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I started practicing on the sax 18 months ago and have watched innumerable videos on embouchure and this is the best one I''ve seen by far. Thanks to you I finally understand why being a goldfish is the way to go. I'm thinking about signing up for your classes Jamie. You are really good.

My wife gave me a saxophone for my 74 birthday in February 2021. I’ve been practicing an hour a day pretty much ever since. For the past 2 months I have been trying to learn what I call the Joe Allard embouchure. You acknowledged Dave Liebman for helping you with your embouchure. Well, I watched the Leibman seminar videos several times months ago and could not quite understand how to get his embouchure and sound. I found several Allard videos on KZfaq and watched them repeatedly too. Better sound, but not the big, rich tone I was striving for. You clarified the placement of the lower lip and to not use the bottom teeth for pressure (unlike Allard teaches). BANG, I was hitting low B flat with all the richness I’d been hoping to get. So, thank you very much. Of course, I went flat as you cautioned. The strange thing is that with my mouthpiece as far up the cork as I can push it, I am in tune on low B flat, but NOT sharp on the high register. In fact, I’m flat at the high end. The opposite of what you predict in your video. What’s going on? How do I correct it? For the record I’m playing a Selmer AS500 which I had put into proper playing condition when I purchased it. I have a Jody Jazz HR* mouthpiece with C* tip, and Silverstein Alta synthetic reed, strength 2. (Incidentally, I love the reed. I’ve had it for about 3 months, and it just keeps on going. Silverstein guarantees it for 6 months and says it should go a year even for someone like you who plays much more than I. Do you want a used Reed Geek?) Can you give me a tip or two on how and why I go flat as I go up the register? Many thanks in advance.

This is quite a big thing man. I have been 100% educated to roll my lip over my lower teeth for many year.

You are a genius !! And Excellent Teacher !! 😊

You, Sir, just blew my mind! Just switched to this for my practice session and oh ... my ... god. It all came so naturally, sound was amazing, intonation spot on and zero pain in the lower lip. I could only do it for 30 minutes in a controlled way, but I'm sure that it will improve with practice. Thank you so much for this holy grail of saxophone playing. I'm watching your master class with a good cup of coffee on the weekend. Bravo!

Thanks Brother, not just for teaching, but for WANTING students to learn.

Thats where I was going wrong trying to make my first 'sound' I was getting squeeks and tones but no 'proper' sax sound. I was putting my lip OVER my teeth (great for tones on the Bb key ) but not a decent sound. Great video

as always you are the most helpful out of all the other teachers out there, you teach stuff that really works and helps and you take the time to share and explain it in depth. THANK YOU!!!!!!

Lip out not over your teeth. When I first started I was taught lip over my teeth and used to chew my mouthpiece away and my sound was like a strangled cat. It was only when I dumped my teacher and went solo I discovered lip out which is very much more relaxed I found my sound improved. That’s why the sound on the high notes can sound thin because it’s a tendency to tighten and even bite in order to produce the highest notes, in fact you can with practice still play these high notes with a relatively similar embouchure. Practicing overtones helps and is the key to a quality high high tone.. I’ve been playing soprano predominantly for just over 2 years now in order to improve my tone and sound production as it’s the hardest Sax to keep in tune and sound good on. The slightest change to embouchure can have a massive change in tone on a Soprano, you need to experiment with things to see what produces a good tone.

I practice few days and I got this "easy" feeling embouchure instead of hard blowing! So I think first things first I'll try to catch and keep this feeling while playing notes along with slow metronome and tuner as well!

Great advice, didn't practice the last few weeks because of holidays, so I am looking forward to starting fresh with this embourche. Thanks a lot.

Thank you so much for this lesson. it has really helped me!!

Thanks for this tip Jamie. I watched this lesson in the morning and made a determined effort to keep this embouchure for my gig in the afternoon. A real difference especially to the higher notes which I had a habit of choking off with by having my embouchure too tight. Thanks again and enjoy the coffees.

I'm so glad I've just found this video. This IS how I was playing after watching one of your beginner videos. I had my first ever sax lesson two days ago and my tutor was telling me that I was producing a very jazzy and raw sound, he was encouraging me to move my mouth towards the tip of the mouthpiece and curl my bottom lip over my teeth so the notes would be more refined and melodic, it felt awful and was much harder for me to play consistent notes. I sounded like a pubescent teenager who's voice was breaking. Relaxing my lower lip and moving further onto the mouthpiece again makes it so much easier for me to play consistent notes and it just feels more natural so I'll be sticking with this from now on.

