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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

Ted Klum’s Versitone Acoustimax Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

February 6, 2011 by Steve 23 Comments

A couple of weeks ago, I received an email from Frank Klum asking if I’d be interested in trying out Ted Klum’s new Acoustimax alto saxophone mouthpiece.  As I was reading the email, I got to the bottom and was in shock when I saw that Frank lives in Hollis, New Hampshire.  Hollis is the  […]

Filed Under: Alto Low Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Alto Saxophone, sax mouthpiece, Ted Klum, Versitone Acoustimax

Marmaduke Hard Rubber Tenor Sax Mouthpiece 7*

January 18, 2011 by Steve 7 Comments

Today, I am reviewing a mouthpiece that is made by Alex Miyatake in Japan.  Alex says that he has developed this mouthpiece with the help of Ron Coelho of RPC mouthpieces.  These are brand new mouthpieces and I have never heard of them until now.   The mouthpiece that I am playing today is a 7* […]

Filed Under: Tenor Medium Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: hard rubber, Marmaduke, sax mouthpiece, tenor saxophone

Rich Perry playing the blues……..

January 10, 2011 by Steve 4 Comments

Here’s a great video of Rich Perry playing a blues all by himself. Rich is one of my favorite players. I remember when I first heard him years ago, I really wasn’t that into him. Back then I was into Michael Brecker, Bob Berg and guys like that. I heard musicians talking about Rich Perry […]

Filed Under: Jazz Videos Tagged With: blues sax, Rich Perry, tenor saxophone

Stan Getz Legend Series Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

January 7, 2011 by Steve 42 Comments

This is a review of the Stan Getz Legend Series tenor saxophone mouthpiece.  This mouthpiece I’m trying today is an exact copy of the actual mouthpiece that Stan Getz used at the end of his career.  The copy is so exact that it even has slight teeth marks in it where Stan used to put […]

Filed Under: Tenor Low Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Drake Mouthpieces, rs berkeley, Stan Getz, tenor madness

Early Babbitt HR Otto Link Remake Tenor Mouthpiece

January 4, 2011 by Steve 25 Comments

Today, I am reviewing a mouthpiece that is being sold by Tenor Madness.   A big “Thank You” to Dr. James Romain who serves as Associate Professor of Saxophone and Assistant Director of Jazz Studies at Drake University.  He was kind enough to offer to send me his mouthpiece that he picked out personally at […]

Filed Under: Tenor Medium Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: early babbitt, hard rubber, otto link, tenor madness, tenor saxophone

Johannes Gerber Vintage Slant Tenor Mouthpiece

December 13, 2010 by Steve 35 Comments

Today, I am reviewing a mouthpiece made by Johannes Gerber in South Africa.  I have never played a Johannes Gerber mouthpiece before but have always wanted to.  I have heard great things about his work and if you visit his site at www.jgerber.com the pictures will make you want to pull out your credit card […]

Filed Under: Tenor Medium Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Johannes Gerber, sax mouthpiece, tenor saxophone, Vintage slant

“My Favorite Things” Solo- Theo Wanne Gaia Soprano Mouthpiece

December 10, 2010 by Steve 6 Comments

Every month my friends on SOTW (Sax on the Web) do a fun thing called “the tune of the month”.  Each month a different member of the site calls a tune that many of us will do a recording of.   This is a great tradition because it gets many of us out of our comfort […]

Filed Under: Soprano Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Gaia mouthpiece, John Coltrane, My Favorite Things, soprano saxophone, Theo Wanne

Kanee M5 Custom Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

November 29, 2010 by Steve 1 Comment

This is another hard rubber custom mouthpiece from Kanee mouthpieces in China.  As I said in an earlier review, I received 7 mouthpieces from Kanee Music to try out. This model is the alto mouthpiece with the lowest baffle. It is called the M5 model for the alto saxophone.   Here is what is written […]

Filed Under: Alto Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Alto Saxophone, Kanee mouthpieces, M5 mouthpiece, Meyer, Phil Woods

Kanee V5 Custom Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

November 29, 2010 by Steve 1 Comment

This is another hard rubber custom mouthpiece from Kanee mouthpieces in China.  As I said in an earlier review, I received 7 mouthpieces from Kanee Music to try out. This model is the alto mouthpiece with a medium baffle. It is called the V5 model for the alto saxophone. Here is what is written about […]

Filed Under: Alto Medium Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Alto Saxophone, hard rubber, Kanee mouthpieces, V5 mouthpiece

Kanee Z5 Custom Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

November 29, 2010 by Steve 1 Comment

This is another hard rubber custom mouthpiece from Kanee mouthpieces in China.  As I said in an earlier review, I received 7 mouthpieces from Kanee Music to try out.   This model is the alto mouthpiece with the highest baffle.  It is called the Z5 model for the alto saxophone.  Here is what is written about […]

Filed Under: Alto High Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Alto Saxophone, hard rubber, Kanee mouthpieces, Z5 mouthpiece

Free Universal Method for the Saxophone

November 27, 2010 by Steve 5 Comments

I was looking around the internet today for a music book that I could use in my online video lessons.  I’ve had a bunch of requests for some lessons on sight reading and I thought it would be cool if I could find something to use that was in the “public domain”.    I was surprised […]

