Did you know I teach at Oklahoma City University's Wanda L. Bass School of Music? Learn more about the OCU Saxophone Studio: - IG: instagram.com/ocusax/ - FB: facebook.com/ocusax - More: www.okcu.edu/music/admissions/auditions
Dude this is unreal. I've started working on this exercise at the advice of a lesson teacher because I'm having a lot of fatigue problems. Your flexibility is insane!
Thanks, Joshua! I started on alto 30 years ago, then stopped after a year or so. I always ended with a sorely bitten lower lip. My embouchure was far from pleasant or consistent. Tried several different reeds, even a more expensive mouthpiece than the one Yamaha put in case. No-one ever pointed out that my lower lip should be outside my teeth. I was about to get my lower incisors rounded off by the dentist, when I decided to check on UA-cam. I found one other teacher who helped me out of the dream and now your video which made me smile instead of banging my head on my saxophone case. I’m going straight to practise!
Embouchre strength from the sides is absolutely essential like you say at 0:21. For about a month, I lost all strength on the right right side of my mouth due to Bell's Palsy (a facial paralysis) It left me unable to play a single note on a saxophone without air just leaking out the side. Then, until strength came back completely, I couldn't play loud or high. I'm fully recovered now and I've learned to keep the sides of my embouchre firm (and not to just bite the reed in the middle).
I first open this video to improve my clarinet embouchure but realised they are bit different. But now come here to watch the face you make AGAIN AND AGAIN lol Thank you so much!
I had to watch this video for a band class assignment and I was expecting a really cringy or boring video but this one made me laugh and didn’t drag on.
I played tenor sax around 8 years as a teen and now 10 years later got hit by a real sax fever, playing has never felt so good and right. Bought my first pro alto sax, used black selmer sa2, playing everyday feels so easy when people like you make such terrific content. Thanks so much for this one, noticed that my embrouchure wasnt nearly as good as i thought (:
This is great! I was taught this years ago by saxophonist Mark Vinci and it made a huge difference (along with the Sigurd Rascher Top Tones book). It was great to see a short, clear video of this. I just shared it with someone.
Bro.... you just helped me have a major breakthrough in my intonation. I was basically rolling the bottom lip in so much it made the space in my mouth smaller making middle d and e very sharp. Rolling out, it fixed it and i learned that there is a spot om the cork where the whole horn plays pretty well in tune now as long as I maintain lip rolled out and steady air stream
I've only started playing sax a couple of weeks back, and couldn't bend a single note. Thanks to this vid, I can bend all I like and my tone has improved in a matter of 10 minutes. Thank you very much, Joshua!
Thanks Joshua I shall have a go at this , I’m a complete newby at 57 so I’m sucking up as much advice as possible and this made a lot of sense to me . I shall give it my best shot 👍
VERY helpful, Joshua. I'm a clarinetist that hasn't played in over 20 years. I had only picked up the tenor just before I stopped playing altogether. Recently, I've just started to roll my lower lip out more than what I had already been doing, I was searching for exercises that focused more on the upper lip (or its use as a light seal.) Your exercises should keep me busy for the next 6 months. Thanks so much.
I found this really helpful! Normally when I practice, my embouchure tends to get sore after like an hour, but it only 10 minutes of this to make me feel like its getting stronger. Ive been very on and off and the current pandemic isn’t fun, but what a great vid to re-obtain my ombrechure.
Hi thanks for sharing, I heard this exercise in a flute symposium known as the “ the rabbit” 🐰 🎶 I used this exercises to warm up and make my upper lip more aware and active relaxed bit form at the same time!
This seems great. I'll try it next time I practice. At some point in high school I randomly started biting to the point that my bottom lip would have a wound. Sadly, I was never able to unlearn that habit, so I eventually stopped playing... I'm doing my best to avoid doing that again.
this method forces us to use the side muscles. if not using this method, then practice regularly by focusing not to bite and relax the lower tip will also gradually improve the embouchure. Also, pull up your neck strap a bit don't let the reed sit too tight on the lower lip.
