How to achieve accurate pitch control and stable tone performance on electric wind instruments?

Pitch control of EWI /electronic-wind-instrument/electric-saxophone-ewi.html
Fingering skills
Be familiar with the fingering system: There are many fingering modes for electric wind instruments, such as saxophone fingering, flute fingering, etc. First, you must master the fingering system you choose and know the pitch corresponding to each key. For example, in saxophone fingering, the key pressed by the left index finger may correspond to a specific note, such as pressing the key combination in the treble area to accurately play the treble. By repeatedly practicing basic scales, such as the C major scale, from the bass area to the treble area, and then from the treble area back to the bass area, you can strengthen your fingers' memory of each phoneme, ensuring that you can quickly and accurately press the required keys when playing, so as to achieve accurate pitch.
Fingering conversion practice: During the performance, fingering conversion is often involved. This requires special practice to ensure that the pitch transition is natural and accurate. You can start with simple interval conversion, such as the fingering conversion of the third interval (such as C - E), and gradually increase the difficulty to the conversion of the fifth, octave and other intervals. When switching, pay attention to the coherence and coordination of finger movements to avoid pitch deviation due to slow or inaccurate finger movements.
Breath control
Breath stability: Stable breath is the key to controlling pitch. Using the correct breathing method, such as abdominal breathing, can provide stable breath support for performance. When practicing, you can train breath stability through long tone exercises. For example, when playing a continuous middle C, try to keep the pitch unchanged and exhale the breath evenly. The time can be gradually extended from a few seconds to more than ten seconds or even longer. In this way, feel the impact of breath flow and pressure on pitch, and find the best breath state to keep the pitch stable.
Breath intensity and pitch change: Understand the relationship between breath intensity and pitch. Generally speaking, a stronger breath will increase the pitch, and a weaker breath will lower the pitch. In performance, fine-tune the breath intensity as needed to control the pitch. For example, when playing the part where the melody rises, increase the breath intensity appropriately to ensure that the pitch rises accurately; when the melody descends, reduce the breath intensity accordingly. But it should be noted that this change in breath intensity should be smooth and moderate to avoid sudden changes in pitch.
Use auxiliary tools
Metronome assistance: The metronome can also play a certain auxiliary role in controlling pitch. Set the metronome to an appropriate speed and play under the guidance of its rhythm. This can help the performer maintain a stable rhythm and speed, and thus better control the pitch. For example, when playing a song with a stable rhythm, playing according to the beat of the metronome makes the duration and interval of each note more standardized, which helps to improve the accuracy of the pitch.
Tuning equipment assistance: Use an electronic tuner to monitor the pitch. During practice or performance, connect the electric blowpipe to the tuner, which can display in real time whether the pitch played is high or low. According to the feedback from the tuner, adjust the fingering or breath in time to make the pitch reach the accurate state.
Stability of timbre performance
Correct blowing posture and angle
Maintain the correct posture: The correct blowing posture helps to obtain a stable timbre. When standing or sitting, the body should be natural and relaxed, and the electric blowpipe should be at a suitable angle to the body. For example, the mouthpiece of the electric blowpipe should be in a comfortable position with the lips. Generally speaking, the mouthpiece and the lips are at an angle of about 45 degrees, which can ensure that the airflow enters the mouthpiece smoothly and avoid changes in the timbre due to improper angles.
Fixed playing position: Try to keep the position of the electric blowpipe fixed on the lips every time you play. If the position changes, it may cause unstable timbre. You can fix the playing position by making some small marks on the mouthpiece of the electric blowpipe, or by feeling the position where the lips touch the mouthpiece.
The impact of breath control on timbre
Uniformity of breath: Uniform breath can produce stable timbre. During the playing process, avoid the sudden increase and decrease of breath unless it is to express a specific musical effect. For example, when playing a soothing lyric song, maintain a uniform output of breath to make the timbre mellow and soft. You can practice the uniformity of breath by playing long notes and listening carefully to the changes in timbre, just like blowing a candle, letting the flame sway steadily without extinguishing, so as to feel the uniform control of breath.
Humidity and temperature of breath: The humidity and temperature of breath will also have a certain impact on the timbre. Colder and drier breath may make the timbre sharp and dry, while warmer and moister breath can make the timbre softer and fuller. Before playing, you can adjust the state of breath through proper breathing exercises, such as taking a few deep breaths to fully warm up the breath in the body, or drinking a sip of warm water to moisten the throat to improve the quality of breath.
Instrument settings and maintenance
Reasonable setting of timbre parameters: The electric blowpipe can simulate a variety of timbres, and each timbre has its corresponding parameter settings. After selecting the desired timbre, adjust the parameters of the timbre reasonably according to the musical style and personal preferences, such as brightness, vibrato depth, reverberation intensity, etc. Once the appropriate parameter settings are determined, they should be recorded so that a stable timbre can be quickly adjusted every time you play.
Regular maintenance of instruments: The good condition of the electric blowpipe is the basis for ensuring stable timbre. Clean the mouthpiece, keys and the inside of the tube regularly to prevent dust, dirt, etc. from affecting the performance of the instrument. For example, if there is too much saliva or impurities accumulated inside the mouthpiece, it may change the way the airflow passes through, thus affecting the tone. At the same time, you should pay attention to whether the buttons of the electric blowpipe are flexible and whether the sensors are working properly, so as to promptly discover and solve possible problems./electronic-wind-instrument/electric-saxophone-ewi.html