We have two lives: the one we learn with and the one we live after that. — Bernard Malamud Part 1 A few years ago I walked into a saxophone shop and asked the owner if he had heard a certain recording by legendary avant garde composer and saxophonist John Zorn. I was making musical [read more…]
Intro If you aren’t already checking out rising young alto star, Immanuel Wilkins’ playing and projects, here is a rundown of what you need to know. Biography Immanuel Wilkins is a Saxophonist, Composer, Arranger, and Bandleader from the greater Philadelphia-area. Immanuel honed his skills in the church as well as studied in jazz programs like [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
Back in March when the COVID-19 quarantine went into effect, it took me a few weeks to gain my bearings. The shock and disbelief of watching all my upcoming tours, performances, and plans get cancelled day after day seemed too surreal to be true. I wasn’t playing my instrument much in those first few weeks. [read more…]
I have been following Jack Finucane at the increasingly-popular Boston Sax Shop for quite some time. Since the introduction of the Balam Back Strap, Jack has expanded his product line to include his own necks (Heritage Neck), neck-straps (Newbury Street & Deluxe), cases (Ambassador Case for tenor and alto), reeds (B.S.S.), and most recently his [read more…]
Biography From touring with Christian Scott to working on and producing his own music, Braxton Cook is not your average saxophone player. His high level of execution on the saxophone as well as business-savviness is something many young and experienced musicians should strive for. For those of you who are not already checking out Braxton, [read more…]
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…]
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…]