This article will deal with various aspects of playing the saxophone in jazz ensemble, concert band, rock bands, and show bands both as the only sax player and within a small horn section. I will discuss tuning, the responsibilities of each member of the section, suggestions for mouthpieces, reeds and ligatures. These are mostly my [read more…]
Obviously, there's more to great sax playing than playing a bunch of fast notes. But without being able to get around the horn quickly and smoothly, you can't move your audience with that feeling of musical adrenaline that got you excited about the sax in the first place.
The problem is that too many of us feel like practicing boring scales and arpeggios is part of the dues we all have to pay, without realizing that practicing technique can be a fun and creative process.
With his new streaming video course focused 100% on technique, renowned recording artist, Adam Larson takes you way beyond what "falls easily under the fingers". Instead, he gets you rooting out anything that might be tripping up your fingers - all while adding new melodic and harmonic sounds to your vocabulary. So if you're ready to tear it up without wanting to tear out your hair, click below and let's get started today!
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Lightning-Fast and Crystal-Clean Saxophone Technique
Biography Melissa Aldana to put it simply is one of the premier young saxophonists who has been hitting the scene and really making a name for herself. For those of you who don’t already know or listen to Melissa (in which case I highly encourage you to do ASAP), here are some key details on [read more…]
As 2019 marked the 60th anniversary of John Coltrane’s initial recording of “Giant Steps” (March, 1959 for the Atlantic record label), it seems hard to believe that it was really that long ago. Along with an additional pair of originals, “Countdown” and “Fifth House”, also recorded that year, these three tunes employed a harmonic device [read more…]
As jazz saxophonists we are always contending with the challenge of “originality.” Like most saxophone students, I started out practicing from method books and transcribed solos, but eventually realized that I was not going to stand out as a player, or feel creatively fulfilled, if I only practiced what everyone else was practicing. I had [read more…]
Introduction For those of you who do not know Baptiste Herbin (especially if you’re an alto player), you’re in for a treat. I have been following Baptiste’s playing for quite some time and have been amazed by his extraordinary command of all aspects of playing, from sound, to technique, to harmony, and rhythm. As [read more…]
Photo By “Lindsey Victoria Photography” Introduction I remember seeing and hearing Don Braden play at my first Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Camp. Since then, I have followed Don as a player as well as teacher and this past [read more…]