June 8, 2019
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 […]
October 26, 2018
There are four main components of an effects pedal setup: Microphone Preamp Effects Loop Power Source Microphone / Pickup Once you have your instrument, you will need a good microphone to play into. Another alternative for brass players is to use a Yamaha Silent Brass Mute: with a pickup in the mute it can be […]
October 25, 2018
Trombones, trumpets and saxophones are all great sounding instruments that can present a few difficulties when you’re in the studio. For example, their large dynamic range can easily overload microphone capsules, preamps and A/D converters, making the instruments hard to compress. A delicate frequency response often makes horns sound harsh, too bright or too thin. […]
I hold the opinion that strings are among the most beautiful and expressive instruments in the world. Strings in popular music have brought us songs like “Tonight, Tonight” by Smashing Pumpkins, “I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing” by Aerosmith, and “Apologize” by One Republic. These are all great songs in their own right, but when […]
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 […]
September 1, 2018
I’ve always considered myself somewhat of a specialist on the trumpet – for the most part, I play a certain style of jazz and stay in the middle range of the horn. As such, I’m not always the best guy for certain types of gigs and sessions. I don’t play classical music, I’m not a […]
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 […]
December 8, 2017
I think the vast majority of saxophonists today use cane reeds. Cane is a natural product; a grass plant that is grown in moist soils, on many continents, and is grown for harvest to be made into saxophone reeds by many reed manufacturers. Synthetic reeds are made of composite materials that are designed to imitate […]
April 18, 2017
The first and most important step to finding your ideal setup is selecting a good mouthpiece. The selection process will be different for every player for several reasons. Firstly, everyone has their own concept of sound. Secondly, every person’s physical makeup is unique, with different jaw and teeth structure, size and shape of mouth and […]