Another golden gem of a lesson! Thank u !

Thank you. My primary instrument is clarinet and I found my self using my clarinet embourche on my tenor sax and was getting very high cold sound on the lower octave, but once I did what you said; the lower octave finally got a warm-deep sound. Thank you

yet another insightfull video from you Jamie, I play alt and tenor since 21-07-'20 and due to experimenting these rolled over and lipout technique, makes your sound indeed much richer

Very helpful. I'm practicing to change old habits. It's a bit difficult. Thank you very much

Hey Jamie! Love this video. I’ve heard you talk about embochure a few times now, glad you did a full video on it! I have bad muscle memory habits I’m currently changing! I learned in 4th grade (over 20 years ago) and I played too many years using more of a clarinet set up for my mouth and using my bottom lip too much! Excited to work through all of your exercises practicing my new embochure. I feel my lips slip back into habit, but it’s getting better and better! Thanks so much for all the variety of videos to progress as a saxophonist. Keep up the amazing work!!

This was a great video for me. I really appreciated your explanation about the reasons why the "pout" works so well. Thanks Jamie. Not too many Scottish accents on the tube. I'm an exile from Kirkintilloch, living in Kent so always good to hear.

Always helpful. Terrific content in all your videos.

Hi Jamie Just like to say this is the best advice I’ve been given in my 5 years of learning, I’ve been doing this gold fish embouchure for a week and my tone has improved so much and now my mouthpiece is pushed on a lot father down the cork. Thank you 🙏 🎷👍

Another excellent video Jamie;always appreciated cheers

Thank you! You are, really, the best!!!! I estudy for a long time, and the teachers do not call me about this, in all my life!!!

I watched the embouchure tip video whilst awaiting the Tenor Altissimo Chart pdf download some days ago, tried it immediately and I was amazed with the results! But I wanted more. Then, you had made this the day after or so! What great coincidence.

thank you so much!!! ive been learning for almost 2 years now, and i used to get a really sore bottom gum so this really helped!

As always, very clear and very useful.

awesome, thanks a lot

Wow! I learned so much today. Was taught by a clarinetist all those years ago.....

I have been using this embrochure for about a year or so now from listening to lessons from Dave Liebman and Harvey Pattel etc.What a difference it has made! My new teacher from Royal Northern College of Music who is kindly teaching a beginner like me told me this week that my strength is my “warm, rich, resonant sound” as well as tuning! I am made up by that comment! I think it has been down to this embrochure, starting on overtones and playing on the mouthpiece only. I am playing both classical and jazz and it contributes to both! Don’t hesitate to change to this you will hear the difference and thanks for the great tip Jamie!

Thanks for this technics .It does change in my tone .

This is the best till ever . You must do this .

Jaime your a legend brilliant video learned so much thank you 👍👍👍👍🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷

Wow!!!!! One video, and i finally can get that full big baritone sax sound! Also fixed my thin out of tune high notes on my alto and up. Can't thank you enough!

Yep. That helped quite a bit. Thank you.

This is your best lesson ever Maestro! I switched to sax from clarinet and play with lip over teeth. Have tried playing like a guppy this morning and my sound is so much better.

Jamie I tried this today ! Omg … what a difference ! I started on clarinet so always had the embouchure with lip over teeth . The high notes were so much better with the goldfish technique . Fantastic advice

Great ! Have an happy Sunday 🎾🎷😎

Dusted off my tenor and got back to practice after a 5 years hiatus thanks to this YT channel. I´ve never been more than an intermediate student, tho... but now I found newer techniques to develop my tone. No more honk trombone-like lower range nor thin oboeish highs... thanks, Jamie!

Thank you ...right on

Thank you very sir your fine teaching everyday I learn a lot from you. Thanks a lot

That's a good way of putting it.

Jamie, thank you for all your enthusiasm and instruction. I love your sound. I just started playing maybe 2 months ago and am still trying to find my natural lip position. Some days I play great or can hit lows and highs with no problem then I ever so slightly reposition and baam its gone and I sound like a wounded duck.

Wow thank you, I have been struggling with this

< Wonderfull Analysis, Thank You Jamie ! >

My jaw dropped when I realized the difference between how I was doing my embouchure and how you taught me! It sounds so much clearer and is so much easier than what I was doing! You're an absolute miracle of a person! Thank you soooo much for this video!

