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Hi! I am Steve Neff

I have been playing and teaching saxophone and jazz improvisation around the New England area for the last 30+ years. I love teaching and anything to do with the saxophone. I hope you find this website helpful in your musical journey. Thanks, Steve

Ishimori Woodstone 8 Hard Rubber Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

August 6, 2011 by Steve 10 Comments

I have an Ishimori Woodstone hard rubber tenor sax mouthpiece to review and play for you today.  This is a 8 tip opening (.110) hard rubber mouthpiece.   I have been eagerly wanting to play one of these Ishimori mouthpieces for quite a while. Ishimori Woodstone Hard Rubber Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Over the past few months, […]

Filed Under: Tenor Low Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: hard rubber, Ishimori, sax mouthpiece, super custom, tenor saxophone, traditional jazz, Woodstone

Ishimori Woodstone Silver Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

August 6, 2011 by Steve 9 Comments

I have an Ishimori Woodstone silver tenor sax mouthpiece to review and play for you today. This is a 8 tip (.110) high baffled mouthpiece.  I have been eagerly wanting to play these Ishimori mouthpieces for quite a while. Ishimori Woodstone Silver Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Over the past few months, I have heard of Ishimori […]

Filed Under: Tenor High Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Ishimori, metal, saxophone mouthpiece, silver, tenor sax, Woodstone

Ishimori Woodstone Super Custom Hard Rubber Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

August 3, 2011 by Steve 53 Comments

I have another Ishimori Woodstone  alto saxophone mouthpiece to review and play today.  This one is the hard rubber “Super Custom” traditional jazz model in a 6 tip opening.  I was very excited to play this alto mouthpiece as I have heard so much about the tenor mouthpieces and knew the alto mouthpiece would be […]

Filed Under: Alto Medium Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: alto sax, hard rubber, Ishimori, saxophone mouthpiece, super custom, traditional jazz, Woodstone

Ishimori Woodstone A11 Silver Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

August 3, 2011 by Steve 7 Comments

I have an Ishimori Woodstone silver alto sax mouthpiece to review and play for you today. This is a 7* tip high baffled mouthpiece.  I have been eagerly wanting to try these Ishimori mouthpieces out for quite awhile. Ishimori Woodstone A11 Silver Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Over the past few months I have heard of Ishimori […]

Filed Under: Alto High Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: alto sax, Ishimori, saxophone mouthpiece, silver A11, Woodstone

Charlie Parker “Bird” Legend Series Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

July 15, 2011 by Steve 19 Comments

Here is another mouthpiece in the Legend series made for RS Berkeley by Drake mouthpieces.   A number of months ago I reviewed a copy of  Stan Getz’s mouthpiece.  This mouthpiece is a copy of Charlie Parker’s mouthpiece.   Les Silver (a member of my site for the last 2 years ) called me up a […]

Filed Under: Alto Medium Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: aaron drake, alto sax, Bird, Charlie Parker, rs berkeley, saxophone mouthpiece

Lamberson F Major 7 Soprano Saxophone Mouthpiece

June 13, 2011 by Steve 5 Comments

Today I’m reviewing a Fred Lamberson F Major 7 soprano saxophone mouthpiece.  Fred Lamberson is a great mouthpiece maker that I have known about for years.  I’ve tried most of his mouthpieces on my tenor saxophone and one of my favorite is my Lamberson J7.  Over the years,  I have never tried a Lamberson soprano […]

Filed Under: Soprano Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: F Major 7, Fred Lamberson, sax mouthpiece, soprano saxophone

Joe Allard Lesson Videos

June 2, 2011 by Steve 1 Comment

Joe Allard (December 31, 1910 – May 3, 1991), a native of Lowell, MA,was a famous saxophone and clarinet professor at Juilliard, The New England Conservatory and The Manhattan School of Music. Some of his most famous students were: Michael Brecker, Eddie Daniels, Bob Berg, Dave Liebman, Paul Winter, Steve Grossman, Kenneth Radnofsky, Bill Pierce […]

Filed Under: Saxophone Stuff Tagged With: clarinet, embouchure, Joe Allard, saxophone, teaching video

Mark Spencer Silver Tenor Mouthpiece

May 5, 2011 by Steve 19 Comments

Here’s a new mouthpiece review of a Mark Spencer Silver tenor saxophone mouthpiece.  I bought this mouthpiece from Bob Franceschini who some of you might know. (He played saxophone with Mike Stern for a number of years). Mark Spencer is a mouthpiece maker and refacer in Australia that made this mouthpiece especially for Bob Franceschini.  […]

Filed Under: Tenor High Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Bob Franceschini, Mark Spencer, saxophone mouthpiece, tenor sax

Phil Barone NY Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

May 3, 2011 by Steve 6 Comments

This is a Phil Barone NY model tenor mouthpiece I have for a review today.  As you can see from the pictures, this mouthpiece has been heavily used by some past owners……………not the prettiest mouthpiece I’ve had on here.  The gold plating is all worn off and there is some corrosion on the brass.  Sometimes […]

Filed Under: Tenor Medium Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Ny model, Phil Barone, saxophone mouthpiece, tenor sax

