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Hello! Make sure that bottom lip is providing as much cushion against the reed as possible (the bottom lip is what's against the reed, and make sure it doesn't feel like you're biting into your lip). It may also be that you need to engage your mouth muscles a bit more to get the reed to vibrate, which will make the sound. We don't want to bite down or be tense though, so think of it more like saying "Ooo" - do you notice how when you say "Ooo," it engages your muscles almost like a drawstring bag? We want a nice firm muscle structure to help the reed vibrate. You could also experiment with trying to use more air, or move the air through the mouthpiece faster. Hope that helps!

@@kjell-akeapell3285 Yes I'm playing tenor in this video, but the concepts are the same for all saxophones so will still apply to alto as well.

@@Verdadesquesanan I love to hear this! And I love to hear about the practicing motivation - keep up the great work!

When I look at you on the video and compare with my struggle it looks like you dont have to use so much power to achieve a tone.I have to use my muscles i the stomache to get enough airpowet and that can,t be right..? .I,m waiting for my Yamaha 4 C to arrive.....😢

Hi! Thanks so much for the level of detail in your comments! While I may not be able to address all your questions and experiences in the RUclips comments, it's definitely something I've noted to cover in a future video (you're not alone in these challenges!). Hope the 4C is feeling better for you!

@play_online_saxophone_lessons 🌹from Kjell in Sweden.

Yes absolutely! Even for experienced players you have to still come back to the basics sometimes :)

I get tone,but it,s "heavy". It seems to be much resistant.I use a RICO 5 B but is told to use the Yamaha 4C,so I will buy it this week.If it has a different chamber or what it is that makes the Yamaha 4 C better for me,nobody have explained and to no know is fru....

@@kjell-akeapell3285@kjell-akeapell3285 it's not only the chamber size, but another major component for beginners especially, is the tip opening. A way to see this visually is to put the reed on the mouthpiece and look at it from the side. The larger the gap between the tip of the reed and the tip of the mouthpiece, the larger the tip opening is. A smaller tip opening is typically more beginner-friendly. There are, of course, a lot of factors and more nuance between the mouthpiece and the reed, but hopefully that helps you understand one more aspect! The Yamaha 4C is a great starting place for a beginner.

@@play_online_saxophone_lessons Thank you very much for your answering.I did actual look at the reed from the side with a magnifier.Then I saw the gap between the tip opening and the reed.What makes the reed to vibrate is essential to understand.The combination between pressure from bottom lip, a well moistured reed ,with water ,and air pressure from the ombeschure an air tight ombeschure ! A complete description of the basic principle, perhaps drawn on a paper would fill an " empty space", I think.Yours sincerely Kjell,Sweden.

@@play_online_saxophone_lessons The " goal" is to achieve a high and a low pressure on the reed on the different sides with the ombeschure,,otherwise the reed will not start to vibrate(?) When the air pressure is high enough,the reed gets the necessary " kick" and starts to vibrate.Like an aeroplane wing(?)

Hi! Yes, it can be confusing, especially when you're just getting started. Feel free to head over to playsaxophone.net and click Contact Us at the very bottom of the page (under Support). Contact me and let me know exactly where you're getting stuck and I'll try to help you out!

Woohoo!! I am celebrating with you!! Keep up the great progress! You can check out my free Saxophone Fundamentals Class that will walk you through learning your first song www.playsaxophone.net/challenge-page/saxophone-fundamentals

Hi! Yes I can totally understand that the video mirroring/reversing can be confusing. If it helps to look at still images of the hand placement, I've got some close-up images in this blog post: www.playsaxophone.net/post/top-saxophone-tips-for-beginners#viewer-2d85s (scroll down a bit from there).

I'm so glad it was helpful! And even more glad you get to look forward to practicing each day - it's a fun way to step away from the rest of life. To get even more detail, I definitely recommend checking out my free Fundamentals lesson - and there are guided practice sessions to follow too: www.playsaxophone.net/challenge-page/saxophone-fundamentals

Hi! You may be pinching too much when you try to make a sound, which might cause extra pressure to build up. Try checking out my free fundamentals lesson that goes into a lot more detail on the steps to produce a sound: www.playsaxophone.net/challenge-page/saxophone-fundamentals Note: As always, certainly consult with your doctor and/or consider any pre-existing conditions that may affect how you approach the saxophone.

This is completely normal and very common for beginners! Try going through my free fundamentals lesson here to get a much more detailed walkthrough of how to make your first sound: www.playsaxophone.net/challenge-page/saxophone-fundamentals

Apologies for the delay in response! Glad you enjoyed the video. As for feeling vibrations in your lower lip, the mouthpiece patch won't affect or help your bottom lip. A couple suggestions - First, check to be sure your bottom lip is somewhat rolled over the bottom teeth creating the thickest cushion possible (your bottom lip is against the reed). Make sure you aren't biting and that your teeth aren't digging into your lower lip. If you haven't already, I suggest going through my free fundamentals lesson as I go into much more detail on forming your embouchure (www.playsaxophone.net/challenge-page/saxophone-fundamentals) If you're still feeling the vibration, you could consider a moldable piece to go over your bottom teeth to create more of a barrier between your bottom lip and teeth. Something like this: amzn.to/4aGMeus

