I tried the "Bad Smell" and the "Wolf Whistle" together. Think I sprained something 😂 Seriously, appreciate the exercises! I definitely need relaxation techniques. I've actually noticed when playing gigs, that my sound gets better as the night goes on. Thinking about it in this context, my embouchure is probably tiring and relaxing on its own? Thanks again!
So first exercise talks about top lip up but use side pressure. Second exercise is about using virtually no side pressure. Do we want no pressure from top lip and sides ?
When visiting the music museum in Paris, I got to know that the reed on top set up was the original standard for clarinet. Later I heard that some Italian player used it in the 20th century. Well...
Thanks so much for this lesson! I'm struggle so much to get "the feel" of my neck and my air flow when using right embrochure. This lesson help me to figure out! Many thanks!
I just watched this and tried all of the exercises, and I couldn’t get a sound out using any of them. I know my embouchure has gotten lazy over the past year, how much and how often should I practice these to eventually be able to play with them? Just feeling a little discouraged
“Even though you’re gunna look like a right…..” Nice save 😂 Needed this video a lot actually. Jamie giving us what we need without us even asking 😊 Cheers mate
I'm thrilled to see you demo these embouchure exercises! I studied with Joe Allard for many years, including 6 years at New England Conservatory. I teach Joe's magic, but I wasn't aware of anyone else doing so! Yay Jamie! I love your videos!
I learned somethings about myself with these. Exercise 1: I found that I don't use my upper lip when playing. Good to know since I also play bassoon. I'm not sure about after a couple of hours, though. However, I couldn't lift my lip workout my fingers. Then again, I can't even do that while sitting on the couch without a mouthpiece, I discovered. As for the sound, I play bari and struggled to blow enough air for long with my lip up, losing so much air through my teeth. As for the 2nd, I found that my sides get tighter when I get tired, before I even know that I'm getting tired. Iwonder what I'm compensating for. I'm definitely going to do this one throughout my practice sessions just to stay on top of this and maybe extend my play time a little... with better sound through the end. The 3rd exercise is just fun. 🙂 I had no problems any of with these, and I'm relieved that I haven't picked up too many bad habits over the years. But I'm still going to use them all to see if it will continue to improve my tone and those of my students.
Interesting video! I believe the early clarinet players played upside down. However is there a contradiction in that playing upside down or double lip must involve some tension in the top lip? I am a pro clarinet player who has taken up the sax in my dotage and am struggling with the embouchure, it seems to need enough tension to avoid a flat and breathy sound but this is quite fatiguing!
I have trouble hitting the high D, D#, and up on my alto sax. After playing for a while, the notes won't flip up to the high register. They stay at the low register, and often squeak trying to flip up an octave. What's most important about my embouchure for hitting the high register?
This is so much fun, and is really helping me with bringing awareness to all the tightness in my embouchure. Quick tip, the light on your left is turned a bit too much to the back wall. Since you like to move around, every time you move closer to the camera, you cast a shadow on your face, like in the first shot of the video.
I need to learn how to relax the bottom of my embouchure - I get pain in muscles below the lower lip. Probably because muscles on each side are weak....
I've played my whole life with a double embouchure. I just can't do the top teeth thing. Is it possible to get an impressive tone without putting your teeth on the mouthpiece?
Hi Jamie! can you explain me one thing pls... I play sax a second year, and my first teacher was telling me to "bite" n hold the mouthpiece such way that nobody can take it out from my mouth.. but its too painful for me... maybe my teeth are too sharp...so I feel lots of pain of my teeth cutting my lower lip.. and after that there is big ditch on my inner side of lip...and even some kinda bubbles... and because of that I'm psychologically trying to avoid the pain and pressing less .. then it affects the sound .. so I started putting small piece of cloth on my lower teeth as a pad and then I can play long and perform. But I wanna get out of this crutch , its not convenient when I need to talk or sing, every time to remove it.. also doesn't look estethically good, when im adjusting with my tongue that cloth which has shifted inside my mouth. And basically I think nobody in the world plays like that🙈 So what could be yours suggestion?
Your embouchure is totally wrong. You be using the least possible pressure. Never bite on the mouthpiece. My advice is the exact OPPOSITE of your teacher I’m afraid. You should never cause yourself pain on your lip. It’s nothing to do with your teeth being sharp or not. Watch my video on having an embouchure like a goldfish! Basically, stop biting. Stop using pressure on the reed. Today. Please.
