Home | Music & Dance | Instruments | How to Play the Saxophone

Basic Saxophone Positioning Tips

Currently 0.0/5 Stars.
1
2
3
4
5

To properly view this site, javascript must be enabled and Flash version 9 or higher must be installed.
Get the latest Flash player

View All Videos In This Series

You have got the saxophone assembled, you have got it adjusted properly, let me give you some basic positioning tips and then we will talk about embouchure. Left hand, that would be this one over here, the one that has the watch. The thumb should rest on your thumb rest. There is no key there. It is just a convenient spot to put your thumb. The first fingers hang out around here; right thumb goes under the thumb rest down there and the fingers hover around the keys here. Now, saxophone is kind of nice, because unlike a flute or a clarinet or an E-bow, you are not actually covering holes with your fingers, you are using your fingers to press keys that in turn cover holes. The reason this is nice, is because you do not have to be that precise and aware on the key, you hit it. If you hit it to the side it is still going to cover the hole. If you hit it in the middle, it is still is going to cover the hole. Secondly, you can keep your fingers close to the keys. The one thing I do not like to see saxophone students do is this. See those fingers flying out there? When I am not using them, they are out here having a party. Keep your fingers as close to the keys as possible. The only reason, I am able to play lightening fast is because I am keeping my fingers close to the keys. I am minimizing unnecessary movement. Embouchure; that is the fancy, schmancy French word for the position, the shape of your mouth on the saxophone. This can be harder to describe because it is hard for me to look into your mouth and it is hard for you to look into my mouth, but let me give you some basic principles. Lower lip curls over your bottom teeth and the middle part of that cut away of the reed rest on that lower lip, about so. About half of the cut away portion of the mouthpiece should be in your mouth. Your top teeth hit the top of the mouthpiece. So, again, if you are doing this correctly, the bottom teeth are not hitting the mouthpiece. They are under your lower lip. The top teeth are hitting the mouthpiece. Seal the corners and blow. A couple of things; at first, you are probably going to puff your cheeks and puff your lips a lot like that. You want to avoid doing that as much as possible because that wastes air and that also affects the tone that you are going to generate. It can be very hard to avoid puffing at first because these muscles are very weak. Think about it, your average person is not using their cheek muscles very often. So, at first you are going to have a hard time doing that, but keep in mind that eventual goal is to not to have any puffing going on anywhere in your mouth and as you practice more and build that muscle strength, that will get easier and easier. No puffing, whatsoever. You also want to make sure you seal the corners of your mouth, so air does not leak out the side like this. Not only is that an unpleasant, disgusting noise, if it is wasting air that could be better used to make music. Again, that is going to be hard at first, because those lip muscles are not going to be that strong but as you practice, as you build those muscles, it is going to get easier and easier. Another thing, that is going to be hard at first, is those lower teeth in your lower lip, it is going to feel a little sore as you bite and bite in that lower lip. That is natural too. Your lip is not used to that kind of strength but as you play on a regular basis, your lip will get stronger and stronger and it will bother you less and less that you are biting in to your lower lip. Alright, I think we are ready to start making our first notes.

Expert: Seth Kibel

www.sethkibel.com

P: 410-602-8212

Email: sethkibel@aol.com

Seth Kibel is one of the Mid-Atlantic region's premier saxophonists. His latest release, on Azalea City Recordings, is "The Great Pretender." On his first solo album, The Great Pretender, tenor saxophonist Seth Kibel brings his raucous, blues-drenched sound to 10 songs with support from some of the most skilled artists in the Mid-Atlantic and beyond. Adding their talents to two of Seth’s original More »