I started practicing on the sax 18 months ago and have watched innumerable videos on embouchure and this is the best one I''ve seen by far. Thanks to you I finally understand why being a goldfish is the way to go. I'm thinking about signing up for your classes Jamie. You are really good.
My wife gave me a saxophone for my 74 birthday in February 2021. I’ve been practicing an hour a day pretty much ever since. For the past 2 months I have been trying to learn what I call the Joe Allard embouchure. You acknowledged Dave Liebman for helping you with your embouchure. Well, I watched the Leibman seminar videos several times months ago and could not quite understand how to get his embouchure and sound. I found several Allard videos on TH-cam and watched them repeatedly too. Better sound, but not the big, rich tone I was striving for. You clarified the placement of the lower lip and to not use the bottom teeth for pressure (unlike Allard teaches). BANG, I was hitting low B flat with all the richness I’d been hoping to get. So, thank you very much. Of course, I went flat as you cautioned. The strange thing is that with my mouthpiece as far up the cork as I can push it, I am in tune on low B flat, but NOT sharp on the high register. In fact, I’m flat at the high end. The opposite of what you predict in your video. What’s going on? How do I correct it? For the record I’m playing a Selmer AS500 which I had put into proper playing condition when I purchased it. I have a Jody Jazz HR* mouthpiece with C* tip, and Silverstein Alta synthetic reed, strength 2. (Incidentally, I love the reed. I’ve had it for about 3 months, and it just keeps on going. Silverstein guarantees it for 6 months and says it should go a year even for someone like you who plays much more than I. Do you want a used Reed Geek?) Can you give me a tip or two on how and why I go flat as I go up the register? Many thanks in advance.
You, Sir, just blew my mind! Just switched to this for my practice session and oh ... my ... god. It all came so naturally, sound was amazing, intonation spot on and zero pain in the lower lip. I could only do it for 30 minutes in a controlled way, but I'm sure that it will improve with practice. Thank you so much for this holy grail of saxophone playing. I'm watching your master class with a good cup of coffee on the weekend. Bravo!
I was blown away, like so many others, by the instant improvement on my alto sax sound. Thank you for this great tip none of my teachers told me so far. I find that this also makes the tonguing easier because the lip isn't that close to the tip of the reed anymore. I am about to start playing with others and this new sound makes me so much more confident.
I'm so glad I've just found this video. This IS how I was playing after watching one of your beginner videos. I had my first ever sax lesson two days ago and my tutor was telling me that I was producing a very jazzy and raw sound, he was encouraging me to move my mouth towards the tip of the mouthpiece and curl my bottom lip over my teeth so the notes would be more refined and melodic, it felt awful and was much harder for me to play consistent notes. I sounded like a pubescent teenager who's voice was breaking. Relaxing my lower lip and moving further onto the mouthpiece again makes it so much easier for me to play consistent notes and it just feels more natural so I'll be sticking with this from now on.
I practice few days and I got this "easy" feeling embouchure instead of hard blowing! So I think first things first I'll try to catch and keep this feeling while playing notes along with slow metronome and tuner as well!
3rd day of learning the sax, lip-over teeth-embouchure, bad lip pain and worst of all, horrible, squeaky and inconsistent sound… if any. Today I saw this video and I can tell, it just saved me years. Bright, proud and confident sound without any pain. Can’t play a note for as long as I used to with the old embouchure, but I’ll get there. Thank you man :)
I have been using this embrochure for about a year or so now from listening to lessons from Dave Liebman and Harvey Pattel etc.What a difference it has made! My new teacher from Royal Northern College of Music who is kindly teaching a beginner like me told me this week that my strength is my “warm, rich, resonant sound” as well as tuning! I am made up by that comment! I think it has been down to this embrochure, starting on overtones and playing on the mouthpiece only. I am playing both classical and jazz and it contributes to both! Don’t hesitate to change to this you will hear the difference and thanks for the great tip Jamie!
Thank you. My primary instrument is clarinet and I found my self using my clarinet embourche on my tenor sax and was getting very high cold sound on the lower octave, but once I did what you said; the lower octave finally got a warm-deep sound. Thank you
My jaw dropped when I realized the difference between how I was doing my embouchure and how you taught me! It sounds so much clearer and is so much easier than what I was doing! You're an absolute miracle of a person! Thank you soooo much for this video!
Dusted off my tenor and got back to practice after a 5 years hiatus thanks to this YT channel. I´ve never been more than an intermediate student, tho... but now I found newer techniques to develop my tone. No more honk trombone-like lower range nor thin oboeish highs... thanks, Jamie!
Thats where I was going wrong trying to make my first 'sound' I was getting squeeks and tones but no 'proper' sax sound. I was putting my lip OVER my teeth (great for tones on the Bb key ) but not a decent sound. Great video
Hi Jamie Just like to say this is the best advice I’ve been given in my 5 years of learning, I’ve been doing this gold fish embouchure for a week and my tone has improved so much and now my mouthpiece is pushed on a lot father down the cork. Thank you 🙏 🎷👍
Hi Jamie, Spot on, mate. I was taught sax by my clarinet teacher, so when I started playing sax he taught the same way - exactly the problem you mention. It 25 years before the penny dropped for me, and my sound opened up immediately. One thing I notice with the "goldfish" embouchure, is that it takes much more muscle stamina in the lower lip, than the clarinet embouchure. So practise, practise, practise to exercise those muscles. The major disadvantage, apart from sound, with the clarinet style is that you can cut your lower lip. This is bad news - done often enough can result in permanent damage.
This is your best lesson ever Maestro! I switched to sax from clarinet and play with lip over teeth. Have tried playing like a guppy this morning and my sound is so much better.
as always you are the most helpful out of all the other teachers out there, you teach stuff that really works and helps and you take the time to share and explain it in depth. THANK YOU!!!!!!
i started learning alto sax only 3 weeks ago. im learning curly bottom lip type of embouchure. and when i do that, my mouth and lips are line not circle, and my mouth is tensioned. my teacher tells me RELAX YOUR LIPS. how do i do that? i think i need to change to goldfish style. question: how can i stop filling my chicks with air and blow normal? i forgot to say thank you!!! great channel and contents, especially your smile is very cheerful!
Jamie I tried this today ! Omg … what a difference ! I started on clarinet so always had the embouchure with lip over teeth . The high notes were so much better with the goldfish technique . Fantastic advice
Thanks for this tip Jamie. I watched this lesson in the morning and made a determined effort to keep this embouchure for my gig in the afternoon. A real difference especially to the higher notes which I had a habit of choking off with by having my embouchure too tight. Thanks again and enjoy the coffees.
