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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

As Funny as a Brain Tumor! Part 15

October 1, 2009 by Steve 113 Comments

The next morning, our last day in Disney, I woke up to my kids talking to each other.  I sat up in bed and just looked at them.  There voices sounded normal.  I couldn’t believe it. Matter of fact, I didn’t believe it. I put on the radio, it sounded normal. I was so excited […]

Filed Under: Funny as a Brain Tumor Tagged With: brain tumor, hearing problems, steve neff

Drake Ceramic Small Chamber Soprano Mouthpiece

September 25, 2009 by Steve 4 Comments

This is a new Drake ceramic soprano mouthpiece that I am trying out. This piece has a .065 tip opening and a small chamber.  The mouthpiece plays with a nice  focused tone. Much more focused sounding than the Drake large chambered mouthpiece. If you listen to both clips you can hear the difference between a […]

Filed Under: Soprano Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: ceramic, drake mouthpiece, soprano

Drake Ceramic Large Chamber Soprano Mouthpiece

September 25, 2009 by Steve 2 Comments

This is a another new Drake ceramic soprano mouthpiece that I am trying out.  this piece has a .065 tip opening and a larger chamber in it than I have seen in other soprano mouthpieces.  This mouthpiece plays with a big fat tone.  Much more spread sounding than the  Drake small chambered mouthpiece. If you […]

Filed Under: Soprano Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: ceramic, drake mouthpiece, soprano mouthpiece

Selmer Super Session J Soprano Saxophone Mouthpiece

September 20, 2009 by Steve 24 Comments

This is a sound clip of my main soprano saxophone mouthpiece for the last 6 years.  It is a Selmer Super Session J mouthpiece that I  bought from WWBW. At the time that I bought this, I also tried an I tip opening. I remember feeling like the I gave me a Kenny G type […]

Filed Under: Soprano Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: sax mouthpiece, saxophone mouthpiece, selmer, soprano sax, soprano saxophone, super session

Aizen LS Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

September 18, 2009 by Steve 34 Comments

This is the new Aizen LS 7*  tenor  saxophone mouthpiece.  I have one of these for my alto saxophone that I love and am lucky enough to be able to try this tenor sax model. I’ve had it for 2 weeks and played it almost everyday. These are advertised as being copies of a vintage […]

Filed Under: Tenor Low Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Aizen LS, Minoru Kubota, saxophone, Slant Link, tenor mouthpiece

Rick Margitza Solo-“What is this thing called love?”

September 18, 2009 by Steve 8 Comments

Here is a great tenor sax solo that I transcribed a couple of years ago.  It’s from Jeff Hellmer’s album “Peak Moments”. The tune is a standard called “What is this thing called love?” and features Rick Margitza on the tenor saxophone. “What is This Thing Called Love” a great standard by Cole Porter that […]

Filed Under: Transcriptions Tagged With: Jeff Hellmer, peak moments, Rick Margitza, what is this thing called love

Practicing away from your instrument! Part 1

September 17, 2009 by Steve 3 Comments

I had a lesson the other day with a student and I realized that he was really having a hard time coming up with melodic ideas and phrases.  I asked him “Do you ever sing?”  “No!”  “How about humming?”   “No!”  “How about in the shower?”   “No!” This really got me thinking about things […]

Filed Under: Jazz Improvisation Tagged With: Jazz Improvisation, practicing, singing

Great Story Involving the Band Green Day

August 18, 2009 by Steve 1 Comment

About a month or so ago, I took my wife to a “Green Day” concert in Boston. She’s a big Green Day fan and it was around our anniversary…….. While we were there, lo and behold, the keyboard player picks up a saxophone and starts wailin’.  Of course, my wife turns to me and asks […]

Filed Under: NeffMusic News Tagged With: Green Day, Jason Freese, sax player

New “Vintage” Slant Otto Link Tenor Mouthpiece

August 14, 2009 by Steve 36 Comments

This a “New” “Vintage” “Slant” Otto Link  hard rubber tenor mouthpiece.  There has been a lot of buzz about these lately. Babbitt has come out with these as a model that is comparable to the vintage slant signature hard rubber links everyone is paying big bucks for on ebay.  Now I have to say, that […]

Filed Under: Tenor Low Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: otto link, tenor mouthpiece, Vintage Link, Vintage slant

Greg Wier Indian Rubber 7* Tenor Mouthpiece

August 14, 2009 by Steve 7 Comments

This another tenor mouthpiece made by Greg Wier.  I asked Greg to make me a hard rubber tenor mouthpiece with a little more power than his slant piece I had played before. He said that he had a few blanks of “Indian Rubber” (I have no idea what that means, but it sounds good) He […]

Filed Under: Tenor Medium Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: greg wier, Indian Rubber, tenor mouthpiece

Jon Van Wie’s Words On Mouthpiece Work

August 14, 2009 by Steve 10 Comments

This was on one of the google forums back in the late 90’s.  I never heard of Jon Van Wie or his work before this but reading this post you can sense the love, passion and focus he had for saxophone mouthpiece refacing.  Soon after reading this, I sent Jon Van Wie a few mouthpieces […]

