A Conductor’s and Performer’s Guide to Steven Bryant’s Concerto for Alto Saxophone - Chester Jenkins

54 Also notable at this point in the movement is the request to have saxophones and clarinets to hum or growl on their held pitch. Saxophonists tend to be more familiar with this technique, due to its use in many solo works as well as its use within the jazz idiom. For those not familiar with the process, to create the sound, one must hum or growl while blowing air through the horn. To be effective, the player should hum or growl a pitch different than the pitch being played on the instrument. One can practice the process with mouthpiece alone first, to practice blowing air while humming a pitch. Once comfortable, the performer can then add the instrument to the mouthpiece, and work to create the effect. As a general rule, growling tends to be more effective lower in the range, but due to voicing, humming tends to work better higher in the range.