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Why can't I play the low notes?
Don't worry, I get this alot. What you need to do is first have your mouth placed properly on the mouthpeice. Find the point where the reed cotacts the mouthpeice along the rails (or where the gap that vibrates ends) and that is where your mouth should be, roughly.

Now, pretend to whistle and that is the embochure you want. You want to keep your emobochure consistant, so move your tounge around to change the shape of the inside of your mouth. I'd suggest practicing this with crack-downs. With the octave key pressed, play a note (D for example); now, with the octave key still pressed, try to "crack-down" to the lower octave D. Do this without altering your embochure, or try to move it as little as possible. This will really help with the low notes.

My lips feel like they're going to fall off! I've only been practicing for awhile... Help!??!
Alright, here's how it goes: Don't bite... Never bite. You want to have a relaxed but firm emochure. You should only have a light pressure on your bottom lip because the mouthpeice is resting on it. And remember, if you're new, give it some time. You won't have stamina to praactice for 17 hours a day.

What is altissimo!?
Altissimo is the extention of the saxophone's range upwards. It (technically) starts with F# above the staff and (technically) ends three octaves above that F#. Here is a glance into the world of altissimo.

I can't play that altissimo, it just comes out as ugly nasty notes, or wisps of sound... Help!
Alright, what you need to do is relax. Start with overtones. And remember, don't change your embocure! A helpfull exercise is to play the original note and then switch to its overtone substitution. I'd recomend Top Tones, by Sigurd M. Raschér... Excelent for Overtones, and insightfull for Altissimo. I'd also suggest doing "crack-ups". This is where you go from the lower not to the note in the second octave without the octave key... And always keep embochure in mind!

I want a nice classical tone, who should I listen to?
Hmm... Try looking into saxophonists like Fredrick Hemke, Eugine Russoe(sp?) and Tim McAllister. Also, I've hear cellists also have tones to emulate.

What about jazz?
Now this is my specialty... For a soprano player, look into Wayne Shorter, Dexter Gordon, Joshua Redman. For alto Charlie Parker, Cannonbal Adderly, Gary Barts. Tenor Sax players like Dexter Gordon, Zoot Sims, Joshua Redman, Micheal Brecker. Bari Sax players: Gerry Mulligan, Ronnie Cuber. But don't forget to check out trumper players like Winton Marcellus(sp?) and Randy Brecker and trombone players like Slide Hampton and JJ Johnson... And take a look a drummers like Gene Krupa and Art Blakey.

This is pretty much what the saxophone sticky is for. sweatdrop I'll probably have to lock this for being a repeat topic, but do you mind if I put the FAQ on the first page of the sax sticky? Proper credit will be given, of course. 3nodding

I'm having trouble with tounging. I always end up hurting myself.

That actually answers the question I was about to ask xd

But have you ever had a problem with your tongue getting "tired". I have a piece for region band, that has a tempo of about 116, and its basically tongued 16ths, with a few weird articulations throw in there, the entire time. I can tongue that fast for a little while, and I can do it on every part, but when I try to run through it, towards the end, my tongue gets off with my fingers, and I can't keep up anymore. Any advice for this? confused

It's all practice. You need to build stamina to toungge just like you need to build stamina to keep a good embochure. Although, I don't know any exercises to increase tounge stamina other than the one I've previously suggested.

woohoo, repitition, repitition, repitition...gotta love that stuff wink

Yeah... Every once and awhile, if I tottaly forget what I'm doing, I'll pinch my tounge...

Which is why I suggest never using a tenor reed on a bari sax...