Do These 8 Things for a Beautiful Saxophone Sound

I'm 72 and purchased a beautiful Jean Paul alto sax. Playing three months and very satisfied with my progress... Thanx to you my friend!!!

1. 1:19 play everyday 2. 1:24 stop biting 3. 1:51 softer reeds 4. 2:04 let the air do the work 5. 2:15 listen to great saxophone players 6. 2:24 practice longtones 7. 2:33 be patient, think long term 8. 2:40 upgrade mouthpiece

“Everybody needs a teacher”. That is so true. Years of self-teaching after acquiring some very rudimentary beginner’s skills from my high-school teacher brought very little gain. The past 3 years with a proper teacher and I feel I’ve progressed 20 years.

Hi Jay - since I retired from work I have been playing long tones every day - playing a (different) scale over the full length of the horn (so i get round the cycle of fifths ) listening to each note for at least a whole note or two or four (quarter note = 60bpm), and checking tuning / intonation against a drone.. Last week my band director walked past me and said my tone is really sweet and full of character . So - to everyone out there - Jay's message about long tones works. It just takes patience, persistence, dedication day in day out.

As a player, teacher and perpetual student of the saxophone I think this advice is absolutely the best advice out there. All credit to you Jay 😎🎷👏👏👏

Truth! Finally opened my mind to the Church of Long Tones, and it made a huge difference in my low notes. And biting...isn't that us trying to substitute for embouchures that are not fully developed strength wise (and later, just a bad habit)? Definitely something to get conscious of, along with my compulsive automatic vibrato that I need to eliminate. You covered SO MUCH essential stuff in this vid. People need to expand their concentration spans and really absorb every word of this. Thanks!

“Let the air do the work” is the most important tip from this video IMO.

Great video as usual Jay. I wasted years that I could've been studying because of noise issues. About two years ago, I built a practice room which was not quiet enough, then I built a sound proof "shed" in my garage where I can practice any time of the day or night. Just one more note, golf is as frustrating as saxophone believe me. 🤣

Im an older player and I chased the sound for many years until I found my sound about 15 years ago. I went to a sax shop that had many used quality tenor sax mouthpieces. I spent hours going through mouthpieces. I found the mouthpiece of my dreams, a Lamberson. I had never heard of that manufacturer, but now I'm very aware of him. I spent many years along with three years in the Army band system with the wrong mouthpiece for me. Jay is right, don't be afraid of using a softer reed. Some mouthpieces are designed for a softer reed. "Let the air do the work".

For me, as a professional, i always enjoy your tips and advices. And what i like the most is your ideea that you have to practice no matter if you are a begginer or a professional. Tnx for the video!

Great content. I started playing saxophone in the 90s, before internet. No tutorials available, no YouTube, no teachers around where I lived in Norway. I purchased the saxophones, and started playing with Jamey Aebersold play-alongs. Years later it turns out I instinctively did things correctly. Holding the instrument, fixating the reed, cleaning the instrument, and most importantly, embouchure. I used a double lip embouchure, never even knee there was a formal term for it back then. Turns out it's the exact embouchure that Stan Getz used😊 And without trying too hard, I sounded similar to Stan. Wasn't trying to copy even...

Hi Jay, I don't understand why anyone learning the saxophone would complain about practising - for me its the absolute best time. I simply cannot wait to get home and start. Surely anyone who complains has made the wrong decision.

I find your videos VERY helpful. It's worth it to get an inexpensive microphone (used SM58) and stand, an inexpensive mixer and headphones. Then listen to yourself on everything you play,at least once a week, articulation, long tones etc.. The sound in front I discovered is very different from sound behind. It's easier to correct on the fly instead of after a recording. I found softer reeds also helpful, putting away my pride. Also, longer vamp reeds (like Rigotti) for longer chamber mpcs, shorter vamp (like van Doren) for shorter chambers made a huge difference for me and took me considerable study to discover.

Ironically, only an hour before watching your video my husband and I saw a guy sitting in his car by the side of the road playing his sax. Proves you can practice anywhere if you really want to. No excuses!!

Been playing blues harmonica for 15 years. 2 weeks ago I decided to try out saxophone. Pick up a cheap alto saxophon like the one you demo on your YouTube. Watching your videos for instruction. Fingers crossed.

I play trombone but I listen to great players and teachers of other instruments. Years ago I said to my mentor that I was tired of not getting ahead quick enough. His answer has stuck with me for decades. He told me that failures are merely the steps you take to success. After that I never got anywhere near as frustrated because I knew I was another day closer to where I wanted to be.

I already watched this video and I am watching it again because its just a nice reminder. Thanks.

I’ve been playing for 6 months. One of the things I discovered to help me get the sound right is I had my sax check up. Got it use but was in new like shape. Found out a I had a few keys that needed an adjustment and the octave key needed adjustment. But improvement on sound right there. Second I explored a lot into different reeds. Recently discovered a brand called rigotti jazz reeds. It end up being a expensive investment. Becus rigotti uses a weird numbering system. I end up living the rigotti jazz strong size three Reed and love how it respond. I had to try out two different size in medium strength and strong strength to find Wht works best with my mouthpiece. I end up loving better then the other brands. Then I tried different mouthpieces. Was learning on a meyer 6 mouthpiece. But just recently switch to Jody jazz dark series hard ruber size 5 and end up playing super well.

I just upgraded my mouthpiece as a junior from the student one to a selmer concept and I absolutely notice the difference. It’s great.

Thank you Jay for answering my question! This was a very motivating video to keep practicing and fine tuning my sound.