Hi, a lot of educators advice to keep embochure relax, so why same time saying the muscles must be strong? Weaker muscle equal less pressure or I really misunderstood entire concept. My teacher plays with double embochure, both leaps out , top teeth not touch mouthpiece, the sound he is produce is incomparable to any others what I heard live. But most importantly he always says "keep chicks tight, very tight so there is no place for relaxation. Now who is wrong who is right, just getting confused😮. Thanks
Well, for some reason, having strength and endurance allows you to stay relaxed for longer. There are many different ways of getting a good result so try a few different ways and see which you prefer.
Man, I think when we play using much pressure and tension, we lost endurance and dinamic control of tip opening. So it makes a lot harder to control the tune, make all articulations and effects like subtone and slap tonguing and also the overtones and altíssimo notes while to do it we need a precise embrochure control that overhelmed lips hardly could give. So relaxed do not mean weak, its more for "prepared to everything" at neutral position waiting for some "special move" 😂
@@GetYourSaxTogetheryeah it’s the same way on guitar. I always get aggravated when people say “stay relaxed”. It wasted years of my playing because I didn’t understand you needed to workout your wrist with fast songs to feel the burn before getting to point of relaxation. It’s like the gym.
Sorry for sticking my two cents in; I think Jamie would agree that your current teacher is off-base using a double reed embouchure for saxophone. Yes, Trane did it, but it was an unusual choice, which is generally not the best one. Even a classical clarinetist would not do this, much less a saxophonist playing modern music. Thanks!
Hmmm. The first exercise seems like it would just make you compensate with tooth/jaw pressure. I do almost the exact opposite exercise and practice with no tooth contact, lip only.
I'm starting to wonder if embouchure even does anything, while in the regular range of the saxophone (aka no altissimo) I can play the sax just fine by merely suggesting some embouchure touching on the mouthpiece. Hell I think it would be possible to create a tone by not even having the moutpiece in the mouth and just blowing real hard toward it, if the reeds soft enough. That's not saying I'd blow real hard in a 'wispy' embouchoure, but I sure as hecc am getting by without doing embouchure strenghtening stuff like that QQqqqqqqq thing where one goes kyuuuuuuuuuu with a real tense mouth to pull the lips taught over the teeth.
![How Do I Sound Good On Saxophone? [avoid these 3 awful mistakes]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/fcnPznz8jKQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Check out my free saxophone success masterclass▶️ www.getyoursaxtogether.com/masterclass
I tried the "Bad Smell" and the "Wolf Whistle" together. Think I sprained something 😂
Seriously, appreciate the exercises! I definitely need relaxation techniques. I've actually noticed when playing gigs, that my sound gets better as the night goes on. Thinking about it in this context, my embouchure is probably tiring and relaxing on its own? Thanks again!
Unlikely. Could be a mental thing though; you’re enjoying yourself and relaxing.
Ha! Be careful 🤣
So first exercise talks about top lip up but use side pressure. Second exercise is about using virtually no side pressure. Do we want no pressure from top lip and sides ?
@@stephendolan9338 when you play you have a gentle seal all round with an emphasis on the sides being firm to make the bottom lip loose.
When visiting the music museum in Paris, I got to know that the reed on top set up was the original standard for clarinet. Later I heard that some Italian player used it in the 20th century. Well...
Ha! Who knew? Thanks.
What a nice and good- humored guy!
Thanks! 🙏🏻
Nice video. I believe it was the clarinet that was once played upside-down. As oboe players switched to clarinet for wind bands.
Thanks for the info!
Thanks so much for this lesson! I'm struggle so much to get "the feel" of my neck and my air flow when using right embrochure. This lesson help me to figure out! Many thanks!
Hey, great to hear it's helping!
I just watched this and tried all of the exercises, and I couldn’t get a sound out using any of them. I know my embouchure has gotten lazy over the past year, how much and how often should I practice these to eventually be able to play with them? Just feeling a little discouraged
How long is a piece of string? This is the kind of stuff I answer in my inner circle membership. Why not join that?
“Even though you’re gunna look like a right…..” Nice save 😂
Needed this video a lot actually. Jamie giving us what we need without us even asking 😊
Cheers mate
You’re welcome!
