Beginner Saxophone Lesson 5 - Tonguing & Articulation

Thank you 🙏

This was helpful as I am learning how to play my most favorite instrument, the Sax.

Not exactly the advice I was looking for, I got a date this weekend, she'll be expecting me to do the honours downstairs, so this was disappointing

My future gf is gunna love me for this

Another very helpful lesson on Tonguing

Recently, a friend gifted me his saxophone. I've wanted to learn to play the sax since 4th grade. Now's my chance. Following your simple steps to learn how to play. Thank you for your simple and clear instructions. Kenny G. here I come...

What part of the reed do i tap?
What part of the tongue touches?
How go is it staccato and marccato?
Should i tongue eight notes and smaller?

I've been trying articulation and tonguing in band but the way my teacher tried to teach me it made things 10 times harder, this video made everything make sense. Thanks, Jay 👍

❤.Whoa dude you mean I have to use my tongue 😛. Well alright then. Makes sense but I did think of it before.

This isn’t going to be easy. But it will be fun 😊. Thanks 💕

I double on clarinet and alto saxophone and only a week ago I realized I hadn't been articulating, but just huffing notes in. I swear, after watching this video, it just clicked for me. Not only for sax, but it also helped me greatly on my clarinet articulation too. Video helped alot, huge thanks to you.

great advise as usually...any chances that you will continue with beginners saxophone lessons? 6,7...I signed for one of your courses but it seems is to advance for me as you mentioned to me based in my poor knowledge, I need more saxophone beginner level training. TKU.Jay...keep your Magic Alive

I played Clarinet in HS 50+ years ago and I use the same technique now. Amazing that I remember it. :)

Video was definitely a plus. It's really been a while since I've picked up my instrument. I have to really buckle down. Thanks Jay.

Super clear. I have to share this with students!

Thanks Jay for this video, the only question is do you tongue and keep blowing? Because I tend to stop blowing while trying to tongue. Should I try to override that tendency?

So if one tongues the notes of let’s say a arpeggio you are basically flicking the tongue with each note? Whereas, using the air attack is imply using maybe the same breath to play that same arpeggio?

Thank you this helped me so much I have a performance tomorrow and this helped me get ready 😊

In 6th grade my band teacher taught me this back when I played the clarinet. I’m the improvement from something so simple is insane.

Hey Jay - Brilliant mate. It is amazing how sometimes, things that seem insignificant, but, they are really so important, that it is super to have a refresher such as this. You are winner in all you do Jay

Very much appreciate what you have put together in these first 5 lessons. Thanks

Nice explanation for beginners - thanks :)

omg im so confused someone help me😩😩😩

Playing the sax is so confusing for a clarinetist. I’m buying my first sax tomorrow and I’m already really confused with the fingering

Tongue.. does it cut off the air by touching the top of the mouth with the tongue?

I’m just getting back to sax after over a decade, and the thing that I seem to have lost is the skill to slur notes smoothly, without a clear break between each note.

Is it just an air control issue or my fingers are a bit rusty to move a quick enough pace between notes?

I used to play a lot of blues with “swinged” slurs and now it’s just not smooth how it used to be

I stil dont get it, im trying but my pitch always goes sharp when tongue attacking and im actively trying not to "bite", any tips?

Good explanation, I have to practice much Tore

Hello Jay: I just purchased your bundle and was wondering should I start with it or your free lessons for beginners?

I've been binging vids on your channel since talking with friends who are active musicians and buying a stand so that my sax is actually out and on my mind. Articulation and tonguing was a horrible weakness when I played clarinet, so this has been super helpful. Do you have a video on vibrato in the archives somewhere?

Also, this is the first video I've really noticed the characters on your arm. Are they Chinese or Japanese?

I have a problem. It’s with Tonguing. Whenever I play a note it has a “ta” sound. Witch is what I have been playing like for years. But I was wondering if that’s the right way to do it. Because whenever you play I never hear that sound. It sounds like there is no articulation and you are always slurring. Can someone help me out? The sound of Tonguing is much more prominent when I play and I can never get it as quiet as you.

My girlfriend says I’m ok with it!

should your jaw move at all when tonguing?

I’ve been playing the saxophone for 10 years, and at 20 years old I play in a semi professional big band on second alto. I don’t know how to tongue a note, and it only very recently started catching up with me when we were handed a chart that included 16th dotted note phrases. I’ve used air attacks my entire musical career, and paired with my double lip embouchure, I play(hopefully) like no other sax player. While I’ve mastered the art of air attacks and releases that perfectly imitates tonguing and maintaining the same pitch even though I constantly stop my airflow, I think it’s time I at least attempted to learn how to tongue😂

This is so helpful thank you so much ❤️🙌🏾

Secrets of High Priests Revealed!

Huge thanks for this Jay. I've been looking for hints on tonguing for a few years. This video may unlock a new level of happiness in sax play. My tonguing has always been a bit sluggish with point of contact a bit back from the tip of tongue (around the middle of front third of my tongue). Thus I've been experimenting lately with pulling my tongue back to make contact closer to the tip. That has indeed produced better control and a bit better sound, but wasn't sure if this is a cheap hack because I'm pulling my tongue back to make it happen. Pulling the mouth piece out further didn't feel right and changed embouchure and sound. Happy to hear your advice; every player needs to figure out what works best with tonguing, since we all have a bit different bodies, mouths, tongues.

Hello from Los Angeles. Delighted with paid Better Sax lessons which I watch on iPad while playing along.

I find it hard to play my student Yamaha sax after eating pork ribs but I’m guessing it’s probably just the reed

hi, whenever i play from middle f to g (tongued)it seems to have a little hiccup. how can i fix this?

Which saxophone is better to start to learn? Is it ever too late to begin to learn…

Do you suggest the tongue starts and stops the sound from just under the tip of the reed or between the reed and mouthpiece?

Thanks for teaching me

Thank you for pointing out that each persons physiology is different and this can effect the approach they use for tonguing - I'm finding this is true for teaching my beginners

the last part (tongue place) was the part i was especially worried about. I personally use the back of my tongue and i've felt like that was a mistake and was holding me back somehow so i was fully expecting to hear that i should be using the tip of my tongue and that i have to change the way that i've been playing sax for 3 years now.

Explination on point, after listening to this video I immediately got the technique down, thx man!

Yes Jay, I did find this helpful…. I want to start saxophone myself, my son plays now, but just haven’t yet made the initial plunge.

The question of airstream used to confuse me. "Keep your airstream constant!" But how can I do that when I use the tongue to stop a note? The answer is you should keep the air pressure constant. Jay's analogy applies: electrical voltage used to be referred to referred to as "pressure" and is still preset at the light switch when the current (flow) is broken.

I've never even held a brass instrument in my life... I just found a cheap sax online... I don't quite know how to hold it, or even blow into it but I still I think I'm gonna give it a try. hopefully, in a few weeks, I'll be able to produce my own sound and record some demos in my recording studio... I hope You'll be impressed with the speed that I can pick this up, with your training, of course... 🙂

Finding someone to explain the "mechanics" of any given scenario in life is hard to come by. I have purchased your course, because of the way that you teach. You give your students a freedom of choice. You not only teach us what needs to be done, but you also explain to us why it needs to be done in that way. If we choose not to do it your way, thus making our journey a lot longer and picking up bad habits along the way, that's our choice, or we can listen and learn your methods and get it done right the first time. 🎷

I've been tonguing incorrectly for years. I joined late and I've always tongued using my tongued using the top of my mouth and have always struggled with faster stuff and now I know why. I'm going to practice my ass off to try to break the habit but I was never told and I'm honestly super upset I didn't find this out earlier.