Problems in Forming the Embouchure:
1) Problems in Tone:
A) Worn reed: A damaged reed is frequently the sole cause of poor tone. Pay close attention to students’ reeds – students will play on atrociously tattered reeds. Reeds that are covered in a dingy crust should also be discarded.
B) Small, pinched, or muffled tone: This may be caused by too much pressure from the lower jaw or because of too little mouthpiece in the mouth. Asking the student to play flatter will often help resolve this issue.
C) Squawky tone: Tone lacking focus is the result of a reed unsupported by the lower lip, lack of lip pressure from all sides of the mouth, or a poor reed.
D) Hard, cold tone: This is caused by a reed that is too hard or a mouthpiece with a lay that is too long or open.
E) Squeaking: Squeaking is not as common on the sax as it is on the clarinet. It is most frequently caused by a leaky pad, a poor reed, an embouchure dealing unequal pressure on the reed, or a non-parallel mouthpiece position.
F) Weak, colorless tone: Most often caused by lack of breath support.
G) Loud, raucous tone: Most often caused by improper embouchure or the amount of mouthpiece in the mouth. This can also be caused by a mouthpiece with a very open tip and the use of reeds that are too hard.
H) Dynamics: Extremely loud and soft dynamics can cause problems with tone if the student does not have a developed embouchure.
I) If tone problems continue despite other efforts, consider a new mouthpiece. The mouthpiece that comes with a new saxophone is frequently sub-par at best. Consult the section on mouthpieces for information about choosing an appropriate model.
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2) Intonation:
A) Natural Tendencies:
B) Reed: Assuming a correct embouchure, a consistently flat pitch is caused by a reed that is too soft while a consistently sharp pitch is caused by a reed that is too hard.
C) Embouchure: Too little mouthpiece in the mouth causes biting and makes the higher registers flat despite the natural tendencies of the instrument. Too much mouthpiece makes notes flatter and reduces the amount of control player has on individual notes.
D) Angle: If the angle of the mouthpiece entering the mouth is too far downward, the pitch will drop. If the angle is too far upward, the overall pitch will tend sharp.
E) Mouthpieces: If other causes of intonation problems have been eliminated, yet problems persist, consider trying other mouthpieces. Consult the section on mouthpieces for more information.
F) Mechanism Adjustments: If notes are consistently out of tune, look at the mechanism to ascertain whether the pads are in the proper position.
G) Dynamics: The saxophone tends to play flatter at louder dynamics and sharper at softer dynamics. Soft dynamics require firm support, a decrease in the amount of air, and a somewhat more open embouchure. More lip pressure and a slightly more open embouchure (to facilitate reed vibration) will help avoid flatness in the upper register.
H) Individual Notes: A variety of changes to basic fingers can be made to improve the tone quality. Generally, covering tone holes raises the pitch and opening them lowers it.
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I) The saxophonist should listen to others in ensemble, but playing the instrument in tune with itself is fundamental.
3) Vibrato
A) Qualities: Unlike vibrato for flute, oboe, and bassoon, saxophone vibrato should be lip-jaw oriented. A student switching from an instrument that uses diaphragm vibrato may encounter difficulty and will likely use a combination of the lip-jaw and diaphragm vibratos for a time, but they should make the switch complete with practice. Vibrato on the saxophone should not change the pitch of the note produced, nor should it be a strong change in intensity (which can result from a diaphragm vibrato). Rather, vibrato on the saxophone should be slight changes in intensity based on the small changes in embouchure pressure from lip or jaw.
B) Shape: The shape of the saxophone vibrato is as follows -
An improper vibrato produces a “Wah” sound, as follows –
C) Introduction: The student should begin on a B (one finger) with a fermata. When the student has achieved a good tone on this note, have them begin the following exercises, using the syllable “Voo” on each note. Make sure the student uses a metronome so his or her developing vibrato is consistent from the beginning. Mark passages to use vibrato in the music (especially for students who are in the process of learning it).