Theo Wanne Refaced Selmer Soloist Tenor Mouthpiece

May 1, 2011 by Steve 4 Comments

Here’s another clip of a great Selmer Soloist that Mark Sepinuck let me  try.  For those of you who don’t know Mark he is one of the premier dealers of high end mouthpieces.  If you look on ebay he goes by “10mfan”.  I met Mark years ago when he used to live up near Boston.  […]

Filed Under: Tenor Low Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: sax mouthpiece, Selmer soloist, tenor saxophone, Theo Wanne

Jon Van Wie Meyer Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

May 1, 2011 by Steve 13 Comments

This is a modern Meyer tenor saxophone mouthpiece that I recently bought.  This one is a 7 that was refaced by the late great Jon Van Wie to a .105 tip opening.  I knew that if Jon Van Wie had refaced it then it would be a great example of what a Meyer could do.  […]

Filed Under: Tenor Medium Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Jon Van Wie, JVW refaced, Meyer, saxophone mouthpiece, tenor sax

Chris Potter and Joe Lovano Video

April 22, 2011 by Steve 2 Comments

Here’s a great video of Chris Potter and Joe Lovano playing together in NYC. The first two clicks are of the jazz standard Four. The last one is of Bye Bye Blackbird. It’s amazing to see these two masters playing together. You can tell they really enjoy each others playing. This is some pretty hardcore […]

Filed Under: Jazz Videos Tagged With: chris potter, Four, Joe Lovao, tenor saxophone

Warburton Modular Sax Neck System

April 18, 2011 by Steve 8 Comments

I have an exciting product to review today.  It is the Warburton Modular Sax Neck.  This is one of the coolest products I have ever tried.  Whoever thought of it is a genius.  Basically, it is a neck that has no tenon or cork on it.  The two items that are missing can be screwed […]

Filed Under: Saxophone Stuff Tagged With: initiator, Modular Sax Neck, tenon, Warburton

Bending Notes on the Saxophone

April 16, 2011 by Steve Leave a Comment

A great sax player has mastered the art of bending and shaping  their notes to express what they want to convey.  It might be a mood, attitude or emotion.  There is no doubt that bending notes adds excitement and emotion to a solo.  Bending notes on the saxophone is one of the coolest things that […]

Filed Under: Saxophone Stuff Tagged With: bend notes, saxophone, steve neff, throat, tongue, voicing notes

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Testimonials

Steve,  Just want to say thanks for all you are doing for all of us. I’ve learned more from you than anyone else in my 40 years of playing.

If you can give some tips on One Note Samba, Ceora, and Wave… that would be cool.  I really like learning how you apply your concepts to actual songs!

Have a great year,

Kevin Ledbetter

I've learned more from you than anyone else in my 40 years of playing.
I have NEVER seen material like yours.  Amazing!!
Jerry

Steve,

I have played for many years and have enjoyed going “back to the basics” in some of your lessons!  You have such a gift for explaining concepts.  As I have gotten older, some of the basic things have gotten muddled because I just play, not knowing why.  As I refresh myself with “why”, it increases my confidence and expands my playing.  Thank you so much for using your gift!  You are a blessing!

Julia
I want to let you know that your instructional material is transforming my playing.  It is an immense pleasure to learn and play now, and I can’t tell you how grateful I am. The instructional material I got from you is by far the best of any I own (and I have over 100 books, DVDs, and what not). I literally can’t thank you enough! Deric
Deric
Steve’s monthly lessons are entirely valuable. Without brow beating, he tells you all the stuff you deep down know you really should be working on, instead of just relying on the same old patterns. In spite of the fact that you’re taking a video lesson, Steve’s presentation is comfortable and “real”. In a little more than a year, he’s developed a library of lessons that seem to offer any player a lifetime’s worth of practice material. I’m just glad I stumbled upon it.… Read more
Grant
I would like to say that in the last year my sax playing has progressed loads from your lessons. I have had a sax for about 20 years and dabbled with lessons from a few teachers and have learnt very little from them. As you have said in your lessons many teachers tell you to use the blues scale and leave it there, not even showing you the resolution points!!. I am now believing I can in time become a good improviser.
Thanks again,
Shane
Shane

Never really had lessons before just kinda worked things out on my own. Was in a rut but your lessons are really helpful in opening melodic possibilities. Ur an awesome resource to the saxophone community. Thanks for sharing. 

Anthony

I want to thank you for your “Ultimate II-V-I Primer”  which has sent me off on a much better path to improvisation.  The primer and the four bound books I have will keep me busy for a long time.  I like your lessons for two reasons.  The lessons work and THEY ARE FUN.  Thanks again.

