Now that you have learned and solidified the proper embouchure using only the mouthpiece, it is time to put the saxophone together and make some real saxophone sounds! Remember what your director or private instructor taught you about proper assembly of the instrument – we don't want an incorrectly assembled instrument getting in the way of our great tone! And be sure your instrument is in good working order. Old pads, bent keys, and dents in the body are just some things that can have a negative effect on your sound. If your instrument hasn't been in for repairs in a while, or you think something might be wrong with the instrument itself, see your director, private instructor, or local repair shop for help with this.
A Beginning B-A-G Of Notes!
The first 3 notes you are going to be playing on the saxophone as you work on good tone are B, A, and G. You may have already learned how to play these notes and what they look like on the music staff, but in case you haven't you can learn that here as well! When playing each note, remember to 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 while directing your air into the mouthpiece. Examples of each note are available for you to listen to in order to get the correct sound in your ear, and you can even play along with the video to help you match the pitch and sound you are hearing.
As you are practicing and playing your B-A-G of notes, what do you hear? Are you matching pitch and sound and playing with the best tone possible? Or do you hear choked, wobbly, squawking, or nasally sounds? If you need to, re-visit the Troubleshooting section of the Embouchure page until you are able to master the correct tone of these 3 notes on the saxophone!
Beginning Band / Method Book Notes
If you already are or plan on being in your school's band program, chances are you have or will receive a beginning method book. These books are designed so that students on ALL instruments can learn and play together on similar notes as they start their adventures in band! The first of these notes are usually, in concert pitch, B-flat, C, D, E-flat, and F. On the saxophone*, this translates to G, A, B, C, and D. After mastering your initial B-A-G of notes, you are ready to move on to these 5 new ones! But wait... 3 of them are actually the same as the ones you just learned! For the two new notes, just like before, the fingering, how it looks on the music staff, and an example of the proper sound are provided for each note.
* Please note that this applies only to the alto and baritone saxophones. For the soprano and tenor saxophones, the notes would be C, D, E, F, and G.
* Please note that this applies only to the alto and baritone saxophones. For the soprano and tenor saxophones, the notes would be C, D, E, F, and G.
Again, listen to the sound you are hearing as you play. If you notice any imperfections to your tone, it doesn't hurt to re-visit the basics of the "A-Q" embouchure and some of the causes and solutions for bad tone in the Troubleshooting section of the Embouchure page.
Flying Along! ...
Now that you have mastered your first notes on the saxophone, it is time to go over some information regarding Intonation!