In 5 quick steps, you will be able to play the alto saxophone in no time!
Step 1. Start by sitting in a chair and plant both of your feet on the ground.
Step 2. Sit up straight and relax your shoulders. Having good posture while allows you to play comfortably and will prevent future injury. It is recommended to sit near the front of the seat rather than the back. Avoid slouching and/or sitting too far back in the chair.
Step 3. Put the neck strap that is attached to the saxophone around your neck. Place your right thumb under the thumb rest that is located in the back, lower part of the saxophone. The thumb rest is a curved piece made commonly of brass. Place your right thumb underneath the thumb rest and gently wrap your fingers around the saxophone and rest them on the bottom 3 keys. The keys have white circles on them so you will know where to put them.
Step 4. Place your left thumb on the thumb rest located halfway up the back of the saxophone that looks like a button. Place your left thumb against the thumb rest and once again, gently wrap your fingers around the saxophone and rest them on the 3 keys on the upper part of the saxophone.
Locating the 3 keys on the saxophone can be a bit tricky because there are more of them on the upper part than the lower part of the saxophone. The 3 main keys you want to rest your fingers is the second white key from the top, the 3rd white key, and the 4th white key.
You should now look like this:
Step 5. To make a noise out of the instrument, put your mouth over the mouthpiece around 1/3 of the way with your lower lip covering your bottom teeth. Keep the seal tight but keep your face relaxed. Keep your top teeth on the mouth piece but don't bite down too hard.
You now know how to make a sound out of the alto saxophone!
You now know how to make a sound out of the alto saxophone!