Steve Neff Music Blog » sax lessons

Getting the Most from Neffmusic Online Lesson

steve — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 02:50:17 +0000

To get most out of my NeffMusic Online Lessons I would suggest a few simple ideas.
1. Focus on one topic like Blues scales, Approach Notes, Pentatonics……..etc.
In my mind it’s always better to focus on one topic at a time and master it. Working on bits and pieces of 10 different lessons and not mastering any can be tedious and frustrating. Read through the online lesson descriptions, watch the sample of the videos and then pick a topic that you think would be a good place to start for you. Try to stay within that topic until you feel you have a good grasp of the concept and it is coming out in your playing. If you would like more online lessons on the topic or would like to know how to use it over a specific tune feel free to email me and I can make another video lesson for you.

2. Set up a concrete plan of action. Many people think that jazz improvisation is done by undisciplined, free spirited people who just kind of wing it up on stage. This is not true. Most of the best jazz players I have played with have also been the most organized, disciplined and focused people I know. Listen to the advice that I give on practicing the material and write down a plan. Don’t just wing it or let your feelings guide you. Be specific! If you have a vague plan, you probably won’t get concrete specific results in your improvisation. Write down a specific plan and course of action to master the material in the lessons. Review your plan weekly and assess your progress. Think about ways that you can improve the plan. Because these lessons are online you have to be the one who takes the information and then comes up with your own lesson plan.

3. Don’t be afraid to communicate with me so I can provide more detailed online lessons for you……Some of my video and audio lessons can be overwhelming because of the amount of info I am giving you. You have to remember that I’m making these online lessons for a wide audience. One person who gets the Dominant Bebop Lessons could be a player who has played for 30 years and can crank through the material. Another person might only be playing for a couple of years and have a harder time. If you are in the latter group and need more specifics and direction email me or write in the forum and I can provide more detailed step by step lessons to meet your specific needs. If you are working on something but are having trouble applying it to a jazz standard just email me or post in the forum and I can do a online lesson on that so you can learn how to apply it. I can’t respond to every individual email but I can provide more lessons that everyone can use. I am more than happy to provide lesson for your specific needs.

4. Don’t be afraid to post in the Neffmusic forum. This is an area that I made so that we could all communicate to each other. You might be able to get some different perspectives from other members that are in the same place you are in or that have already worked on the lesson that you now have. I also like thinking of this as a hub of ideas where I can go to see what you are all thinking and how you are doing. The more we use this area the better the results for everyone. In a one on one teaching scenario there is communication back and forth. The student and teacher both shift and change their approaches and styles to help each other along. Even though this is the internet and the lessons are online we can still have some communication through the use of the forum so that I can meet your needs in a better way.

I hope these four steps help you with my lessons and I wish you lots of success. Thanks, Steve

Skype Lessons with Steve Neff

steve — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 02:30:56 +0000

For the past 3-4 months I have been experimenting with doing online lessons using Skype. It has been working great so far. It is amazing that you can sit down at your computer and have an in person lesson with someone on the other side of the world. Once in awhile I have run into problems with the speed of the connection slowing down, the video freezing or a session getting dropped but so far 95% of the time it has worked great. The way it works is that you need a computer with a video camera, mic, skype software(this is free) and a high speed internet connection. During a skype lesson I will ask you to play something that you feel comfortable with and then give you feedback on what I think. What’s cool about this is that many of you who have taken audio lessons with me in the past I can now see in person and you can see me. It makes it so much easier to see what you are doing and how you are playing. I can then demonstrate things and you can see them also. It’s like we are in the same room with one another. I charge 60/hour for the lessons. You can take a lesson once a week or once a month or whenever you feel the urge just email me. Because of my heavy teaching schedule right now(about 70 students) I can only take on a few skype lessons every week. If you are interested feel free to contact me

and we can try to set something up during a time that works for the both of us.

Lessons with Jerry Bergonzi

steve — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 02:21:18 +0000

If you haven’t seen these yet, here are a few tips from the great Jerry Bergonzi. Jerry is an amazing player who is very well known up here and in NY. Even though I studied with him for a few years off and on we never really talked about sax stuff. It was all improvisation. It’s great to hear him on these video’s talking about sax related tips like artriculation and breathing. If you haven’t hear Bergonzi play you need to!

New Teaching Studio in Brookline NH

steve — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 19:27:23 +0000

Learn Jazz Saxophone in Brookline NH!

I’ve just finished my teaching studio in my new house in Brookline NH. If any of you live near the Brookline NH area and are interested in lessons I am now accepting students. Brookline is about 12 miles west of Nashua and is also right on the Massachusetts border so it is a short drive from the northern Massachesetts area. I teach saxophone, clarinet, flute and jazz improvisation. I teach students of all levels from beginning to advanced. You also don’t have to have a lesson every week. I have students who drive for an hour or two for a lesson once a month. I also have students that come up maybe once or twice a year. I am flexible. Coming to Brookline through Hollis is also a scenic and beautiful drive. Please email me at steve@neffmusic.com if your interested in setting up a lesson. Thanks, Steve Neff