When a person decides to embark on a musical journey and play an instrument, there are plenty of choices. In the wind family, one choice is the baritone sax. The bass of most sax quartets, this instrument has a smooth, rumbling tone, but it can be hard for a beginner to master. Making a few adjustments based on how the instrument works can eliminate some of the kinks that beginning baritone sax players encounter.
Harness
Adjust the harness. The baritone sax is the largest of the saxophones that are played commonly. Although the size of the instrument provides plenty of resonation space and contributes to the richness of pitch, it also makes the instrument awkward to hold for beginners, who may start playing while they are still smaller. Adjusting the neck strap that is attached to the instrument will help bring the instrument into a more comfortable playing position and lessen physical fatigue from supporting the instrument's weight with the hands and arms alone.
Embouchure
Relax the embouchure (shape of the mouth). The baritone mouthpiece and reed are quite large in comparison to other mouthpieces on reed instruments. Relaxing the embouchure prevents fatigue of the jaw and lets the reed vibrate more freely, which helps when trying to play in the lower register of the instrument.
Reed Thickness
Use a reed that is fairly thin. Reeds come in different thicknesses, with thicker reeds receiving higher number assignments. Most professional players use a reed with a 3 or 4 thickness, but because a thicker reed requires more force for vibration, a beginner should start out with a 2 or 2.5 thickness. This will let the player use less energy to get the reed to vibrate.
Tuning
Use a tuner. All pitches have particular wavelengths. Low pitches, like those played by the baritone sax, sometimes are hard to get in tune because the wavelength is so wide that it is difficult to tell where the center of the pitch lies with the ear alone. When a beginner uses a tuner, they learn to associate the placement of pitch not only with the ear, but also with the muscle memory of the jaw. This helps them have a better overall sense of tuning.
Hands
Relax the hands. The baritone is played by reaching both hands around the body of the instrument and placing the fingertips on the keys. If the hands are tight, beginners can develop serious muscle tension problems that can cause pain and hinder the speed and fluidity of their playing.