I tried but not working, thinking my untidy teeth leaks all the air with my weak lip muscle until I saw your second Video about Sucking Thumb. I know the shape of the lips matters but never think of a whistling-like shape. I thought it is a "tight-lip" flat shape instead of a protruding round shape. Now, I am much less strained with no bites on my lower lip. Thanks a lottttttttttttttttttt
Great video teacher, I saw that you use a selmer series 3, in your opinion the series 3 is superior to the S80 2? If you can answer I would be grateful...Brazilian here.
ahh i can't stop laughing when i make the face 😆 but i need help! i literally make no sound when i try to do it and i've been doing it for the past ten minutes or so. is it supposed to happen after a few minutes or some days of practice? thanks!
Gah! I have self-taught myself tenor saxophone to a successful Grade 5 exam... I can't make any sound with this exercise... clearly a sign of terrible technique on my part. Bad times! Any tips on how to build to it or just keep trying?!
i just tried it and no sound.. does that mean poor embouchure already or I need to try some more times this exercise? Thanks for posting. This is the craziest video on embouchure I've seen. Hope it works.
@@heaneymusic thank you, I'll keep trying. It is amazing how you can play so clearly with the lifted upper lip. Do you use a bigger grasp of air than with normal embouchure, to compensate for the air loss?
I used to play for few years at a high level then took a break for several years, now i can't play.. can't make a sound without squeaking. i've tried everything embrocher wise, reed wise, breathing wise. any tips? could it be possible that it's the sax and not me? 😭 i'm lost and so frustrated
I started playing the saxophone yesterday so I didn't expect to be able to do this exercise well, but I can't even make a sound at all. Way too much air leaking when I lift my top lip. Do I just need more practice?
I think this exercise is aimed at players with a little more experience than absolute beginners. Focus on making a consistent sound then come back to this maybe a month or two from now.
Thank you so much! It is helping me a lot.... also i have a question, when i do the excersise at the beggining it doesnt make a sound and there was only air blowing between my mouth and mouthpeace, but now I can make a little sound but still the air escaping.... This is the way to do it until there is only sound and no air escaping? Or am i doing it wrong? Thank you for your help!!!
You’re supposed to have air escape through your lifted top lift / teeth however are not supposed to have air escape through the corners of the embouchure.
How do I switch from this normal embrochure to a jazz embrochure and is there an exercise for that? Ive been playing on and off for 12 years, and have a great classical tone.... but I cant sound like a jazz saxophonist for anything.
What saxophonists never say is to talk about the support of the teeth for a better satisfaction, better vibration and that this vibration does not go up to your dinoyal head. the nozzle.
I imagine it's ok to puff your cheeks at first, but you will want to stop doing that as soon as you are able in order to get the full benefits of the exercise. Cheek puffing will work against your corners coming in. This works on all saxes and clarinet too!
Did you know I teach at Oklahoma City University's Wanda L. Bass School of Music? Learn more about the OCU Saxophone Studio:
- IG: instagram.com/ocusax/
- FB: facebook.com/ocusax
- More: www.okcu.edu/music/admissions/auditions
Dude this is unreal. I've started working on this exercise at the advice of a lesson teacher because I'm having a lot of fatigue problems. Your flexibility is insane!
Thanks for watching, hope this helps! Love your stuff btw.
frankie???
yooo it's sir frank
I haven't played the saxophone in a year , I'm trying to get my embochure back to where it was, I'm thankful for this
Same but 3 years for me 😬
Same but 6 years for me :|
Props for making an instructional video funny lol
I live to serve!
?
the "end my suffering" edit caught me off guard lmao
I’m glad somebody noticed!
I gave a snort my wife heard from the other end of the house.
Great exercise for embouchure. I sorely need it. My mouth gets tired and I develop a squeak after 30 - 40 mins of practice.
