 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Nick Conner
Date: 2000-06-02 03:57
Hey, I'm in the process of learning soprano sax, and I need some help. Obviously, using a clarinet embouchure doesn't work, because it's HARD to keep anything in tune. All I know is that it kills my lip. How do you not bite on a soprano? I don't have that problem on clarinet, but as soon as I switch, my lip is dead. I know this is a clarinet board, but I'm a clarinetist doubling for pep band, so I need some advice. Thanks.
Nick Conner
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Author: Steve Epstein
Date: 2000-06-02 05:26
First, let me say that I've never had a lesson on soprano sax (I'm self-taught on it), so you have to take what I say with a few grains of salt.
I find the usual sax embechoure advice about looser lips doesn't seem to apply, although the embechoure is looser than a clarinet. You sort of have to play with your embo until you find a "sweet spot" where you don't squeek and all the low notes come out (does require loosening up). One thing that is important is to be sure to angle the horn out more from your body than with clarinet; this automatically changes your embo. The curved neck helps more than the straight neck in this regard, because it already angles the mouthpiece out from your body.
Hope this helps and hope you get some more knowledgeable advice.
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Author: Mike_M
Date: 2000-06-02 14:13
I'd be interested to hear what some of the more schooled musicians have to say, but here's what works for me.
About the only thing similar in the two embouchures is the fact that the reed rests on your lower lip and your top teeth touch the mouthpiece. My high school band director (a fine sax player from Tennessee Tech) years ago told me to imagine that my mouth was like a rubber band, hugging the mouthpiece on all sides. He advised me to practice with no mouthpiece using a mirror - make an oo sound (as in soup) and concentrate on bunching up the bottom lip by pushing the corners of your mouth towards the center. The goofier it looks the better.
That’s about all the instruction I got and it seemed to work well on soprano, alto, or tenor. The hard part for me was not falling back into my clarinet embouchure on soprano sax in jazz band when the adrenaline got flowing.
Good luck
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2000-06-02 14:57
Good advice above, it describes my experiences with the saxes quite well. Most of my sax-playing has been on alto and baritone, I'm only mediocre on tenor [which may relate more to the sop, than an alto does!]. I find I need to tune somewhat high so I can loose-lip into tune with others and still have the capability of getting the good character of sax tonality. I have found that most sopranos need to be lipped into tune more than my Mk 6 alto, so develope a good ear by listening to your others. You may not care much for Kenny G's playing, but study how he does it, also listen to Stolzman's jazz playing, they know how to do it. Don
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2000-06-02 15:36
I forgot to add, I like the both the mouthpiece and thumb-rest rubber cushions to make life more relaxed and pleasant, and yes, the curved neck will help the soprano embouchure and fingering positions [somewhat longer than on clar]. Get the best sop you can afford, for intonation reasons! Don
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Author: Kontragirl
Date: 2000-06-02 20:29
Haha, isn't that weird, I'm learning bari sax. I'm finding the embouchure isn't as strict as you're going to want it to be. To think, I was worried about fingerings...
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Author: William
Date: 2000-06-03 23:51
I have a Selmer SA-80 that I play with an Anello mp pushed on about as far as you can get it. This was the advice of Bill Black from the Saxophone Shop in Evanston, Ill. That way, you can play with a loose embrochure and, in effect, lip everything down to be "in tune." Works for me--I practically use "double-lip" technique as oppossed to a much more firm clarinet style bite.
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Author: Steve Epstein
Date: 2000-06-04 04:34
Both William and Mike_M said what I was trying to say. Almost like sucking a milkshake through a straw - in reverse.
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Author: Lelia
Date: 2000-06-04 19:31
Interesting to read about other people's experiences. I play a 1924 King Saxello soprano with the original mouthpiece, which is considerably shorter and somewhat narrower than modern soprano sax mouthpieces. It's a lot smaller than a soprano clarinet mpc. However, I do use en embouchure on this soprano sax that's nearly identical to my soprano clarinet embouchure. The only difference I think about consciously is that I put less of the small soprano sax mouthpiece into my mouth. I don't think I'm putting more pressure on the reed, but I can feel that I must raise my lower lip more to *reach* the reed firmly, if that makes sense. I also find that the soprano sax pitch bends so much more easily than clarinet pitch that the slightest sloppiness in the embouchure sounds much worse on the Saxello -- but, in compensation, a glissando or portamento is much easier for me to achieve on the sax.
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Author: Lelia
Date: 2000-06-04 19:31
Interesting to read about other people's experiences. I play a 1924 King Saxello soprano with the original mouthpiece, which is considerably shorter and somewhat narrower than modern soprano sax mouthpieces. It's a lot smaller than a soprano clarinet mpc. However, I do use en embouchure on this soprano sax that's nearly identical to my soprano clarinet embouchure. The only difference I think about consciously is that I put less of the small soprano sax mouthpiece into my mouth. I don't think I'm putting more pressure on the reed, but I can feel that I must raise my lower lip more to *reach* the reed firmly, if that makes sense. I also find that the soprano sax pitch bends so much more easily than clarinet pitch that the slightest sloppiness in the embouchure sounds much worse on the Saxello -- but, in compensation, a glissando or portamento is much easier for me to achieve on the sax.
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Author: Keith
Date: 2000-06-12 21:51
I added soprano about a year ago after playing clarinet and alto sax for many years. In addition to what has already been said, I find that reed strength is really crucial with the soprano sax. You want to find a reed firm enough so that the higher notes will speak, but not so firm that the low notes sound stuffy. Also, I find that I have to keep reminding myself that I'm playing a sax, not a clarinet (because of the similar size!) and try to keep my embouchure and concept of tone as close as possible to the alto (i.e., looser than for the clarinet).
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