How to Play Alto Saxophone : How to Use the Saxophone Mouthpiece

[TheOther9666]

Good tone...?



[Peaves0406]

I play Bb clarinet, wanted to switch, tried it, liked it, and couldn't afford it. The embouchures are NOT the same. She decries the CLARINET embouchure.

[pojopaladin101]

actually, you can't see us at all...

[MsGogo68]

well that help i had my mouth piece in to much or something when i played it sound like a dieing hippo this was a start i guesse but if you want to see omg amzing alto sax playing go to misty alto sax the first one with this one kid and a red and white wall behind him he rocks at the alto

[ZOMBIEHERO12345]

You look like you've been rubed with troll balls :/

[Holycrap27]

I can play a better tone than her and I've been playing for a month

[jazbogutz]

You people are so unfair, someone tries to help others, well its been known to say musicians are into them selves, hope you people have been sucessful in your endeavors. EverythingI I hear helps me. Purhaps you folks can get somthing out of this as well. In others words dont be an ass all your life.

jay......

[MarcoLoveMusic]

Suono povero, assolutamente privo di armonici.

[darkinght333]

ulgy mother******

[saxofooon]

sharp!

[miphino]

@saxofooon Wrong. Flat.

[DinoShapedPancakez]

I believe you're supposed to make the "TA" position with your tongue, and then blow.

[thegreenmonstah33]

this is total crap

[Horsecrazycrazy22]

hahaha usually I don't comment on these types of videos but at 0:46 she looks like a beaver! :P lol

[Zerathul7]

@Horsecrazycrazy22 lol !!

[memejawd]

"You can't see inside my mouth, and I can't see inside your mouth..."

sexual reference much?...

[OliverDuarte88]

she needs to work her sound

[josemono912dog]

we should flag that as dumb

[ATmusic7]

what she just showed the inoccent children is exactly the opposite of proper mouthpiece usage and good tone. the expert village people neecd to hire a three year old instead they would be better than leslie.

[Jayson1996]

err. placing the mouthpiece in your mouth isnt just so simple. -.- if this is the case, everyone can play an alto sax so darn well.

[AMMstudios]

wow my son in middle school has better tone than that haha

[Jayzee1997]

Did you hear the gasp of breath after she blew into it blimey she needs some exercise.

[Jayzee1997]

Can you here she had to have a gasp of breath after she blew it blimey she can't hold that note for long - GET SOME EXERCISE :)

[thegoire]

she doesnt know wat shes talking about

[Zhoomz]

They say a whale wails when it's lost it's mother. Where's this Sax's mother?

[mentofreak98]

lol i play the alto sax at school

[maggiebytes]

IT BURNS!!! >-<

[51joebar]

Simply HORRIBLE......

change the title Leslie...

How NOT to play Saxophone...



[irontailpikachu]

You are no expert

[SharpiexLove8]

THAT IS NOT HOW YOU PLACE YOUR MOUTH, STOP INFORMING PEOPLE THE WRONG TECHNIQUE WHEN YOU'VE NEVER PLAYED THAT INSTRUMENT.

-.-

[dude12494]

thanks trying to teach myself to hard you better

[musicaffectionado]

OMG!!!!!  THIS IS TERRIBLE!!!!!!! She has poor technique, very poor tone!!!!! She isn't even a sax player - she is a clarinet player!!!!! So she thinks. Just because you play a clarinet does not make you a sax player.

[shelbylovescookiehs]

Good she is so terrible. That is the worst way to teach someone how to put there mouthpiece in right xD She has such a terrible tone

D;

[sujeyvan]

pero deberias poner la traduccion en español en vez de repetir lo que dices en ingles...

[Healthylight]

There Are so Many Possible "Thats What She Said" Jokes.. Anwayway This Girl Is Teaching You Wrong. I Can Play Better Then Her. *Face Palm*

[OMERTA011]

my sax is too loud! :)

just picked it up today and don't know what to do.. how can I practice with my alto when it's loud as hell?

[1337SFpro]

use less air?

less force?

[contactpq]

I just picked up my sax today so this was very helpful and easy to understand. To all thus who has so much negative to say about her techique ... let me see your video .. I see hers ... where's your? You talk doesn't help but her videos are. Thanks again Leslie, you're helping this kid.

[saxophonetim]

Don't put you lip over your teeth! Its not a Clarinet!!

[ColossalM]

@saxophonetim You're an idiot. Seriously, it's almost impossible without your lip over your teeth.

[seekanddestroy001]

Okay, uncalled for. Secondly, yes it is very hard to create a good tone without your lip over your teeth. This is only one way of making sound. If you talk to just about any established jazz player out there, they will say that you need to put your lip just in front of your teeth. The two still will be touching, but there will be an independence between the two. Also, the way that Leslie is showing correct. However, She is teaching a classical embouchure, over time, will cut into your lip.

[kagemoren]

i hate you leslie

[spaztard93]

i'v practically just picked up my sax today - never played before...and my tone is better than that. this woman has another video where she says she will show you the keys to play for each note...does she heck, she rambles on about posture! tosser

[shelbylovescookiehs]

haahah.. oh my god.

ive played alto for six years.

and im really good at it.

and i didnt even sound this bad when i started off.

XD

[ncisfan001]

i dont even play saxophone and i would be able to play better than her.lol.

