November 5, 2019
D’Addario Reeds D’Addario (pronounced da-dairy-oh) is an American company that specializes in musical instrument accessories like strings for guitars, other fretted instruments, and orchestral instruments, as well as reeds for woodwind instruments like saxophones and clarinets. The D’Addario Woodwinds label encompasses reserve and select labels of reeds, and the company also manufactures reeds labels under […]
September 19, 2019
What’s the difference between a baritone and euphonium? It’s possible that you have never heard of a euphonium and the word “baritone” may make you think of the male voice or perhaps baritone saxophone. In fact, they are both brass instruments, invented fairly recently (in the 1840’s). The confusion between a euphonium and baritone is […]
September 11, 2019
To learn how to hold a flute, study the proper posture, hand position, and angle for the instrument. By mastering these techniques, you’ll be able to play the flute in no time. Learning how to hold a flute is one of the first concepts you’ll be taught when you start flute lessons. Once you can […]
September 1, 2019
Inspiration and Invention of the Saxophone The saxophone is a relatively new instrument that was invented during the 1840s and patented in 1846 by Adolphe Sax, a Belgian musician and instrument maker. A member of the woodwind family, saxophones are usually made of brass, and are played with a single reed mouthpiece, similar to that of the […]
July 24, 2019
The Clarinet – A Classic Woodwind Instrument The clarinet family is one of the largest of all musical instruments, comprised of 14 instruments with a similar form. The most familiar clarinet is the Bb Soprano Clarinet – this is typically where student clarinetists start. Within the clarinet family, you’ll find the piccolo clarinet on the […]
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 […]
March 30, 2019
The woodwind family of instruments is a subset of the more general category of wind instruments. Within the woodwind family, there are two main types of instruments: reed instruments and flutes. The reason reed woodwind instruments are identified as “woodwind” is based on the way they produce their sound which is by splitting the player’s […]
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
Eric Marienthal is an amazing saxophone player with a long list of credits that speak to his creativity and talent. I spoke with Eric and discussed his set up on soprano, alto and tenor saxophones, with the goal of understanding why he uses each product and how these choices shape his sound. Marienthal is best […]
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 […]
