The SaxyScarfStrap is one of the most original products I have received since my first review came out on this web site. This neck-strap was designed to offer professional musicians support that distributes the pressure equally between their neck and shoulders. This support will allow saxophonists to practice and play longer than before without having [read more…]
If you’re a subscriber to my email newsletter, you should have received my most recent edition in which featured a great tip from sax great, Bob Sheppard regarding sound production. I’m not going to repeat everything I wrote, since you can get that stuff by checking out the online version of the newsletter here. However, what [read more…]
Reed preparation rituals – everyone’s got one. We may find ourselves doing things like soaking our reeds in Listerine, or shaving them down with a nail file, or burying them in the ground for 6 months, or just slapping them on the mouthpiece and playing. The goal is to end up with a reed that sounds, and [read more…]
Did you know that playing on the mouthpiece alone is a great way to train the muscles in your mouth and throat to respond extremely effectively in getting you the best and biggest sound you can possibly get? If not, I’d recommend checking out this article. Although the article I just pointed you to contains [read more…]
As some of you know, I am currently working on a follow-up to my educational program for saxophone players, Bulletproof Saxophone Playing. You may have also heard me say that this time around I’m featuring Bob Mintzer, Dave Liebman, and Bob Sheppard. Needless to say, I’m completely honored to get to work with these truly [read more…]
I would venture to guess that many of us go into a practice session or performance somewhat mindlessly. Of course, once the horn is in our mouth, we usually snap into conscious music-making mode. However, are there things we can do set ourselves up for the best possible results before we start playing? To dig [read more…]
Almost all of us know the feeling. It’s been a long practice or rehearsal session, and the inside of our lower lip is so sore that we can barely go on playing, thanks to our flesh-piercing lower teeth. (Ouch! Sounds painful when I put it that way, no?) This article was my response to an [read more…]
I recently received a Theo Wanne “AMMA” model metal mouthpiece with a 7 * tip opening for my tenor saxophone. Over the years, I have heard from many saxophonists that Theo Wanne is one of the leading mouthpiece refacers in the world. This past January, I had the opportunity to visit his booth at the [read more…]
The definition of the word, Soul as defined on Dictionary.com: the emotional part of human nature; the seat of the feelings or sentiments. When it comes to music, it’s been my experience that the sound of a human being singing tends to touch the average person’s heart more than any other sound. Because we all [read more…]
This article is a guest post from Jeff Rzepiela, whose transcriptions of saxophone solos by the greats can be found at http://www.scooby-sax.com. Playing in a big band’s sax section can be a thrilling experience. When the section is in synch, it can be like the Blue Angels flying in perfect formation. On the other hand, [read more…]
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