Use these 3 steps to get a better saxophone sound instantly. These are the 3 core fundamentals that every saxophone beginner need to focus on in order to go from a beginner sound to a pro sound.
Are you just getting started playing the saxophone these three steps will make a huge impact on your saxophone sound. I've made a video walking through the steps one at the time, so that you can implement and get a better saxophone sound right now.
Even if you've been playing for a while these 3 steps serve as a great reminder to focus on the fundamentals to get a full and rich sound from your saxophone.
Instantly improve your saxophone sound
1. Mouthpiece position
A common beginner mistake is to either have too much or too little of the mouthpiece inside your mouth. The key here is to find the “sweet spot” on your saxophone mouthpiece.
The easiest way of finding the right mouthpiece position is by using the “Paper and pencil method” explained in the video above.
I always use this method with my beginner saxophone students, as it's visual and makes them aware of the amount of mouthpiece they are actually putting into their mouth.
The basic idea is to mark your saxophone reed with a pencil where the gap between the reed and mouthpiece close. This is where you place your lower lip as a cushion, which is part of the over all Saxophone Embouchure.
2. Seal around the mouthpiece
Many saxophone beginners struggle with making the seal around the saxophone mouthpiece. This needs to be addressed as leaking air around the mouthpiece will have a direct impact on your sax sound.
It can also cause issues with nausea as you are “over blowing” and using way more air than you actually need.
Still, there's a fine line between making the seal tight and biting down on the mouthpiece. You want the seal but without biting down on the mouthpiece as I explain in the video above.
3. Air support and open throat
When you open up your throat and use good air support and your entire lungs you will see instant improvement to your sax sound. From my 20+ years of teaching experience I've found that once you learn this your saxophone sound improves instantly as I demonstrate in the video above.
Getting a better saxophone sound can be easy
Follow these simple steps and you'll get a better saxophone sound instantly.
