Klarinet Archive - Posting 000698.txt from 1995/06

From: vadim da costa arskyr <varsky@-----.BR>
Subj: Re: Low notes on saxophone
Date: Thu, 29 Jun 1995 12:13:48 -0400

>
> >Also, I've had a hard time hitting the low notes on my tenor sax, which I
> >just took up a couple of months ago...ideas for that, too? :)
> >
> > -M. Zaiem Beg
> > zbeg@-----.org
>
If you are having problems with your low notes, certanily something is not
working with your embochure. The thing is that you supose to have the same way
of playing at every note in your horn. You should try a new embochure. I'm
going to try to explain to you what I tell to my students.
First you let your lower jaw free and pressure your upper teeth on the
mouthpiece as you want to maintain the balance of the horn betwin your upper
teeth and the right thumb, with the help of your left thumb (in its appropriate
place). This position will allow you to do not pressure the lower lip with the
teeth. Now you try to close your lips in a "big smile" way without bite the
lower lip. Maintain the muscles of your mouth tight and blow your horn. This
will probably help you not only with the low notes but with the intonation and
tone quality. Once more, if the low notes don't come again, try to think you
are blowing by the mouth and nose at the same time. That will make it.

Vadim Arsky -
Saxophone professor at University of Brasilia - Brazil

>