The Mechanics of Practicing Long Tones

It's another day and I have more to say, on long tones that is. So grab your saxophone and get ready to blow.  Today is the the day you learn about the mechanics of practicing long tones on the saxophone.  For many saxophonist the big question is " What note do I start on?  How long do I practice long tones? Or  Do I practice long tones like scales or chromatically.?"  I hope to answer these questions today.

For the first question, "What note do I start on?"  I suggest you start on middle "C", or in the middle of the saxophone.  I know this differs from others who say you should start on lower "C", but for beginners this note might be to hard.  The goal is to work to the point that you can start anywhere on your saxophone low or high, but in the beginning starting in the middle is best.  This allows you to start in a comfortable spot and work your way to the more challenging notes.

Now, "How long do you practice long tones?"  This is more a personal preference.  It also depends on your goals and the amount of practice time you have,but I would say the minimum is 5 minutes.  Personally I will practice long tones for 15 to 30 minutes.  It really depends on the day.  I will say this however,  when I do practice long tones I try to make sure that I have enough time to practice my long tones through the whole range of the saxophone.  I start on middle "C" then go all the way down to "B Flat" chromatically then I go chromatically back up the saxophone until I reach the "F Sharp" in the palm keys.  I then go back down chromatically  to middle "C" once I've done this I have practiced every note on the saxophone excluding altissimo.  Some times I do add altissimo to my long tone practice but that really depends on my time.  The important thing is to become comfortable with your saxophone and to be able to play in all the ranges with equal clarity.

OK, for the last question.  "Do I practice long tones like scales or do I do it chromatically?"  The answer is do both.  To start I would suggest doing your long tones chromatically, however you should be just as adept at practicing them like scales.  From time to time I will break up my chromatic long tone practice by practicing my scales at a really slow tempo.  By doing this I treat my scales just like long tones and am able to focus on getting a smooth transition from note to note.  Once you are really comfortable with long tones you will want to practice them in intervals too such as fifths and fourths.

Well that's really it for the mechanics of practicing long tones.  Find a comfortable note to start on. Play it for a while then smoothly transition to the next note.  Follow this pattern until you have covered the full range of your saxophone.  Do this for at least 5 minutes a day and your sound will improve trumedoulsy.  Good luck practicing.

Caruso