Sound warm-ups for saxophone.

The saxophone's popularity continues to rise; this year we have a record number auditioning at Birmingham Conservatoire. However hearing a young player with a good sound is still a rarity. I feel the saxophone is seen an a easy and rather glamorous option but I suggest recategorisation as being one of the hardest of wind instruments to make a good sound on, and highly problematic for young players to play in tune.

So, how to improve the situation? My son has been playing the trombone for three years and I had the privilege of sitting in on a few of his lessons with one of the great brass teachers, Alan Hutt. As well as it being a masterclass in how to teach, what struck me was the constant emphasis on the quality of sound and a more disciplined approach to its development. Brass players emphasise the warm-up, it not seen an un-cool to work on the mouthpiece buzz, do the lip flexibilities and just play some long tones. It is pretty easy to set up the same procedure for the saxophone. All it takes is to listen to long tones at the start of every lesson and give some feedback. I relate it to the sport analogy; all pupils will have experienced warming up before launching into the games session. However don’t put the cart before the horse, make sure you have a good method for teaching basic breathing technique, and keep reinforcing it. Without good breathing a decent saxophone sound as on every wind instrument is impossible. Simply start with some fixed volume long tones, then crescendos and diminuendos. I listen to a warm up every lesson so the student knows they can never get away with a rubbish sound.

As early as you want, introduce mouthpiece practise. Brass players practice their buzz from the first lessons, so try it with sax players and you will find it will be one of the most profound exercises to improve sound. The pitch sounded is the most crucial element. The target note I recommend on an alto saxophone mouthpiece is a concert A a thirteenth above middle C. My esteemed friend and colleague Kyle Horch from Royal College of Music goes for Bb but we are in much the same territory. If you have a tenor player, concert G a tone below the alto target. Whichever you prefer the pupil may have to alter embouchure pressure, tongue and throat position and diaphragm support to reliably pitch these notes. The aim is for the pupil to keep this shape when playing across the registers of the instrument. Pupils take to the exercise really well, it may take a few goes to get the buzz working but you should quickly be able to work at moving the pitch. Play siren sounds, then fixed lower notes to improve flexibility and embouchure strength. To begin with ask the pupil to attempt pitching anywhere up to a sixth lower than the target note, for the more advanced ones a twelfth is achievable but that can take some time. Also listen to tonguing on the mouthpiece, it can show up a multitude of sins and the aim is for short notes that don’t change the target pitch.

Next check the position and state of the tongue. As teachers unfortunately we don’t have x-ray vision so we need to have the student to become aware of what their tongue feels like when playing. It is surprising, when questioned, how many report that their tongues feel tight in their mouths. Ask them to relax it and see what happens, don’t pre-empt what will occur; get the pupil to do the listening. Most often the sound will become richer, fuller and more supple. Then have them check the position of the back of the tongue. When at rest the sides of the tongue touch the upper molars. Have the pupil maintain that position when playing with a soft tongue. Again it may surprise them how much fuller and more supple their sound becomes. Try it on the mouthpiece too. The pitch might rise as a result so the answer there is to open the jaw until the pitch drops to the concert A again. Easier said (and written) than done for some pupils but any downwards progress is good.

I use these exercises regularly with both Conservatoire students and pupils at Wells Cathedral School and I can guarantee good results if you are persistent. I would love to hear your comments or queries about this topic or if you have a magic technique for creating in-tune beginners.