How to Swing on Sax | 4 tips for better style!

Summary

In this saxophone masterclass by Dr. Wally Wallace, he introduces four key articulation and inflection concepts to enhance jazz swing. He emphasizes the importance of moving away from triplet rhythms to a smoother style, using straight eighth notes with inflection and accent placement. He also discusses the significance of ending notes crisply with the tongue, avoiding rushed quarter notes by using a 'dat and dat' pattern, and mastering the post-Bebop rhythmic figure of two consecutive eighth notes. Wallace stresses the necessity of listening to jazz records for capturing the nuances of swing, which cannot be fully conveyed through written or spoken instructions alone.

Takeaways

• 🎷 Learn to articulate and infuse swing into your saxophone playing by mastering specific articulation and inflection techniques.
• 👋 Avoid the common mistake of treating swing eighth notes as triplets, which can make your playing sound stilted and exaggerated.
• 🎶 Straighten out the eighth notes and use articulation and inflection to create a smoother, more authentic swing style.
• 👅 Practice straight eighth notes and then start to tongue the offbeats or use specific articulation patterns to enhance swing.
• 📚 Engage with the saxophone community by sharing and discussing which albums in your collection have the best swing.
• 🎵 Emphasize the end of notes in jazz by using a crisp, clear release with the tongue, maintaining air pressure for rhythmic integrity.
• 🌟 Practice quarter note articulation by stopping notes with the tongue while keeping air pressure constant, like using a valve.
• 🚀 To avoid rushing when playing multiple quarter notes, use a 'dat and dat' syllable pattern with a 'um' spacer in between for clarity.
• 🎵 Listen to the separation of quarter notes in jazz etudes to understand how they maintain rhythm without rushing.
• 🎼 Master the rhythmic figure of two consecutive eighth notes, often used in post-Bebop jazz, with a 'doodat' articulation pattern.
• 👂 The English language cannot fully express the nuances of jazz articulation, so immersing yourself in listening to jazz recordings is essential for improvement.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video from the Saxophone Academy?

The main topic of the video is about mastering four articulation and inflection concepts to improve saxophone swing style.

Who is the presenter of the saxophone master class in the video?

The presenter is Dr. Wally Wallace.

What does Dr. Wally Wallace suggest to get rid of the triplet pattern in swing music?

Dr. Wally Wallace suggests smoothing out the swing eighth notes and using articulation and inflection to create a more authentic swing style.

What is the purpose of using a 'doodat' articulation pattern in saxophone playing?

The 'doodat' articulation pattern is used to create a rhythmic figure that is common in post-Bebop jazz, giving a distinct inflection to the music.

Why does Dr. Wally Wallace recommend practicing with straight eighth notes?

Practicing with straight eighth notes helps to establish a solid rhythmic foundation before adding the necessary swing inflection and articulation.

What is the significance of the 'end of the note' in jazz articulation according to the video?

The end of the note is critically important in jazz articulation as it helps to create a cleaner release and rhythmic integrity by stopping the note with the tongue.

What is the recommended practice method for achieving a crisp and clear note release in jazz?

The recommended practice method is to use a quarter note followed by a quarter rest, maintaining air pressure while stopping the note with the tongue.

How can a 'spacer' syllable like 'um' help in playing a series of quarter notes?

The 'um' syllable acts as a spacer to prevent notes from bleeding into each other, ensuring clarity and separation between each quarter note.

What does Dr. Wally Wallace suggest as an essential part of mastering jazz articulation?

Dr. Wally Wallace suggests that there is no substitute for listening to jazz recordings as it is an essential part of understanding and mastering jazz articulation.

What is the next topic Dr. Wally Wallace plans to cover in his future video?

In his next video, Dr. Wally Wallace plans to discuss transcending long tones and improving saxophone tone quality with some fun free exercises.

Outlines

00:00

🎷 Mastering Articulation for a Swing Style

Dr. Wally Wallace introduces a saxophone masterclass focused on improving swing style through articulation and inflection. He emphasizes the importance of moving away from the triplet rhythm often taught in beginner classes, which can sound stilted and outdated in faster tempos. Instead, he suggests straightening out the eighth notes and using articulation to create a smoother, more authentic swing. He also invites viewers to share their favorite swinging albums in the comments for community recommendations. The lesson includes an etude inspired by Stan Getz's 1956 performance, illustrating the correct approach to swinging eighth notes.

05:02

🎵 Enhancing Clarity and Swing with Articulation Techniques

In this segment, Dr. Wallace delves into specific articulation techniques to enhance clarity and swing in jazz saxophone playing. He starts by discussing the importance of ending notes crisply, using the tongue to stop the reed without airstream anticipation, creating a rhythmic integrity between notes. He then addresses the common issue of rushing when playing multiple quarter notes in a row, suggesting the use of a 'dat' syllable with a spacer 'um' to maintain clarity and separation. Additionally, he covers the articulation of two consecutive eighth notes, a common post-Bebop rhythmic figure, recommending a 'doodat' pattern with a long-short inflection. Dr. Wallace stresses that while instructions can guide, the nuances of jazz articulation are best learned through extensive listening to jazz records, integrating this into practice sessions for improved swing performance.

