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Reviews

Rico Metalite M7 and M9 Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

August 28, 2018 by Steve 45 Comments

Now for something completely different, a review of a tenor saxophone mouthpiece that only costs about 30 bucks!   Yes, you read that right!   Today,  I am reviewing two Rico Metalite tenor saxophone mouthpieces.  I have been intrigued by these sax mouthpieces for a few years because I have heard a bunch of people rave about […]

Filed Under: Mouthpiece Reviews, Tenor High Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: M7, M9, review, Rico Metalite, sax mouthpiece, tenor saxophone

10mFan Daddy-O Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

August 26, 2018 by Steve 16 Comments

Mark Sepinuck, 10mFan as he is known in the saxophone world, has been producing a line of tenor saxophone mouthpieces for the last five years that have been very popular with saxophone players around the world.  I have reviewed some of 10mFan’s tenor sax mouthpiece models in the past such as the Robusto, the Black […]

Filed Under: Alto Low Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews, Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: 10mFan, alto sax, Cannonball Adderley, Daddy-O, review, saxophone mouthpiece

The Secret to Altissimo (no one has ever told you about before) Lesson

August 19, 2018 by Steve 4 Comments

I know, you are sick of it! Trying to play overtones past the second or third overtone. Trying to get out an altissmo G or G#. Trying to sound like you know what you are doing and can play any altissimo note with confidence without failing miserably………I have been there and know how you feel. […]

Filed Under: Saxophone Stuff Tagged With: altissimo, lesson, saxophone, secret, video

The Cannonball Adderley Omnibook Review

August 19, 2018 by Steve 6 Comments

Today, I am reviewing the Cannonball Adderley Omnibook that is published by Hal Leonard.  This great book of transcriptions was created by Chris “Doc” Stewart who also transcribed the Sonny Rollins Omnibook that I reviewed earlier in the year. I bought this book after receiving a gift card from a student of mine. I went […]

Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: alto sax solos, Alto Saxophone, Cannonball Adderley, Chris "Doc" Stewart, Hal Leonard, Omnibook, review

James Bunte 42 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

July 31, 2018 by Steve 5 Comments

This is embarrassing to admit, but here is a review that I worked on many years ago and just found on my site as a draft!  I had been working on it, got side tracked and then never posted it!  That’s embarrassing!  I actually still have this alto mouthpiece in a drawer here in my […]

Filed Under: Alto Medium Baffle Reviews Tagged With: 42, Alto Saxophone, James Bunte, mouthpiece, review

10mFan Showboat Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

June 14, 2018 by Steve 34 Comments

Mark Sepinuck, 10mFan as he is known in the saxophone world, has been producing a line of tenor saxophone mouthpieces for the last five years that have been very popular with saxophone players around the world.  I have reviewed some of 10mFan’s tenor sax mouthpiece models in the past such as the Robusto, the Black […]

Filed Under: Alto Medium Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews, Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: 10mFan, Alto Saxophone, jazz sax, mouthpiece, Phil Woods, review, Showboat

JX Custom Series B Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

June 6, 2018 by Steve 4 Comments

Today, I am reviewing the JX Custom Series B alto saxophone mouthpiece.    This is made by Jianxing Li in Guangzhou, China.  The JX custom Series B is advertised as a replica of a 1980’s Beechler metal alto saxophone mouthpiece.  I have never played a Beechler metal alto sax mouthpiece from the 1980’s but my […]

Filed Under: Alto Medium Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews, Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: 1980 Beechler, Alto Saxophone, China, JX mouthpiece, metal, Series B

Westcoast Sax MOAM .081 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

June 5, 2018 by Steve 1 Comment

Today, I am reviewing the Westcoast Sax “MOAM” .081 alto saxophone mouthpiece.  You might remember that I reviewed a non-plated MOAM alto mouthpiece that had a .086 tip opening last fall. Matt Lee at Westcoast Sax is always picking interesting and understated names for his mouthpieces and this is no exception.  The name MOAM stands for […]

Filed Under: Alto High Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews, Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: alto mouthpiece, jazz sax, MOAM, review, saxophone, soundclip, Theo Wanne, westcoast sax