Thanks, Joshua! I started on alto 30 years ago, then stopped after a year or so. I always ended with a sorely bitten lower lip. My embouchure was far from pleasant or consistent. Tried several different reeds, even a more expensive mouthpiece than the one Yamaha put in case. No-one ever pointed out that my lower lip should be outside my teeth. I was about to get my lower incisors rounded off by the dentist, when I decided to check on UA-cam. I found one other teacher who helped me out of the dream and now your video which made me smile instead of banging my head on my saxophone case. I’m going straight to practise!
Embouchre strength from the sides is absolutely essential like you say at 0:21. For about a month, I lost all strength on the right right side of my mouth due to Bell's Palsy (a facial paralysis) It left me unable to play a single note on a saxophone without air just leaking out the side. Then, until strength came back completely, I couldn't play loud or high. I'm fully recovered now and I've learned to keep the sides of my embouchre firm (and not to just bite the reed in the middle).
I first open this video to improve my clarinet embouchure but realised they are bit different. But now come here to watch the face you make AGAIN AND AGAIN lol Thank you so much!
He said “ END MY SUFFERING “ lmfao 🤣
Right, like Joe Allard exercise...thanks
I had to watch this video for a band class assignment and I was expecting a really cringy or boring video but this one made me laugh and didn’t drag on.
Too cool! Which band program is showing my video for class?
@@heaneymusic For obvious reasons I don’t want to give out my high school, but it was for our concert band
I played tenor sax around 8 years as a teen and now 10 years later got hit by a real sax fever, playing has never felt so good and right. Bought my first pro alto sax, used black selmer sa2, playing everyday feels so easy when people like you make such terrific content. Thanks so much for this one, noticed that my embrouchure wasnt nearly as good as i thought (:
Never will be. As you improve, you want more. This means you are human. Just play man and record some of it.
This is great! I was taught this years ago by saxophonist Mark Vinci and it made a huge difference (along with the Sigurd Rascher Top Tones book). It was great to see a short, clear video of this. I just shared it with someone.
Excellent pedagogical content. This is a fantastic way to get students an opportunity to become aware of the fundamentals of embouchure.
Thank you, I appreciate your kind words and your viewership!
Bro.... you just helped me have a major breakthrough in my intonation. I was basically rolling the bottom lip in so much it made the space in my mouth smaller making middle d and e very sharp. Rolling out, it fixed it and i learned that there is a spot om the cork where the whole horn plays pretty well in tune now as long as I maintain lip rolled out and steady air stream
I've only started playing sax a couple of weeks back, and couldn't bend a single note. Thanks to this vid, I can bend all I like and my tone has improved in a matter of 10 minutes.
Thank you very much, Joshua!
Glad this helped!
Joshua...........you're a good teacher..........thanx for these exercises to improve my Embouchure
Thanks Joshua I shall have a go at this , I’m a complete newby at 57 so I’m sucking up as much advice as possible and this made a lot of sense to me . I shall give it my best shot 👍
VERY helpful, Joshua. I'm a clarinetist that hasn't played in over 20 years. I had only picked up the tenor just before I stopped playing altogether. Recently, I've just started to roll my lower lip out more than what I had already been doing, I was searching for exercises that focused more on the upper lip (or its use as a light seal.) Your exercises should keep me busy for the next 6 months. Thanks so much.
Good advise I will try that.
Good luck!
Great Sir, simpaly amazing, unbelievable clear sounding....
educational AND funny :D just bought myself the Nuovo Jsax
Really nice man, sounding great like that. I'm a clarinet player and we did that at academy. Haven' tried that on saxophone yet... 👍👏
I found this really helpful! Normally when I practice, my embouchure tends to get sore after like an hour, but it only 10 minutes of this to make me feel like its getting stronger. Ive been very on and off and the current pandemic isn’t fun, but what a great vid to re-obtain my ombrechure.
Glad this video could be useful!
This funny exercise has helped me a lot, thank you!
