low note problems

[Sacker]

hi, i am a clarinet player who is also playing alto sax. i'm having some problems with producing notes low that g on the staff. the come out at time but most of the time they skip up an octave when i play them. i'm pretty sure it's not the horn since i've had this problem with multiple saxophones. any advice? thanks in advance

[Sacker]

sorry, i made a typo- i mean to say notes lower than g

[Gandalfe]

Have your instructor, band director, or a more experienced sax player check out your horn and technique. Couldn't hurt and that person could become a resource for you later on as you discover even more difficult and interesting questions.

It could be a bad pad, poor embouchure, or even the wrong size reed. There are just too many variables to hazard a guess.

Good luck!

[Andrew]

You could try using more air/air support. I know many clarinet players that have tried to play the saxophone, but could not get the lower notes, and all I told them to do was use more air/air support, and lo and behold, they could play.

[FrankB2]

As a recent convert to sax (from clarinet), switching to a softer reed
solved all my problems. I had been using 3.5-4 clarinet reeds, but had
to start on 2's for alto sax. I spent a week or two looking for the right
reed, and after buying several boxes of Vandoren and Rico's, I liked
the Vandoren Traditional 2's the best. Well, a couple more weeks later,
I had to go to a 2.5 Vandoren. Then I bought a mouthpiece with a
larger tip opening, and all those lovely Vandoren 2's were put back
into service<G>.

[Gordon (NZ)]

Perhaps you are using a clarinet embouchure.

Bunch your lower lip up - NOT over your teeth - before placing the reed on it, and KEEP it bunched up. A great fat cushion, compared with the slim piece of lip that works better for clarinet.

You also do need an experienced sax player or technician to check that the sax works! Perhaps you have tried several saxes, ALL with leaks. Leaks are very common on saxes.

[Sacker]

thanks guys. i did some reading on this sight and i think gordon is right. i have been using more of a clarinet embouchure and when i use the proper sax the notes come out a lot better. looks like something i just need to get used to. thanks again.

[darryl]

Perhaps you are using a clarinet embouchure.

Bunch your lower lip up - NOT over your teeth - before placing the reed on it, and KEEP it bunched up. .

i don't know why, but i always had the idea that you were supposed to curl your lower lip over the teeth...i'll try that gordon, thanks!

[FrankB2]

As far as the lower lip, I've been using the Larry Teal method described
in his book. This past week, I have also tried the "lip out" method, but
it doen't seem to make much difference. What has made a difference is
a little strip of tape placed 1/2" from the tip of the mpc, as I have a
tendency to take in too little. This has required a more focused effort when
playing notes below low D, or when moving from the high register to low
register. While taking in less mpc is easier and provides a good bit of
consistency for me, taking in more mpc makes my tone noticeably better.

Frank

[Paul Coats]

I have an article accessed from the home page of Sax On The Web which may be helpful.

http://www.saxontheweb.net/Coats/

Look for Tone Production for Beginning Saxophonists and Clarinetists. Also find Beginners Corner 3 and 4.

This should help you in solving this problem.