I watched the embouchure tip video whilst awaiting the Tenor Altissimo Chart pdf download some days ago, tried it immediately and I was amazed with the results! But I wanted more. Then, you had made this the day after or so! What great coincidence.
I think the key here is not necessarily lip in vs lip out but the softness of the lip itself. There are many great players in jazz and classical music who play lip rolled in. The key is not pulling your chin flat like a clarinetist would or taking in too much lip. That makes a rolled in lip a much harder surface for the reed to vibrate while also encouraging biting due to the angle at which the saxophone is played. Focusing on the corners of your mouth coming in and forward slightly, like Jamie says, is beneficial to the sound and will soften up the lip dramatically. What’s important to note is that you can soften the lower lip regardless of its in or out position, just don’t take in a ridiculous amount of lower lip. I draw this distinction because most beginners I teach do not have the strength to play lip out. If you are playing lip in and getting pain in your lower lip you are biting, plain and simple. That is a problem of jaw pressure not lip placement or position. Keep your lower lip soft but still slightly rolled in and use plenty of air. Use a mirror to watch your jaw. Lip out is a great option for an advancing jazz player but it needs a foundation that is best developed by a well formed (not a clarinet copy/paste) rolled in embouchure. Most beginners are primarily playing in a concert band setting anyway so mastering the more traditional embouchure is usually the best place to start.
Jamie, thank you for all your enthusiasm and instruction. I love your sound. I just started playing maybe 2 months ago and am still trying to find my natural lip position. Some days I play great or can hit lows and highs with no problem then I ever so slightly reposition and baam its gone and I sound like a wounded duck.
When I was thirteen, I studied sax with a man who had played with Zousa's band. He taught me this technique. I do not put my teeth on the mouthpiece as taught in most videos on embouchure. It works for me. I have a good tone. Marlys Feder
Wow!!!!! One video, and i finally can get that full big baritone sax sound! Also fixed my thin out of tune high notes on my alto and up. Can't thank you enough!
Lip out not over your teeth. When I first started I was taught lip over my teeth and used to chew my mouthpiece away and my sound was like a strangled cat. It was only when I dumped my teacher and went solo I discovered lip out which is very much more relaxed I found my sound improved. That’s why the sound on the high notes can sound thin because it’s a tendency to tighten and even bite in order to produce the highest notes, in fact you can with practice still play these high notes with a relatively similar embouchure. Practicing overtones helps and is the key to a quality high high tone.. I’ve been playing soprano predominantly for just over 2 years now in order to improve my tone and sound production as it’s the hardest Sax to keep in tune and sound good on. The slightest change to embouchure can have a massive change in tone on a Soprano, you need to experiment with things to see what produces a good tone.
@@GetYourSaxTogether 👍 it’s always a bit of a problem if you like using multiple mouthpieces on one Sax, other than having more than one neck (expensive) I usually bore out the smallest to the biggest size and re-cork the neck.
Brill. Looking forward to trying this. But a section on the problems that might occur. Going from years and years of lip on teeth etc to a very different arrangement and how to manage the different pressures on mouth piece when playing bottom notes and top notes as jaw and teeth do a lot of work (rightly or wrongly) in the lip on teeth way.
I changed embrochure from rolled lip over to the ooh shape and didn’t really experience any particular problems at top or bottom of instrument. At first my embrochure got more tired but that was the only slight issue and didn’t last long. The positive …an amazing tone!
As a classical saxophonist, that being tought by clarinet and flute teachers, I have to say that finally I started to sound like I always wanted. The issue that I have is that I get tired quickly and loosing control of high notes, but I'm sure that practice will make me better. Thanks for everything.
Well, Jamie, yesterday you asked for two questions about tone and I asked two and today you answered both. Not bad! However. with the goldfish lips my endurance is about 3 minutes and 45 seconds before my face muscles collapse and the air escapes around the mouth piece. But it sounds great while it lasts! I guess it will be 4 minute practice sessions, 30 times a day until I get into goldfish condition.
As a clarinetist turned saxophonist I found this video very enlightening! I have been working on my sax embouchure, can make a reasonable sound on tenor but find the alto very tiring; stories of Charlie Parker practising for 14 hours a day are very discouraging for someone who can only play a few minutes before fatigue and stiffness set in and the embouchure and intonation go to pot! However I am finding paying attention to the corners of my mouth is helping me to build up stamina.
yet another insightfull video from you Jamie, I play alt and tenor since 21-07-'20 and due to experimenting these rolled over and lipout technique, makes your sound indeed much richer
This was a great video for me. I really appreciated your explanation about the reasons why the "pout" works so well. Thanks Jamie. Not too many Scottish accents on the tube. I'm an exile from Kirkintilloch, living in Kent so always good to hear.
That's great! New player and I'd been struggling with trying to develop an open embouchure. All my notes were flat unless I squeezed up on the reed. Didn't make the connection that an open embouchure makes the horn sound flat until you pointed that out, Jamie. Shoved the mouthpiece just about all the way onto the cork and, voila, all notes became closer to pitch without the squeezing.
Wow, thank you for this! Being a doubler, this goes against everything I was taught on clarinet and oboe. I recently switched to single cushion for sax and love the projection, but I'm hearing and feeling a choke on the higher notes. This may be the solution.
That may be the most valuable thing I have learned about playing the sax. I'm an ex-clarinet player and I have been rolling my lower lip. No one ever told me before.
Speaking of embouchure, I'm switching to single lip. I should have done it years ago, but being an oboe major, it didn't seem to be that big a deal. I love the sound though.
thank you for another great tutorial! If i follow correctly the goldfish mouth is made while blowing air out in the sax. My question is how to refill the tank while playing? I see some pros are quickly inhaling from the corners of the mouth, while holding embouchure set. Can you please explain the inhalation step? Love your videos:funny memorable and to the point👍
Thanks a lot Jamie for answering one of the questions I asked so quickely after the survey ! I did improve my tone and sound etc by doing the "goldfish" position naturally by playing Tenor Saxophone and then coming back on alto saxophone ! High notes are still less reliable though :/
Hey Jamie! Love this video. I’ve heard you talk about embochure a few times now, glad you did a full video on it! I have bad muscle memory habits I’m currently changing! I learned in 4th grade (over 20 years ago) and I played too many years using more of a clarinet set up for my mouth and using my bottom lip too much! Excited to work through all of your exercises practicing my new embochure. I feel my lips slip back into habit, but it’s getting better and better! Thanks so much for all the variety of videos to progress as a saxophonist. Keep up the amazing work!!
Your videos are very helpful, thank you. I have watched multiple lessons on mouth positioning, so this was quite different as your know. Sooo, watched another of your lessons, you were using the tight mouth, “no guppie” mouthpiece grip. What gives teach?? Which one do I use?