Westcoast Sax MOAM .110 Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

April 25, 2018 by Steve 9 Comments

Today, I am reviewing another Westcoast Sax “MOAM” tenor saxophone mouthpiece. A few months ago, I reviewed an unplated .105 tip opening MOAM. Matt said he would send me a plated model of the MOAM when they were finished and I asked if I could get the .110 tip opening.  I wasn’t planning on doing […]

Filed Under: Mouthpiece Reviews, Tenor High Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: MOAM, review, saxophone mouthpiece, tenor sax, westcoast sax

Boston Sax Shop Signature Reed Cases

March 28, 2018 by Steve 3 Comments

Today, I am reviewing a beautiful new product I received with a reed order from Jack Tyler at the Boston Sax Shop.  Last week,  I ordered some new reeds to try from Jack and when the package came, I opened it to discover this added gem inside.  This is the Boston Sax Shop signature reed […]

Filed Under: Saxophone Stuff Tagged With: Boston Sax Shop, BSS, reed case, reed holder, reeds, review, storage

The Sonny Rollins Omnibook Review

March 27, 2018 by Steve 4 Comments

*I posted all the recordings I could find on Youtube that go with this transcription book at the bottom of this review………Enjoy! My first recording of Sonny Rollins that I heard as a teenager was “Saxophone Colossus”.  I checked it out of the local library. I didn’t play tenor saxophone back then but I was […]

Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: Bb instruments, jazz sax, Omnibook, solos, Sonny Rollins, tenor saxophone, Transcriptions

NEW Book-Mastering the Minor ii-7b5 V7b9 Bebop Scale

March 23, 2018 by Steve Leave a Comment

“Mastering the Minor ii-7b5 V7b9 Bebop Scale” is a new approach to learning to play great jazz lines over a minor ii-V progression.  If you have worked out of my “Mastering the Dominant Bebop Scale” book, you know that the bebop scale and the “bebop links” that can be added to it can be a […]

Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: bebop scale, Jazz Improvisation, jazz method, licks, minor ii-7b5 V7b9, patterns, steve neff

Great Instructional Video on Intonation by Michael Lake

March 7, 2018 by Steve 2 Comments

Michael Lake over at altobone.com put out a video on youtube this week on intonation that I think is excellent!   Michael is not a sax player, (he plays alto trombone….I know, “How dare you Steve, this is a saxophone site!!“) but his thoughts on intonation in this video are right on. Every note you play on […]

Filed Under: Saxophone Stuff Tagged With: instructional video, intonation, Michael Lake, playing music, trombone, tuning

Monster Berg Larsen .170 Tip Opening Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

March 3, 2018 by Steve 73 Comments

Yes,  you read that right!  A .170 tip opening!! That’s a 14 tip opening!  To give you a little bit of a backstory, I received this email the other day from a fan of my site: “Hi Steve, I have a favor to ask of you, if you can fit it in to your schedule. […]

Filed Under: Mouthpiece Reviews, Tenor Medium Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: berg larsen, huge tip opening, monster, mouthpiece review, sound clip, tenor saxophone

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Testimonials

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

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.

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
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
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
Your major diatonic patterns book is great. I”m studying the first twenty patterns (first twenty pages) each day with different articulation each day and slowly increasing the tempo each week or so.  There is a noticeable improvement in finger coordination across all keys and its amazing how much more secure I feel on the difficult keys when attempting to play pieces with 5+ flats/sharps. I’m able to sort out the fingerings for these pieces now much more quickly than before, often in one or two … Read more
Geoff
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

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
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!
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
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
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 wanted to send you a quick note to say thank you for being you, your playing, your website and your desire to help others. I’m a professional musician in the US Army and I’ve visited your website almost every day since discovering it a couple of months ago. Your lessons are profound and easy to use. I’ve purchased most of your PDF books and now am starting to delve more into the video and audio lessons.  Thank you for being a great resource!
James
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 have NEVER seen material like yours.  Amazing!!
Jerry
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
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
Absolutely the best learning experience in my 40 years of playing.These books are awesome!!
Alfred LaBella
First, I’m really excited about your materials! This site is a vast resource for any aspiring (and maybe already inspired) jazz musicians. I’m not a sax player, I play mandolin and fiddle, but have been learning jazz and playing weekly with a quintet for the past 6 months and have been struggling with all of the issues you get into in your lessons. I bought several books and lessons and plan to continue with some others as soon as I organize my practice routine. Thanks again for a great site … Read more
Tony Galfano

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

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
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
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

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