"E" As A Starting Point

The first phonetic sound I recommend for building an authentic jazz saxophone articulation concept is "E". I find that this is the best place to start when considering the shape of the tongue for playing saxophone.

It allows an even airflow, from the back of the throat all the way to the embouchure, while leaving the tip of the tongue in a ready position to attack the reed.
​

Why Not "Ah"?

I used to think that "Ah" was best because I'd had teachers in the past say you need to "open" your throat for a bigger sound. But "Ah", from a physiological standpoint, actually obstructs the back of throat.

In the chart below, we can see the shape of the tongue and throat for all different vowel sounds.

In the first two images on the bottom row—"hod" and "hawed", the "Ah" type of tongue position—you can see that the throat is actually blocked by the back of the tongue.

AND, the tip of the tongue is closer to the lower teeth than it is to the roof of the mouth. In this position, more range of motion is needed for the tongue to reach the mouthpiece. This limits your ability to articulate faster lines with precision and accuracy, and this means that you have less options for style when playing uptempo/double-time.
​

"E" As the Best Solution

​In the diagram above, you can see the shape for "heed"— the "E" tongue position--that the throat is fully open, the curve of the tongue is nice and even, and the tip of the tongue is in an ideal position to tongue the reed.

Please feel free to share your thoughts with me on this and what your experience has been with tongue height, throat shape, and any effects it has had on your playing.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more!
—Dester