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"CORRECT" EMBOUCHURES

Embouchuremeans what you do with your mouth. There is more than one correctsaxophone embouchure. The pictures on the right are from a very good book by Ben Davis (published by Henri Selmer no less) which is now sadly out of print.

The picture shows three types of embouchure:

  • Fig. 5 - a saxophone embouchure in which the lower lip does not cover over the lower teeth
  • Fig. 6 - the bottom lip forms a cushion between the lower teeth and the reed
  • Fig. 7 - the top lip also forms a cushion between the top teeth and the top of the mouthpiece

I disagree with the author in that I don't think any of these are wrong. They each suit different saxophone players and styles.

I originally used the embouchure in Fig. 6, but was later taught to use the lower lip without any support from the teeth. This takes a while to get used to as you need to build up the lip muscles, but I find it more flexible than the other two. It’s pointless to go into too much more detail without being physically present with a student. Below are some extracts from his book, which must have been quite controversial at the time as the no-lip over teeth saxophone embouchure was quite revolutionary.

 Saxophone Embouchure

From The Saxophone by Ben Davis:

There are three types of embouchure, two of which, in my opinion, are wrong. I will explain what they are and why I think they are wrong as we go along.

First, the right embouchure, which I call, for the sake of differentiation, the "new" embouchure. Open the mouth in the shape of a small o; keep the lips close to, but not drawn in over the teeth. Then insert the mouthpiece. Rest the lower lip against the lower teeth; then lower the reed onto the rim of the lip, so that the inside of the lip forms a cushion between the teeth and the lip. Do not draw the lip in over the teeth. It must just rest against them so that only the thinnest part of the fleshy inside lip isis pushed over the teeth when the mouthpiece is in playing position. The rest of the lower lip will then form a sort of support for that part of the reed which is immediately outside the mouth.

Next, lower the upper teeth on to the mouthpiece with the lightest of pressure. The upper lip must not come between the teeth and the mouthpiece in any way. Finally close the lips round the sides of the mouthpiece so that no air can escape from the sides of the mouth. Don’t, however, exert so much pressure that the corners of the mouth are tensed. Neither pout the lips.

You have now the "new" saxophone embouchure. It is illustrated, slightly exaggerated in order to make it clearer, in Fig. 5

Saxophone Embouchure