Category: Best of the Blog
Tonguing Tips: Pushing the Limits of Your Saxophone Technique
Tweet Pushing Your Saxophone Technique Limits It’s true. There are physical limits to how many notes can be played with accurate timing, articulation, and proper intonation. However, there’s really no telling what those limits are. When practicing, it’s important to push ourselves to approach those limits to achieve greater proficiency. That will result in a [...]
Category: Best of the Blog, Best Saxophone Tips and Techniques
Tone Building Exercises Used By Many of Jazz Music’s Saxophone Masters
Tweet Someone once told me that, when speaking to Cannonball Adderley about tone after seeing him with Miles’ band, which included John Coltrane (!), he mentioned that they were seeking an “inspired tone”. Safe to say, they found it. An inspired tone, along with great time, are two traits that all masters have in common. [...]
Category: Best of the Blog, Best Saxophone Tips and Techniques
A Set of Pentatonic Scale Exercises to Super-Charge Your Technique, Ear, and Improvisation
Tweet This article was written by guest contributor, Bobby Stern, a long time professional saxophonist, jazz player, educator, Bari Woodwinds endorser and author of “The Melodic Minor Handbook: A Jazz Player’s Perspective” as well as a new self published eBook “Slick Licks That Stick!” This is a very useful series of exercises for building your chops and acclimating your ear to different [...]
Category: Best of the Blog, Best Saxophone Tips and Techniques
Killer Exercises to Get Your Fingers Flying Gracefully Through Every Key
Tweet This guest article is from saxophone and multi-reed player, composer, recording artist, and educator Sam Sadigursky of SamSadigursky.com. For those of you who have read my previous articles, I’m a big proponent of taking the time to get comfortable in any major or minor key. The exercises I’m going to be covering in this [...]
Category: Best of the Blog, Best Saxophone Tips and Techniques
9 Tips Guaranteed to Make You Play Better by Relaxing More
Tweet Today’s article was inspired by a reader who posed the following great question: Any tips / advice on the critical skill of learning to relax when playing? Before I start a piece I try to breath deeply and let go of stress in the body. Despite this I can feel the tension rise, particularly [...]
Category: Best of the Blog, Best Saxophone Tips and Techniques
The Four-Note Warmup
Tweet This guest post is from saxophone and multi-reed player, composer, recording artist, and educator Sam Sadigursky of SamSadigursky.com As an improviser and composer, I do my best to always add an element of creativity and ear-training to all the practicing that I do. Often, my practice time is quite limited, so being able to address several [...]
Category: Best of the Blog, Best Saxophone Tips and Techniques
How to Improve Your Sound in One Practice Session
Tweet This article comes to us from renown professional saxophonist, recording artist, and author of the new book, A Complete Approach to Sound for the Modern Saxophonist, Ben Britton. I think it is safe to say that most of us who play saxophone are drawn to it because of its sound. It can be vocal and at the [...]
Category: Best of the Blog, Best Saxophone Tips and Techniques
How to Make Your Long Tone Practice Bearable, and Even…Fun?
Tweet Yes, I know, they’re not as fun as learning that hip new Mark Turner lick or wailing over Jamey Aebersold. But they’re necessary. The “they’re” I’m referring to are, of course, our dreaded long tones. But the truth is, they don’t have to be so torturous. There’s things you can do to make them more [...]
Category: Best of the Blog, Best Saxophone Tips and Techniques
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