Copy this Sax Embouchure for a Beautiful Sound

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Do you want a beautiful saxophone tone every time you play? After years of teaching, I found one easy embouchure anyone can master for instant results.

So in this article, I’m going to show you how to copy my embouchure and finally get that beautiful sax sound you’ve always wanted.

Let me start by saying that I struggled with embouchure for many years. Not because it’s particularly difficult, but because it’s typically taught as a one-size-fits-all approach.

The problem is we are all so different physically that what works for one saxophone player won’t be exactly the same for another. That’s why I teach embouchure in a different way.

You might come across saxophone teachers who insist their method is the only correct way, but this rigid thinking is precisely why so many students continue to struggle.

Instead, I’m going to share a few simple, adaptable guidelines that anyone can use. By following these, you’re likely going to sound better immediately, be able to play for much longer without getting tired, stop squeaking and chirping, and eliminate any pain or discomfort you may feel after playing for a while.

Top Teeth Placement

Your top teeth are going to rest on top of the mouthpiece. This is why I use mouthpiece patches.

The feeling of my teeth on a hard surface is kind of unpleasant to me, and the patch protects the mouthpiece from nasty teeth marks. The patch is also a very good indicator of whether or not you’re biting too hard.

If your mouthpiece patches are wearing out quickly, you’re biting too hard. We’ll come back to this later. 

Now that we know what to do with our top teeth, what about the bottom part of our mouth?

Bottom Lip Cushion

Your bottom lip acts as a cushion for the reed to vibrate on. The reed needs this padding to produce a pleasant, controlled sound.

Most people aren’t aware of this, but cane saxophone reeds are essentially just pieces of grass. Have you ever held a blade of grass between your fingers and blown through it to create a high-pitched whistle?

Now think of the horrible squeak sound that sometimes comes out of your saxophone. Believe it or not, that’s the natural sound a saxophone reed makes when it’s allowed to vibrate freely without any control.

By creating a soft lip cushion, we can control that vibration and transform it into something beautiful.

Everyone’s lips are different in thickness, shape, and size. And that’s partly why each saxophone player has their own unique sound.

The key takeaway here is simple – the more luxurious and supportive your lower lip cushion, the warmer, rounder, and more beautiful your tone will become.

How Much Mouthpiece to Take In

One of the biggest mistakes saxophone players make is not taking enough mouthpiece into their mouth.

There is a place where the reed comes in contact with the table of the mouthpiece. If we look at it from the side, we can see it clearly. You can even mark this spot on your reed with a pencil for reference.

This is approximately the point at which we want to apply very light pressure on the reed.

Your bottom lip cushion goes between your teeth and the reed. Your bottom teeth will apply light pressure to that marked point.

When I’m doing this, you can see that nearly the entire cut part of the reed is in my mouth. This varies from person to person depending on your overbite or underbite, the thickness of your lips, and the angle of your saxophone.

Here’s the key takeaway — most players simply don’t take enough mouthpiece in, resulting in a thin, weak sound.

Not taking enough mouthpiece in is also the cause of a lot of squeaks. If your sound feels thin, weak, or squeaky, experiment with taking slightly more mouthpiece into your mouth. You should immediately notice a fuller, richer tone.

How Much Pressure

Many saxophone players make a critical mistake that results in a shrill, unpleasant sound, getting tired quickly, and even physical pain.

Earlier, I said your bottom teeth should apply very light pressure, just enough to support the lower lip cushion and allow the reed to vibrate freely.

The most common mistake is biting down too hard. Almost everyone does this to some degree.

When we bite down too hard, we limit the reed vibration. That leads to a shrill sound, fatigued embouchure muscles, tuning problems, and even physical discomfort.

Why We Bite Too Hard

Reason 1: The reed is too hard.
This is easy to fix — just get softer reeds. Many students play reeds that are too hard simply because their teacher told them to, even if they’re too hard for the teacher too.

Reason 2: Excess tension.
Most students carry tension in their hands, shoulders, neck, and jaw.

Try this:
Set up your embouchure very loosely so that no sound comes out. While blowing, slowly increase pressure from your bottom lip until a sound begins.

This is close to the amount of pressure you should use at all times.

Use reeds that aren’t too hard and avoid biting. You’ll get a rounder, warmer tone, be able to play longer, and avoid bottom lip pain.

The Drawstring Bag Mouth

We know that a cushiony bottom lip is key to a warm, round tone. But how do we maintain that cushion?

Think of your mouth like a drawstring bag. As you pull the string, it closes and applies equal pressure on all sides.

By treating your embouchure this way:

1. Your bottom lip gets compressed for maximum cushion
2. Side pressure reduces the tendency to bite from below

As long as you’re using the right reed strength, playing daily, and not biting, this drawstring shape helps you play longer without fatigue.

Position of the Mouthpiece on the Neck Cork

Once you loosen up your embouchure, your pitch may drop. This means you can push your mouthpiece further in on the cork to stay in tune.

Some pro players have their mouthpieces pushed in very far — because they aren’t biting, they’re using proper reed strength, and they’re taking in enough mouthpiece.

If your mouthpiece is pulled out very far, it’s likely you’re biting too much. That raises your pitch and makes you sharp.

The ideal mouthpiece position varies depending on the player, mouthpiece, reed, saxophone, cork length, and even room temperature.

Now that you have these easy embouchure guidelines to copy, you need to practice. And there is one exercise I’ve found to be extremely useful for developing embouchure strength, accurate intonation, and a beautiful sound.

I made another article to show you exactly how to practice all of this

Improve Your Tone With This (Short) Long Tone Exercise for Saxophone

If you want to access the best online saxophone educational content, click here to learn more.

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