Hi! Apologies for the delay in getting back to you. Yes I think all of that goes together in describing the way that we use air to play the instrument. The deep exhale would indeed be another way to describe it. One way to expand on that is to think of how you would fog up a mirror. That kind of hot breath comes from deeper in the lungs, so to speak. And we do of course want to use the full volume of our lungs. The "blowing" concept is more inclusive of air speed considerations that are needed to make a sound, and is also the terminology that beginners use and ask about, so this more simple approach helps beginners understand the concept more easily. In terms of airspeed, the deep exhale or mirror fogging on its own doesn't always give enough airspeed (of course depending on your specific mechanics and approach as we're all different!). But, if that deep exhale or mirror fogging analogy helps you achieve a more full sound, definitely go for it! If the "blowing" or blowing the piece of paper off your hand helps you achieve a better sound, then go that direction in your approach. Hope that helps and makes sense!

Hi! I apologize for the long delay in my response, and hope you've been continuing to learn and build your skills these past few months! Yes I totally understand the the video mirroring/reversing can make this more confusing. If it helps to look at still images of the hand placement, I've got some close up images in this blog post: www.playsaxophone.net/post/top-saxophone-tips-for-beginners#viewer-2d85s (scroll down a bit from there).

Hi! I apologize for the extremely long delay in responding. If you're still working on playing the saxophone and still struggling with making a sound (or making a good sound), I recommended checking out my free lesson that goes into much greater detail on forming your embouchure and making that sound versus just air. You can check out the free lesson here: www.playsaxophone.net/challenge-page/saxophone-fundamentals Best of luck, and I'd love to know how your playing has been coming along these last few months!

Hi! A lot of new students will apply pressure to help get a sound out, but you'll want to learn how to make a sound without biting down (we want the embouchure to be as relaxed as possible). I recommend going through my free Saxophone Fundamentals Class here to get a more detailed walkthrough of proper saxophone embouchure: www.playsaxophone.net/challenge-page/saxophone-fundamentals

Ha, yes the mirrored video can be trippy!

Amazing! Yes it's all about creating that thick, supportive cushion with the bottom lip.

Great job

The screw placement (top or bottom of the mouthpiece) totally depends on the ligature design! Some are meant to have the screws on the bottom/underneath the mouthpiece and some are designed to have the screws on top. If in doubt, the way to know which way it's designed to be is to remember that the screws will always go to the right (your right). And that is super exciting you're thinking about getting a saxophone! You can definitely get started no matter your age or non-musical background.

That's so exciting! Good for you. Best of luck, and keep me posted on how it goes! (You can contact me or send chat messages at www.playsaxophone.net/connect)

So glad it was helpful!

You're welcome!!

Yes, the saxophone can have a steeper learning curve at first compared to some other instruments. I'm sorry to hear it sounds like it's been a frustrating experience! But always so good to try something even if you don't want to stick with it :) Just curious, have you ever tried or looked into playing an EWI (electronic wind instrument)? The sound production and keys are much less complex and therefore it has a much lower barrier to entry. Plus you can change the voice/instrument like a synthesizer. It looks something like this: amzn.to/3OsZjPw

Hi! The ligature in this video is the D'Addario H Ligature. It's definitely a good ligature for the price point. If you're looking for another one for your bari, doesn't look like Amazon carries it at the moment but you can get it from WWBW: wwbw.pxf.io/oqnRWO Or Amazon carries it for alto and tenor: amzn.to/3ojxXRi This has definitely been a good ligature over the years!

Correction - the bari version is indeed on Amazon, here: amzn.to/43f0juJ

You're welcome! :)

You're welcome, I'm glad it was helpful!

@@play_online_saxophone_lessons indeed. I'm learning Saxophone my own. Your lesson teaches me lot. I do play bamboo Flute. Just now I started to play saxophone. Thank you so much. Kumaran from Tamil Nadu, South India.

Hi there, thanks for the question! As far as the top teeth, there shouldn’t be “pressure” per se, but more so your teeth should simply be resting on the top of the mouthpiece. Kind of like how it feels when you set your hand on a table. The weight of your hand is resting on the table, and it’s a secure contact point, but you’re not pushing down. Does that make sense? If you feel that applying pressure in the top teeth is helping your jaw feel more comfortable, then it could be because that “pressure” feels like it’s providing extra stability. Try gaining stability in other ways too, such as adjusting your neck strap so that the saxophone mouthpiece comes right to your mouth without any additional effort on your part (i.e. not having to reach for the mouthpiece). It should easily come right to your mouth. And make sure both thumbs are securely on their respective thumb rests. Then simply rest your teeth on the top of the mouthpiece. That should help give you plenty of stability to keep your jaw feeling comfortable without applying teeth pressure. For more details on this, we have a free Saxophone Fundamentals Class with video guidance on this. Go to Lesson 1, specifically “How to Hold the Saxophone” and “Making Your First Sound” www.playsaxophone.net/challenge-page/saxophone-fundamentals Happy practicing!