by
Brian R. Utley, DMA
SFA Assistant Professor of Music
Saxophone and Theory Instructor
As with any musical instrument, the
price of a quality new saxophone is very high. However, with the
significantly smaller investment of a new mouthpiece and a quality brand of
reeds, great rewards for your student can be gleaned. The following will offer
you some options in these areas.
Mouthpieces
For general, everyday use, a Selmer C* ("C-star") is a proven
classic. Many professionals, including myself, use this mouthpiece, or a
variant of it (the C**, for example) in classical playing, whether for solo,
chamber, or full-ensemble purposes. Some other popular mouthpieces
include the Selmer S-90 series, the Selmer Larry Teal, the Rousseau series, or
the Vandoren series of mouthpieces. All of
these work well on all the members of the saxophone family, and some companies
will allow you to order several at once, try them for a few days, and send back
what you do not want (for a small fee, of course).
For jazz use, you have the choice between hard rubber and metal mouthpieces. For the less experienced student, especially one who does not practice much, try to avoid the metal mouthpiece. These tend to be much less stable and uncontrollable than their hard rubber counterparts, and can easily produce unwanted squeaks and squawks. It takes diligent practice with a metal mouthpiece to get it "under control." Some good hard rubber jazz mouthpieces include Meyer, Otto Link, Berg Larsen, and Claude Lakey. You will have several "facings" to choose from, and the larger the number, the larger the facing (or the opening of the tip). Try to choose a medium number (Meyer 5 or 6, for example, works great for alto players), as they tend to be more similar to the classical mouthpieces with which your students are familiar.
Reeds
Reeds are, unfortunately, a necessary evil of saxophone playing. A box of
10 reeds, regardless of the fact that they are of the same strength, will have
10 completely different-feeling reeds; depending on one's personal tastes, you
are lucky to find five that you really like. Nonetheless, some brands of
reeds are certainly better than others. For classical playing, I highly
recommend the classic Vandoren reeds (in the blue
box). Some other reeds that perform satisfactorily in the classical
medium include Hemke, LaVoz,
and Glotin. For jazz playing, the following
brands/types are popular: Rico Royal, Rico Jazz Select, Vandoren
V-16, Vandoren Java, and LaVoz.
Reed strength often depends on the individual player, but students should be playing on at least a 2-1/2 strength reed, preferably a 3. (LaVoz reeds are not organized by number but contain indications such as Medium, Medium-Hard, etc., which can roughly correspond to these numbers.) Many students feel that reed strength is an indication of the level of their playing ability, but it certainly is not! Professionals play on reeds that range from 2-1/2 to 4, so try to quash this notion when it rears itself.
Horns
Student-model horns, such as Bundy or Vito, while quite inexpensive in
comparison to better horns, are of very poor quality.
There are several models of intermediate level horns that are satisfactory for
the average student. Some models to consider are the Selmer USA, Yamaha
52 or 62, or Yanagisawa. Several stores are beginning to come out with
their own brands of horns that are very reasonably priced, but I know little
about these specific horns so can make no judgment on them. There are
also lots of "gimmick" horns such as those that are blue or red in
color; again I know little about these models.
For the more serious student who will likely go into college as a music major, a professional-model horn would be a great choice. Horns such as the Selmer Super Action 80 and the Yamaha 875 ("Custom") are the most popular. Keilwerth saxophones are also becoming quite popular, and while I have very limited experience with these, the experience I have had with them has been positive. All of these horns are quite expensive, depending on the store from which you purchase them, but they could potentially last a lifetime, and thus will make a great investment. One option being explored by more and more people is to look for used horns that are frequently posted at on-line auction sites. Selmer Mark VI's are some of the most popular horns ever; since they are no longer made, the only way to obtain one is to buy it used, and the internet is a fabulous way to shop for used horns. While it is quite possible that you may get a "lemon," it is also quite possible that you find a great used horn for a good price.