I will try this. Haven’t played in a while and need to get my chops back
Thank you my ,aim is clarinet and this helped me so much getting the lower notes
Hi thanks for sharing, I heard this exercise in a flute symposium known as the “ the rabbit” 🐰 🎶 I used this exercises to warm up and make my upper lip more aware and active relaxed bit form at the same time!
Glad to see it has roots in other winds, too!
Great.Loved the tutorial. Thank you.
Helped more then my band director
This seems great. I'll try it next time I practice. At some point in high school I randomly started biting to the point that my bottom lip would have a wound. Sadly, I was never able to unlearn that habit, so I eventually stopped playing... I'm doing my best to avoid doing that again.
Can't wait to try this! Great!
Thanks
Def'n new to me. Makes sense. Thanks!
So clever and cute advice!❤
this method forces us to use the side muscles. if not using this method, then practice regularly by focusing not to bite and relax the lower tip will also gradually improve the embouchure. Also, pull up your neck strap a bit don't let the reed sit too tight on the lower lip.
Excellent advice for improving sound. Like learning how to do power lifting.
thanks a lot!!!
Thanks brother!
Excellent!! Love your tone.
Thanks I learnt something new from you
Thank for this good tip!
I tried but not working, thinking my untidy teeth leaks all the air with my weak lip muscle until I saw your second Video about Sucking Thumb.
I know the shape of the lips matters but never think of a whistling-like shape.
I thought it is a "tight-lip" flat shape instead of a protruding round shape. Now, I am much less strained with no bites on my lower lip.
Thanks a lottttttttttttttttttt
Thanks!
Great tip
Looks absolutely ridiculous and can't wait to try it!
That’s the spirit!
Thank you for the info.
Wow so helpful
Thank you
Thanks for watching!
Everyone has a technique ☮️🎶🎵🎷
WOW! This really helped!
Just picked up the sax, thanks man I will work on this!
This is so useful thank you
I play flute and piccolo and I want to learn sax for jazz band. I really have been struggling (due to having only “one” embouchure).
Good. I hope it's functional. Thanks
Thanks alot really helpfull!
Beauuuutiful information
Such a great help, thanks a lot!
been playing for 12 years, and i definitely bite… yeah i cannot make a sound at all. it is so hard. i will keep practicing.
great video helped alot!
so.. im trying this and it's impossible, lol. how do you keep a loose bottom lip doing this?
Not impossible, but perhaps tricky to do when new! Sounds like you may be using a too hard reed if you find yourself biting. Don’t give up. :)
Great video teacher, I saw that you use a selmer series 3, in your opinion the series 3 is superior to the S80 2? If you can answer I would be grateful...Brazilian here.
I`m getting no sound and nearly passed out with dizziness lol
i get dizzy doing this. how to solve it?
I have always had a problem sounding too “spitty”-don’t know what else to call it, especially when articulating. Any advice for me? 🤓
ahh i can't stop laughing when i make the face 😆 but i need help! i literally make no sound when i try to do it and i've been doing it for the past ten minutes or so. is it supposed to happen after a few minutes or some days of practice? thanks!
oh, nevermind i JUST got sound from it
Seems like you got it, but yes, it takes time to figure it out. Have fun!
@@heaneymusic thank you! the video was great by the way
Hi Joshua, I just can't get a sound out of my saxophone while doing this exercise. Do you have any tips? :(
Where will be the tongue? under the reed
How can you get a well rounded sound when your mouth was open and your teeth showing?
Years of practice, a fast airstream, good embouchure, and reliable mouthpiece+reed.
i have a gap between my two front teeth how do i improve with that?
Gah! I have self-taught myself tenor saxophone to a successful Grade 5 exam... I can't make any sound with this exercise... clearly a sign of terrible technique on my part. Bad times! Any tips on how to build to it or just keep trying?!
i just tried it and no sound.. does that mean poor embouchure already or I need to try some more times this exercise?
Thanks for posting. This is the craziest video on embouchure I've seen. Hope it works.
