Beginner Newbie Questions

[ChillyMike]

Hi again,

I have had my sax all of two days now, and had great fun unpacking and making it all up. I watched the first DVD that came with the package, and this morning the PT DVD and Taming the Saxophone book came in the post this morning (very quick delivery and a quality print and paper).

I have had two one hour practice sessions over the last 2 days and can make some notes (after a period of mostly squeaking and honking) This I will persevere with and have found that slightly different positions on the mouthpiece make a lot of difference to the sound. I have inadvertantly made higher octave sounds without the octave key on some notes mainly D though.

Anyway...Is it normal to have a sore lower inner lip? I guess that I will have to develop my mouth muscles over time and this could be part of the process.

Second question - Does anyone have experience of the Jazzlab Mouthpiece Silencer? I feel that I would benefit from playing with the mouthpiece un attached, but it is very noisy and Charlie (my jack russell is not happy with the sound) If these really work, then I may benefit in getting one.

Tomorrows practice will be concentrating on long notes, trying to develop some early consistency in sound, then moving on to learning a scale (whatever is in the book)

Third question, are there any good printable fingering charts on the net?

This is a really great forum, so glad I came across it early on.
Thanks guys.

 

[Jeanette]

Anyway...Is it normal to have a sore lower inner lip?

No it isn't normal, you are biting and probably playing for too long at this stage. I know it is exciting but you need to build your embouchure over time

Third question, are there any good printable fingering charts on the net?

See here

Jx

 

[ChillyMike]

No it isn't normal, you are biting and probably playing for too long at this stage. I know it is exciting but you need to build your embouchure over time



See here

Jx

Thank you. I did try to download these but had a problem. I gave email and subscribed for the newsletter etc but did not get any links for the fingering charts, Or I couldn't see them? (Macbook)

 

[Pete Thomas]

No it isn't normal, you are biting and probably playing for too long at this stage.

This all depends. If you have a sore lip after not playing very long, then you could be biting too much. However if you are practising a lot, I think it's inevitable for this to happen.

I think the Silencer is definitely worth getting for practising mouthpiece exercises.

 

[Lesley]

I purchased a Hal Leonard play Alto sax level one when I first started playing which comes with a good fingering chart plus a couple of sax scales and arpeggios. (4)...and a Cd.

 

[nigeld]

There are sax fingering charts here:
Saxophone Fingering Charts - The Woodwind Fingering Guide

 

[jbtsax]

Playing on the mouthpiece alone is challenging---especially for someone starting out. I would recommend playing long tones on the mouthpiece and neck (crook). When the pitch of this "tone producer" on the alto is Ab concert with the mouthpiece about 1" onto the cork, it indicates that the embouchure has the correct amount of tightness. On the tenor the pitch is E concert.

Here are two excellent resources to help you get off on the right foot:

Bruce Pearson Saxophone Embouchure

Eugene Rousseau Steps to Excellence

 

[Saltosax]

Anyway...Is it normal to have a sore lower inner lip? I guess that I will have to develop my mouth muscles over time and this could be part of the process.

Well... maybe, I've been playing for a while and in the beginning (an now maybe even longer) I was practicing 1-2hrs and my lip was very sore, but I bore through it, and it was worth it. Now I just have a little indentation on my lip but my embochoure is developing and my teeth aren't automatically sliding in to it anymore, and, on the plus side, it stopped hurting in the 3rd month!