Robert

Robert
I just joined Neff Music last month. I can’t tell you how excited I’ve been to be able to pick back up on lessons. I’ve been in a rut and you got me out! I’ve especially appreciated the Lesson Path section. It was so clear I knew exactly where to jump in and start. Many many thanks!
Karin
Thank you so much for the great job you are doing to help further our jazz studies. Though I make my living as a repairer of musical instruments I am a student of jazz and have been fortunate enough to be involved with a big band and a combo for the last several years. As my children began to leave “the nest” I had decided to dedicate the next half of my life to a more serious study of the sax but I didn’t know exactly how I would go about doing this until a friend of mine turned me onto your si… Read more
Jon
Just to say thanks for your advice and lessons.  I’ve just read your amazing story.  I really appreciate what you do in regards to teaching.  I have bought a couple of your lessons and frankly they’re undersold.   I’ve learned much more with these two lessons than with 2 years of sax teachers.   Thanks so much………..
Mike
I like so many other subscribers feel so encouraged by Steve’s learning techniques; you will enjoy reading the comments of praise others have left as you too will feel that you share a common view and path. I feel very lucky to have come across Neffmusic and that feeling will remain with you as you search through a treasure trove of learning materials on offer, you will quickly find the lessons that you are suited to. You will instantly recognize the unparalleled quality of Steve’s teaching … Read more
Stephen
By the way, BIG COMPLIMENTS to you, Steve! Not only are you a great player, you are also a great teacher! I, too, am a woodwinds player/teacher. I have new inspiration to play and teach because of you. The concepts and “thinking” is similar to what I already learned in College, but hearing you explain and PLAY the concepts REALLY MAKES THE DIFFERENCE! Also, your written patterns are more interesting than other books I have seen! Keep up the good work. I will be recommending your sit… Read more
I will be recommending your site to others!
I am enjoying your style of teaching, and you’ve done a great job with the videos….good sound quality and well constructed lessons.  Balances the more guitaristic material found on the majority of guitar based programs.  Jazz vocab is what I’m all about at this point in the journey.   I especially dig the fact that you’ve studied with Bergonzi…helps me see his voluminous output in a more  bite sized way.
Milton

Hello Steve,

I have not received my alto yet but have already gone through 14 lessons. I love your approach, style, knowledge and competence. I now regret so much to have stayed away from playing the sax for the past 45-50 years…(I am 65).  But It is never too late to get back to your first love. After 23 years in compuer sciences and 22 years in finances…I am now back to music for the rest of my life.

Doing some research on the net, I found this:

http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?1… Read more

Claude
It is so refreshing to have a great player, who can provide lessons and examples in a manner which is understandable to most any enthusiastic saxophonist who is ready to improve. not just the, do this, do that, memorize this, memorize that… while all that is absolutely necessary, you go on to give reasons and examples to explain and validate why you have to do all of these things, the benefits, if you will… that is the key for me, you tell, explain, demonstrate, explain some more, you give perso… Read more
Cedric

I want to thank you again, because, not only are you an inspiration to listen to, you are a fine teacher!

I have been teaching sax and other winds for over 20 years, and you give me that “push” to give my students more!

Mark Peotter

Mark Peotter

Your material is great! I got your New Altissimo Lesson 6 months ago and I have learned more from that than in all my 44 years of playing! I appreciate your down to earth teaching method and I really appreciate the heart that you teach with. I have been a subscriber to your lessons for the past 6 months and I have learned a great deal. Over that period of time I have had some questions and you have never failed to respond. Thanks! I have already recommended your lessons to a number of players in… Read more

Michael Byington
Hey Steve, I’m a 22-year-old from Australia. I thought it would be worth saying. You’re an absolute legend. I can’t thank you enough. You have helped me rekindle my love for the saxophone and music as a whole. All the best for the future, your work doesn’t go unnoticed. PS. I am loving your devastating minor lines pdf.
Sapph
I can see from your instructional videos that you are a fantastic teacher – one that can truly relate to all ages – humble yet very positive in approach – never coming across as superior and yet so totally capable of demonstrating the principles and techniques that you seek to impart to the students. I have gained so much confidence in my playing from “pouring over” time and again these invaluable lessons. Invaluable not only in musical content, but also in human interaction content. I am absolu… Read more
Ron

Love your lessons!  I have been using your lesson packages for many months now, and am learning a lot.  It is so perfect for me with a very busy adult schedule and difficulty in taking jazz/improv music lessons from reputable instructors who live and hour or more away from me.

Lenore
I’ve been a member of Steve’s site for about six months now and the difference it has made to my playing is immeasurable. The (many) benefits of this membership are that you can have lessons at time convenient to you, they work out A LOT cheaper than face-to-face lessons with a teacher of the same calibre and you can replay them ad infinitum. I don’t know how many times have I had lessons in the past where I’ve ended up covering the same concepts when really a ‘replay’ of the last lesson would h… Read more
Nick

Hello Steve,

I just want to say thank you so much for your unbelievable work, it is just mind opening, thanks for sharing it.

Wolfgang from Berlin

Wolfgang from Berlin
Two years later I began a search for a sax teacher and happened to come across Steve Neff when I was searching YouTube for sax teachers.  I went to neffmusic.com and was very impressed with the lessons Steve Neff was offering.  The concept of selecting lessons was an approach that I thought was unique and purchased a few lessons.  I liked the lessons so much that I signed-up for a 6 month package. I was very happy with all the lessons I selected.  I also purchased Steve’s book Mastering the B… Read more
Michael

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