I'm thrilled to see you demo these embouchure exercises! I studied with Joe Allard for many years, including 6 years at New England Conservatory. I teach Joe's magic, but I wasn't aware of anyone else doing so! Yay Jamie! I love your videos!
Awesome Dianne. I’d love to hear your experiences someday.
Yes, that would be very interesting.
Are you still in Boston area?
@@saxandfluteplayer yes
I was searching for Joe Allard exercises a while back and was coming up short. This is gold, thankyou.
Cool man!
I learned somethings about myself with these. Exercise 1: I found that I don't use my upper lip when playing. Good to know since I also play bassoon. I'm not sure about after a couple of hours, though. However, I couldn't lift my lip workout my fingers. Then again, I can't even do that while sitting on the couch without a mouthpiece, I discovered. As for the sound, I play bari and struggled to blow enough air for long with my lip up, losing so much air through my teeth.
As for the 2nd, I found that my sides get tighter when I get tired, before I even know that I'm getting tired. Iwonder what I'm compensating for. I'm definitely going to do this one throughout my practice sessions just to stay on top of this and maybe extend my play time a little... with better sound through the end.
The 3rd exercise is just fun. 🙂 I had no problems any of with these, and I'm relieved that I haven't picked up too many bad habits over the years. But I'm still going to use them all to see if it will continue to improve my tone and those of my students.
Thanks so much Angela. Great to take time to reflect. Keep up the great work 👍
Lo máximo amigo. Saludos desde Perú.
Sigue así! Genial
¡Gracias! 🙏
I could sand to loosen my embouchure up. I'll have to give these a try this evening. Thank you!
Go for it!
good morning Jamie.... allready doing these kind of excercises, they are very helpfull indeed
Cool!
I love these lessons and I’m getting some new ideas out of them .
Awesome dude. Thanks so much for watching. Hope you’re well!
Fantastic exercises! Thanks!
😊
Interesting video! I believe the early clarinet players played upside down. However is there a contradiction in that playing upside down or double lip must involve some tension in the top lip? I am a pro clarinet player who has taken up the sax in my dotage and am struggling with the embouchure, it seems to need enough tension to avoid a flat and breathy sound but this is quite fatiguing!
The transition from clarinet to sax is pretty dramatic and tricky to adjust to. You might need to push on more?
I have trouble hitting the high D, D#, and up on my alto sax. After playing for a while, the notes won't flip up to the high register. They stay at the low register, and often squeak trying to flip up an octave. What's most important about my embouchure for hitting the high register?
It’s more a voicing thing.
This is so much fun, and is really helping me with bringing awareness to all the tightness in my embouchure.
Quick tip, the light on your left is turned a bit too much to the back wall. Since you like to move around, every time you move closer to the camera, you cast a shadow on your face, like in the first shot of the video.
Great, that's the idea! 👍
Noted cheers
love your videos. thank you so much. I've been looking for such channel for ages! 😍😍😍
Great! Thanks so much 🙏
I need to learn how to relax the bottom of my embouchure - I get pain in muscles below the lower lip. Probably because muscles on each side are weak....
Find my goldfish embouchure video!
Thank u genius 🌀🌈🎷
Ah very kind. Thank you!
I've played my whole life with a double embouchure. I just can't do the top teeth thing. Is it possible to get an impressive tone without putting your teeth on the mouthpiece?
Ask John Coltrane and Branford Marsalis!
Interesting set of exercises.
Thanks Rob 😊
It ain't stupid if it works! I had a good laughter, but it is working fine!
Great! 👍🏻
Does it also apply to clarinet ?
Hmmm. Clarinet embouchure is a bit firmer and I’m not a clarinet specialist, so I wouldn’t like to comment on that one!
Love the bloopers! Thanks for the laugh😂 Great video🙏
Glad you enjoyed!
Great info
Thanks!
Thank you, so much.
You're welcome!
Hi Jamie! can you explain me one thing pls... I play sax a second year, and my first teacher was telling me to "bite" n hold the mouthpiece such way that nobody can take it out from my mouth.. but its too painful for me... maybe my teeth are too sharp...so I feel lots of pain of my teeth cutting my lower lip.. and after that there is big ditch on my inner side of lip...and even some kinda bubbles... and because of that I'm psychologically trying to avoid the pain and pressing less .. then it affects the sound .. so I started putting small piece of cloth on my lower teeth as a pad and then I can play long and perform. But I wanna get out of this crutch , its not convenient when I need to talk or sing, every time to remove it.. also doesn't look estethically good, when im adjusting with my tongue that cloth which has shifted inside my mouth. And basically I think nobody in the world plays like that🙈 So what could be yours suggestion?
