I have a competition this Friday and I can barely get out my high F. Do you have any tips?

Your embouchure may be the problem. Make sure your top teeth are biting down on the mouthpiece, and that your bottom lip is rolled over your bottom teeth. Tighten up your mouth for the higher notes, and loosen up for the lower notes.

You may also be taking too much or too little mouthpiece. It is best to place your bottom lip over the point at which the reed contacts the mouthpiece. This gives you the best control and responsiveness from the reed.

Another problem may be that you are smiling when you play. Make sure your mouth forms an "O" shape around the mouthpiece. That way, air doesn`t leak out the sides. Remember, you never see a happy sax player!

Also, is it absolutely necessary that you are able to play high F by Friday? Because few beginner sax players I know can play high F, or need to. You may need to practice for longer than 4 days in order to produce a clear sound in the higher register.

Thomas

NEVER BITE. This is a really bad habit many modern players are getting into and it severely detriments the tone quality in the upper second register. Your jaw should be actually SLIGHTLY looser than it would be when playing C and D, but your lips should be tighter and you should try to move more air through the instrument.
-Bleeding Gums Murphy