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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

LAW MCB 6* Alto Mouthpiece

August 12, 2009 by Steve 2 Comments

This is a new LAW alto mouthpiece I received in the mail yesterday from Lawrence Waldron. This piece is similar to the other bullet chambered MCB LAW piece I play tested but this one looks to have a slightly bigger chamber on it. MCB stands for Medium Chamber Bright.  This piece looks perfect! Great finish […]

Filed Under: Alto Medium Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: alto mouthpiece, LAW mouthpiece, Lawrence Waldron

Drake Contemporary Tenor Mouthpiece

August 11, 2009 by Steve 5 Comments

This is a tenor mouthpiece by Aaron Drake at Drake Ceramic Mouthpieces.  Aaron has been generous enough to send two tenor mouthpieces for me to try.   This one is called the “Contemporary” .  It has an 8 (.110) tip. These mouthpiece are very unique in that they are made of ceramic.  I was a […]

Filed Under: Tenor High Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: aaron drake, contemporary, tenor mouthpiece

Drake Double Ring Ceramic Tenor Mouthpiece

August 11, 2009 by Steve 7 Comments

This is a tenor mouthpiece by Aaron Drake at Drake Ceramic Mouthpieces. He has been generous enough to send  two tenor mouthpieces for me to try.  These are called “Double Ring” Jazz and a Contemporary.  They are both .110 tips.  These mouthpiece are very unique in that they are made of ceramic. I  was a bit […]

Filed Under: Tenor Medium Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: aaron drake, ceramic mouthpiece, double ring, tenor mouthpiece

Drake Double Ring Ceramic Alto Mouthpiece 5

August 3, 2009 by Steve 4 Comments

This is a new alto mouthpiece by Aaron Drake at Drake Ceramic Mouthpieces. He has been generous enough to send  two alto pieces to me to try. These are called “Double Ring” Jazz pieces.  One has a .075 tip and one has a .080 tip. These mouthpiece are very unique in that they are made […]

Filed Under: Alto Medium Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: aaron drake, alto, double ring, drake ceramic mouthpieces

Theo Wanne Gaia 7* Tenor Mouthpiece

July 27, 2009 by Steve 20 Comments

This is a new Theo Wanne mouthpiece called the Gaia.  He advertises this on http://www.theowanne.com/ as being close to a Florida Link type of sound.  I have to say that out of the Theo Wanne pieces I have played so far this is my favorite. The higher baffle Wanne mouthpieces were too bright for what […]

Filed Under: Tenor Medium Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Gaia, tenor mouthpiece, Theo Wanne

Morgan Fry Floridated Link

June 19, 2009 by Steve Leave a Comment

This is a mouthpiece that Morgan Fry sent me from the UK. He’s been advertising a Floridated link on his site www.morganfrymouthpieces.com. I was curious about how they played so I sent him an email to see if i could try one. In looks it is very similar to my very good Florida Link that […]

Filed Under: Tenor Low Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: floridated link, morgan fry, refacing, tenor mouthpiece

Mastering the Dominant Bebop Scale

May 15, 2009 by Steve 2 Comments

Mastering The Dominant Bebop Scale The Dominant Bebop Scale is a scale that can be used over a dominant chord. It has both the major 7th and the flat 7th in the scale so in the key of G the scale would be GABCDEFF#G. The reason that the dominant bebop scale sounds so great is […]

Filed Under: Book Reviews, NeffMusic News Tagged With: blues, circle of fifths, dominant bebop scale, dominant chords, improvising, steve neff

Vandoren V16 Hard Rubber T6

May 13, 2009 by Steve 24 Comments

This is a Vandoren  tenor sax mouthpiece I picked up in a local music store for a student of mine. I tried a  Vandoren T7 and this  Vandoren T6 and I liked this T6 quite a bit more on my tenor.  It has a long roll over baffle that continues right down into the chamber.  […]

Filed Under: Tenor Low Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: tenor mouthpiece, Vandoren T6

Approach Note Books and Lessons

May 8, 2009 by Steve Leave a Comment

“Approach Note Velocity” by Steve Neff Approach Note Velocity is a book that I created for myself so that I could master all the different approach notes in every key.  I have divided the book up into sections by key and have written out the exercises so that you can practice them and read them […]

Filed Under: Book Reviews, Jazz Education, NeffMusic News Tagged With: approach note velocity, approach notes, Jazz Improvisation, jazz playing, online lessons

