I’m a first time poster and a repeat beginner in that I’ve started several times with some instruction and I’d really like to get back into practicing and playing (tenor).
When I started playing I was taught the embouchure with bottom lip tucked in over the teeth. I did, however, develop the poor habit of biting and often ended up with a sore lip and deep teeth marks in the bottom lip.
After some reading etc. I wanted to change my embouchure to one where the bottom lip is not curled in over the bottom teeth, essentially lie this
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0IijB7gxPg&t=24s
(Hirsch)
or this
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROPRATRrGjA
I (Liebman).
As you know this has been discussed at length.
As practice I’ve been doing Exercise One of Phil Barone’s recommendations a lot see (see here: Saxophone Tone Development | Phil Barone Saxophones). I even bought a mouthpiece with a very large tip opening 10* and used a soft reed (Legere 1.5). I’ve gone back to a less open mouthpiece, RPC 105, with a No.2 cane reed.
In my practice I usually follow with a series of long tones where I deliberately try to avoid using excessive pressure, and I often finish with dropping the lower jaw, as described here in order to resist the temptation to clamp down (
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PAq8Um-aOw&t=2s
).
My problem and question is how to build up endurance. I can’t seem to play longer than 30 minutes and then the whole embouchure goes to pot. I’ve been trying to play consistently every day for the last 3 months or so, and I don’t seem to get any further.
I’d like to be able to play a bit more than just long tones and such exercises.
Any other recommendations or bits of advice?
Thank you
Tom.
When I started playing I was taught the embouchure with bottom lip tucked in over the teeth. I did, however, develop the poor habit of biting and often ended up with a sore lip and deep teeth marks in the bottom lip.
After some reading etc. I wanted to change my embouchure to one where the bottom lip is not curled in over the bottom teeth, essentially lie this
(Hirsch)
or this
I (Liebman).
As you know this has been discussed at length.
As practice I’ve been doing Exercise One of Phil Barone’s recommendations a lot see (see here: Saxophone Tone Development | Phil Barone Saxophones). I even bought a mouthpiece with a very large tip opening 10* and used a soft reed (Legere 1.5). I’ve gone back to a less open mouthpiece, RPC 105, with a No.2 cane reed.
In my practice I usually follow with a series of long tones where I deliberately try to avoid using excessive pressure, and I often finish with dropping the lower jaw, as described here in order to resist the temptation to clamp down (
).
My problem and question is how to build up endurance. I can’t seem to play longer than 30 minutes and then the whole embouchure goes to pot. I’ve been trying to play consistently every day for the last 3 months or so, and I don’t seem to get any further.
I’d like to be able to play a bit more than just long tones and such exercises.
Any other recommendations or bits of advice?
Thank you
Tom.