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Review of the Utterly Unique SaxyScarfStrap

Review of the Utterly Unique SaxyScarfStrap

The SaxyScarfStrap is one of the most original products I have received since my first review came out on this web site. This neck-strap was designed to offer professional musicians support that distributes the pressure equally between their neck and shoulders. This support will allow saxophonists to practice and play longer than before without having [...]

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A 2-Minute Tip to Get You Sounding Better Right Away

A 2-Minute Tip to Get You Sounding Better Right Away

If you’re a subscriber to my email newsletter, you should have received my most recent edition in which featured a great tip from sax great, Bob Sheppard regarding sound production. I’m not going to repeat everything I wrote, since you can get that stuff by checking out the online version of the newsletter here. However, what [...]

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David Sanborn’s Reed Preparation Ritual

If you can't find a reed well, this type of cup will do the trick.

Reed preparation rituals - everyone’s got one. We may find ourselves doing things like soaking our reeds in Listerine, or shaving them down with a nail file, or burying them in the ground for 6 months, or just slapping them on the mouthpiece and playing. The goal is to end up with a reed that sounds, and [...]

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A Set of Mouthpiece Exercises to Boost Your Tone, Big-Time

A Set of Mouthpiece Exercises to Boost Your Tone, Big-Time

Did you know that playing on the mouthpiece alone is a great way to train the muscles in your mouth and throat to respond extremely effectively in getting you the best and biggest sound you can possibly get? If not, I’d recommend checking out this article. Although the article I just pointed you to contains [...]

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Behind the Scenes: Adding Piano to Bob Mintzer Interview

Behind the Scenes: Adding Piano to Bob Mintzer Interview

As some of you know, I am currently working on a follow-up to my educational program for saxophone players, Bulletproof Saxophone Playing. You may have also heard me say that this time around I’m featuring Bob Mintzer, Dave Liebman, and Bob Sheppard. Needless to say, I’m completely honored to get to work with these truly [...]

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Pre-Playing to Get Big Results with Little Effort

Photo by Nina Stawski

I would venture to guess that many of us go into a practice session or performance somewhat mindlessly. Of course, once the horn is in our mouth, we usually snap into conscious music-making mode. However, are there things we can do set ourselves up for the best possible results before we start playing? To dig [...]

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7 Tips to Keep Your Lower Lip Pain-Free

Photo by MartialArtsNomad.com.

Almost all of us know the feeling. It’s been a long practice or rehearsal session, and the inside of our lower lip is so sore that we can barely go on playing, thanks to our flesh-piercing lower teeth. (Ouch! Sounds painful when I put it that way, no?) This article was my response to an [...]

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Review of the Theo Wanne “AMMA” Metal Mouthpiece

Review of the Theo Wanne “AMMA” Metal Mouthpiece

I recently received a Theo Wanne “AMMA” model metal mouthpiece with a 7 * tip opening for my tenor saxophone. Over the years, I have heard from many saxophonists that Theo Wanne is one of the leading mouthpiece refacers in the world. This past January, I had the opportunity to visit his booth at the [...]

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