Having difficulty tuning my alto saxophone?

Question:i've been playing alto sax for about 3 years now from school and now i'm having this tuning problem. i know that if your sharp you pull out and if your flat push in. However, i've been using the tuner at school and i've found out that i'm really really flat. so i pushed in A LOT and it was still flat. I can't push in anymore but i'm still flat, then when i play my high notes, it's sharp. is this a reed problem? thanks for the help!

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: i've been playing alto sax for about 3 years now from school and now i'm having this tuning problem. i know that if your sharp you pull out and if your flat push in. However, i've been using the tuner at school and i've found out that i'm really really flat. so i pushed in A LOT and it was still flat. I can't push in anymore but i'm still flat, then when i play my high notes, it's sharp. is this a reed problem? thanks for the help!

Obviously without being there to see what you are doing I can only guess but here are some things that may help you.

a) are you blowing the exact same way when you tune as when you play. For example, some people have a tendency to blow weaker when they tune and then bust out of the gates with a big sound when the go to play, that changes tuning big time.

b) as everyone is saying check out a harder reed you should be playing on at least a 3. Some good brands to try are La Voz Medium (or Medium Hard), Alexander Surperials (Yellow box), Vandorens (I don't know a lot about Vandorens, but I'm currently checking out their Javas) ... I've also played Rico Jazz Selects - Filed (pink colour on the edge), that are easy to work with.

c) Assuming you are playing the same way when you tune as when you play, you may be tightening up as you go into the upper register. The saxophone (as you probably know) is a conical bore, meaning it's cone shaped. What this means is you need to treat each register of the saxophone differently as the air and tuning works differently in each register (smaller part of the cone or bigger)

When I play I have a tendency (which you may have this problem too) to close my throat as I go higher which causes the pitch to go up. What I have to do is constantly play with a VERY open throat and to bring up the tuning in the middle use you lips i.e. outer embouchure by applying pressure - still maintaining your 'O' emboucher

c) As a percauition, have your horn checked out (mouthpiece too), just in case it's a mechanical problem, but I honestly don't think that's the case since I have dealt with a lot the same problems since last year when I had a vastly different embouchure introduced to me in first year masterclass.

Other than that, if you are playing that open in your middle register that you are pushed on that much, that is GREAT - especially if you are going for a contemporary sound! That's exactly what my first year masterclass prof in university wanted us all to go for.

Anyways, I hope this helped. If you have any questions about anything I have tried to explain here, feel free to email me!

It could be that you need a stronger reed or that your instrument isn't working properly. Maybe there is a leak or something. Take it to an instrument repair shop and see what they say.

Without being there to witness you play, it can be a combination of things:

1) Yes, your reed. It could be too weak for you or the brand could just be low quality. Try experimenting with new brands and strengths.
2) It could be the mouthpiece. Visit the music shop and play with different mouthpieces.
3) Is the tuner set to A=440? Is your saxophone tuned to A=440 or A=442? Many horns are now being tuned to 442 because of playing standards, especially pro and intermediate horns.
4) I actually had this problem on my clarinet. I had to file my tone holes to adjust the tuning, but I DO NOT advise you doing this. With a saxophone you need a special file and a trained professional.
5) Try experimenting with new ligatures. Rovners are especially preferred by experienced players.
6) You could have a misaligned pad or spring.
7) Your embouchure may be incorrectly formed.

After you experiment with mouthpieces, reeds, ligatures, AND CHECKING IF YOUR EMBOUCHURE IS CORRECT, take the horn to the shop for a once-over and explain your problem.

i would check out your mouthpiece and your reed. by the way for reeds i recomend Vandoren, most people say that they work the best and i have to agree. also i know that tuners have different settings so you might want to check that out too. good luck.