RS Berkeley “Virtuoso” tenor sax review

April 21, 2009 by Steve 15 Comments

About 6 months ago I had a new member to my site named Les Silver. Les signed up for online lessons and we exchanged quite a few emails and phone calls talking about my lessons and in our conversations he told me about his saxophone line that he has been developing over the last few […]

Filed Under: Sax Reviews, Saxophone Stuff Tagged With: les silver, mark VI, rs berkeley, selmer, virtuoso tenor sax

Getting the Most from Neffmusic Online Lesson

February 27, 2009 by Steve 1 Comment

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 […]

Filed Under: Jazz Education, NeffMusic News Tagged With: Jazz Improvisation, online lessons, steve neff, video lessons

Two Chris Potter Transcriptions from “Song for Anyone” CD

February 15, 2009 by Steve Leave a Comment

Here are two Chris Potter transcriptions that I received from  Corey Armstrong for tenor sax.  I haven’t had the time to check them out note for note but these are two great solos from the “Song for Anyone” CD and must have taken quite a bit of time to figure out. Corey said I could […]

Filed Under: Transcriptions Tagged With: chris potter, song for anyone, tenor sax, transcription

LAW Medium Chamber Bright (MCB) .110

February 9, 2009 by Steve Leave a Comment

This is another LAW mouthpiece by Lawrence Waldron in the UK. It was in the same package as the LCD(Large Chamber Dark) piece.  This piece is a MCB(Medium Chamber Bright) piece.  It has a roll over baffle that slopes more gradually into the chamber than the LCD piece.  This gives it a bit more power […]

Filed Under: Tenor Medium Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: LAW mouthpiece, Lawrence Waldron, medium chamber bright, tenor sax

Lamberson J8

February 9, 2009 by Steve 6 Comments

Here is a Lamberson J8 tenor mouthpiece that I bought a few months ago.

Filed Under: Tenor Low Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: J8, Lamberson, tenor mouthpiece

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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
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

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
Hey Steve! I hope you and your family are well.  I’m just writing to say thank you so much for all the resources you have made available to the saxophone community. I have been using your material for many years and I always come back to it… in fact I just took a break from practicing to write this…( reviewing “CreatingModern II-V-I Lines with simple pentatonics”.) I am, and continue to be, one of your raving fans! Blessings to you and your family this holiday season! Wishing… Read more
Gerry Aylward
I bought Steve’s dominant bebop book and took a couple of online lesson from him. I really appreciated Steve’s careful listening of what I wanted to get done in a lesson and his clear, concise ideas on next steps to improve my playing and musical interpretation.  His mastering  the Dominant Bebop Scale has lots of exercises to use a scale that addresses the largest percentage of chords I come across in pop/blues music. The dominant V7.  Needless say it has improved my playing.  I teach and a… Read more
Keith
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 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
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
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
Thanks so much for putting all this great learning material out there. I don’t often have the time to take a lesson with a teacher, so the ability to download lessons is really invaluable. My playing has improved enormously (I think :)) – and the lessons are so varied there’s always something to be inspired by. Incredible value too!
Roger
I just wanted to write a thank you note to you for this website. I play and teach saxophone, but I have always been intimidated by the gear aspect. Your website has helped me become a lot more knowledgable. Your knowledge is staggering! I’m telling all my students about your website. Pierre
Pierre
I have been a member of Neffmusic for more than a year now and have enjoyed every minute of it! I have not only been going thru the Dominant Bebop Scale lessons and book (OUTSTANDING!) but the mouthpiece reviews, solo clips and transcriptions are very interesting. Steve approach to beginning and intermediate improv have given me many new pathways to teach my high school jazz ensemble students. Congratulations Steve, great product!
Craig

I must say again how much I appreciate all your material. Including the video tutorials. It help keep me focused and knowing what to aim for. And your laid back teaching style appeals to me too. 

Thanks

P

P

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

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’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
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
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
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

Hello Steve, I’m getting so much out of your lessons and books, amazing how much one may think one knows, there is always a new frontier or new way to view something you think you had somewhat down. You have taken it all to a new level and am so grateful. Your lessons are so down to earth and understandable and clear!  Thanks so much Steve! Cheers, Eddie

Eddie Parente
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
Absolutely the best learning experience in my 40 years of playing.These books are awesome!!
Alfred LaBella

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
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

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