Forum of the Saxes

Cliff · Joined: 07 Dec 2005 Posts: 29 Location: Singapore

hello, I just got myself a mouthpiece, but after a few rounds of blowing, there is a scratch on the upper part(where you bite) I think I'm biting too hard, and the scratch is getting deeper.

I don't want to get the teeth pad thing cos it gets disgusting after I bite into it and it starts to spoil/peel, and I want to learn to control my mouth, when I bite less hard, the entire mouthpiece vibrates violently. What should I do? I tried to have the same form on my upper lip as my lower, where the lip blocks the teeth, and I could still make a sound, is that alrite?

JPSaxMan · Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2005 11:13 am Post subject:

You shouldn't be biting. That's a bad habit that many players develop and after a while of playing, it's hard to get rid of (you're looking at a first class case). I never "bit" so to say, but I did tend to bite down low so I could get the extra-low notes out. I think I've found out how to solve my problem, but it's hard to explain. You can position your oral cavity the same way you would bite, but don't bite. Just rest your teeth on that bite plate. This might be hard with low notes at first, but keep practicing and you'll get it.

Good luck Mr. Green

_________________
JP
Student of Saxophone
Music Education (BME) Major-2011
Mansfield University of Pennsylvania

reisio · Joined: 05 Oct 2005 Posts: 177 Location: Florida

If this is a plastic mouthpiece, get a new mouthpiece. If it's not, you might go buy some mouthpiece pads for a few bucks. Just stick them on the top - they're good just for not sliding your teeth around a hard metal/rubber surface, too.

JazZz · Joined: 05 Jul 2005 Posts: 170

In my experience, mouthpiece pads do not get icky and slip if you take proper maintenance and wash the mouthpiece often. But, if you do have a good embouchure you won't need the pad in the first place, but it is a good aid to ween off of biting. Generally if you have that much of a mark you are biting way to hard, the mouthpiece is a very cheap plastic, or a combination of the two. I would suggest getting another basic package (rico graftonite, yamaha standard) and working on proper embouchure.
The reason for the violent shaking could be that your sides aren't tight and the air is enveloping around the sides and shaking the mouthpiece. It again could be a cheap mouthpiece made of thin plastic, that combined with some harder blowing could shake it around a lot. With proper embouchure your tightened sides and all that will control the mouthpiece.
With a little practice and all that you should be fine in no time Cool

reisio · Joined: 05 Oct 2005 Posts: 177 Location: Florida

They're good besides avoiding biting; probably moreso for metal pieces, but also for hard rubbers.

Cliff · Joined: 07 Dec 2005 Posts: 29 Location: Singapore

Okay, thanks for the advice, now I'm biting less, but I got the pad anyway as my mouthpiece was begining to flake away....