Keywords

💡Articulation

Articulation in the context of this video refers to the way musical notes are played, particularly in terms of how they are initiated and ended. It is a key technique in jazz music that contributes to the distinctive 'swing' feel. The video emphasizes the importance of articulation for achieving a smooth swing style, as opposed to a stiff, triplet-based rhythm.

💡Swing

Swing is a style of jazz music characterized by a rhythmic pattern that feels like a 'lilting' or 'rocking' rhythm. In the video, Dr. Wally Wallace discusses how to achieve a swing style by manipulating articulation and inflection, rather than relying on a triplet pattern, especially at moderate to faster tempos.

💡Etude

An etude is a musical composition designed to help musicians practice and improve specific techniques. In this video, the etude is based on the jazz standard 'There Will Never Be Another You,' and it serves as a practical example of how to apply the discussed articulation concepts to achieve a swinging rhythm.

💡Stan Getz

Stan Getz is a renowned jazz saxophonist whose style and language are referenced in the video. Dr. Wally Wallace mentions borrowing elements from Getz's 1956 solo on 'The Steamer' to illustrate the correct swing rhythm and articulation techniques.

💡Triplet Rhythm

A triplet rhythm is a musical pattern where three notes are played in the time usually allotted for two. The video script points out that a common mistake is to equate swing eighth notes with a triplet rhythm, which can make the music sound stilted and less authentically 'swinging.'

💡Accent Placements

Accent placements refer to the strategic emphasis on certain notes to create a rhythmic or dynamic effect. In the context of the video, proper accent placement is crucial for creating the swing feel, as it helps to shape the rhythm and give it the characteristic 'push' of swing music.

💡Inflection

Inflection in music is the variation in dynamics, tone, or articulation that gives a phrase its character. The video discusses using inflection to create a smoother, more authentic swing style, rather than relying on a rigid triplet pattern.

💡Doodat

The 'doodat' is a specific articulation pattern discussed in the video, which involves playing two consecutive eighth notes with a long-short rhythm. It is a common rhythmic figure in post-Bebop jazz and is used to create a distinctive swing feel.

💡Rhythmic Integrity

Rhythmic integrity refers to the clear and precise execution of rhythmic patterns, ensuring that each note has its own space and is not rushed or blurred. The video emphasizes the importance of maintaining rhythmic integrity in jazz to avoid a sense of hurry and to allow for clear articulation of notes.

💡Oral Tradition

The oral tradition in jazz refers to the learning and transmission of musical knowledge and styles primarily through listening and performing, rather than through written notation. The video script highlights the limitations of written and spoken instructions in capturing the nuances of jazz and encourages listeners to immerse themselves in the oral tradition by actively listening to jazz recordings.

💡Listening

Listening is a critical component of learning and mastering jazz, as it allows musicians to absorb the subtleties of the music that cannot be fully conveyed through written or verbal instruction. The video encourages viewers to include listening to jazz recordings as part of their practice sessions to better understand and internalize the swing style.

Highlights

Mastering the subtle art of articulation is crucial for swinging harder on the saxophone.

Dr. Wally Wallace introduces the saxophone Academy and encourages subscribing for master classes and product reviews.

Four articulation and inflection concepts are discussed to enhance the swing style in saxophone playing.

The importance of getting rid of the triplet pattern for swing eighth notes, especially at moderate to faster tempos.

Smoothing out eighth notes with articulation and inflection to achieve a swing style.

Practicing with straight eighth notes and then tonguing offbeats for swing.

Invitation for audience engagement to share which album in their collection swings the hardest.

The significance of ending notes crisply in jazz to maintain rhythmic integrity.

Technique of using the tongue like a valve for clear note separation in jazz.

Avoiding the rush of notes by using a 'dat and dat' syllable pattern for multiple quarter notes in a row.

The ubiquitous rhythmic figure of two consecutive eighth notes in post-Bebop jazz and its execution.

The limitation of the English language in expressing the nuances of jazz articulation.

The necessity of listening to jazz recordings for understanding articulation and swing.

Upcoming topics in the saxophone Academy include long tones and tone improvement exercises.

The importance of scheduling listening to jazz as part of practice sessions.

Dr. Wally Wallace's promise to return with more insights on tone and exercises in the next session.