Hi Jamie, Spot on, mate. I was taught sax by my clarinet teacher, so when I started playing sax he taught the same way - exactly the problem you mention. It 25 years before the penny dropped for me, and my sound opened up immediately. One thing I notice with the "goldfish" embouchure, is that it takes much more muscle stamina in the lower lip, than the clarinet embouchure. So practise, practise, practise to exercise those muscles. The major disadvantage, apart from sound, with the clarinet style is that you can cut your lower lip. This is bad news - done often enough can result in permanent damage.

Brill. Looking forward to trying this. But a section on the problems that might occur. Going from years and years of lip on teeth etc to a very different arrangement and how to manage the different pressures on mouth piece when playing bottom notes and top notes as jaw and teeth do a lot of work (rightly or wrongly) in the lip on teeth way.

Worth trying bro..thanks

When I was thirteen, I studied sax with a man who had played with Zousa's band. He taught me this technique. I do not put my teeth on the mouthpiece as taught in most videos on embouchure. It works for me. I have a good tone. Marlys Feder

As a clarinetist turned saxophonist I found this video very enlightening! I have been working on my sax embouchure, can make a reasonable sound on tenor but find the alto very tiring; stories of Charlie Parker practising for 14 hours a day are very discouraging for someone who can only play a few minutes before fatigue and stiffness set in and the embouchure and intonation go to pot! However I am finding paying attention to the corners of my mouth is helping me to build up stamina.

Best teacher on KZfaq

That's great! New player and I'd been struggling with trying to develop an open embouchure. All my notes were flat unless I squeezed up on the reed. Didn't make the connection that an open embouchure makes the horn sound flat until you pointed that out, Jamie. Shoved the mouthpiece just about all the way onto the cork and, voila, all notes became closer to pitch without the squeezing.

Thanks a lot Jamie for answering one of the questions I asked so quickely after the survey ! I did improve my tone and sound etc by doing the "goldfish" position naturally by playing Tenor Saxophone and then coming back on alto saxophone ! High notes are still less reliable though :/

I've gone full Guppy lately. My old Sax teacher was a Clarinet player. Great advice.

Wow, thank you for this! Being a doubler, this goes against everything I was taught on clarinet and oboe. I recently switched to single cushion for sax and love the projection, but I'm hearing and feeling a choke on the higher notes. This may be the solution.

Your videos are very helpful, thank you. I have watched multiple lessons on mouth positioning, so this was quite different as your know. Sooo, watched another of your lessons, you were using the tight mouth, “no guppie” mouthpiece grip. What gives teach?? Which one do I use?

Gracias por este consejo es el mejor consejo de embocadura muchas gracias saludos desde Costa Rica.

great tip

As a classical saxophonist, that being tought by clarinet and flute teachers, I have to say that finally I started to sound like I always wanted. The issue that I have is that I get tired quickly and loosing control of high notes, but I'm sure that practice will make me better. Thanks for everything.

"Lip-out embouchure" was a real game changer for me. Even if it did nothing for my tone, you just don't get nearly as tired playing--and thus can practice WAY longer. SirValorSax has good advice on his channel about reducing reed and tip opening when you switch. This is embarrassing but I'd ask you about growling, bc I honestly think there is something physiologically limiting how much grit I can add to my sound lol. I've seen every tutorial and can do all the things they recommend (growl and whistle, hum a half step down, roll R's--I can even growl on a recorder/slide whistle) but I suck at it on sax. I don't even consider myself a beginner player at this point, I can play up to double altissimo G# (thanks Jamie) and have "really good tone" (according to one of my sax heroes Wenzl McGowen) but god do I suck at this one particular thing. It's a big reason I only play with a really edgy mouthpiece bc it's easier for me to take the "grit" away. PS: Hope that alto mouthpiece served you well on your DJ/club gig(s)!

Well, Jamie, yesterday you asked for two questions about tone and I asked two and today you answered both. Not bad! However. with the goldfish lips my endurance is about 3 minutes and 45 seconds before my face muscles collapse and the air escapes around the mouth piece. But it sounds great while it lasts! I guess it will be 4 minute practice sessions, 30 times a day until I get into goldfish condition.

A great lesson as usual Jaimie. After struggling with tone since I started on the alto sax about 18 months ago, this made a big difference immediately. I think it worked so well for me in part because I have a thin bottom lip and a slight overbite, making the reed strangling issue much worse. Am I right in thinking, however, that classical players (O.K. I know I am weird in trying to play both jazz and classical music) probably don't use the lip-out embouchure in order to clean up the overtones and blend in with the other instruments?

