Alto Sax extended technique

And by that I mostly mean Zorn technique. Where can I learn about how to make the kinds of sounds that Zorn does? All I've really been able to figure out on my own is to bite the reed, or overblow it.

I didn't know about that "Zorn technique" but I saw this video.

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=d0Vxb71KV-Y

and don't' find it very useful, looks like any wrong embouchure would work but I don't know, I have never played something like that, not even at the beginning.

perhaps he uses broken reeds, or stuff inside the mouthpiece :dunno:

Like any serious improvisor, John Zorn has obviously spent a lot of time working on sound. It's something he's devised his way of doing - physically, technically, mentally - and probably not something easily copied or lifted.

Experiment yourself, find your own methods and techniques and sound - naturally, with familiarity, you'll gain a better understanding of how other acheive their sound, and can more easily approximate it, if you so desire.

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...looks like any wrong embouchure would work but I don't know, I have never played something like that, not even at the beginning.

perhaps he uses broken reeds, or stuff inside the mouthpiece :dunno:

"wrong embouchure" ? - I doubt it. He's one of those players with IMMENSE control and flexability, not something easily done with poor technique and a "wrong embouchure"...

This is BIZZARE. I'll ask my band teacher, he's pretty much the regional expert on saxophones....

Not a really helpful comment, but goddamn do I love the nigh-patented Zorn scream...

Dude, I'm not a fan of those sorts of sounds on any instrument (every instrument has some sort of avant-garde extended techniques, most sound pretty similar to this), but don't think that it's something you can suddenly just start doing. IOW, it's hard. That guy obviously has a HUGE amount of control over his sound. It sounds like a ton of alternations between multiphonics, altissimo, extreme altissimo, double tonguing and huge range jumps. It's not something you just turn on, you have to master all of the above technique individually. Then you mix and match to find the sound you want.

well, maybe I exaggerated with the "wrong embouchure", sorry, but I am not impressed by that guy.

I still think he gotta use something "different" like a broken reed, or different shape, when I have played with a broken reed the sax start sounding like that, I suppose if you over blow, would make more sounds like those...

I don't recommend biting the reed, even if it does help to get those altissimo notes out, since it will wear out the reed fast. But if you have money to blow, then by all means... There's some slap tongue in there, which is simple enough, but I can't explain exactly how he gets the sound that's like he's giving a balloon a noogie. I love it, though, and I think it's just a combo of overblowing and having a really tight embouchure. Tiny embouchure (and throat) changes at that tightness can give you a lot of notes fast.