Embouchure is just the fancy word used to refer to the way in which a player applies the mouth to the mouthpiece or reed of a wind instrument. This simple yet fancy word, however, is the foundation to achieving the desired tone! On your saxophone, we will focus on how to properly position your mouth and the setup (referring to the combination of the mouthpiece, reed, and ligature) and what to listen for using the setup alone to ensure the correct embouchure is being used to produce the proper tone.
The Setup!
Even before attempting to form a proper embouchure, you should make sure that you have a successful setup made up of an adequate mouthpiece, reed, and ligature. If your director or private instructor has gone over this with you and you are ready to go with reliable equipment, feel free to continue to The Process below. If not, there are a few things you should have in mind when putting together your setup:
· For the mouthpiece, it should have a good design, a medium facing (opening), and be made of a good material. The challenge
with this is that every company has different designations for each mouthpiece attribute. Your director, private instructor, or local
instrument vendor will be able to help you pick out the mouthpiece that is right for you and your instrument. One thing you can
easily check for on your own is the evenness of the mouthpiece facing. With the reed properly secured onto the mouthpiece with
the ligature, slide a piece of paper between the reed and the mouthpiece face until it will not slide down any further. If the paper
remains perpendicular to the reed, then the mouthpiece has good even side rails for the reed to vibrate evenly on. If the paper
stops at angle, then the side rails are poor and uneven and it will be hard for the reed to vibrate evenly on the mouthpiece face.
· For the reed, you should always have at least three playable ones on hand that are resilient, medium in strength (2.5 or 3), not
warped, and symmetrically cut. It is important that the strength of the reed match the opening of the mouthpiece face (the
distance between the tip of the mouthpiece and the tip of the reed) – the more open the mouthpiece is the softer the reed needs
to be, and the more closed the mouthpiece is the harder the reed needs to be. Again, your director, private instructor, or local
music supply vendor will be able to help you pick out an adequate brand and strength of reed that is appropriate for you and
your mouthpiece.
· For the ligature, it needs to be the proper size for your mouthpiece and be able to apply the proper tension on the reed. The
ligature must be big enough to allow the back end of the reed to be slipped under it and onto the mouthpiece and be able to be
tightened enough to hold the reed firmly in place while not stifling or bruising the reed.
· For the mouthpiece, it should have a good design, a medium facing (opening), and be made of a good material. The challenge
with this is that every company has different designations for each mouthpiece attribute. Your director, private instructor, or local
instrument vendor will be able to help you pick out the mouthpiece that is right for you and your instrument. One thing you can
easily check for on your own is the evenness of the mouthpiece facing. With the reed properly secured onto the mouthpiece with
the ligature, slide a piece of paper between the reed and the mouthpiece face until it will not slide down any further. If the paper
remains perpendicular to the reed, then the mouthpiece has good even side rails for the reed to vibrate evenly on. If the paper
stops at angle, then the side rails are poor and uneven and it will be hard for the reed to vibrate evenly on the mouthpiece face.
· For the reed, you should always have at least three playable ones on hand that are resilient, medium in strength (2.5 or 3), not
warped, and symmetrically cut. It is important that the strength of the reed match the opening of the mouthpiece face (the
distance between the tip of the mouthpiece and the tip of the reed) – the more open the mouthpiece is the softer the reed needs
to be, and the more closed the mouthpiece is the harder the reed needs to be. Again, your director, private instructor, or local
music supply vendor will be able to help you pick out an adequate brand and strength of reed that is appropriate for you and
your mouthpiece.
· For the ligature, it needs to be the proper size for your mouthpiece and be able to apply the proper tension on the reed. The
ligature must be big enough to allow the back end of the reed to be slipped under it and onto the mouthpiece and be able to be
tightened enough to hold the reed firmly in place while not stifling or bruising the reed.
The Process
You are going to start with wetting BOTH ENDS of the reed in your mouth. This allows all of the cane to absorb the moisture equally and will help fill in any porous spots the reed may have. The reed must stay properly wet to avoid response problems when playing the instrument. If using a brand new reed, it will help to soak it in warm water for 3 to 4 minutes. While doing this before a practice session or rehearsal, this would be a good time to assemble your instrument. |
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Properly assemble the setup (mouthpiece, reed, and ligature) as you have been instructed to do so by your director or private instructor. |
Place your upper teeth on the mouthpiece. Looking at the profile (side) of the setup and moving back from the tip, right above where the reed first makes contact with the mouthpiece is where the top teeth should be place. |
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Think an exaggerated "A" to firm up your lips to your teeth. Your bottom lip will curve over your lower teeth. |
Now add a "Q" which will bring in the corners of your lips and result in even pressure of your lips from the top, bottom, and sides. |
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Now it's time to test your embouchure! Take a quick and deep breath through the corners of your mouth, minimally changing or disturbing the established "A-Q" embouchure, and blow using a "tah" or "dah" to start the sound. Your air should be directed into the mouthpiece. With the mouthpiece alone, this will result in the sound of a high concert 'A'*. You can use a tuner to check if you are getting the correct pitch, or just match the pitch and sound you are hearing here.
* Please note that this applies only to the alto saxophone mouthpiece. The soprano mouthpiece with produce a 'C', the tenor mouthpiece will produce a 'G', and the baritone mouthpiece will produce a 'D'. |
TroubleShooting
If you are not quite able to match the correct pitch and sound on the mouthpiece, don't get worried just yet! There are several things we can change and fix to help you achieve the proper embouchure and produce the correct mouthpiece sound! Listening to the examples below, find which one most closely matches the sound you are making and follow the instructions provided to help you get closer to the desired tone.
Are you getting a choked or pinched sound, like in the example here? There are several things that could be causing this. First, there might be too much pressure on the reed from your lower lip. You can fix this by reforming the "A-Q" shape, keeping your lips firm to your teeth, and applying less pressure. Second, you may have too little mouthpiece in your mouth. To fix this, simply put more mouthpiece in your mouth a little bit at a time until you find the correct placement. Third, the reed may be too soft or thin and is closing against the mouthpiece. This can be fixed by getting a reed that is harder with more heart.
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Are you producing a wobbly sound, like in the example here? If this is the case, your upper lip may be curved around your top teeth. Make sure your top teeth, not the lip, are anchored to the mouthpiece. This can also be caused by an embouchure that is too loose. To fix this, try applying more pressure with the embouchure while maintaining an evenness in the pressure of your lips from the top, bottom, and sides. |
Are you getting a rough squawk or squeak, like in the example here? This can happen if there is too much mouthpiece in your mouth. To fix this, simply pull the mouthpiece out little by little so there is less mouthpiece in your mouth until you find the correct placement. This can also be caused by a reed that is too hard or stiff. To fix this, you can get a softer reed or, if you feel comfortable doing so, use some ultra fine grade sand paper to lighten the sides and heart of the reed, being sure to keep the cane symmetrical and balanced – ask your teacher to help you with this!
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Are you producing a weak or nasally sound, like in the example here? This is caused by an air stream that is too slow. To fix this, blow with more air pressure so that you can feel the faster air with resistance from the mouthpiece. |
Flying Along! ...
Now that you have mastered your saxophone embouchure, it is time to move on to your First Notes!