Transcripts

foreign

[Music]

style Master the subtle art of

articulation and you'll swing harder

than a troubled marriage in the 1970s

[Music]

[Applause]

hi and welcome to the saxophone Academy

I'm Dr Wally Wallace and if you're

interested in saxophone master classes

and product reviews please do consider

subscribing and hit the like button to

make your do into a doodat which we'll

talk about here in a second now today

we're talking about four articulation

and inflection Concepts that are going

to get you to swing harder more like

your Heroes and less like the stilted

strange triplet Rhythm that maybe some

of us learned early on

foreign

[Music]

these Concepts and hearing them in

context so this Etude is based off the

Jazz standard there will never be

another U borrowing some language and

style from Stan Getz off his solo from

the 1956 classic the steamer let's take

a listen

[Music]

[Music]

foreign

so the first concept you have to

understand to start swinging Like Your

Heroes is to get rid of the triplet

pattern especially at moderate to faster

tempos if you're like me you learned in

your sixth grader Middle School band

class that swing eighth notes equaled a

triplet figure and after the 1940s and

especially moderate investor tempos

that's just simply not really true it's

quite an exaggeration if you play that

way it's going to sound stilted and

frankly rather silly so it should not

sound like this

foreign

[Music]

what we want to do is smooth them out

and use articulation and inflection to

create the swing style so it sounds more

like this

[Music]

now to achieve that smoother swing style

we simply straighten out the eighth

notes more than you might think

especially at moderate to faster tempos

we really do play nearly a straight

eighth note it's the inflection and

articulation in the accent placements

that create that so I would practice

your skills with straight eighth notes

and then starts to tongue the offbeats

or use an articulation pattern like the

one in these examples now before we go

on I need your help in the comments

below let me know which album in your

collection do you think swings the

hardest what is the swinginess album you

have in your collection let me know in

the comments below to help out the other

Academy members that have some good

recommendations for listening

concept number two all's well that ends

well meaning the end of the note is

critically important now in jazz and

concert band as we learned early on we

typically think of articulation as

saying ta is what I first learned in my

beginning band classroom there's nothing

wrong with that I translate it more to a

DA to lighten up the tongue syllable in

the surface area of the tongue that's a

story for another time but in classical

music and concert band we think of a da

da da articulation where we have tongue

at the front of the note then a more

diffuse ending there's a little bit of

an air fate and Jazz we want to get used

to stopping the note with our tongue so

we keep the air constant and then Dot

it suddenly stopped so we have a cleaner

release by stopping the Reed by touching

it lightly with our tongue without

anticipating that with our Airstream our

Airstream is almost independent of our

tongue well I mean literally it is

independent of our tongue so our air

keeps going and it's almost surprised by

our tongue touching the Reed so we have

a very crisp clear energy the note that

then makes the rest not a pause in

between notes but the rest then has

rhythmic integrity

so how do we practice this well I like

to have my students practice a quarter

note quarter rest quarter note quarter

rest so what we do is play the quarter

note stop it with our tongue but keep

the air pressure so we're basically

using our tongue like a valve

adding and removing our tongue without

backing off the air pressure take a

listen

[Music]

thank you

so remember instead of The Da syllable

quarter notes in jazz in general that is

going to be a good syllable instead of a

DA or H the air sound ends the note that

ends with the T in the syllable and it's

our tongue lightly touching the Reed

Without backing off the Airstream

next concept multiple quarters in a row

there's a fine art to playing a series

of quarter notes most human beings I've

met that when they have multiple

coordinates in a row they tend to rush

so here's a little trick to get you

putting the right amount of space and

Clarity between the notes using instead

of just da da dat where one quarter note

can bleed into the next and they rush we

put a little spacer in between with a um

in syllable so instead of da da da we

say dat and dat and dat and say it with

me it's kind of fun ready go

[Music]

now listen to me play it once and you

sing along then you play it

[Music]

[Music]

now let's listen to this in context of

the Jazz Etude listen to the separation

of the quarter notes how they don't rush

but there's a nice little spacer in

between

[Music]

next up is a rhythmic figure that is

ubiquitous post Bebop it is two

consecutive eighth notes either isolated

or to end a phrase now all too often if

students are reading these I will hear a

hoodoo syllable what we want is a doodat

let's take a listen to how this works in

context of the Etude

[Music]

laughs

so the way we might notate that if we're

being very precise is a tenuto marking

followed by a house top accent long then

short and accented do that do that stay

with me ready and do that do that do

that do that we hear that all the time

if you listen to Charlie Parker so many

of his lines will have that figure that

inflection either in the middle of a

line or at the end of a line so let's

practice that I'm gonna play it you sing

it back and then you play it

[Music]

foreign

so these four Concepts will get you a

long way towards sounding more like your

Heroes but here's a caveat to all of

this the English language fails

spectacularly at expressing the nuances

of this oral tradition we call Jazz my

spoken instructions written instructions

notation through any software program

cannot begin to express the subtleties

that are part of this art form there is

no substitute for listening all the

answers to all of your articulation in

swing questions are in the record so if

you're not listening a lot to Jazz it's

never going to sound right so here's the

good news you get to listen to a lot

more recordings of jazz make it part of

your practice sessions schedule it and

it will happen now I'll be back next

week when we start to transcend long

tones and talk more about the Nitty

Gritty of making your tone even better

and some fun free exercises so until

then

go practice