How Do Saxophones Growl?
The saxophone "growl" is a novelty sound produced by singing or humming a note while blowing a note on the sax. When executed correctly, this technique produces a rough, muddy tone which is often utilized in rock, blues and even jazz saxophone. To hear a good example of a "growling" saxophone, listen to The Honeydrippers' 1985 hit "Rockin At Midnight."
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Tongue Flutter
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One way that saxophonists achieve the "growl" sound is through a technique known as the "tongue flutter". This is a relatively simple technique that requires the saxophone player to simply flutter his or her tongue as they blow through the instrument, in a motion similar to that made while "rolling" an R sound. This technique, while not exactly the same as a growl, achieves a very similar sound to a true growl, and is somewhat easier to execute for those who are able to roll their Rs.
Singing Growl
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The "singing" growl is the most common technique used to produce the growl sound. Simply put, the saxophonist sings a note through the saxophone mouthpiece as he or she plays. The note sung does not have to match the note played, however, as it is the dissonance between the two tones which creates the distinctive "growl" sound.
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Humming Growl
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This method of producing the growl is somewhat more difficult. It is very similar to the "sing" method, except that the saxophonist does not sing, but rather hums, the same tone that would be sung to produce the growl. The tones produced by the hum are similarly dissonant with the saxophone's tones, creating the muddied "growl" effect.
Learn to Growl
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To figure out how to growl, play a note on the saxophone, then hum or sing a note in your throat at the same time. Gradually alter the note you are singing or humming until the saxophone begins to growl. Through practice and experimentation, you can discover what note is best to hum for the best growl effect. This must be done for every note on the scale in order to build growling ability.
How Growling Works
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Growling works because the note which is hummed or sung is not the same note as the saxophone is playing. If the notes were the same, there would be little or no effect due to phase cancellation. However, the dissonance and interference between the note played on the saxophone and the note hummed by the saxophonist creates a steadily oscillating tone. This oscillating tone is perceived by our ears as the saxophone growl.
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References
- Photo Credit saxophone image by TEA from Fotolia.com
