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!