I need help on a lot of things, please help me!

[Serenade]

I am being rushed into Tenor Saxophone for Jazz Band.

I would like ANY help on the following:

Emboucher form (How to hold it on the mouthpiece, how much mouthpiece in mouth, etc.)

How to adjust anything to hit High and Low notes (throat open/closed/tighter mouthpiece)

Tips for playing Jazz-type music

Breathing Tips and Mouth Muscles (I play oboe so I SHOULD have enough muscle but the breathing might be different)

Any help is appreciated. Thank you in advance.

[Alan G]

Serenade -

Wow - is this in high school? A little late to be starting in the year!

OK - since I started out on oboe myself - I might be a little help.

As you've doubtless noticed - the fingerings are very similar - and the differences are just enough to foul up yer brain! I still get messed on the Eb and Db reversal. (Sax has been my main instrument for about 20 years :? )

Unlike oboe - you shouldn't have to change your emboucher as you go up and down the scale much at all. Just a touch to bring a note in tune. The Breath Support that you've developed on oboe will serve you VERY well on sax. With a bit more open throat - you should get a good powerfull sound. Actually - just the fact that your mouth will be more open with the Tenor Mouthpiece may result in your oral cavity being about right.

Note: Pro sax folks will frown on oboe vibrato technique - the "diaphragm" method. You should work on "jaw" vibrato as your skill level advances.

On the Emboucher (hopefully a teaching pro can advise you in person...):
1. The Reed goes on the Bottom! (Yep - the first time I brought the rental alto home to my apartment - Thats what I did..)
2. Roll in your lower lip about the same amount you do on oboe. DO NOT roll in the upper lip ("Double Embroucher"). Place top teeth on top of the MouthPiece (or "MP").
3. Amount in your mouth? Not too much - not too little - juusst right. I'm guess'n about 1/3 of the MP in.
4. Close lips around the MP - not too tightly - just enough to seal. The amount of pressure to use should become apparent as you practice.

Jazz styles: Umm - if the chart calls out "swing" - or the band director says to "swing the 1/8ths" - or the thing is some old big band standard.. play the 1/8 notes as dotted 1/8th notes. So - instead of "da-da-da-da..." you would play "daade-daade..."


Hmm - tell us what sax you are using - is it a school horn? Make sure someone who knows sax plays your horn to make sure it works right. A leaky horn will be miserable. Also - what type of Mouthpiece and reeds are you using? Just as oboe reeds are touchy - so is the reed/MP/player combination.

Find a teacher! Go to the Beginner topic in this forum!

And have fun! Sax is lots easier to play than oboe.



My universal disclaimer: I am an idiot (see item 1 above). I am not a professional musician - nor do I play one on TV. I play for fun and the occasional $50 gig.

[TJS]

A good way to work on tenor emboucher is to play the mouthpiece by it self. Relax your embouchure and try to produce between an F or a G (2 above middle C). Once you can do this you will have a place to start.