Posted by Rachel on April 08, 2008 at 09:57:20:
In Reply to: Vibrato on alto sax posted by alison on April 07, 2008 at 09:03:47:
Vibrato on the saxophone is done by using the lower jaw. The jaw moves up and down SLIGHTLY between the normal embouchure and a looser embouchure--It NEVER involves tightening the embouchure because that will pinch the reed and create a "buzzing" sound (this is a common problem with students that you should watch out for) If the student gets a honking sound, looses their tone, or creates extreme pitch changes, then this means they are loosening too much.
To practice, start slowly using a metronome around quarter=60, doing pulses of eighth, triplets, and sixteenths for practice. Use long tones at first, then have them practice this on a scale or arpeggios. When they practice the scales, make sure they keep the jaw movements constant; the vibrato should not "restart" on every note change.
In performance, it is better to use vibrato in pulses of 5's because it avoids having it sound like a mechanical 16th division of the beat and makes the vibrato more spinning. The right speed for vibrato is usually pulses of 5's at about a quarter note =60, but this can vary depending on the style of the music.
Getting it right will take a long time; make sure the student continues to practice it with the metronome every so often so that the jaw muscles stay in control.
Hope this helps.
: What are the steps for learning vibrato on the alto sax?