Filed Under: Saxophone Stuff, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Jon Van Wie, Mouthpiece reface

60’s Brilhart Personaline Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

August 14, 2009 by Steve Leave a Comment

This is another great example of a Vintage Brilhart tenor mouthpiece.  This one was refaced to .105 by Brian Powell and then Eric Drake fine tuned it to meet the needs of the person that owns it.  This is a great playing tenor mouthpiece.  It has a great character to the sound that I really […]

Filed Under: Tenor Low Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Brilhart, hard rubber, Personaline, tenor mouthpiece

60’s Brilhart Personaline Tenor Mouthpiece

August 14, 2009 by Steve 4 Comments

A friend of mine from  noticed I had no sound clips of vintage Brilhart hard rubber mouthpieces.  I had to admit to him that I’ve never played a vintage Brilhart.  I could tell he felt extreme sorrow for my situation and was genorous enough to send me 3 great ones from his collection to try. […]

Filed Under: Tenor Low Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Brilhart, Personaline, tenor mouthpiece

Vandoren V16 T75 Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

August 14, 2009 by Steve 59 Comments

This is a tenor mouthpiece I picked up at a music store a year or two ago.  I use to own one about 8 years ago and it was one of my favorite mouthpieces so when I saw this one I grabbed it.  Vandoren makes some of the best most consistent pieces out there.   […]

Filed Under: Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: tenor mouthpiece, Vandoren V16 T75

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Testimonials

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 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 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
Thank you for the wealth of helpful lessons you’ve provided over the years.  I truly feel as though it has improved my playing more than the 4 years I spent at Berklee… and that’s not a slight on the school as I loved my experience there.
John
John
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

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 say something about Steve Neff’s series of lessons, Beginner Jazz Improvisation. For a couple of years I tried many beginner lessons and my problem was that there was a gap between lessons that were fairly simple and ones that I was not quite ready for and my progress stalled out. That problem was solved with the series Beginner Jazz Improvisation. He guides you step by step along the way and builds a foundation for learning jazz and blues. He leaves no question about what to practice … Read more
Pete

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 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
Just a brief note to compliment you on your teaching skills and in particular for the honesty of your lessons.  I am a returning alto sax player in my 50’s and I was looking for a no nonsense, straight to the point kind of guidance. I had intended to email you with a few questions regarding the use of the bis key but then I noticed that there was a lesson on that specific topic and after viewing it,  all my questions were answered. I once took a group lesson with a well known professional sax … Read more
Patrick
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

Hi Steve,

First, I want to thank you for all of your great lessons. They are like a “For Dummies” version of all the books on my shelf. The lessons break things down into manageable pieces, and give me the confidence that I’m practicing the right pieces. I’m starting to make progress.   Thank You,   Kim

Kim
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
I’m an experienced player in the pop/soul/funk areas of music and, previously, classical.  Over the decades I’ve been playing, I’ve always felt that I could do what I needed in those styles of music.  However, recently I began to feel limited by my use of the same old licks. When I discovered Steve Neff’s website, and heard the audio examples based on the exercises in his books, I realized they were what I needed.  I purchased all of them and have been working on them since.  It’s very hard work… Read more
Paul
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
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

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
Hi Steve, I have been shedding your materials for quite a while now and I love them! They are extremely well organized and presented and there are tons of ’em! I really appreciate your methodical approach and find myself referring students to your resources often.  Thanks so much!  
Kenyon Carter
I’ve been having ‘ online’  lessons with Steve for a few months now. Being a teacher myself I had had some reservations with the idea at first and the practicalities of it .  Let me just say that my playing has taken a huge leaps forward while studying with Steve and continues to do so.Steve studied with some renowned player/teachers such as Bergonzi and Garzone– this in itself is invaluable but Steve teaches from his own books, which cover a a vast amount of  jazz language. Steve h… Read more
David

After reading your story I will never feel quite right about complaining about any of my MINOR health issues!!    God bless Steve and I really hope that your health doesn’t stop you from fulfilling your calling.    These books have been such a help to open up my jazz vocabulary…   Thanks so much for sharing your story and for providing these great teaching tools…   John Leclerc   Saxophonist / composer/ EWI player and professional working musician of 35 years….

John Leclerc

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

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
Thank you for all the educational information you provide.  I am a classically trained musician.  Professionally, I am a 4th and 5th grade band teacher.  I have played piano and sax for many years, but now I am starting to gig out more. I have always improvised by ear in the past. I have gotten by with my strong sense of pitch, rhythm and melodic contour. However, I want to go deeper. I want to play with a greater variety of melodic and rhythmic ideas to pull from.  I have studied to gain a … Read more
Ray
For anyone living in remote areas away from live jazz sax teachers, Neff is the way to go. In fact this is a great resource for anyone seriously interested in mastering the sax. I’ve never been disappointed in a lesson.
Oliver

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