

Effects, added in the right place can add depth and mood to whatever you are playing. Prime example would be a sexy lick where note bend is prevelent. You know the scene. Sexy girl walks into the room. Everybody stops and looks, mens jaws drop and in the background a sax starts playing and so the hero succumbs.

I've listed some saxophone effects below for you to try. Some take more practice than others but the trick is to keep trying. Get it once and you'll be doing it forever. But remember, in moderation please!

Saxophone Sound Effects

Flutter Tongue
Note Bend
Sub-Tone
Vibrato
Growling
Slurring
Tonguing
Trilling

I must re-iterate they should be used sparingly. Don't try and put every saxophone effect into every tune you play from now on. They are there to give balance, depth, mood and feeling to your music. A growling, subtoney, note bending, flutter tonguing trill doesn't sound that good to me.

On a final note. All of the effects are achieveable by anyone but you must PRACTICE!

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