@@GetYourSaxTogether thanks for getting back to me. Let’s make it easier for me anyway. When do I go guppie and not to. I have seen your videos where you go lip over teeth.
Actually I have another "one" question. Hope it's permitted. Going progressively sharper at the top end. Particularly the palm keys. Any typical causes and fixes? PS very good video!
HI Jamie, big thanks for your goldfish embouchure suggestion. I wonder if I still need to bite on the TOP of the mouthpiece (with my upper teeth)on the goldfish embouchure? I have tried, either way works. Do let me know, thanks.
You've no idea just how challenging it is to form a proper embouchure for someone who had bell's palsy at some point in his life. My muscle control on the right side of my face still isn't 100% what it used to be before i got BP 8 years ago. I'm really struggling but I'm going to keep on trying. :)
A great lesson as usual Jaimie. After struggling with tone since I started on the alto sax about 18 months ago, this made a big difference immediately. I think it worked so well for me in part because I have a thin bottom lip and a slight overbite, making the reed strangling issue much worse. Am I right in thinking, however, that classical players (O.K. I know I am weird in trying to play both jazz and classical music) probably don't use the lip-out embouchure in order to clean up the overtones and blend in with the other instruments?
I want a tour of the new studio, I'm assuming you just got it done? Can you stand up now? Thank you for another awesome session, you would think it would be repetitive discussing embouchre and going "Full Guppy" (love that KeefieT) but each time it reinforces the message. I played and was taught classical clarinet and its a hard habit to break but with your guidance its happening. Cheers! Subtoning....
IMHO, the main key is finding the breakpoint where the reed no longer touches the mouthpiece and having the smallest amount of flesh or lip there. I still support my lower lip a slight bit with my teeth, whether that's right or wrong. I totally agree, it's all about maximizing the reed vibration. For what it is worth, I was taught by two clarinetists, one a principal clarinetist of an orchestra. They taught me another embouchure but did open my sound. I also read and studied stuff saxophonists did, especially the Rascher stuff. I got to altissimo by my second year of college (without the help of my teacher) and widened and enriched my sound just relaxing, focusing my breath, and using a bit softer reed (2.5 or mediums). Nothing beats warming up with just the mouthpiece and mouthpiece/neck to get more control of all those facial and internal mouth/throat muscles. There's so much gold in the first few pages of Rascher's Top Tone's book and even in his 3-part TH-cam video with his daughter. Jamie, I really enjoyed playing along with your Greatest Pop Sax Solos Ever Part 3 - The 1980's yesterday. You're the real deal saxman!
Fantastic comment Bob, thanks so much. I revisited Rascher recently when researching Total Tone Mastery, and while nobody can deny his insane ability on the instrument and his impact on sax education I find the information all kinda dry and impenetrable for your average joe sax enthusiast.
@@GetYourSaxTogether totally agree how "dry and impenetrable" it is to read Rascher. FYI - You're doing a great job making it accessible and you're playing also gets a bit "insane" (in a good way). Curious how much credence you give to mouthpiece pitches in developing a proper embouchure: Concert C for Soprano; Concert A for Alto; Concert G for Tenor; and Concert D for Baritone?
@@GetYourSaxTogether Exactly, although without a reference, finding the ballpark can be a long journey. I can actually play tunes with just the mouthpiece and I find the idea of just one pitch strange. Wonder if anyone hooked up the mouthpiece to a device like a blower or bellows (like an organ pipe), and varied the tension against the reed and airstream going into the mouthpiece to see what pitch(s) resulted. Now, that would make an interesting experiment. Caught your Podcast #388 with Bobby Owsinski. Great stuff you shared. KISS - epic advice that I learned way back and keep passing forward.
Amazing video ! So cool, so nice, so clear, so fun! However what happens when you play high notes ? In my case I feel obliged to make a vertical pressure with my jaw, and if I play for a while my lip hurts... is it normal doctor Anderson ? Thanks again !!!!
"Lip-out embouchure" was a real game changer for me. Even if it did nothing for my tone, you just don't get nearly as tired playing--and thus can practice WAY longer. SirValorSax has good advice on his channel about reducing reed and tip opening when you switch. This is embarrassing but I'd ask you about growling, bc I honestly think there is something physiologically limiting how much grit I can add to my sound lol. I've seen every tutorial and can do all the things they recommend (growl and whistle, hum a half step down, roll R's--I can even growl on a recorder/slide whistle) but I suck at it on sax. I don't even consider myself a beginner player at this point, I can play up to double altissimo G# (thanks Jamie) and have "really good tone" (according to one of my sax heroes Wenzl McGowen) but god do I suck at this one particular thing. It's a big reason I only play with a really edgy mouthpiece bc it's easier for me to take the "grit" away. PS: Hope that alto mouthpiece served you well on your DJ/club gig(s)!
Great comment, thanks! Somewhere in there you said about humming a semitone lower but I don’t think that’s a “thing” really for me. I just hum any old thing. Worth a try?
Two questions (sorry) First, if you are playing any note using the Spectral Display on Tonal Energy how many peaks do you typically see? I presume that more of these peaks equates to the bigger tone that we are looking for. Second, I thought that a 'Jazz' embouchure was more straight line and classical was more Goldfish like. Should both be more goldfish like.
Hi, I have improved my ability to get the high register notes out by using your techniques in a video you released (e, f and f sharp), but have my lip over my teeth and a bit more mouthpiece. Using this goldfish lip position, what is the technique for getting the high notes out? Thanks Steve
Hi Jamie a question. How long does it takes to build those massive corner muscles?Because expecially when I play in the upper second octave in a few minutes I become more like a monkfish...Thanks
You're a bloody legend Jamie! My question is this: I have a few different mouthpieces that I flick between depending on if I want big and bright or mellow and smooth, but the actual opening that goes on to the neck piece is completely different sized on each of my mp's. The cork is too loose on one and too tight for the other so I've had to resort to using electrical tape (not a good solution I know!) Just wondering if you have any tips for adjusting cork thickness to adapt to different mp's?
experiment with the mpc that is the most versatile, and work on the technique required for the sound you like, and offcourse that fit tight around the cork on your saxophone neck
You can get the mouthpieces altered so the bore is the same size on all of them, I’ve done a few of mine and it’s useful if you like to use multiple mouthpieces and swap them regularly. If you have one main one and the others aren’t used so often and are bigger then use gas PTFE tape, it’s thicker than plumbing PTPE.
I am playing sax in a praise and worship team. Sometimes I need to play very softly, with a mellow, warm sound, sometimes quite loud, with more of a pop sound. Presently, I am playing a Yamaha 7c mouthpiece (1.9 mm / 0.075 inch tip opening) with a #3 Legere Signature reed. In the middle and the high range I can get a tone that I like, both for softer and louder pieces, but in the low range, I struggle playing softly. Any tips?
