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
Saxophone Mouthpiece Breakdown 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 […]
September 19, 2018
The saxophone is one of those instruments that catch the eye and the ear of anyone lucky enough to be up close to one. Officially, it is a member of metal woodwinds, but it is often confused with with brass instruments. The saxophone was created way back in the 1840s by Belgian flautist, Adolphe Sax, […]
August 22, 2018
If you’re new to playing the saxophone, there are quite a few different saxophone accessories available online and in music stores. Some of them are absolutely essential, some of them can be done without, and others are intended to be purely just for fun. Although the purchasing of “essential” saxophone accessories will evolve as you […]
April 19, 2018
Vandoren is one of the most respected companies in woodwind accessory manufacturing. The French company makes saxophone mouthpieces and clarinet mouthpieces, saxophone reeds and clarinet reeds, and ligatures and caps that are used by beginners and professional players around the world. Vandoren was founded in 1905 by Eugène Van Doren who was a clarinetist for the Paris Opera. The company moved to 56 […]
April 17, 2018
The guitar may be the backbone of rock & roll, but the saxophone is a prominent instrument in a variety of popular genres, including jazz and blues. Its players have been some of the most talented in history, and their music will live for centuries to come. While there have been innumerable saxophonists over the […]
