When I play my alto sax, I am told I sound "airy" (You can hear my breathing, "hissy" notes.). What should I do?

Thanks in advance

try playing alot and rele firming up yewr mouth and holding it that way while yew hold out notes for a RELE long itme..this will build up the muscles and make it easier for yew so seal it off and prevent that airy sound

Thank You. I'll give that a try. I have only been playing for about 6 months so I wasn't sure whether it was me or the sax.

don't clamp from the bottom; that is bad.

ya the longer yew play hteb better that will get..like that person above me sed squeeze form the sides...DO NOT squeeze the reed

Thanks for the advice. I'll give it a try. Are you putting top teeth on mouth piece?

YES YES YES!!! alwayz keep yewr teeth on the mouthpiece!!! yew should be able 2 c where yewr teeth sit cuz the coating will rub away!!!

Great now I am getting somewhere. So teeth on the top but not on the bottom where the reed is. On the bottom, tight lip and jaw with no teeth pressure?

Cover ur bottom teeth wit your lip then place the
mouth piece in your mouth then put you top "teeth" on it
and make sure ur reed is damnp or wet
with spit

Another thing to look at for an airy sound is your reed. A reed that is too strong, not placed properly on the mouthpiece, or too dry will all contribute to an airy sound.

Most reed manufacturers suggest soaking the reed in warm water for about 2 minutes before playing. Most of us who play don't bother going through all that trouble, but be sure the WHOLE reed is wet - not just the tip!

Wow that might be it. The way I moisten the reed is to put it in my mouth while I'm putting the sax together then I play. Obviously this doesn't wet the whole reed and it might be a minute or so at the most. I'm going to try the reed in water and see what happens.

Thanks,

Russ

Give the reed soaking a try - but remember not to "water-log" your reed. Soak it then suck out all the excess water. You want it thoroughly moist - not dripping water into your sax!

If the reed being too dry is the problem, this will fix it right away.

If your sound is still airy, I would think about gong up a size in strength, or maybe changing brands.