Hi Jamie Thanks for your videos. I have been playing sax on and off for a couple of years. I use a denture pad as my teeth and very thin and sharp (and old!!). I'm now trying to change to goldfish embouchure as I tend to bite and use too much tension so find it difficult to keep in tune even when practising long tones. I am still finding it difficult to keep in tune on long tones and now also am finding the sides of the reed are irritating my lip. Am I doing something wrong still/using too much pressure or should I just persevere until I get used to goldfish embouchure??? I am using a yamaha 4C mouthpiece and changed to a 2.0 Legere signature reed a few months ago which I was enjoying as it is a lot more consistent. Do you think I should change back to cane reed?
Thanks Jamie! What you’re giving away here is gold! Question: Is a classical saxophonists embouchure any different? Btw I might have cried a little after watching your live gig video filmed by your daughter. Still in lockdown here down under.😥
Hi Jamie, Not sure if this is a ‘tone’ issue (though I suspect everything is really!) 😊 I’m finding more and more that I’m able to play the higher register easily without the use of the octave key (not into altissimo quite yet). Should I be aiming to develop this further and actively in practice - overtones? Do advanced players and pros like yourself use the octave key routinely when playing gigs, or is this just something to use as a way to develop voicing control? Many thanks for your time and efforts on our behalf as ever, greatly enjoyed your Southampton video!!!
Hi there, not Jamie but I can help. The octave key does have a function and it's used by pros in most situations, using overtones is usually intentional rather than a must have skill. The two vent octave system is designed to work as a good compromise in between allowing the high octave to sound reliably and venting correctly to help intonation and sound quality, two vents is not ideal (IIRC it's 7), but more than two gets more expensive than the benefit it provides. As for why not to use overtones besides the lack of a proper high vent which hinders projection is that it's not a perfectly reliable system in terms of sound quality and intonation, especially the higher up you go.
Everyone uses the octave key, basically. There’s no good reason not to. Of course, if you glued both register pips shut all the right notes would probably come out due to the voicing you’d use, and you can also see that happen on flute, which doesn’t have a register key.
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Hey, instantly improve your practice, sound and improvising with this FREE Masterclass! www.getyoursaxtogether.com/masterclass
Hello I love your videos. They have helped me alot
@@jessebonilla9578 🙏🏻
I started practicing on the sax 18 months ago and have watched innumerable videos on embouchure and this is the best one I''ve seen by far. Thanks to you I finally understand why being a goldfish is the way to go. I'm thinking about signing up for your classes Jamie. You are really good.
Awesome. Thanks! Total Tone Mastery is available on my website www.getyoursaxtogether.com/HOME
My wife gave me a saxophone for my 74 birthday in February 2021. I’ve been practicing an hour a day pretty much ever since. For the past 2 months I have been trying to learn what I call the Joe Allard embouchure.
You acknowledged Dave Liebman for helping you with your embouchure. Well, I watched the Leibman seminar videos several times months ago and could not quite understand how to get his embouchure and sound. I found several Allard videos on TH-cam and watched them repeatedly too. Better sound, but not the big, rich tone I was striving for.
You clarified the placement of the lower lip and to not use the bottom teeth for pressure (unlike Allard teaches). BANG, I was hitting low B flat with all the richness I’d been hoping to get. So, thank you very much.
Of course, I went flat as you cautioned. The strange thing is that with my mouthpiece as far up the cork as I can push it, I am in tune on low B flat, but NOT sharp on the high register. In fact, I’m flat at the high end. The opposite of what you predict in your video. What’s going on? How do I correct it?
For the record I’m playing a Selmer AS500 which I had put into proper playing condition when I purchased it. I have a Jody Jazz HR* mouthpiece with C* tip, and Silverstein Alta synthetic reed, strength 2. (Incidentally, I love the reed. I’ve had it for about 3 months, and it just keeps on going. Silverstein guarantees it for 6 months and says it should go a year even for someone like you who plays much more than I. Do you want a used Reed Geek?)
Can you give me a tip or two on how and why I go flat as I go up the register?
Many thanks in advance.
So glad everything is working out for you. Maybe it’s a larynx thing. But as the first non-sharp sax player I wouldn’t moan! 🤣
You, Sir, just blew my mind! Just switched to this for my practice session and oh ... my ... god. It all came so naturally, sound was amazing, intonation spot on and zero pain in the lower lip. I could only do it for 30 minutes in a controlled way, but I'm sure that it will improve with practice. Thank you so much for this holy grail of saxophone playing. I'm watching your master class with a good cup of coffee on the weekend. Bravo!
This comment makes me happy. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Now, put down the coffee and practice! 😆
@@GetYourSaxTogether Haha, yes Sir! :)
I was blown away, like so many others, by the instant improvement on my alto sax sound. Thank you for this great tip none of my teachers told me so far. I find that this also makes the tonguing easier because the lip isn't that close to the tip of the reed anymore. I am about to start playing with others and this new sound makes me so much more confident.
Great to hear! 👌🏻
This is quite a big thing man. I have been 100% educated to roll my lip over my lower teeth for many year.
True.
Thanks Brother, not just for teaching, but for WANTING students to learn.
You’re so welcome 🙏🏻
I'm so glad I've just found this video. This IS how I was playing after watching one of your beginner videos. I had my first ever sax lesson two days ago and my tutor was telling me that I was producing a very jazzy and raw sound, he was encouraging me to move my mouth towards the tip of the mouthpiece and curl my bottom lip over my teeth so the notes would be more refined and melodic, it felt awful and was much harder for me to play consistent notes. I sounded like a pubescent teenager who's voice was breaking. Relaxing my lower lip and moving further onto the mouthpiece again makes it so much easier for me to play consistent notes and it just feels more natural so I'll be sticking with this from now on.
Awesome!
First day playing sax coming from stringed instruments, wow is all I can say, amazing advice so much easier to make the low notes sound
Happy to help!
You are a genius !! And Excellent Teacher !! 😊
Thank you! 😃
I practice few days and I got this "easy" feeling embouchure instead of hard blowing! So I think first things first I'll try to catch and keep this feeling while playing notes along with slow metronome and tuner as well!
Awesome 🙌🏻
3rd day of learning the sax, lip-over teeth-embouchure, bad lip pain and worst of all, horrible, squeaky and inconsistent sound… if any.
Today I saw this video and I can tell, it just saved me years.
Bright, proud and confident sound without any pain. Can’t play a note for as long as I used to with the old embouchure, but I’ll get there.