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Tonguing:
a) Tonguing refers to the way the tongue is used to articulate tones in relation to the reed and breath support.
Placement of Tongue:
a) Exactly where and how the tongue touches the reed depends on embouchure formation.
b) The tongue acts as a valve – as the breath support remains constant, the tongue stops and releases the air to articulate notes.
c) More air pressure makes a louder note, and more pressure on the tongue before the release makes a harder articulation.
d) In all the following methods, (1) the tongue is relaxed, (2) Only the forward part of the tongue moves, and (3) the tongue is a valve and depends on good air support.
First method:
a) With correct embouchure formation and mouthpiece placement, the tip of the tongue should be in the V-shaped pocked formed by the reed and lower lip meeting.
b) The top of the tongue touches the reed lightly about 1/2” from the tip.
c) Air is built up behind the tongue and is released as if saying the word “too” or “du.” Second method:
a) With correct embouchure formation and mouthpiece placement, the tongue is drawn more up and back, with the throat remaining open.
b) The tip of the tongue placed about 1/4”-1/8” from the tip of the reed. c) The air behind the tongue is released as if saying “du.”
Anchor Tonguing:
a) This method generally used for students with longer tongues than normal.
b) With correct embouchure formation and mouthpiece placement, the tip of the tongue is anchored against the base of the lower teeth.
c) With the tip anchored, the upper part of the tongue contacts the reed. The exact spot will be found naturally.
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Introducing Tonguing:
a) Tonguing should be introduced after the correct embouchure and breathing have been established. b) Students should begin tonguing with the following exercises:
Problems with Introducing Tonguing: 1. too much tongue is moving 2. lack of breath support
3. articulating with the throat – auditory and visual “glug” 4. chewing, moving lips and jaws
Common articulation problems:
1. If the jaw is moving, this means that the tongue is moving too much and therefore wasting energy. The student should practice in front of the mirror to eliminate all movement. 2. Sluggish tonguing can only be fixed over time through diligent practice with a metronome. 3. Too much tongue pressure against the reed will cause a hard attack. Try changing the syllable
from “too” to “doo,” “loo,” or even “noo.”
4. Poor staccato may be the result of poor breath support, or not maintaining support between notes. If the breath support is constant, then the problem is most likely with the tongue and can be fixed by practicing the beginning exercises previously mentioned in these notes.
“toot” “toot” air
air
“toot” “toot” “toot” “toot”
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5. Poor coordination between the tongue and fingers is the result of trying to play too fast. This can only be fixed by practicing music at a slow tempo with a metronome and gradually moving the speed up.
Other Tonguing Techniques:
1. Double tonguing is used for faster repeated notes that are too fast for normal tonguing. The syllables used are “tu-ku” or “du-gu.” Often the hardest part is matching the attack and tone of each syllable, and so this technique should be practiced slowly and with a metronome at first. 2. Triple tonguing is similar to double tonguing, except the syllables are “tu-tu-ku” or “tu-ku-tu.”
This should be practiced slowly with a metronome at first in order to match the sound of the syllables.
3. Flutter tonguing is more important for the saxophone than the clarinet because the saxophone plays more contemporary music. Crucial to flutter tonguing is a relaxed tongue, a steady embouchure, and a firmly supported air stream.
a. Method one: tongue on reed. The player rolls his or her tongue against the reed as if saying “Br-r-r-r-r.” This method affects tone the least of any flutter tonguing methods. b. Method two: dental flutter. With the tongue against the upper edge of the upper teeth, a
fast air stream will flutter the tongue and create an intense fluttering tone.
c. Method three: hard palate flutter. With the front portion of the tongue on the hard palate, a fast air stream will vibrate the tongue very quickly and create a flutter with a great deal of variety in tone quality.
(Paraphrased from pg. 143-147 of Guide to Teaching Woodwinds)