The Saxophone

• What saxophone should a beginner buy?
• How should I organise practice sessions?
• What strength reeds should I use?
• I have read that I am supposed to put my bottom lip over my teeth, but also been told the opposite. Which is right?
  What is the best mouthpiece?
• What is the best ligature?
• Does lacquer or plating on a saxophone affect the sound?
• How do I stop pads sticking?
• I was wondering if you could explain what is happening on the very last note of the Pink Panther theme the whole brass section play a kind of descending chromatic line which sounds like it sort of runs out of breath and gets quieter.

What saxophone should a beginner buy?

It used to be that the best student instruments were made by Yamaha and Jupiter, this is now changing and there are now many other good makes available at a very reasonable price, but you should beware: although some are extremely good, many are very bad. It is best to get a teacher or experienced player to test the saxophone before buying it. Don’t be tempted by the $9 - $200 saxophones on eBay from the far east, it may cost more to return for a refund than the saxophone is worth, even if you can get a refund. If you buy a saxophone via mail order you should take it to a good repair person to check it over and set it up to play properly.

However there have recently been some extremely good saxophones from China and Taiwan, but it’s worth paying just a little bit extra to buy from an online store with a guarantee and no quibble returns policy than many of the ebay sellers. You should also expect the saxophone to need a little setting up by a repairer (same applies even to top of that range horns bought via mail order) and probably a better mouthpiece, e.g. yamaha 3C or 4C)

How should I organise practice sessions?

It's a good idea to practise in several short concentrated sessions rather than one long session in which your mind is wandering. Unless you can train yourself to concentrate for long periods of time, try splitting your practice sessions into three roughly equal parts:

1. Technique (scales, arpeggios, patterns)
2. Sound (Tone exercises)
3. Tunes & improvisation (This can include just noodling around)

It might be useful to just do 5 or 10 minutes of each then take a break and come back to it. The important thing is to stop practising once you lose concentration: less time spent on concentrated practice is better than more time spent practising when your mind is on other things.

What strength reeds should I use?

This often depends on the mouthpiece. Generally a mouthpiece with a wide tip opening needs softer reeds than one with a narrow opening. Some people use harder reeds (3.5 - 5) sto get a louder sound, however with practice and proper use of the diaphragm it is also possible to play loud on softer reeds, with the added advantage that you will get more flexibility of tone. Wide vibrato and note bending becomes easier. I use 2.5 reeds with a 125 RPC tenor mouthpiece.

I have read that I am supposed to put my bottom lip over my teeth, but also been told the opposite. Which is right?

There will be different opinions about what you are supposed to do. It would be best for you as soon as possible to get a good teacher, who can understand both the finer points of the way you wish to play/sound, as well as being able to help you adapt "correct technique" to your individual requirements based on your physical makeup.

A good teacher will look at your jaw structure (eg is there an overbite or underbite?), teeth size and shape, possibly also the dimensions and position of tongue, etc.

My preference is to either push the lower lip forward for older jazz and subtone, or have it vertically upwards in front of the teeth (not over them) for harder and edgier styles/sound. Both of these techniques require careful building up of the lip muscles.

What is the best mouthpiece?

I believe the best mouthpieces for beginners and intermediate are Yamaha (standard) or Vandoren. Once you get to know a bit more about your set-up however it might be worth trying some vintage mouthpieces, especially if you use a vintage saxophone. The old (pre 1975) Otto Links for tenor, Selmer Soloist and New York Meyers for alto are much better than the modern ones IMO. It is also worth considering a custom mouthpiece: RPC (US) and Ed Pillinger(UK) are extremely good and not as outrageously expensive as some.

What is the best ligature?

Very often the one that comes with the mouthpiece. Some people think that the ligature can affect the sound. I've never noticed this if the ligature is working properly, though one of the flexible type ligatures will sound better than a distorted or ill fitting solid metal type.

Does lacquer or plating on a saxophone affect the sound?

Not very much at all. The material a saxophone is made from has very little bearing on the character of the sound. Small changes in bore size are much more likely to affect the way that the air vibrates in the saxophone. Different materials may have a more substantial effect on the sound of the mouthpiece.

How do I stop pads sticking?

Unless the pad or tone hole has a serious problem, common or garden sticking pad syndrome can be cured by application of lighter fluid. Do not use talcum powder, WD 40, or any proprietory remedy, many of which are rip-offs and will only cure the symptoms temporarily, while making the problem worse in the long run. sometimes it is necessary to strengtthen the spring. You can make your own tool for this: break the lead offa pencil and use it to hook the spring out and retension it, but if in doubt get a quailified repairer for this.

The very last note of the Pink Panther theme?

This is called a fall. It is a downward run combined with a decrescendo that fades to practically silent in some cases. It can be a scale that fits the key or chord at the time, a chromatic scale, or just what happens to fall under your fingers. A fall can be accompanied by a slackening of the jaw but the important thing is get the decrescendo which will often end up as just breath noise.

The arranger or conductor usually specifies how long the fall should be, it is written on the score as a diagonal line. The raggedness is part of the effect: being able to sustain the scale from start to fade is more important than playing it accurarately, although you can hear the great Earl Bostic doing some very neat long chromatic falls on his recording of Night Train. When I have time I'll put some examples on the saxophone effects page.

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