Thank you man :)
Great! Glad it helped 👍
Very helpful. I'm practicing to change old habits. It's a bit difficult. Thank you very much
You're very welcome!
I have been using this embrochure for about a year or so now from listening to lessons from Dave Liebman and Harvey Pattel etc.What a difference it has made! My new teacher from Royal Northern College of Music who is kindly teaching a beginner like me told me this week that my strength is my “warm, rich, resonant sound” as well as tuning! I am made up by that comment! I think it has been down to this embrochure, starting on overtones and playing on the mouthpiece only. I am playing both classical and jazz and it contributes to both! Don’t hesitate to change to this you will hear the difference and thanks for the great tip Jamie!
That’s awesome Marie!!
Thank you. My primary instrument is clarinet and I found my self using my clarinet embourche on my tenor sax and was getting very high cold sound on the lower octave, but once I did what you said; the lower octave finally got a warm-deep sound. Thank you
Brilliant 🤩
My jaw dropped when I realized the difference between how I was doing my embouchure and how you taught me! It sounds so much clearer and is so much easier than what I was doing! You're an absolute miracle of a person! Thank you soooo much for this video!
Glad it helped!
Dusted off my tenor and got back to practice after a 5 years hiatus thanks to this YT channel. I´ve never been more than an intermediate student, tho... but now I found newer techniques to develop my tone. No more honk trombone-like lower range nor thin oboeish highs... thanks, Jamie!
Thanks 🙏
Thats where I was going wrong trying to make my first 'sound' I was getting squeeks and tones but no 'proper' sax sound. I was putting my lip OVER my teeth (great for tones on the Bb key ) but not a decent sound. Great video
Brilliant. What a result!
Thank you so much for this lesson. it has really helped me!!
You're very welcome!
Hi Jamie
Just like to say this is the best advice I’ve been given in my 5 years of learning, I’ve been doing this gold fish embouchure for a week and my tone has improved so much and now my mouthpiece is pushed on a lot father down the cork. Thank you 🙏 🎷👍
Awesome!!
Hi Jamie, Spot on, mate. I was taught sax by my clarinet teacher, so when I started playing sax he taught the same way - exactly the problem you mention. It 25 years before the penny dropped for me, and my sound opened up immediately. One thing I notice with the "goldfish" embouchure, is that it takes much more muscle stamina in the lower lip, than the clarinet embouchure. So practise, practise, practise to exercise those muscles. The major disadvantage, apart from sound, with the clarinet style is that you can cut your lower lip. This is bad news - done often enough can result in permanent damage.
Fantastic comment. Thanks so much! 🙏🏻
This is your best lesson ever Maestro! I switched to sax from clarinet and play with lip over teeth. Have tried playing like a guppy this morning and my sound is so much better.
Fantastic, thanks 🙏🏻
thank you so much!!! ive been learning for almost 2 years now, and i used to get a really sore bottom gum so this really helped!
You're so welcome!
as always you are the most helpful out of all the other teachers out there, you teach stuff that really works and helps and you take the time to share and explain it in depth. THANK YOU!!!!!!
Thanks so much 🙏🏻
i started learning alto sax only 3 weeks ago. im learning curly bottom lip type of embouchure. and when i do that, my mouth and lips are line not circle, and my mouth is tensioned. my teacher tells me RELAX YOUR LIPS. how do i do that?
i think i need to change to goldfish style.
question: how can i stop filling my chicks with air and blow normal?
i forgot to say thank you!!! great channel and contents, especially your smile is very cheerful!
Just stop puffing your cheeks - maybe practice with a straw. Thanks for watching!
Do not fill chick's with air.
@@lindagerard4723 🤣 or cheeks.
Jamie
I tried this today ! Omg … what a difference ! I started on clarinet so always had the embouchure with lip over teeth . The high notes were so much better with the goldfish technique .
Fantastic advice
That’s awesome! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Thanks for this tip Jamie. I watched this lesson in the morning and made a determined effort to keep this embouchure for my gig in the afternoon. A real difference especially to the higher notes which I had a habit of choking off with by having my embouchure too tight. Thanks again and enjoy the coffees.
Thanks for the coffee man! 🙏🏻
I watched the embouchure tip video whilst awaiting the Tenor Altissimo Chart pdf download some days ago, tried it immediately and I was amazed with the results! But I wanted more. Then, you had made this the day after or so! What great coincidence.
Awesome man! 👌🏻
I think the key here is not necessarily lip in vs lip out but the softness of the lip itself. There are many great players in jazz and classical music who play lip rolled in. The key is not pulling your chin flat like a clarinetist would or taking in too much lip. That makes a rolled in lip a much harder surface for the reed to vibrate while also encouraging biting due to the angle at which the saxophone is played. Focusing on the corners of your mouth coming in and forward slightly, like Jamie says, is beneficial to the sound and will soften up the lip dramatically. What’s important to note is that you can soften the lower lip regardless of its in or out position, just don’t take in a ridiculous amount of lower lip. I draw this distinction because most beginners I teach do not have the strength to play lip out. If you are playing lip in and getting pain in your lower lip you are biting, plain and simple. That is a problem of jaw pressure not lip placement or position. Keep your lower lip soft but still slightly rolled in and use plenty of air. Use a mirror to watch your jaw. Lip out is a great option for an advancing jazz player but it needs a foundation that is best developed by a well formed (not a clarinet copy/paste) rolled in embouchure. Most beginners are primarily playing in a concert band setting anyway so mastering the more traditional embouchure is usually the best place to start.
Fair, intelligent comment. You kinda have to just plonk for one option on TH-cam vids sadly!
Jamie, thank you for all your enthusiasm and instruction. I love your sound. I just started playing maybe 2 months ago and am still trying to find my natural lip position. Some days I play great or can hit lows and highs with no problem then I ever so slightly reposition and baam its gone and I sound like a wounded duck.
Keep at it!
Thank you! You are, really, the best!!!! I estudy for a long time, and the teachers do not call me about this, in all my life!!!
Thanks 🙏🏻
When I was thirteen, I studied sax with a man who had played with Zousa's band. He taught me this technique. I do not put my teeth on the mouthpiece as taught in most videos on embouchure. It works for me. I have a good tone. Marlys Feder
Yup, some people use double embouchure to great effect. Not least Coltrane.
@@GetYourSaxTogether double embouchure ???
@@tomtresco2952 no teeth on the top.
I've gone full Guppy lately. My old Sax teacher was a Clarinet player. Great advice.
Full guppy 🤣
What does it mean Full guppy?!?
@@vivaFirenze a guppy is a fish.
@@GetYourSaxTogether sorry to bother you but I am Italian and I got some problem with some terms! Thanks again for your patience!
