Why is My Saxophone Squeaking?
- Alanna Hawley
- Nov 2, 2021
- 5 min read
Updated: Nov 5
Key Takeaways
The two most likely reasons for squeaking, especially for beginner saxophonists, are improper tongue/throat position and a cracked, chipped, or misaligned reed.
It's easier to check for cracked, chipped, or misaligned reeds, so that's a good place to start (and when in doubt, you can just try a fresh reed to see if that fixes it).
Improper throat or tongue position may take more practice and time to correct (and we'll talk more about how to do that).
There are a few other reasons you may be getting squeaks, like a repair issue, but those are much less common.
Reasons Why Your Saxophone May Be Squeaking
First and foremost, it's important to understand that squeaking on the saxophone is extremely common and normal, especially for beginners. To help you minimize that squeaking, here are the most likely reasons for squeaks, in order of most likely to least likely.
NOTE- If your saxophone is squeaking on G specifically (with the octave key), we answer that later in the article here.
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1. The tongue position inside your mouth or your throat position is incorrect, or you are too tense
We want our throats to be fully open (but relaxed) and our tongues to be resting flat at the bottom of our mouths. Checking tongue position and throat shape can be tricky because neither you nor a teacher can see inside your mouth. We have to go off of feel on this one. Facial and mouth tension can create an undesirable tongue position, throat shape, or other sensations of pinching, squeezing, or a tight feeling, which can cause squeaking.
What to do about it:Â Focus on relaxing your throat and letting your tongue simply rest at the bottom of your mouth.
Try These Saxophone Exercises to Reduce Playing Tension
Be sure you are forming a proper saxophone embouchure as outlined in this video here.
Stretch/relax your lips by saying or mouthing "Eeeee" "Ooooo" repeatedly (Ooo is the shape we use for saxophone embouchure).
Do some simple shoulder and arm stretches, like the ones we have in our 2-minute warm-up stretches here. Often, that tension moves to our mouth and embouchure, too, so take care of that tension at the source.
Practice playing a note with the most relaxed facial muscles possible.
2. Your reed is warped, chipped/cracked, or not aligned properly on the mouthpiece
Issues like this often create a chirp-like squeak, so if that's what you're having trouble with, it could be your reed.
A misaligned reed
We'll start with the easiest solution, which is making sure your reed is aligned on your mouthpiece properly, like this:
Chipped/cracked reeds
If your reed is properly aligned and you're still experiencing chirps or squeaks, it's possible that your reed is chipped, cracked, or warped.
Cane reeds, which look like and feel like wood, are fragile and easily chipped. Sometimes the chip is not visible, so you won't always become aware of it right away.
What can you do about it? The best thing to do is to just try a new reed and see if the squeaking is resolved. When in doubt, just try a new reed and see if that changes the squeaking.
What is a warped reed?
You'll be able to see if the reed is warped because the tip of your reed will be wavy. Just like other wood that is prone to warping from moisture, reeds can do the same. When the humidity and moisture levels change too much (especially in a dry environment where the reed must transition from being dry to wet while playing, and then become extremely dry during storage), the reed warps. This could cause squeaking, but it also causes other issues around playability and tone.
What can you do about it?
Try a new, fresh reed to see if that remedies the problem.
Be sure you're storing your saxophone reeds correctly (learn how here) as well (this applies to cane reeds).
Although I recommend my beginner saxophone students start on cane reeds, Legere plastic reeds are an option and give you a more durable reed option that doesn't experience warping.
3. You are accidentally pressing additional keys, likely underneath your palms
You'll notice that when your hands are in place to play, there are several keys underneath your palms in both hands, and it's very easy to accidentally press down one of those keys. This often results in more of a honk than a squeak, or the note doesn't sound at all.
What to do about it: Just be sure to check your hands and make sure you aren't pressing down anything additional by accident, and curve those hands around like you're holding a bottle of water.
4. Your saxophone is broken
This is the least likely reason for getting squeaks. Typically, if one of the tone holes isn't being properly sealed and air is leaking out, you won't get a high-pitched squeak; although, in some cases, you might. Usually, a leaking tone hole makes more of a honking sound, or the note just doesn't come out at all.
If you are playing on a saxophone that was previously (or currently) being stored in an attic, basement, closet, etc., consider having a local music store's repair shop check to be sure it's in working condition and not the culprit for your squeaking.
It's always best to store instruments in a temperature-controlled environment to keep in working in top condition.
*If your saxophone is squeaking or "gargling" on octave G specifically:
For "gargling" sounds, or a wavering sound happening on G specifically (G with the octave key) - especially if that's the only note that's squeaking - check yourself for tension in your mouth and oral cavity, as we talked about in point #1 in this article. AND, make sure you're blowing a strong enough airstream through the saxophone as if trying to blow a piece of paper off a table (try that too without the sax).
G with the octave key is somewhat of a transition point into the upper range and can sometimes gargle or squeak if you aren't pushing enough air through the horn with a relaxed embouchure.
Watch our YouTube video here on how to properly produce a sound on the saxophone. Checking against these steps might help troubleshoot your squeaking G.
Thanks for reading! We hope you found this article answering "why is my saxophone squeaking" to be helpful.
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