Accessories
One of the most important accessories is a reed holder that stores the
reeds on a flat surface. The LaVoz Reed Guard
will hold 2 or 4 reeds, depending on the model, and is very inexpensive. Vandoren also makes a relatively inexpensive reed case that
stores them in a closed box. Other reed holders are available, such as
containers that will hold up to 12 reeds and store them on a glass surface.
A neck strap does not need to be anything fancy. Some are made
with padding around the neck area and that is fine. Avoid those made with
elastic around the neck. Though they may feel better to many students,
they allow the horn to move up and down too much. For the larger horns (tenor
and baritone) you may want to consider using a harness. This fits
around the back and goes over the shoulders, alleviating the pressure on the
neck.
For cleaning the horn, a silk swab is the best thing to use. Avoid
the "Pad Saver" that stays in the horn, as it retains the moisture on
the pads and can damage them quickly. There are also neck swabs and
mouthpiece swabs available. Try to get your students to clean their horns
often! It is amazing how much "stuff" builds up inside the
mouthpiece and horn.
All of this equipment should be available from your local music retailer.
There are also lots of nationally-known retailers, such as the Woodwind and Brasswind and Giardinelli. Happy hunting!
Saxophone Embouchure Basics
The saxophone embouchure must be thought of as “forward with downward
pressure,” and not pulled back in any way. One of the most common issues
encountered with the embouchures of saxophone players at any level is a tightly
pulled-back “smiling” formation with lots pressure exerted by the lower teeth
and jaw. This hinders the vibration of the reed, causing a thin, pinched
tone, poor (often sharp) intonation, and an ever-present “zing” in the sound
created by the pressure of the lower teeth biting into the reed. There
are several facets that must be examined in order to ensure that you or your
student is forming a satisfactory saxophone embouchure: embouchure position on
the mouthpiece, formation of the embouchure corners, alignment of the upper and
lower teeth, and the amount of pressure exerted by the lower teeth/jaw.
The embouchure must make contact with the mouthpiece at the point at which the
reed and mouthpiece rails meet. This contact point can be found by
inserting a piece of paper between the reed and mouthpiece. Push the
paper downward until it comes to a comfortable stop; mark this position with
your thumb, pull the paper out, and form the embouchure at the point marked by
your thumb. You will find most often, particularly on the bigger horns
(tenor and baritone), that too little mouthpiece is going into the mouth.
Once this correct contact point has been reached, a fuller sound should be
evident.
The corners of the embouchure should be focused inward, not pulled back as when
one is smiling. With inwardly focused corners, sufficient support is
provided to the upper and lower lips so that they will not be too tense,
allowing for maximum vibration of the reed. Tightly drawn corners, as noted
above, will hinder vibration of the reed, possibly cutting off the sound
completely (especially in the higher register), and causing a thin tone with
poor intonation. A good exercise is to whistle and notice the puckering
of the lip corners, or to think of sucking a very thick milkshake through a
straw; saying the syllable “oooh” is another
excellent demonstration for the proper inward focus of the embouchure corners.
A further consideration is that of jaw alignment. For most of us, the
natural alignment of our jaw is that of a slight overbite, particularly if we
have had our teeth corrected by an orthodontist at some point in our
lives. A few of us, however, have naturally occurring under bites, and it
should be noted that people with severe under bites may have trouble forming a
proper embouchure. For purposes of playing the saxophone, we should
strive for an even bite; that is, the upper and lower teeth should be in
complete alignment without an overbite or under bite. This will likely
require the lower jaw to push forward just slightly to be in alignment with the
upper teeth.
A habit that many saxophonists develop very early in their playing is biting
into the lower lip with the lower teeth. Many think that the lower lip
acts as a cushion into which your teeth can bite; again, this results in a
hindrance in the vibration of the reed, not to mention the fatigue and pain
that can be caused by the teeth actually restricting blood flow to the
lip. Therefore, the lower teeth should merely REST against the lip, not
bite into it, and the chin muscles should be strong enough to support the lower
lip (see exercises below) to prevent the lower teeth from biting into the lip.