[willisdeadd]

Don't keep a constistent amount of mouthpiece in you mouth. You should set your low G as a standard. And take in more as you go higher. You can get great tones that way.

[SoccerAndBaseball95]

no one listen to this lady, she is obviously inexperienced. i've been playing alto saxophone for three years. i've heard lots of players to and none have been near as bad as she has. bs expert village

[cheezthotdog123]

im 11 and have been playing for hardly a month and am waaayy better than this so called expert and can explain how to play better.

[NTFavorit]

good for you :)

[klamdert]

shes only giving the intro to playing it, not how to actually produce real tone and to actually tongue the reed

[Hig24]

ok im 13 and i can play better (i havent been play for even a year)

[inspirongurl17563]

ik me 2 this is so stupid

[commarx]

that poor, poor saxophone... i think there should be a hostal where abused saxophones can go after they have been played with such little soul lol

[bassoonsrock]

Funny how expert village seems to have videos from pretty much everyone EXCEPT experts...

[KevG94]

your about 20 cence falt ladie please learn how to play the saxophone before you make videos just because you can get a sound does not make you an expert

[abenne3414]

this lady doesnt know shit and she sucks at the sax

[blankankle]

i'd rather give up MUSIC than have her look in my mouth

[largieman]

this is ghastly..if thats the tone your striving for then im charlier parker reborn

[phunkjazZz]

WHOAH!!! It looks so easy when she does it!!

[jazzyjake99]

holy shit your flat

[greyteque]

she should not be teaching...

[kingtate5]

she sux im a better sax player than she is

[sounderskid21]

hey guys you touch your top teeth to the top of the mouthpiece so the instrument won't move around in your mouth

[sounderskid21]

i'm sorry but that looks a little big for a alto

[FIRELUIGI4]

It is.

[bboycman]

maybe she's just a little small.

its a normal size alto ;]

[msl1333]

ok more important than everything she said is that you really need to focus on bringing in the corners of your mouth to make a round shape so that you have a nice round sound. A combination between that and not supporting from the diaphragm is why the sound was timid and wavy

[DeityJazz]

Wow. I had my sax in my hand at the same time as watching this video and for the first time I produced a sound! Thanks so much :)

[bobtune1984]

well i find it very helpful, cant afford a teacher, starting at the very beginning...comments are helping as well. thx!

[amicusnole]

Yeah, she was either VERY flat, or VERY sharp. I can't tell while listening on YouTube, but it wasn't correct. By the way, my tone quality is WAY better, I am a sophmore in a high school band and can do better. Her embouchure was horrible, too.

[dstack79]

She's about a quarter step flat :)

[Bryandmngz13]

@dstack79 ya ur soo tru

[hparkit]

HAHAHAHA

"One of the hardest things about teaching is that I can't see inside your mouth and you can't see inside my mouth"

I could do better than this lady and I'm 14, no expert at all. Where do they find these people *shakes head*

[kingqueenoff21]

"the mouthpiece goes straight in your mouth" lol really? thats what i've been doing wrong!

seriously this is pretty basic you'd have to be just starting to find this helpful.

[flamencoexpress]

Which bit of ABSOLUTE or BEGINNER don't you unbderstand?

[XXXzombiebarbieXXX]

you guys shes doing fine im a pro at this your the ones who dont know what your talking about you dick heads!

[cptexpando]

You're right - she's doin GREAT! (for someone who's an awful saxophonist)

[blazerpoopersn]

lol

[DrJiim]

She didnt even say "Embrouchure" once!! Ha. These are probably the worst videos Ive ever seen. This woman really has no idea what shes talking about.

And to start a note you dont just "Gently Blow" you have to start it off with your tongue.

[Blue0ctane]

The ONE thing she's taught right is that beginners are not supposed to tongue until they get their embouchre perfect.

Too bad that she doesn't teach embouchre.

[jackshields83]

I don't understand why everyone says you have to actually TOUCH your top teeth to the mouth piece. I play saxophone just fine without doing that. I had a smaller portion of my top lip between my mouthpiece and teeth than the bottom, but I can't stand the way it feels to have a vibrating mouthpiece directly touching my top teeth! It's disgusting.

[Kaymorve]

Eh, it feels weird at first, but you eventually get used to it. I've been playing saxophone for almost 3 years now and the vibrating mouthpiece...well, I barely even notice it. I've heard that not touching your top teeth on the mouthpiece reduces tone. Not sure.

[cptexpando]

A couple companies make little rubber things called "Mouthpiece Savers" (yes, that's really what they're called) that have adhesive on one side. Stick one on top of your mouthpiece (where your teeth touch) to get rid of some of the vibrations, and it will also help to keep the mouthpiece from sliding around. Using a "double lip" embouchure, like on Oboe or Basson, is a totally valid way of playing sax as well. It doesn't work for me, but that's besides the point.

[Blue0ctane]

I used to play on a double embouchre, as it's called, but unless you are a near-virtuoso, it's going to give you a very distinct tone, which is not very good for ensemble playing. As far as a high school/college setting goes, a normal embouchre will make you sound like a French horn - which is a good thing.

[Minyahil]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA she makes it sound like a blowjob, a professional teacher would use better vocabulary lol

[mrxjxj]

Ouch, is that an expert? She only played two notes, and each one was un bearable. Way off tune.