[Chunsoo]

I'm getting confused with my own embouchure.
I'm pretty sure I bite a lot, but how should the bottom lip be?
Should it not be over the bottom teeth, but rather next to the bottom teeth?

I experimented with several embouchures, but when I put little or no pressure on the reed, I lose control of the sound.
But when I put pressure, like biting, its what I'm used to; I have a more controlled tone.

Is it because I'm used to the biting or my embouchure isn't used to a non-bite embouchure that makes it lose control of the tone?

Ask me some more questions if you need more clarification.

 

[Nefertiti]

There are many embouchures and opinions out there. My personal style and teaching method is to have the bottom lip slightly rolled out but against the bottom teeth. If you do that and put a pen in your mouth and try to hold it horizontal then that is the pressure you should feel on the bottom lip. Not tight but firm. Like I said the opinions on this are varied. There are many great players with every embouchure under the sun. The goal is to find what works for you.

 

[MTsax]

Another way to think about it is to suck your thumb as if you are a baby, remember the shape and muscles you use and try and adopt the same shape of embouchure/use of muscles when playing the sax. Or if that doesn't work use the V or F syllables to form the shape for your bottom lip

 

[hakukani]

Chunsoo, you really need a ftf teacher...

Isn't there anyone in Brownsville that can give you some pointers?

 

[bandmommy]

Chunsoo, you really need a ftf teacher...

Isn't there anyone in Brownsville that can give you some pointers?

I think this was discussed last year and the answer is NO.
There are no sax teachers in Brownsville.

Hey Kiddo, If you want to go with a 'little pressure' embouchure you may have to go down in reed strength.
I rarely use anything over a 2.5 or 3. But I'm using a Rousseau 4R on alto.

 

[hakukani]

How about Jose Arizmendi at 'A Train Music'?

 

[bandmommy]

Too bad the kid doesn't live in San Angelo TX. There's a young lady at Goodfellow AFB that's one HELL of a sax player.
Three lessons with her would take the place of 20 new threads started here.
She would make him start from the beginning and not let him move on until SHE thought he was ready.
Kinda reminds me of her Mom...

 

[Chunsoo]

Oh yeah, I forgot to say, I had a private teacher and such.
He wasn't using a embouchure that I would want to use, (I think it was protruding bottom lip, or somewhat) and he was using a Joe Allard approach.
I was getting jazz lessons from him mostly, he gave me some tips for tone, like playing...terraced tones? (playing a note at one dynamic level, then play the note again at a louder dynamic level, and so on)

I also get some frequent individual lessons from my band director back in middle school.
He told me that he prefers the Rousseau method, (he said it simplified, bottom lip rolled to make a flat chin, no specifics from my memory).
There's also another teacher that I'm going to get lessons with soon.

 

[bandmommy]

So have you tried something in the middle of those 2 embouchers?
You don't HAVE to use the same one as your teacher.
Just find something that works and stay with it for longer than a couple of days.
If you're biting go softer in reed strength.
I think some of us have suggested this many times in the past to other young players suffering from the same issue.
If one of my daughters were asking this I would tell them to use thier logical brain cell. You know the problem, you know how to solve it IF YOU THINK IT THROUGH.

The first teacher may have been using an embouchure with just a little lip over the teeth, but have a larger lower lip than you. It would give the appearance of being a 'protruding' lip.

 

[Chunsoo]

I got the embouchure that I was looking for, yesterday.

 

[bandmommy]

!!!yay!!!

 

[Chunsoo]

How about Jose Arizmendi at 'A Train Music'?

I searched the place where he works, and I see my very own high school band director as part of the group.
I just wondered why he never told me anything in all his personal talks with me.
I have another teacher at the moment though.

 

[hakukani]

I got the embouchure that I was looking for, yesterday.

Did it cost much? I might need to trade mine in...:bluewink:

 

[Sax Guru]

Aloha Hakuani,

Now that the OP basically has his answer may I digress just a bit? OK?

I just gotta know about your avatar. Please tell me there's a pig on there.
SG

 

[hakukani]

Huli huli chicken. Might be some baby back ribs on there, too. I usually get the beef ribs. The dogs love them bones!

It's so ono it broke da mouf...