By the same token, the chin should not be bunched up, but should remain in
a firm but relaxed position.
There are some good exercises that can help to strengthen the embouchure
muscles. ( These exercises have been adapted and
slightly varied from those in The Art of Saxophone Playing by Larry
Teal, published by Summy-Birchard. This is an
excellent resource for all students and educators.) The first exercise
begins by casually closing the jaw, allowing the bottom teeth and top teeth to
merely make contact; it is very important to not clamp the jaw shut during this
exercise. Then, push the upper and lower lips tightly against one
another, maintaining a straight line with the lips. Again, do not clamp
the jaw shut! Hold this position for a set amount of time (five seconds
when you first begin, then increase to ten seconds, then increase to longer
periods of time), rest and repeat. The second exercise begins with the
teeth together. Slowly open the jaw while keeping the lips closed.
Open the jaw as far as you can while keeping the lips closed, hold this
position again for a set amount of time, rest and repeat. Just like
weight lifting, we are training muscles that are probably seldom used, so take
breaks often and be careful to not overdo it. Happy exercising, but no
smiling!
"Breaking In" New Reeds
Brand new reeds should be treated carefully during their first few playings in order for them to perform well for a long period of time. While the temptation to simply “wet the reed and go” is there, a more deliberate breaking-in process will prove beneficial. This method is very simple yet somewhat time-consuming, but it has continued to be successful for me and my students for many years.
(Let me also preface this by saying that I am not a heavy “reed-worker;” I do very little sanding, scraping, etc. on the saxophone reed. I am not opposed to it and many of my colleagues in the saxophone world spend lots of time working on reeds; however, I personally do not do it. So, if you are looking for tips about reed alteration, this is not the place!)
Here is my step-by-step process for breaking in new reeds:
- Wet the reed well, either in your mouth or in a glass of water.
- Play the reed for no more than one minute. Play some long tones, scales, arpeggios, etc. at moderate dynamic levels. Do not do anything “out of the ordinary” such as altissimo, extended techniques, etc. Place a mark on the butt end of the reed so you will know you have played it once. Do not make a decision on whether you like the reed or not yet…it will change by the next time you play it!
- Allow the reed to dry completely in some sort of a reed storage container. This usually takes several hours. It is generally best to wait until the next day.
- Repeat step number 2, increasing the playing time to two minutes. Allow to dry again (repeat step 3). Be sure to mark the reed again to keep track of the number of times you have played it.
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 again, increasing the playing time on the reed each time by a minute or two. Do this until you have played on the reed a total of four times.
- Now, you can decide whether to keep it in your “rotation” or not.
Rationale behind this method: Reeds change a great deal within the first few playings, and it is important for them to get accustomed to the process of getting wet and drying out. By breaking the reed in gradually, the change the reed will undergo from one playing to the next will not be as drastic. For example, a brand new reed may feel golden, and thus you want to play on it for a while. You end up playing on the reed for an entire concert, practice session, etc., and you go back to the same reed the next day and it plays completely differently. It may have even begun changing while you were playing on it the first time! This is what I call “playing the reed out.” If you had played on it only briefly the first time, it is more likely that the reed will respond in a similar way the next time, and the next, etc. Plus, a slower break-in process will prolong the life of the reed since it is not “played out” so close to the beginning of its life.
Postscript: If I have played the reed four times and still decide I do not like it, I do NOT throw it away! I put it in its plastic case (the one in which it came), write the date and perhaps a brief comment or two about the reed on it, and put it in my reed drawer. I will periodically go back to those reeds and will find some gems! Lots of changes take place over time: the reed itself may change, your mouthpiece may slightly change, your embouchure may have undergone some alterations, and so on. Regardless, I have reeds over five years old in my drawer that I will save until I play on them! Why spend all that money to throw away the reeds that you do not like? I only throw the reed away once its life span has expired.