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(Thomas)
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That`s correct, you need to roll your bottom lip over your bottom teeth. And as altosaxgeek said, don`t cover your teeth with too much lip. This will not be very comfortable in your playing, and it isn`t an easy habit to break once you start.
By the way, a lot of reed woodwind players (not just saxos) have problems with their lip hurting after long playing sessions. Since your teeth are digging into the flesh of your lower lip, and putting pressure on it, it will start to hurt after a while. There is a solution to that problem.
Many players, myself included, use some kind of protector which covers your bottom teeth, and creates a much smoother surface for your lip to rest on. There are several methods which you can use to do this. The ones I have heard of are either:
- mixing cigarette paper and crazy glue (not very hygienic, and I wouldn`t suggest it);
- wax coated dental cushions (can be bought at a drug store over the counter);
- plastic dental pads (are custom-made by your dentist, and are rather pricey);
and the last one, which I use. You can usually find flexible plastic football mouthpieces at sporting goods stores. The instructions on them usually say to immerse in boiling water for about five seconds, take out with tongs, and form them around your teeth to protect against physical trauma. However, these can also be used really effectively as a tooth guard for reed players.
I have been using one for the past year or so, and it is extremely effective. I have never had lip pains ever since I started using one, and as a result, I can play for longer periods of time without having to take a break. Yes, you can develop callouses after many years of playing, but that, in my opinion, is a painful and unnecessary process. I can give you more information by email, so if you want more information on these plastic tooth guards that I use, just drop me a line at dudeinanigloo@hotmail.com.
Cheers,
Thomas
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