I had this problem when I first started learning the saxophone and for some reason a year on it has come back. I find myself biting my lower lip with it curled over my teeth. It is so frustrating and I have no idea why it has happened. I have been fine for months and now this. The more I try to fix it, the more frustrated I become as I find my lip slipping over my teeth again.

Anyone else has this problem??

Clare

I find this happens to me if I do a lot more playing than I'm used to e.g. I haven't done much practice for a few weeks so try and fix it by doing one long session. It's a recipe for disaster, I end up with sore lips and I've got to rest for a day or two.

So I've worked out that it's a stamina thing - either my embouchure tires, my mouth fatigues and I use my jaw for support, or I'm not putting enough air through and I end up substituting jaw support for air support.

What fixes it for me is to put in the training again, so fairly short but frequent sessions focussed on long notes and scales until I'm "match fit" again. I've also found it can help if I move down to a slightly softer reed.

Not sure is is useful, but after biting my lips and gaining 'mouth ulcers' from where I bit my lips, I tried playing a few long notes on the clarinet, relaxing my embouchure and playing 'beginner' notes, like the simple ones. After a few minutes, I played scales, one octave up and down. After this, I gradually tightened my embouchure and played 'harmonics' (multiple notes using one fingering but different tightness of the embouchure.) All this was done on the clarinet and helped me, I'm not sure whether it'll help on the sax but... hopefully it will.

And try not to push yourself! Gradually build it up.

I'm slightly shocked this am that the inside of my lip is ok. The outside is a different matter as it is a little numb and looks like I'm wearing badly applied lipstick. I had a monster day yesterday starting at 9:30 finishing at about 9:45 consisting of rehearsals/concerts with only a couple of hours off for lunch and a less than 45 mins for dinner. I'm very very relieved that the big band rehearsal that should have been starting at 11 this morning has been cancelled. I'm taking a day off playing I think.