A Guide to Finally Figuring Out Which Bb Fingering To Use
The four possible fingerings for Bb on the saxophone. I would say we’re pretty lucky to play an instrument with one of the most basic and straightforward fingering systems of any wind instrument....
View ArticleThe Saxophonist’s Guide To The Dreaded Art Of Transposition
Photo by Bruno Denis I’m sure many of you remember that first time you sat down to play some sheet music with somebody playing another instrument, and most likely had that crazy realization that you...
View ArticleThese Fun Technical Exercises Will Prepare You For Just About Anything
Technical Exercises in all Keys All players should organize their practice, but that structure should also leave a lot of room for variety and creativity. For most of my students, I recommend they...
View ArticleHow To Keep Your Solos Fresh Using Lower Neighbor Tones
One of the most basic and important truths of improvising is that no matter what note you play, you’re never more than a half-step away from the “right” note. Besides being a comforting thing to know,...
View ArticleOne Of The Quickest Ways To Get You Flying Through All Twelve Keys
Professional classical musicians seem to be able to memorize impossibly complicated solo works, orchestral excerpts, and other pieces in a short amount of time and with remarkable recall and...
View ArticleWhy Knowing All Of Your Scales Is Not The Same As Knowing All Of Your Keys
Photo by Jon Delorey When teaching, I’m often struck by how many students can play all their major scales but have little actual understanding of the keys that they play in and how their related key...
View ArticleThis Is Probably The Most Useful Scale In Jazz Improvisation
Scales are the “raw material” of melody, whether improvised or composed. It’s not likely that you’ll study jazz improvisation to any serious degree without spending a lot of time learning, exploring...
View ArticleDissecting Your Scales To Build Your Technique
Image by Ethan Hein Learn your scales. Learn your scales. Learn your scales… We hear it over and over while we’re learning to play music, but often we don’t hear enough about what we can do with those...
View ArticleA Quick but Comprehensive Practice Routine that Gets Results
Have you ever sat down to practice and had any of the following thoughts? I don’t know where to begin I feel lost I’ve run out of things to practice I don’t know what to practice I’m tired of...
View ArticleImprove Your Tone the Fast Way with These Overtone Exercises
Photo by Juanedc Most people have heard of overtones and have gotten the idea that they can be a helpful practice tool. That is definitely true, but why? How does transforming your saxophone into a...
View ArticleRhythm Exercises Brought to You By 3 Modern Jazz Heavyweights
Kneebody came to town recently, and I had the wonderful opportunity to take a lesson with tenor saxophonist, bassoonist, pianist and composer Ben Wendel. In addition to playing with big names like...
View ArticleIt’s Indeed Possible to Master Your Altissimo – And Here’s How
If you’re someone that has been tinkering and experimenting with the altissimo range of your saxophone, then good for you. It’s something we can all use as an important tool for increasing our...
View ArticleHow To Keep Your Solos Fresh Using Lower Neighbor Tones
One of the most basic and important truths of improvising is that no matter what note you play, you’re never more than a half-step away from the “right” note. Besides being a comforting thing to know,...
View ArticleOne Of The Quickest Ways To Get You Flying Through All Twelve Keys
Professional classical musicians seem to be able to memorize impossibly complicated solo works, orchestral excerpts, and other pieces in a short amount of time and with remarkable recall and...
View ArticleWhy Knowing All Of Your Scales Is Not The Same As Knowing All Of Your Keys
Photo by Jon Delorey When teaching, I’m often struck by how many students can play all their major scales but have little actual understanding of the keys that they play in and how their related key...
View ArticleThis Is Probably The Most Useful Scale In Jazz Improvisation
Scales are the “raw material” of melody, whether improvised or composed. It’s not likely that you’ll study jazz improvisation to any serious degree without spending a lot of time learning, exploring...
View ArticleDissecting Your Scales To Build Your Technique
Image by Ethan Hein Learn your scales. Learn your scales. Learn your scales… We hear it over and over while we’re learning to play music, but often we don’t hear enough about what we can do with those...
View ArticleA Quick but Comprehensive Practice Routine that Gets Results
Have you ever sat down to practice and had any of the following thoughts? I don’t know where to begin I feel lost I’ve run out of things to practice I don’t know what to practice I’m tired of...
View ArticleImprove Your Tone the Fast Way with These Overtone Exercises
Photo by Juanedc Most people have heard of overtones and have gotten the idea that they can be a helpful practice tool. That is definitely true, but why? How does transforming your saxophone into a...
View ArticleRhythm Exercises Brought to You By 3 Modern Jazz Heavyweights
Kneebody came to town recently, and I had the wonderful opportunity to take a lesson with tenor saxophonist, bassoonist, pianist and composer Ben Wendel. In addition to playing with big names like...
View Article
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