Wow!!!!! One video, and i finally can get that full big baritone sax sound! Also fixed my thin out of tune high notes on my alto and up. Can't thank you enough!
Excellent! You're welcome
Great advice, didn't practice the last few weeks because of holidays, so I am looking forward to starting fresh with this embourche. Thanks a lot.
Cool man 👌🏻
Lip out not over your teeth. When I first started I was taught lip over my teeth and used to chew my mouthpiece away and my sound was like a strangled cat. It was only when I dumped my teacher and went solo I discovered lip out which is very much more relaxed I found my sound improved. That’s why the sound on the high notes can sound thin because it’s a tendency to tighten and even bite in order to produce the highest notes, in fact you can with practice still play these high notes with a relatively similar embouchure. Practicing overtones helps and is the key to a quality high high tone.. I’ve been playing soprano predominantly for just over 2 years now in order to improve my tone and sound production as it’s the hardest Sax to keep in tune and sound good on. The slightest change to embouchure can have a massive change in tone on a Soprano, you need to experiment with things to see what produces a good tone.
Very true. Hey, if you scan up the comments, someone is asking about different mouthpieces not fitting the cork. Can you answer it? Cheers.
That's kind of a relief to read that kind of comment, I feel less lonely Ian ;)
@@GetYourSaxTogether 👍 it’s always a bit of a problem if you like using multiple mouthpieces on one Sax, other than having more than one neck (expensive) I usually bore out the smallest to the biggest size and re-cork the neck.
Brill. Looking forward to trying this. But a section on the problems that might occur. Going from years and years of lip on teeth etc to a very different arrangement and how to manage the different pressures on mouth piece when playing bottom notes and top notes as jaw and teeth do a lot of work (rightly or wrongly) in the lip on teeth way.
Thanks for the comment! 👍🏻
I changed embrochure from rolled lip over to the ooh shape and didn’t really experience any particular problems at top or bottom of instrument. At first my embrochure got more tired but that was the only slight issue and didn’t last long. The positive …an amazing tone!
As a classical saxophonist, that being tought by clarinet and flute teachers, I have to say that finally I started to sound like I always wanted. The issue that I have is that I get tired quickly and loosing control of high notes, but I'm sure that practice will make me better. Thanks for everything.
Awesome that you are getting what you want! Yeh practice! 🙏
Well, Jamie, yesterday you asked for two questions about tone and I asked two and today you answered both. Not bad! However. with the goldfish lips my endurance is about 3 minutes and 45 seconds before my face muscles collapse and the air escapes around the mouth piece. But it sounds great while it lasts! I guess it will be 4 minute practice sessions, 30 times a day until I get into goldfish condition.
Cool. Build it up slowly I guess!
Same here , my mouth was caning after 5 minutes
Softer Reed until you build back up.
As a clarinetist turned saxophonist I found this video very enlightening! I have been working on my sax embouchure, can make a reasonable sound on tenor but find the alto very tiring; stories of Charlie Parker practising for 14 hours a day are very discouraging for someone who can only play a few minutes before fatigue and stiffness set in and the embouchure and intonation go to pot! However I am finding paying attention to the corners of my mouth is helping me to build up stamina.
It takes time. Keep at it! 👍
yet another insightfull video from you Jamie, I play alt and tenor since 21-07-'20 and due to experimenting these rolled over and lipout technique, makes your sound indeed much richer
Awesome 😎
Another golden gem of a lesson! Thank u !
You’re very welcome ☺️
Wow! I learned so much today. Was taught by a clarinetist all those years ago.....
Awesome! Imagine what you’d learn in a whole course!
This was a great video for me. I really appreciated your explanation about the reasons why the "pout" works so well. Thanks Jamie.
Not too many Scottish accents on the tube. I'm an exile from Kirkintilloch, living in Kent so always good to hear.
Glad it was helpful!
That's great! New player and I'd been struggling with trying to develop an open embouchure. All my notes were flat unless I squeezed up on the reed. Didn't make the connection that an open embouchure makes the horn sound flat until you pointed that out, Jamie. Shoved the mouthpiece just about all the way onto the cork and, voila, all notes became closer to pitch without the squeezing.
👍
Thanks for this technics .It does change in my tone .
Awesome 👏🏻
Wow, thank you for this! Being a doubler, this goes against everything I was taught on clarinet and oboe. I recently switched to single cushion for sax and love the projection, but I'm hearing and feeling a choke on the higher notes. This may be the solution.
Perfect!
Hi Jamie. Can you do tips on when to and how to breath while playing a song .
👍🏻
Best teacher on TH-cam
Thanks 🙏🏻
That may be the most valuable thing I have learned about playing the sax. I'm an ex-clarinet player and I have been rolling my lower lip. No one ever told me before.
😎
Hey Jamie what is most important thing to learn starting off as a complete beginner on sax thank Tom
Keep a relaxed embouchure!
Speaking of embouchure, I'm switching to single lip. I should have done it years ago, but being an oboe major, it didn't seem to be that big a deal. I love the sound though.
Cool 👍🏻
thank you for another great tutorial!
If i follow correctly the goldfish mouth is made while blowing air out in the sax. My question is how to refill the tank while playing? I see some pros are quickly inhaling from the corners of the mouth, while holding embouchure set. Can you please explain the inhalation step?
Love your videos:funny memorable and to the point👍
My best advice - don’t think about it! Take a breath and blow again. I think people make too much of how you breath in.
@@GetYourSaxTogether thank you very much, I will try to relax :-)
Thanks a lot Jamie for answering one of the questions I asked so quickely after the survey ! I did improve my tone and sound etc by doing the "goldfish" position naturally by playing Tenor Saxophone and then coming back on alto saxophone ! High notes are still less reliable though :/
Thanks for the comment! 👍🏻
Hey Jamie! Love this video. I’ve heard you talk about embochure a few times now, glad you did a full video on it! I have bad muscle memory habits I’m currently changing! I learned in 4th grade (over 20 years ago) and I played too many years using more of a clarinet set up for my mouth and using my bottom lip too much! Excited to work through all of your exercises practicing my new embochure. I feel my lips slip back into habit, but it’s getting better and better! Thanks so much for all the variety of videos to progress as a saxophonist. Keep up the amazing work!!
You’re so welcome Hannah. Great to see you commenting and I hope you’re following the get your time together Masterclass series? 🤩
Thank you very sir your fine teaching everyday I learn a lot from you. Thanks a lot
Thank you Philip!
Always helpful. Terrific content in all your videos.
Thanks 🙏🏻
Your videos are very helpful, thank you. I have watched multiple lessons on mouth positioning, so this was quite different as your know.
