4. Trumpet Sounds

Proper Embouchure

Saxophonists must be able to lightly press their lips together while still allowing a thin stream of air to pass through the opening of the embouchure. The characteristic buzzing sound of the typical brass player embouchure is desired. The lips are lightly pressed against the aperture of the saxophone. [Demonstrates]. The pressure level is pivotal to create a just and in-tune intonation. Practice with a tuner is encouraged at the beginning stages.

Something that should be avoided is placing the neckpiece aperture hole off-center to the lips. [Demonstrates]. This alters the pitch and pressure balance of the technique. While Weiss and Netti advocate for the opposite in their method to “protect against cramping in the lips” (Weiss & Netti 2010: 148), through my own practice, and working with other saxophonists, I have found that diligent embouchure exercises and training of this technique allow a saxophonist to gain the endurance to produce this technique without many issues.

Transposition

As with all saxophone techniques that exclude the mouthpiece, it is infeasible to establish a universal transposition applicable to each saxophone. Nevertheless, a transposition chart for each type of saxophone – soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone – is provided below the primary video.

Range

Trumpet sounds have a variable and large range, depending largely on the flexibility of the saxophonist’s embouchure, the development of the buzzing technique used to create this sound, and the specific saxophone being played. In general, the trumpet sounds technique spans from B♭3 to B♭5. One will find that the octave key causes little change when oscillating between C#5 and D5. However, since there is little change, one might find it helpful to use the octave key with the desired fingering as a guide and for comfort.

Below, I specify the written range for each saxophone:

• On soprano saxophone, the range is B♭3 to G5.
• On alto saxophone, the range is B♭3 to B♭5.
• On tenor saxophone, the range is B♭3 to C6.
• On baritone saxophone, the range is A3 to A5. There are multiple harmonic partials possible to achieve with the same fingerings. Due to this, in the D5 to A5 range, there are disparate notes that a saxophonist is capable of producing depending on whether they utilize the primary or secondary octave.

The ranges specified are suggestions based on my own personal experience and development of this technique. Since the trumpet sounds technique requires flexibility and training of the lips, it is possible that theses ranges could be extended and developed further in the future. To hear the full range on each of the four main saxophones, click on the chromatic scale video in the section entitled Demonstration Videos.

Speed and Precision

When discussing trumpet sounds and employing this technique in contemporary compositions, it is important to consider how quickly one can execute this technique. Depending on the required precision and stability of pitch, a saxophonist can perform the technique with some fluidity. However, achieving this level of proficiency will require diligent practice and repetition. The velocity parameter is directly linked to the saxophonist’s comfort level with the buzzing embouchure. This type of embouchure manipulation is quite distinct from any technique taught within common saxophone pedagogy. As a result, saxophonists will need to train their lips to build endurance in maintaining this embouchure. Without the necessary endurance, the integrity of pitch and precision may suffer. Additionally, one may have the impulse to play faster than the embouchure allows, as the key mechanisms to vary pitch remain the same as the knowledge of common practice playing. [Demonstrates various playing speeds].

Several authors discuss the speed and precision of trumpet sounds. Kientzy suggests that the technique’s speed is limited and that, when a few leaps are indeed necessary, it is “nearly essential that they be composed using partials from the same row” (Kientzy 2007: 428). While Kientzy’s idea is understandable given the difficulty of the technique and the embouchure required, it immediately limits the compositional possibilities. With dedicated practice, an understanding of the resultant pitches of desired notes, and embouchure work, saxophonists can fluently play different partials from different rows, making the technique more versatile. [Demonstrates].

Londeix and Charrier are vaguer, stating that while performing this technique, “legato and staccato may be played fairly swiftly throughout the entire range of the saxophone” (Londeix 1989: 69). While this is not untrue, one should be aware of the possibility of losing pitch precision when combining staccato playing with speed. In my own practice, I am comfortable performing sixteenth-notes at around MM=120. Any faster, and I risk losing precision and clarity of pitch.

I recommend composers to consider and develop material with a brass player in mind. While large leaps are not impossible, they are challenging for saxophonists who are not accustomed to buzzing their lips. For this reason, I encourage composers to collaborate with performers to determine what is comfortable and achievable for them.

Sound Quality and Brass Mouthpiece Addition  

The quality of sound produced by the trumpet sounds technique is characteristically brass-like, although it lacks the complexity of harmonics typical of brass instruments. Weiss and Netti comment on this, stating that playing trumpet sounds on saxophones possess “a sound weak in overtone content” (Weiss and Netti 2010: 147). They further mention that, depending on the instrument, the sound can resemble that of a bass or alto flute, or that of a wooden trumpet (Weiss and Netti 2010: 147). When I perform this technique in concerts, audience members often describe the trumpet sounds as having a tone quality like that of an alto horn or alto flute – somber and hollow. Various authors use suggestive adjectives to describe the sound as primitive and modest (Kientzy 2007: 428), sad, mournful, and muffled (Londeix 1989: 68), or crude and primordial (Weiss and Netti 2010: 147).

One of the most controversial elements of the trumpet sounds technique is the question whether the saxophonist should integrate the use of a bespoke tube, hose, brass mouthpiece, etc., to aid in the sound production. Two reasons have been discussed in favor of using such aids.

The first one is to uphold the integrity of the pitch of the common practice saxophone by elongating the tube to where the mouthpiece would generally be placed. Among those who make this claim, Weiss and Netti advocate this method for longer passages of trumpet sounds playing (Weiss and Netti 2010: 147). Similarly, Kientzy claims that by adding a tube of the same length and volume as the saxophone mouthpiece, the pitch of the instrument is “restored” (Kientzy 2007: 429). While elongating the tube may affect the intonation of the saxophone, there is no evidence that the trumpet sounds will automatically be tuned to the same transposition as the common practice saxophone. The pitches are still somewhat detuned from their common practice fingerings, likely due to the regular shape of the tube as opposed to the irregular shape of a saxophone mouthpiece chamber.

Secondly, saxophonists must make the artistic and technical decision whether to use a brass mouthpiece to produce trumpet sounds. This decision might also require the approval of the composer, if they are available to discuss such artistic choices. The advantages of using a brass mouthpiece include the potential of a more resonant, full, and warmer sound, as well as improved precision in identifying and placing pitches. However, there are also drawbacks: the metal often rubs against the inside of the saxophone tube, causing unwanted scraping marks and micro-indentations inside the neckpiece. Additionally, the technical limitations of the saxophonist as a brass player might become more apparent, as trained brass players spend years refining their embouchure. When a saxophonist opts to use a brass mouthpiece, there is an expectation that they will perform at a level comparable to professional brass players. However, saxophonists may always lag behind in this regard due to the specialized training and experience required in brass instrument technique. Therefore, this decision should be made proactively by the saxophonist to align with the needs of the work, practice, and the composer’s intentions.

While I consider the trumpet sounds technique to offer limitless artistic possibilities, I advise composers to exercise caution if they intend to treat it akin to virtuosic trumpet writing. Saxophonists must develop their lip buzzing embouchure and ensure confidence in placing pitches accurately across the instrument’s range, spanning various octaves. ¹