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What Playing on the Mouthpiece Alone Can Tell You About Your Pitch

What Playing on the Mouthpiece Alone Can Tell You About Your Pitch

For most of us, playing on the mouthpiece alone results in a horrible noise much resembling what I’d imagine a duck in heat sounds like upon encountering a potential partner. But believe it or not, that horrid noise holds the truth of your current state of intonation.
So here’s the deal – take the mouthpiece, with [...]

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How to Make Your Reeds Play Better

How to Make Your Reeds Play Better

Ever had a reed that was just a bit off? Maybe too hard, or too soft?
Umm…what are you. CRAZY?! Of course we all have! In fact, most of the reeds we play fall into varying degrees of suckage.
However, there are things you can do to make your reeds work better for you, thereby yielding additional value [...]

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A Look at Two Mobile Apps for Saxophone Players

A Look at Two Mobile Apps for Saxophone Players

It’s true what they’re saying. Everything’s gone mobile. Even if you’ve got the niftiest and most powerful smartphone on the market sitting in your hands, give it a year or two, and that phone will seem like a relic from the distant past.
In keeping with the spirit of mobile innovation, world-renown saxophone recording artist and [...]

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A Guide to Free Online Saxophone Lessons

A Guide to Free Online Saxophone Lessons

The days where saxophone lessons could only be done in person or through whatever books we could procure have come to an end. While there’s really no substitute for in-person lessons, there are many great resources out there for those looking to learn the saxophone for the first time, or those who want to break [...]

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6 Things You Can Do to Improve Your Technique Today

The Late Saxophone Legend, Johnny Griffin - Fastest Tenor in the West

The ability to shred – for some it’s the holy grail of musicianship (just ask any guitarist at a music store). OK, OK, guitar cracks aside…while having Brecker-a-delic powers to burst past the speed of sound is a dream that we all share, there’s obviously a whole lot more that goes into mastering the horn [...]

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Saxophone Mouthpiece and Reed Discoveries from NAMM 2012

Saxophone Mouthpiece and Reed Discoveries from NAMM 2012

While at the NAMM 2012 show I had the opportunity to meet and network with some of the world’s leading musical instrument and accessory manufacturers as well as some of the greatest saxophonists playing today. I was able to speak with established saxophonists such as Bob Reynolds, Greg Osby, and Pete Christlieb as well as [...]

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Sax Lessons: Joe Henderson

The Legend Himself

Any sax player who plays the saxophone (yes, I meant to say that) is well familiar with the brilliance that is the legacy of the great, late Joe Henderson. I figured I’d leave the bio to Wikipedia and instead offer you some virtual sax lessons from the master himself.
Years ago Joe gave a performance as [...]

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NAMM 2012 Saxophone Roundup

NAMM 2012 Saxophone Roundup

NAMM, NAMM, NAMM. What a great time. I got to try out a gaggle of saxophones, and best of all, I was able to meet in-person so many super-cool folks who I’ve come to know through starting this website. Folks like Charles McNeal, Tim Price, Bob Reynolds, Adam Larson, and Zach Sollitto, along with long-time [...]

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