This blog is devoted for saxophonists who want to better their techniques. This guide is a great tool for saxophonist who are just beginning to those who are seasoned players.

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Proper Embouchure

Since many students will not have instruments or won’t be willing to practice on a daily basis, practice while doing more desirable activities. To teach embouchure without an instrument starts out the student with good habits before they begin playing the instrument. Once they learn how to form good embouchure without the mouthpiece, when they get their instrument, much of the work is already done.

Before getting out the saxophone you can you your thumb to model a saxophone mouthpiece. Insert your thumb into your mouth. Only put it about up to your nail and no more. The thumb should be straight into the mouth with a slight downward angle. This is the same angle the clarinet should be held. The corners should be in (this is to prevent air leaks) and the teeth should rest on top of the thumb. Keep the lower jaw loose and only apply enough pressure to prevent air leaks. The embouchure can be thought of as a rubber band around the mouthpiece.

When using a real saxophone, nothing should change. This will give you an opportunity to check if there is an air leak in the embouchure. The amount of mouthpiece that is inserted into the mouth is the same as one thumbnail amount. Too much mouthpiece will cause a honky sound. Another way to think about it is to make an O shape with your mouth. Smiling produces a bad embouchure by having air leaks and pressure in the wrong areas of the mouthpiece.

Putting a Reed on the Mouthpiece

First put the cut end of the reed in your mouth and make sure it is very moist. It’s also imperative that the bark end of the reed is also wet to ensure better vibration. With the mouthpiece in your dominate hand with the table facing you, slide the reed between the ligature and table making sure you start with the bark side. Coming up from the bottom will increase the risk of ruining the reed by cracking it. Align the reed using your thumb and forefinger. The tip of the reed should be lined up with the tip of the mouthpiece. The bark end of the reed should be straight and lined up with the table of the mouthpiece. The ligature should be tightened on the bark of the reed just below the cut. This will make sure that only the cut part of the reed vibrates and not the hard bark. Be very careful not to break the reed, the tip is very fragile and touching it will cause it to break.

Posture

Posture is crucial to good musicianship. This helps your breathing, tone, technique, and the less obvious, appearance. Posture should be constantly observed whether in the classroom or your own individual practice. It plays a huge roll in the success of the musician; the building block of good playing.

When standing tall your shoulders are comfortably back, head perfectly balanced, your arms relaxed to your side. A good rule of thumb is to imagine holding a broom between your shoulder blades. When you play the clarinet nothing should change. You bring the instrument to you and not you going to the instrument.

When you sit to play, you need to remain standing from the waste up. Your arms should be comfortably away from your body. Your head should be erect and balanced, straight back away from the back of the chair, and feet flat on the floor. This allows for maximum air intake and tone production. Also good posture displays good appearance. During a performance situation, the audience will be more interested in a player with good because they have better expectations and it actually makes the performance better!

How to Handle the Saxophone

Here are some tips on preventing damage to the saxophone.

  • When assembling the saxophone, never have your hands over the rods.
  • Make sure the cork is greased.
  • Never assemble the saxophone while the case is in your lap. Keep the case on the floor in a safe place.
  • All of the keys and rods are fragile, so treat them with care.
  • Never adjust your instrument, take it to an instrument repair specialist for fixing.
  • Never make a repair that you don’t know how to do (or think you know how to do). This can cause you more money in repairs.
  • If you have a soprano saxophone, don’t stand your instrument upright without a stand, someone could easily knock it over and bend keys. For the other models of saxophones, tenor and alto saxophone use the same sized stand but have different adjustments. These adjustments are critical to keep your instrument on the stand and to keep from getting scratched or damaged. The baritone sax has a special stand that it sits on for its size. Please don’t place it on a stand made for alto or tenor.
  • Always keep the saxophone clean. Use a silk swab to thoroughly clean the inside. This takes the moisture away from the pads and keeps them form getting sticky.
  • Don’t eat right before playing. If you do so make sure you brush your teeth (or at least rise out your mouth).
  • If your pads do get sticky use cigarette paper or even better, Powder Paper. This can be bought online stores or music stores. This lightly powders the pad and keeps the pads from sticking longer.
  • Keep your mouthpiece clean. When you wash it use warm water- not hot water!!! Hot water will warp your mouthpiece and turn it a green color. If the mouthpieces are very dirty, do not boil mouthpieces. Clean them with mouthwash. Keeping your mouthpiece clean will keep you from getting sick and prevent bacteria from growing.
  • Do not drop your mouthpiece. They are really fragile and can break very easily. They cost a lot to replace.
  • When grabbing the horn, grasp it by the bell. This is the strongest part of the saxophone.
  • Have a good strong neck strap that has a clip so the saxophone won’t come off when you don’t want it to.
  • Keep your nail short. Believe it or not, your nails can scratch the lacquer of the saxophone. You see it especially on the right thumb on the octave key.

Breathing

Air is what brings a wind instrument to life. Having poor breath support will be devastating to the success of your playing. The way you use and control your air constitutes the skill of the player. A professional musician breathes very differently than a beginning student. There are even different methods and techniques that are taught just to help with proper breathing. Breathing is also affected by posture, which is explained later in the chapter. These two aspects tie closely together.

When taking your breath, it must fill every part of your lung. In music there is not real such thing is “chest breathing”. The air should feel as if it is filling the inside of your stomach. The breath should be full and deep every time you play, even if it’s a short, soft passage.

If you are a teacher are listed different metaphors to explain how to breathe to a student. Or if you are a student starting out use this to aid your breathing.

  • Breathe through the bottom of the chair.
  • Fill up a drinking glass (breathing from the bottom up).
  • Breathe from the bottom of your stomach.
  • Make sure your stomach goes out when you breathe, not in.