2 Responses

1. TheUndertones

   August 19th, 2010 at 12:15 pm

   1

   This might be a problem with your horn, or it might just be an issue with your embouchure.

   You mentioned that you don’t really know how to play the saxophone. Which I’m guessing means you’re still new to it. Just give it time. Start practicing the low notes, and really open your throat to help them come out. I wish I was there to give a visual, but basically imagine your throat muscles opening up really wide, as if you were trying to swallow a grapefruit. Now angle your mouth/throat that way, and try to blow. It works, trust me. It just takes a bit of practice.

   Air flow might play a part as well. Work on breathing exercises to strengthen your lungs, so that when it comes time to play the lower octave, you’ll be ready. It takes more air to play the lower notes, as opposed to the higher register–keep that in mind when I say you REALLY need to work on breathing if you want to be able to play more than a few measures,

   So: 1) Open your throat. 2)Work on breathing. 3) Remember, open your throat! I can’t stress this enough.

   Keep practicing! Every day. If you do everything I say and after a few weeks it still doesn’t work, I’d suggest taking your horn to the shop. It might be a bent rod, or a screw loose on the rod (happened to me before) but most likely it’s just that you’re new to the instrument.

   Good luck!!

2. Mikayla

   August 19th, 2010 at 12:15 pm

   2

   Giiiirrrll, this happens on ALL saxaphones, You might just have to blow harder for the lower notes, and drop your jaw the lower you go, and try holding down the thing on the neck that pops up when you push the register key when you cant get the third key down, also, if you dont know how to play saxaphone, it could be you not the instrument