That may be the most valuable thing I have learned about playing the sax. I'm an ex-clarinet player and I have been rolling my lower lip. No one ever told me before.

I can’t wait to get my first sax

Hi Jamie. Can you do tips on when to and how to breath while playing a song .

Speaking of embouchure, I'm switching to single lip. I should have done it years ago, but being an oboe major, it didn't seem to be that big a deal. I love the sound though.

thank you for another great tutorial! If i follow correctly the goldfish mouth is made while blowing air out in the sax. My question is how to refill the tank while playing? I see some pros are quickly inhaling from the corners of the mouth, while holding embouchure set. Can you please explain the inhalation step? Love your videos:funny memorable and to the point👍

Great video as always! As for the question, how do you keep a consistent sound and tone? As I have been playing, sometimes I notice that the noise that comes out of the sax is more of a whine than the note that I am trying to play. I think this is the reason why I also can’t hit anything higher than a c# on my alto.

Hi Jamie, great video definitely going to do this , one question with altissimo notes would you still use the gold fish, cheers 👍

Hi Jamie Thanks for your videos. I have been playing sax on and off for a couple of years. I use a denture pad as my teeth and very thin and sharp (and old!!). I'm now trying to change to goldfish embouchure as I tend to bite and use too much tension so find it difficult to keep in tune even when practising long tones. I am still finding it difficult to keep in tune on long tones and now also am finding the sides of the reed are irritating my lip. Am I doing something wrong still/using too much pressure or should I just persevere until I get used to goldfish embouchure??? I am using a yamaha 4C mouthpiece and changed to a 2.0 Legere signature reed a few months ago which I was enjoying as it is a lot more consistent. Do you think I should change back to cane reed?

Hi Jamie, I'd love to have a pint with you and get tips about the lowest notes and the highest ones regarding tone and intonation

I am playing sax in a praise and worship team. Sometimes I need to play very softly, with a mellow, warm sound, sometimes quite loud, with more of a pop sound. Presently, I am playing a Yamaha 7c mouthpiece (1.9 mm / 0.075 inch tip opening) with a #3 Legere Signature reed. In the middle and the high range I can get a tone that I like, both for softer and louder pieces, but in the low range, I struggle playing softly. Any tips?

HI Jamie, big thanks for your goldfish embouchure suggestion. I wonder if I still need to bite on the TOP of the mouthpiece (with my upper teeth)on the goldfish embouchure? I have tried, either way works. Do let me know, thanks.

So from using the goldfish embouchure, do you not have to use our bottom teeth underneath our bottom lip? How will it affect some dynamics like vibrato?

You've no idea just how challenging it is to form a proper embouchure for someone who had bell's palsy at some point in his life. My muscle control on the right side of my face still isn't 100% what it used to be before i got BP 8 years ago. I'm really struggling but I'm going to keep on trying. :)

I want a tour of the new studio, I'm assuming you just got it done? Can you stand up now? Thank you for another awesome session, you would think it would be repetitive discussing embouchre and going "Full Guppy" (love that KeefieT) but each time it reinforces the message. I played and was taught classical clarinet and its a hard habit to break but with your guidance its happening. Cheers! Subtoning....

Hi. I have a dumb question. When I do the goldfish face, my top teeth are not on the mouthpiece. My embouchure is relaxed & corners are in. Should my teeth be on the mouthpiece?

Hmmm, both Jamie and Ted Lasso say be a goldfish (ok, slightly different perspectives) but I guess there's something to it! Thanks for the great tips!

You're a bloody legend Jamie! My question is this: I have a few different mouthpieces that I flick between depending on if I want big and bright or mellow and smooth, but the actual opening that goes on to the neck piece is completely different sized on each of my mp's. The cork is too loose on one and too tight for the other so I've had to resort to using electrical tape (not a good solution I know!) Just wondering if you have any tips for adjusting cork thickness to adapt to different mp's?

Amazing video ! So cool, so nice, so clear, so fun! However what happens when you play high notes ? In my case I feel obliged to make a vertical pressure with my jaw, and if I play for a while my lip hurts... is it normal doctor Anderson ? Thanks again !!!!