Sooo, watched another of your lessons, you were using the tight mouth, “no guppie” mouthpiece grip.
What gives teach??
Which one do I use?
I’d need specifics to know what you’re referring to, but go guppie!
@@GetYourSaxTogether thanks for getting back to me. Let’s make it easier for me anyway. When do I go guppie and not to. I have seen your videos where you go lip over teeth.
@@billjoyce5525 tbh too big a question for YT comment. Join the Inner Circle!
@@GetYourSaxTogether I’ve got better offers from fat chicks at closing time… 🍻
I will join soon
This is the best till ever . You must do this .
Thanks Malcolm 🙏🏻
Gracias por este consejo es el mejor consejo de embocadura muchas gracias saludos desde Costa Rica.
Y gracias por poner subtitulos en Español
🙏
Buenas más maestro sería un honor el poder servirnos una taza de café, y sobre la pregunta sería sobre la embocadura la expresión.
🙏🏻
Another excellent video Jamie;always appreciated cheers
Thanks 🙏🏻
Wow thank you, I have been struggling with this
Anytime. 👍🏻
Actually I have another "one" question. Hope it's permitted. Going progressively sharper at the top end. Particularly the palm keys. Any typical causes and fixes? PS very good video!
Biting too much. And voicing.
HI Jamie, big thanks for your goldfish embouchure suggestion. I wonder if I still need to bite on the TOP of the mouthpiece (with my upper teeth)on the goldfish embouchure? I have tried, either way works. Do let me know, thanks.
Your teeth rest, but you don’t bite.
You've no idea just how challenging it is to form a proper embouchure for someone who had bell's palsy at some point in his life. My muscle control on the right side of my face still isn't 100% what it used to be before i got BP 8 years ago. I'm really struggling but I'm going to keep on trying. :)
Wow. Sounds challenging.
Jaime your a legend brilliant video learned so much thank you 👍👍👍👍🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷
Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
That's a good way of putting it.
Thanks 😊
Yep. That helped quite a bit. Thank you.
Great. Thanks
Great ! Have an happy Sunday 🎾🎷😎
You too! 😎
I have a decent sound for only playing 1.5 yrs, but my question would be embouchure control. Avoiding lower lip fatigue or soreness.
Cool, thanks.
A great lesson as usual Jaimie. After struggling with tone since I started on the alto sax about 18 months ago, this made a big difference immediately. I think it worked so well for me in part because I have a thin bottom lip and a slight overbite, making the reed strangling issue much worse. Am I right in thinking, however, that classical players (O.K. I know I am weird in trying to play both jazz and classical music) probably don't use the lip-out embouchure in order to clean up the overtones and blend in with the other instruments?
That’s my understanding although it’s nuanced.
I want a tour of the new studio, I'm assuming you just got it done? Can you stand up now?
Thank you for another awesome session, you would think it would be repetitive discussing embouchre and going "Full Guppy" (love that KeefieT) but each time it reinforces the message. I played and was taught classical clarinet and its a hard habit to break but with your guidance its happening. Cheers!
Subtoning....
I’ll do a studio tour once I’m set up! I agree you can’t over teach the basics.
IMHO, the main key is finding the breakpoint where the reed no longer touches the mouthpiece and having the smallest amount of flesh or lip there. I still support my lower lip a slight bit with my teeth, whether that's right or wrong. I totally agree, it's all about maximizing the reed vibration. For what it is worth, I was taught by two clarinetists, one a principal clarinetist of an orchestra. They taught me another embouchure but did open my sound. I also read and studied stuff saxophonists did, especially the Rascher stuff. I got to altissimo by my second year of college (without the help of my teacher) and widened and enriched my sound just relaxing, focusing my breath, and using a bit softer reed (2.5 or mediums). Nothing beats warming up with just the mouthpiece and mouthpiece/neck to get more control of all those facial and internal mouth/throat muscles. There's so much gold in the first few pages of Rascher's Top Tone's book and even in his 3-part TH-cam video with his daughter. Jamie, I really enjoyed playing along with your Greatest Pop Sax Solos Ever Part 3 - The 1980's yesterday. You're the real deal saxman!
Fantastic comment Bob, thanks so much. I revisited Rascher recently when researching Total Tone Mastery, and while nobody can deny his insane ability on the instrument and his impact on sax education I find the information all kinda dry and impenetrable for your average joe sax enthusiast.
@@GetYourSaxTogether totally agree how "dry and impenetrable" it is to read Rascher. FYI - You're doing a great job making it accessible and you're playing also gets a bit "insane" (in a good way). Curious how much credence you give to mouthpiece pitches in developing a proper embouchure: Concert C for Soprano; Concert A for Alto; Concert G for Tenor; and Concert D for Baritone?
@@bobpremecz5429 I think MP pitches give a good ballpark if you like but it’s also a lot to do with larynx position.
@@GetYourSaxTogether Exactly, although without a reference, finding the ballpark can be a long journey. I can actually play tunes with just the mouthpiece and I find the idea of just one pitch strange. Wonder if anyone hooked up the mouthpiece to a device like a blower or bellows (like an organ pipe), and varied the tension against the reed and airstream going into the mouthpiece to see what pitch(s) resulted. Now, that would make an interesting experiment. Caught your Podcast #388 with Bobby Owsinski. Great stuff you shared. KISS - epic advice that I learned way back and keep passing forward.
@@bobpremecz5429 🙏🏻
Hi Jamie, I'd love to have a pint with you and get tips about the lowest notes and the highest ones regarding tone and intonation
Sounds good!
So enjoyed this....would you say your bottom lip softens more or less as you go to higher notes. Or is there no change at all?
For altissimo it curls under more but not really for palm keys too much.
Amazing video ! So cool, so nice, so clear, so fun! However what happens when you play high notes ? In my case I feel obliged to make a vertical pressure with my jaw, and if I play for a while my lip hurts... is it normal doctor Anderson ?
Thanks again !!!!
If you're playing in the super altissimo range that happens, but for the first part of altissimo, you shouldn't need to bite that much.
@@GetYourSaxTogether Thank you for your answer and for your videos that are so inspiring 🙏🙏🙏
Hi Jamie, great video definitely going to do this , one question with altissimo notes would you still use the gold fish, cheers 👍
You do, but the mouthpiece rolls in and out across the range. I might cover that later.
