ABSTRACT
Assembly of the saxophone small piece is more complicated and time-consuming than that for the other woodwind instruments. The saxophone requires a more relaxed, less firm embouchure than does the clarinet. More precisely, the lower lip of the saxophone embouchure provides a cushion for the reed; the clarinet lower lip provides a firm platform. Probably the best indicator of whether a student is suited for saxophone study is his ability to get in the right ballpark concerning small piece work. The traditional approach to teaching tonguing is holistic, to use terminology from psychology. Tonguing is kept intact; it is not broken into its component parts. Adolphe Sax confronted the imperfections of various woodwind and brass instruments by inventing the saxophone in roughly 1840. Soloist Rudy Wiedoft is recognized by some as the father of saxophone playing in the United States.