IMHO, the main key is finding the breakpoint where the reed no longer touches the mouthpiece and having the smallest amount of flesh or lip there. I still support my lower lip a slight bit with my teeth, whether that's right or wrong. I totally agree, it's all about maximizing the reed vibration. For what it is worth, I was taught by two clarinetists, one a principal clarinetist of an orchestra. They taught me another embouchure but did open my sound. I also read and studied stuff saxophonists did, especially the Rascher stuff. I got to altissimo by my second year of college (without the help of my teacher) and widened and enriched my sound just relaxing, focusing my breath, and using a bit softer reed (2.5 or mediums). Nothing beats warming up with just the mouthpiece and mouthpiece/neck to get more control of all those facial and internal mouth/throat muscles. There's so much gold in the first few pages of Rascher's Top Tone's book and even in his 3-part KZfaq video with his daughter. Jamie, I really enjoyed playing along with your Greatest Pop Sax Solos Ever Part 3 - The 1980's yesterday. You're the real deal saxman!

Hi, I have improved my ability to get the high register notes out by using your techniques in a video you released (e, f and f sharp), but have my lip over my teeth and a bit more mouthpiece. Using this goldfish lip position, what is the technique for getting the high notes out? Thanks Steve

Hello again Jamie! There is so much to know and ask...but one thing: what is the high note in your presentation music (this video 00:14) is it altissimo growling or multifonic, - or is itsomething else? I've been wondering that sound for a long time now.

So enjoyed this....would you say your bottom lip softens more or less as you go to higher notes. Or is there no change at all?

I am practicing the exercises on the TTM course, (which I think is great). I am retraining my embouchere, but intermittently I get a squeak sound, and I think it's the sound you have described in your videos, - that natural sound that the read has. I'm not sure how to overcome this. What's your advice?

Hey Jamie what is most important thing to learn starting off as a complete beginner on sax thank Tom

Hi Jamie I've been practising the new embouchure (former clarinettist here, I have so much to unlearn!) but my tuning is now TERRIBLE. I've pushed the mouthpiece on to adjust for being flatter, but I'm just finding it way harder to control my pitch. Is this normal and I just need to practice my way out of it? Or am I doing it wrong? Thanks for the content as always.

Two questions (sorry) First, if you are playing any note using the Spectral Display on Tonal Energy how many peaks do you typically see? I presume that more of these peaks equates to the bigger tone that we are looking for. Second, I thought that a 'Jazz' embouchure was more straight line and classical was more Goldfish like. Should both be more goldfish like.

I have a decent sound for only playing 1.5 yrs, but my question would be embouchure control. Avoiding lower lip fatigue or soreness.

You mentioned TENOR specifically in this video and I can imagine this would work well for BARI as well, but how about ALTO and SOP - would you recommend this technique with them as well?

Thanks Jamie! What you’re giving away here is gold! Question: Is a classical saxophonists embouchure any different? Btw I might have cried a little after watching your live gig video filmed by your daughter. Still in lockdown here down under.😥

Hi Jamie, Not sure if this is a ‘tone’ issue (though I suspect everything is really!) 😊 I’m finding more and more that I’m able to play the higher register easily without the use of the octave key (not into altissimo quite yet). Should I be aiming to develop this further and actively in practice - overtones? Do advanced players and pros like yourself use the octave key routinely when playing gigs, or is this just something to use as a way to develop voicing control? Many thanks for your time and efforts on our behalf as ever, greatly enjoyed your Southampton video!!!

I always have trouble moving from midrange to the next octave. I'm not happy with the sound in the upper register. Any tips would be great. Mick

lol great videos has usual.. now I know why my alto sounds like a duck caller,,

Just to find out it seems that I'm struggling to keep a note and I have a 2.5 of a beginner Green from the beginning I think I need a 1.5 just to keep a note and get stronger that's what I would ask

You need muscle strength to push inwards to make the sides of your mouth circular, right? Or do you gather it lightly without needing any strength?

Hello. I am from Romania and I sing traditional Romanian music. I have a question. with this blowing technique, how do we support the lower lip? does it sit on the teeth or in front of them? because I feel that I have no stability in tuning. the tone is fantastic but I don't master the tuning in the treble area. I played the clarinet and used the lower lip over the teeth technique until now. thanks

I am a beginner so my sound is not the best yet , I have to practice more and more I know , but now..sometimes , specially if I want " force " some note my sax "Squeak". Is it a question of reed? Probably is my " some wrong action "...can you help me with this . Thanks in advance from Italy . Ciao Massimo