"Lip-out embouchure" was a real game changer for me. Even if it did nothing for my tone, you just don't get nearly as tired playing--and thus can practice WAY longer. SirValorSax has good advice on his channel about reducing reed and tip opening when you switch. This is embarrassing but I'd ask you about growling, bc I honestly think there is something physiologically limiting how much grit I can add to my sound lol. I've seen every tutorial and can do all the things they recommend (growl and whistle, hum a half step down, roll R's--I can even growl on a recorder/slide whistle) but I suck at it on sax. I don't even consider myself a beginner player at this point, I can play up to double altissimo G# (thanks Jamie) and have "really good tone" (according to one of my sax heroes Wenzl McGowen) but god do I suck at this one particular thing. It's a big reason I only play with a really edgy mouthpiece bc it's easier for me to take the "grit" away. PS: Hope that alto mouthpiece served you well on your DJ/club gig(s)!
Great comment, thanks! Somewhere in there you said about humming a semitone lower but I don’t think that’s a “thing” really for me. I just hum any old thing. Worth a try?
< Wonderfull Analysis, Thank You Jamie ! >
Thanks 🙏🏻
You need muscle strength to push inwards to make the sides of your mouth circular, right? Or do you gather it lightly without needing any strength?
You need endurance, yes.
Two questions (sorry)
First, if you are playing any note using the Spectral Display on Tonal Energy how many peaks do you typically see? I presume that more of these peaks equates to the bigger tone that we are looking for.
Second, I thought that a 'Jazz' embouchure was more straight line and classical was more Goldfish like. Should both be more goldfish like.
Hey Tosh - you can ask me yourself! 👍🏻
Hi, I have improved my ability to get the high register notes out by using your techniques in a video you released (e, f and f sharp), but have my lip over my teeth and a bit more mouthpiece. Using this goldfish lip position, what is the technique for getting the high notes out? Thanks Steve
Check out my altissimo video.
I can’t wait to get my first sax
Awesome!
Hi Jamie a question. How long does it takes to build those massive corner muscles?Because expecially when I play in the upper second octave in a few minutes I become more like a monkfish...Thanks
Ha! I dunno won’t take long with some consistent practice.
You're a bloody legend Jamie! My question is this: I have a few different mouthpieces that I flick between depending on if I want big and bright or mellow and smooth, but the actual opening that goes on to the neck piece is completely different sized on each of my mp's. The cork is too loose on one and too tight for the other so I've had to resort to using electrical tape (not a good solution I know!)
Just wondering if you have any tips for adjusting cork thickness to adapt to different mp's?
Got the same problem, using cigarette papers is a possible workaround. Also good rescue if the cork is damaged.
experiment with the mpc that is the most versatile, and work on the technique required for the sound you like, and offcourse that fit tight around the cork on your saxophone neck
You can get the mouthpieces altered so the bore is the same size on all of them, I’ve done a few of mine and it’s useful if you like to use multiple mouthpieces and swap them regularly. If you have one main one and the others aren’t used so often and are bigger then use gas PTFE tape, it’s thicker than plumbing PTPE.
Thanks Ian.
See Ian’s comment. He’s a repairer.
As always, very clear and very useful.
Thanks Michael!
Hmmm, both Jamie and Ted Lasso say be a goldfish (ok, slightly different perspectives) but I guess there's something to it! Thanks for the great tips!
Take it from Ted! 🤣
Hi Jamie! What about the eyes? Should we pull them out as goldfish has? :D
Yes. Vital.
I am playing sax in a praise and worship team. Sometimes I need to play very softly, with a mellow, warm sound, sometimes quite loud, with more of a pop sound. Presently, I am playing a Yamaha 7c mouthpiece (1.9 mm / 0.075 inch tip opening) with a #3 Legere Signature reed. In the middle and the high range I can get a tone that I like, both for softer and louder pieces, but in the low range, I struggle playing softly. Any tips?
I think you already saw my low note video.
Worth trying bro..thanks
Anytime! 🙏🏻
Hi Jamie Thanks for your videos. I have been playing sax on and off for a couple of years. I use a denture pad as my teeth and very thin and sharp (and old!!). I'm now trying to change to goldfish embouchure as I tend to bite and use too much tension so find it difficult to keep in tune even when practising long tones. I am still finding it difficult to keep in tune on long tones and now also am finding the sides of the reed are irritating my lip. Am I doing something wrong still/using too much pressure or should I just persevere until I get used to goldfish embouchure??? I am using a yamaha 4C mouthpiece and changed to a 2.0 Legere signature reed a few months ago which I was enjoying as it is a lot more consistent. Do you think I should change back to cane reed?
Hard to say really. Check out this video though th-cam.com/video/oVc0dWUCrG4/w-d-xo.html
Thank you ...right on
No probs! 👍🏻
Thanks Jamie! What you’re giving away here is gold! Question: Is a classical saxophonists embouchure any different? Btw I might have cried a little after watching your live gig video filmed by your daughter. Still in lockdown here down under.😥
I felt the same way! Soooo miss live gigs and festivals. Sucks living in a prisoner island, right?
Yeh lockdown sucks. My experience is that classical
Embouchure is a bit different, yes. But it’s not my specialised subject.
awesome, thanks a lot
Anytime. 😊
Dirty-arse rock and roll - is it me that has to make the sound or is it the equipment I use? OK, both, could you give us a breakdown on that?
Great question, thanks.
Hi Jamie,
Not sure if this is a ‘tone’ issue (though I suspect everything is really!) 😊 I’m finding more and more that I’m able to play the higher register easily without the use of the octave key (not into altissimo quite yet). Should I be aiming to develop this further and actively in practice - overtones? Do advanced players and pros like yourself use the octave key routinely when playing gigs, or is this just something to use as a way to develop voicing control?
Many thanks for your time and efforts on our behalf as ever, greatly enjoyed your Southampton video!!!
Hi there, not Jamie but I can help.
The octave key does have a function and it's used by pros in most situations, using overtones is usually intentional rather than a must have skill. The two vent octave system is designed to work as a good compromise in between allowing the high octave to sound reliably and venting correctly to help intonation and sound quality, two vents is not ideal (IIRC it's 7), but more than two gets more expensive than the benefit it provides.
As for why not to use overtones besides the lack of a proper high vent which hinders projection is that it's not a perfectly reliable system in terms of sound quality and intonation, especially the higher up you go.
Everyone uses the octave key, basically. There’s no good reason not to. Of course, if you glued both register pips shut all the right notes would probably come out due to the voicing you’d use, and you can also see that happen on flute, which doesn’t have a register key.
@@GetYourSaxTogether Many thanks, Mauricio and Jamie - something I've been puzzling over for a while. Very reassuring! Pam
Great tips ; I used to play the oboe and my mouth is always tight !!
Thanks 🙏🏻
Hey new to the alto sax here! I'm having problems not playing flat. The mouthpiece is pushed all the way up on the cork. Any idea on how to fix it?
Use a little firmer embouchure pressure or try a different mouthpiece?
Sir, how do I hit G octave with the loose goldfish embouchure?
Voicing.