I am learning the soprano saxophone, any tips?

Question: I am learning the soprano saxophone, any tips!?

I have a tendency to squeak a bit!. lol!. Is this because I am not putting enough of the mouthpiece in my mouth!? And any other tips will be appreciated!Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Hm, I've played all sizes of sax--plus flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, recorder, and a bunch of ethnic winds--and I never had the problems the previous responder mentioned!. Not that I think it's wrong, but we all have our own experiences, don't we!?

What kind of mouthpiece and ligature are you using!? The standard hard plastic mouthpiece and metal screws-on-the-bottom ligature that most sopranos come with was, in my experience, really crummy; I did tend to squawk a few notes, and I had no upper range!.

So I educated myself about what setups for mouthpieces and reeds were used by the big boys:
http://www!.du!.edu/lamont/Mpce!.html
And then on to ebay with me, where I could find cheap hard-rubber mouthpieces and Rovner ligatures!. My playing became much more enjoyable!.

In general, the hardness of your reed needs to match the lay of your mouthpiece, adjusted for the amount of pressure you normally apply (and you should never apply very much) with your embouchere!. Jazz and rock people like a more open lay and a softer reed; classical people like closed and harder!.

And definitely experiment, while you're learning, with taking in more mouthpiece--that's contributory to that dark tone that I personally love!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

What strength reed are you using!? Buy a 2 and a 3!. Try both!.A #2 is softer!. Don't use a #1!. If you're going from an alto to a soprano sax you may need to start with the 3!. I went from flute to sax and my embouchure from flute was really tight!. I started with a #4 reed and worked down to a #3 and eventually a #2!.!.!. You may have the same thing going on!. If you put too much mouthpiece/reed in your mouth you will squeak!. Experiment with the amount of reed in your mouth!. Experiment with the angle of the reed in your mouth!. Try less pressure on the reed!. Make sure you have the reed on the mouthpiece properly!. Www@QuestionHome@Com