This means you are playing with an embouchure that is too tight and relies too much upon jaw pressure. Keep trying the exercise.
@@heaneymusic thank you, I'll keep trying. It is amazing how you can play so clearly with the lifted upper lip. Do you use a bigger grasp of air than with normal embouchure, to compensate for the air loss?
@@sbooontheroad Yes, I generally take a very full initial breath.
What witchery is this...
(I'm definitely going to try this)
Have fun!
Your horn actually sounds similar to a clarinet @3:34.
You'll sound even better without that old Selmer 🙂
I have a gap in my front teeth. Does this still work?
Me too
it's my first day with a saxophone and it's so discouraging not being able to make a sound with this exercise 😭 😵
This is not exactly an exercise I would recommend for literal day 1. Give yourself some time to learn the basics, then return to this later!
@@heaneymusic thank you. I will revisit after some time. 😄 Won't be hard to remember with a thumbnail like that hehe
I used to play for few years at a high level then took a break for several years, now i can't play.. can't make a sound without squeaking. i've tried everything embrocher wise, reed wise, breathing wise. any tips? could it be possible that it's the sax and not me? 😭 i'm lost and so frustrated
Could be many things. Bad reeds, mouthpiece might be defective, or you could be biting.
Having a space between the front teeth allows a lot of air to escape..lol
gee thanks now my entire face is paralyzed from pain
No pain, no gain. 💪
I can't do this 😂 the air comes out from the mouth...
What if you have no Teeth ?
Hey, I can make a sound, but air escapes all the same from the corner. Do you have any tips ? Ty !
Try playing a softer reed!
It's so funny,but it's work.....
GOD IM TRYING TO LEARN this, but I can't stop laughing at the funny face when u doing the exercise
What if I have a separated front teeth
I started playing the saxophone yesterday so I didn't expect to be able to do this exercise well, but I can't even make a sound at all. Way too much air leaking when I lift my top lip. Do I just need more practice?
I think this exercise is aimed at players with a little more experience than absolute beginners. Focus on making a consistent sound then come back to this maybe a month or two from now.
I can't get any sound at all, all the air comes out the top.
Sounds like you are biting, try to loosen the embouchure so the air can travel through the reed/mouthpiece rather than just the top teeth.
Do you teach like online
Unfortunately not at this time! My current teaching load at two universities is too high.
Thank you so much! It is helping me a lot.... also i have a question, when i do the excersise at the beggining it doesnt make a sound and there was only air blowing between my mouth and mouthpeace, but now I can make a little sound but still the air escaping.... This is the way to do it until there is only sound and no air escaping? Or am i doing it wrong? Thank you for your help!!!
You’re supposed to have air escape through your lifted top lift / teeth however are not supposed to have air escape through the corners of the embouchure.
@@heaneymusic perfect! Thanks!!
@@heaneymusic What do you mean by corners? (Anatomical terms work)
How do I switch from this normal embrochure to a jazz embrochure and is there an exercise for that? Ive been playing on and off for 12 years, and have a great classical tone.... but I cant sound like a jazz saxophonist for anything.
That may be a better question for a jazz-oriented teacher! I too am more classically oriented.
Does it work on clarinet aswell?
Yep!
I'm assuming the front tooth I just lost isn't going to make this easy lol
What saxophonists never say is to talk about the support of the teeth for a better satisfaction, better vibration and that this vibration does not go up to your dinoyal head. the nozzle.
I puff my cheeks out when I do it. Is that okay?
Also I’m trying in tenor sax
On*
I imagine it's ok to puff your cheeks at first, but you will want to stop doing that as soon as you are able in order to get the full benefits of the exercise. Cheek puffing will work against your corners coming in.
This works on all saxes and clarinet too!
Ima..go perfect that face in front of a mirror until I can produce a sound.
how do you play this if you have a tooth gap hahahaha
🙈😹
Do mean schwa, that's not an oo sound but an er sound
... then they're *not* your friends ......
ikr