Favorite alternate fingerings?

[Jazz Cat]

Hi – anyone have favorite alternate fingerings for middle notes (beyond Bb)?

Example: Play low C fingering off D to play middle C

I was just practicing uptempo blues on the tenor a few minutes ago (using G blues scale) and was pleased to find I could use low-C fingering to play middle C. That never worked for me on alto, but on tenor it’s good. Thx Johnny for your excellent altissimo course, you inspired me to try over/undertones w/different embouchures with that training; using a “middle C embouchure” w/low C fingering works fine to play middle C.

I was having a hard time smoothly/quickly playing this riff:

middle D quarter note, middle C back to D eighth notes, Bb then low G…a standard blues riff

So instead of playing middle D (six fingers), then C (one finger) back to D..I just used low C fingering instead to play middle C, and it’s so much better to quickly go from middle D to C back to D. I’ve only been playing 30 years on and off, sigh…always learning new stuff.

anyone have any others? a neat trick I saw the sax player at Bellagio do was trilling Bb/G but reaching up w/right hand to trill the notes

-k

[john]

Interesting points you have brought up…
I do this stuff a lot
Finger low C and D but play middle notes
What this does is give a much dirtier and raunchier tone which of course is great for blues and rock
Also the thing about trilling Bb and G is an old fave of mine too but it’s only done for showmanship
That’s all

[Jazz Cat]

hi Johnny, thanks for the tip about it dirtying up the tone, good to know …like how you showed alt. altissimo fingerings to sharpen a note, very valuable insights. right re showmanship, that’s what he told me too when i talked w/him after the gig. that kind of stuff (and how to move your body when you play, side to side, up/down like you do in videos) i really wish I’d known decades ago…many thanks for sharing pro tips, makes for great stage presence…they don’t teach any of that pro stuff in highschool jazz band where i learned in the 70s.

[john]

I don’t think you can teach that I would just say to move accordingly as how you feel the music
That’s what I do anyway
I think we all have our own way of moving but you’re right it’s better entertainment-wise than someone standing stuff as a board

[Author]

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