Filed Under: Saxophone Stuff Tagged With: Paul de Ville, public domain, saxophone, Universal Method

Drake Son of Slant Soprano Saxophone Mouthpiece

November 24, 2010 by Steve 22 Comments

This is a Drake vintage resin soprano mouthpiece. It is called the “Son of Slant” in reference to a vintage Otto Link Slant soprano mouthpiece.  Here is the description from the Drake website of the mouthpiece: The design of this mouthpiece has been modeled after the Otto Link Slant model, with a few modifications to […]

Filed Under: Soprano Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Drake Mouthpieces, Son of Slant, soprano saxophone, vintage resin

Sakshama “Lost Wax” Florida Link Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

November 23, 2010 by Steve 9 Comments

This is a Sakshama “lost wax” florida link metal mouthpiece that I received from Sakshama Koloski  a few months ago.  He was gracious enough to let me try one of his mouthpieces.  I put lost wax in quotations because I’m not sure exactly what that means.  This mouthpiece is a great example of a great […]

Filed Under: Tenor Low Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: lost wax, Sakshama, saxophone, tenor mouthpiece, tenor sax

Theo Wanne Gaia Soprano Saxophone Mouthpiece

November 21, 2010 by Steve 12 Comments

Today, I have the Theo Wanne Gaia soprano saxophone mouthpiece up for review.  It is made of hard rubber and I believe it is a .065 tip opening ( that is what I had asked for……..the markings on the table say 7 x 113 but I have no idea what that means).  I have tried […]

Filed Under: Soprano Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Gaia mouthpiece, large chamber, sax, soprano saxophone, Theo Wanne

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Testimonials

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

Thank You Steve. I think that I will be busy for years. Thank You for your great contribution to jazz music. Your books, more than teaching “how to play jazz”, actually teach “how to speak jazz”. I wish I found your methods years ago.  

Jean-Eric

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

Mr. Neff,  I want to thank you for sharing your God-given talents through your on-line lessons.  My husband, Michael, is blind, but he is a great sax player and he has been enjoying your lessons for quite some time now.  It’s not unusual for me to hear “Hey, babe, listen to THIS!” – and he will cut loose on his sax, just thrilled at what he learned during his session with you.  His excitement warms my heart!  You have no idea how much you have poured into my husband.  You have opened musical … Read more

Carole B
I can’t say enough about my membership at Neff Music. Steve has taken the mystery out of playing the saxophone well and improvising both jazz and rock music. Like most struggling players I have a load of all sorts of books on my shelf just gathering dust. Books that I didn’t understand or know how to put to use…or just have the time to go threw them. Steve’s lessons really simplify things and he puts it in a way that I can understand. They inspire me to keep pushing and having him as my guide or… Read more
Ken
I just started looking at my lessons and I have to say, dude you are awesome.  I ABSOLUTELY will learn from you!  I started the tenor about 1 ½ yrs ago and have since picked up an alto, and more recently a soprano.  I spend most of the time on the tenor, followed by soprano, and have only gotten to the alto a few times.  I think I’ll be sticking with tenor.  I’m having a great time and hope one day to play well enough to get regular gigs.  I’ve been playing keys for about 35 years (… Read more
Wil
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
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
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!

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
I’ve been downloading your lessons for 4 months now (20 lesson) and I have noticed tremendous growth in my playing thus far! I’m so happy that I stumbled upon your site!
Bob
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 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

Steve, just a note to say thanks.

I’ve been playing a long time, but your material, laid out in such a thoughtful way, helps me to understand concepts in a new and deeper way.

You are a true gift to the jazz community.

60 lessons and going strong,

Kevin Ledbetter

Kevin Ledbetter

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
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
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
I have found your videos and publications inspiring and your contribution to the world of saxophone playing is immense. Paul
Paul
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
I have NEVER seen material like yours.  Amazing!!
Jerry
Hi Steve, I can’t express just how much I appreciate your teaching. My playing has improved so much over the past year since I have been studying and practicing with your lessons. It is possible to teach an old dog new tricks, these lessons are proof! Thanks, Michael Byington
Michael Byington
Hey Steve, My name is Jason Freese and I play keyboards and sax in the band Green Day.  I grew up taking sax lessons from Eric Marienthal when I was a kid and got out of it for a long time. I ran into you on youtube while searching for sax stuff. I bought a whole bunch of your lessons and have been loving it! Thanks! Here is my wikipedia so you can see the albums I’ve played on….Thanks again. It’s sparked my interest in practicing again.   Jason
Jason Freese (sax player for Green Day)
Steve- I joined your site this month and have downloaded 4 lessons and also purchased your new book and video on diatonic patterns. I just want to say I am very pleased with your approach and teaching techniques. I am getting back into playing after laying off for some time. The information you offer on your site is of great value and I am enjoying being a member. Thank you for what you are doing for the saxophone community.
Tony
I am a music book junkie and I have to say that your books are the most clear, user friendly, and helpful books I own.  They are my absolute favorites and I only wish I had them years ago.  I wouldn’t change a thing about the experience I had in acquiring my degree at Berklee, but my playing has perhaps grown more in the time I’ve spent buried in your books and lessons.  Keep up the great work!!! Thanks, John
John

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