Your embouchure is totally wrong. You be using the least possible pressure. Never bite on the mouthpiece. My advice is the exact OPPOSITE of your teacher I’m afraid. You should never cause yourself pain on your lip. It’s nothing to do with your teeth being sharp or not. Watch my video on having an embouchure like a goldfish! Basically, stop biting. Stop using pressure on the reed. Today. Please.
@@GetYourSaxTogether Thank you^ will try
Wonderful video!
Thanks!
These may look ridiculous, but they really help!
That's the idea! 👍
hello.
I tried bad smell smell and I want ask is that normall that fraction of air go through my teeth
Yeh that’s normal.
I needed this! Can't play when you are injured.
Thanks Morris.
so cool Jamie!
Thanks! 🙏
Hi, a lot of educators advice to keep embochure relax, so why same time saying the muscles must be strong? Weaker muscle equal less pressure or I really misunderstood entire concept. My teacher plays with double embochure, both leaps out , top teeth not touch mouthpiece, the sound he is produce is incomparable to any others what I heard live. But most importantly he always says "keep chicks tight, very tight so there is no place for relaxation. Now who is wrong who is right, just getting confused😮. Thanks
Well, for some reason, having strength and endurance allows you to stay relaxed for longer. There are many different ways of getting a good result so try a few different ways and see which you prefer.
@@GetYourSaxTogether thanks 👍
Man, I think when we play using much pressure and tension, we lost endurance and dinamic control of tip opening. So it makes a lot harder to control the tune, make all articulations and effects like subtone and slap tonguing and also the overtones and altíssimo notes while to do it we need a precise embrochure control that overhelmed lips hardly could give.
So relaxed do not mean weak, its more for "prepared to everything" at neutral position waiting for some "special move" 😂
@@GetYourSaxTogetheryeah it’s the same way on guitar. I always get aggravated when people say “stay relaxed”. It wasted years of my playing because I didn’t understand you needed to workout your wrist with fast songs to feel the burn before getting to point of relaxation. It’s like the gym.
Sorry for sticking my two cents in; I think Jamie would agree that your current teacher is off-base using a double reed embouchure for saxophone. Yes, Trane did it, but it was an unusual choice, which is generally not the best one. Even a classical clarinetist would not do this, much less a saxophonist playing modern music. Thanks!
I'm laughing so hard! I love you, Jamie!!!!
😊👍
Hmmm. The first exercise seems like it would just make you compensate with tooth/jaw pressure. I do almost the exact opposite exercise and practice with no tooth contact, lip only.
Whatever works for you! 👍
Hi Jamie. I noticed that you do blow up your cheeks. That happens to me too when I try to open up my embouchure.
Yeah I do for certain things. True.
I'm starting to wonder if embouchure even does anything, while in the regular range of the saxophone (aka no altissimo)
I can play the sax just fine by merely suggesting some embouchure touching on the mouthpiece. Hell I think it would be possible to create a tone by not even having the moutpiece in the mouth and just blowing real hard toward it, if the reeds soft enough.
That's not saying I'd blow real hard in a 'wispy' embouchoure, but I sure as hecc am getting by without doing embouchure strenghtening stuff like that QQqqqqqqq thing where one goes kyuuuuuuuuuu with a real tense mouth to pull the lips taught over the teeth.
😊🙏
🎉🎉🎉
🙏🏻
lol thanks 😂
🙏
uah! 😀💥😂💥😀
😊👍
Tim Lin also mentions this technique.
th-cam.com/video/LZ07qukuFZY/w-d-xo.html
Yeh. Thanks for sharing 👍
@@GetYourSaxTogether thanks to you Jamie, keep up the good work! 🎷🎷🎷🤟🤘
Nothing to do… I can't do it!!
Keep at it!
couldn't do the first one, i am a proud owner of a front teeth gap 😃
oh!
😂😂😂
Thanks em
Off to give it a go though Jamie 😅
Aw, teeth on the reed is the only way I can get altissimo!
Oof!
You were right you do look ridiculous 😂, great exercises however
🤣👍
look like a whwt?
🤣