Saxophone Lessons for Beginners : Embouchure for Beginning Saxophone Players

[Usersname1983]

@a803966 No, I don’t assume too much at all. Read the comment I was replying to. The vast majority of people criticizing this video are sax players. That was the point. If you’re really interested in picking up the saxophone, you’re best advised to look elsewhere. Much of what this guy says is nonsense and many of his videos contain misinformation that will certainly be detrimental to the development of any student following his advice.

[LiliumNightShade]

There are two parts to you bottom lip. The inside fleshy bit is where you want your teeth. To curl your hole lip in changes the dynamic of your mouth and makes pulling the sides in harder. Do not bite hard. Put your finger in your mouth and bite just enough to feel it. The sides should be in tight and that takes the exercising. I do it while driving. Tense the sides. A good exercise is to make an even sound with the m.p and neck without using your hands to hold them up.

[jazzerwoky]

Whoa - do not put your lip between your teeth and the reed!

[Johnnyboybravo]

people from expertvillage are weird. Like retards or something

[abzoluut]

Basically, you need to practice putting your mouth around something...

[ShinobiXRevived]

I don't understand all these people saying hes wrong. I'm pretty sure my Tenor Sax instructor the exact same thing he says in this video. Do these youtube critics even play the sax?

[Usersname1983]

@ShinobiXRevived Think about it... who else watches these kinds of videos other than sax players? The guy has no clue what he's talking about.

[dasteufelhund]

what a lousy teaching...

[MegaEvemarie]

Very informative with one big disappointment. As soon as he's demonstrating how to hold the sax in your mouth the strip goes right across his mouth. I could as well have read it elsewhere. Does anyone check these things?

[cupa2007]

you dont know what ure talking about man :))

[cupa2007]

dude...u dont know how 2 play that thing...amd u wanna learn all these kids on youtube...guys :)) I play clarinett and the saxafone alto and saxafone sopran. i have a 9 years of experience, I am at an music high school in 12-th clase...he says in ALL of his videos so many ROGN things...SO MANY... so...my advise...get a real teacher ;) not these guys:)) theyr....pffff...theyr not good :)) at all

[klarinetta]

I play the clarinet and I'm not 100% sure about the Saxophone embouchure but on the clarinet you don't roll your bottom lip over your teeth. You flatten it against the bottom teeth and stretch it a little when you play the high notes. The idea from Jerry Bergonzi that he talks about at the Rico website about "no embouchure" embouchure sounds pretty logical for the saxophone,freeing up the reed and get full and resonant sound.

[silverselmer]

Using the word "tight" is not the best example. HIs sound isn't "clear" as he states.  Buzzy.

[valvetrom]

Is there a difference to the clarinet embuchure??

[OrzelBialy616]

Hi

I have got one question, some people play with bottom lip move forward(sory for my english I hope You will understand), and say that say that when You move your bottom lip under your teeth is wrong, and that clarnet players plays like that. IMO the sound is a lot of better when bottom lip is under teeth :), without that my sound is bad, and it's very hard to play.

[Londagamo]

you are supposed to cover you teeth with your bottom lip to avoid damaging the reed

[papajazz1974]

Don't get the idea that al the rest of his videos are correct-this guy is a travesty.

[kayjazz09]

haha! but he has a jazz DEGREE! :D

[aschleman]

the first thing i thought when i watched a few of these: "this guy is high!!" haha...

but really, it is hard to explain things to beginners when you're used to just knowing things. i can't explain some scales on the guitar unless i have a guitar in my hand just becuase i've done them a thousand times and just know they're there and don't practice them... so i'd give this guy the benefit of the doubt... although he does carry an air of indifference. haha

[papajazz1974]

Please don't listen to this guy....

[SURF3R84]

thnx this helps

[antigell]

Many thanks for your free sax lessons. Very helpful...

[Neilnewcomb]

i think hes gonna...have a heart attack....and what are the million reasons

[jujuiwah]

Did he just say emPouchure?

[supersoaker94]

yes :O

[kingofsurrealism]

Accordeon!

[intoapocalypse]

it's complex to advise. you shouldn't curl your lips out, but you should also not curl them in over the teeth. it's more like resting the lip against the lower teeth. but i think you have to figure it out for yourself; just know that curling the lip in is the wrong way :D

[jazzdrummer25]

Doesn't that leave your reed vulnerable to damage from your teeth? And (I'm only recently starting sax) how does circular breathing work if you're not puffing your cheeks out, to hold the air you blow out while you breathe in?

[intoapocalypse]

No, the lip muscles have to be strong enough to hold the reed themselves. There is a little cushion over the teeth, but you don't feel the teeth because the lips are just resting against them and not lying on them. The book "The Art Of Saxophone Playing" by Larry Teal could help you developing embouchure.

Circular breathing: There are only very few saxophonists to use it, so I wouldn't practice that in earlier stages of playing. But I think circular breathing works with puffing the cheeks out.

[XxBOBOtheCLOWNxX]

Circular breathing is the ability to breathe in and out at the same time. In through the nose while out through the mouth.

[Euroflounder]

About half of all modern professional jazz saxophonists can use circular breathing; from what I've seen. But it really isn't that important, there aren't that many situations in which it is needed.

[intoapocalypse]

it's just wrong what he says. with this embouchure, your sound is thin and you can't play longer sessions because you bite into your lower lip. i also used to play like that but learned it the correct way.

[OrzelBialy616]

Hi

I have try to play without biting the lower lip, but it's hard to have a good sound with it :(, a lot of people say to me that biting is wrong but without I cant hold a good sound. I play on alto jupiter 769-767 saxophone with new otto link hard rubber mouthpiece.

[princeoftorreon]

i play the clarinet!

[santirulez]

then why are u watching this!?

[lolesossp]

well im playing guitar

[firepower10123]

and i play flute

[jazzdrummer25]

drums :) and keys. how multicultural are we?!?!