June 13, 2019
You have the saxophone; you have the drive to learn; now you need to actually put that instrument to your mouth and make some music. When you get to this point it may suddenly occur to you that you don’t really know how to blow into a saxophone! Here are a few details to keep […]
June 8, 2019
You’ve probably spent years admiring those ultra-cool saxophone players. They make the whole process look so effortless, but until you actually pick one up, you never quite know how to hold a saxophone. If you’re just learning to play, there are a few basics to keep in mind when holding a saxophone: Always wear the […]
Filed and Unfiled Reeds Explained Reeds are used in many woodwind instruments, including the clarinet, saxophone, oboe and bassoon. In reed instruments, the sounds or vibrations are made when air is blown across a thin piece of material called a reed. The reed vibrates, making the sound, which is then amplified by the air in the […]
March 24, 2019
The mouthpiece and reed combination in clarinets and saxophones is critical to the success or failure of your students. Having the right ones means barely tolerating or not liking to play to absolutely loving playing and joining band. I see it happen all the time and it’s a beautiful thing. After all, mouthpiece and the reed […]
November 6, 2018
As a saxophone player, you should expect to take your instrument to the repair shop every now and then- it’s part of owning and playing an instrument, and accidents are bound to happen. But did you know many of those costly repairs can be avoided if you take proper care of your instrument from the […]
October 26, 2018
A double is an additional instrument you might want to, or need to play. Standard doubles for a saxophonist might include flute, clarinet, piccolo, bass clarinet or any other instrument in the woodwind family. My first double was the clarinet. When I began high school I found many saxophone players playing clarinet. The majority of them had started […]
October 25, 2018
Levels of Saxophone Saxophones are divided into different groups based on playing level: beginner (or student), intermediate, and professional (or performance) saxophones. Pretty much all student saxophonists start playing on a beginner horn, which makes perfect sense! But once a student has reached a certain playing level, they’ll probably start thinking about stepping up to […]
Altissimo is a funny word that is best defined as the high notes on the saxophone that start when the regular fingering scale ends. The saxophone normally goes up to a high F or F# (sometimes even high G) and the fingering chart ends there. These Altissimo notes are the high notes you hear pro […]
As most musicians know, various finishes can definitely have an impact on the sound of your saxophone. In fact, knowing the type of finish on the instrument you’re looking at purchasing is considered a crucial bit of information. Depending on the finish you’re able to know how bright or dark the tone will be without […]
October 24, 2018
Choosing a Saxophone Mouthpiece A huge part of the overall success of a saxophone player, the correct saxophone mouthpiece is a choice made purely out of personal preference. Designed to allow musicians to play different genres, it’s crucial to understand how each mouthpiece is crafted to maximize your sound. To start, you’ll want to look at the two main […]
