How to Use the Trill Technique for Saxophone

When a saxophonist is asked to perform the trill effect, he should know that this is more than simply alternating between two notes. Made famous by Cannonball Adderly and King Curtis, the trill effect depends on manipulating the notes being played so they seem to run together, rather than playing pure tones. Read on to learn how to use the trill technique for saxophone.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Trill the top E key. This breaks the pitch every time the key is opened.
2. Finger G, B, C, C-sharp and D. As you play these notes, the E-key trill is breaking the pitch, as if there were a leak in your saxophone.
3. Vary your embouchure to "bend" or "lip" the notes upward in pitch. For instance, when playing G, you want to try to make the saxophone rise in pitch toward B so it's almost there by the time you finger the B.
4. Move up the horn, bending each note toward the next one until you reach E and end the Adderly trill.
5. Practice until you get a pleasing effect. This will take some time, as you will be using your right hand to trill, your left to play the notes and your embouchure to bend the notes.

Tips & Warnings

• The technique is the same whether playing the alto or tenor saxophone, but the resulting sound is different.
• Try the growling effect at the same time as the Adderly trill. Try moving down the horn during the trill, bending the notes downward.