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Saxophone Stuff

The Best Saxophone Embouchure: Where’s that Bottom Lip?

June 30, 2020 by Steve 114 Comments

I just completed a new saxophone video lesson entitled “The Best Embouchure for Tone, Intonation and Endurance Lesson” in which I teach my approach to the saxophone playing embouchure and playing the saxophone.  While working on the sax lesson, I thought it would be a cool idea to search the internet for good photos of […]

Filed Under: Learning at Neffmusic, Saxophone Stuff Tagged With: best, bottom lip, embouchure, mouthpiece, perfect, playing, sax, saxophone

Whoa!! Michael Brecker Performing on a Hard Rubber Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece!!

June 5, 2020 by Steve 36 Comments

I wanted to share this interesting video I found on Facebook this morning that was shared by Louis Gerrits who runs the website michaelbreckerliverecordings.com which is a website dedicated to the great tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker who passed away in 2007. *Louis was also kind enough to share the Michael Brecker photos in this article […]

Filed Under: Jazz Videos, Saxophone Stuff Tagged With: Guardala, hard rubber, Michael Brecker, otto link, saxophone mouthpiece, slant signature, tenor sax

Buyer Beware! Counterfeit Vintage Saxophone Mouthpieces Galore

December 18, 2019 by Steve 29 Comments

Disclaimer: If you bought a vintage mouthpiece in the last few years off of Ebay then this article might not be good news for you.  If you would rather not know……then do not continue to read…… A friend of mine reached out to me a few weeks ago and was excited to share the good […]

Filed Under: Mouthpiece Reviews, NeffMusic News, Saxophone Stuff Tagged With: counterfeit, ebay, fake, florida, Greece, Hungary, Meyer, NY Bros, rip-off, slant, vintage mouthpieces

Up Close and Personal Interview with Steve Neff on Everything Saxophone Podcast

July 23, 2019 by Steve 2 Comments

If any of you are interested in my background and views on a variety of subjects related to music, the saxophone and life, I was interviewed by Donna Schwartz for the “Everything Saxophone Podcast” a couple of weeks ago. Donna asked some great questions and we were able to discuss some personal subjects having to […]

Filed Under: NeffMusic News, Saxophone Stuff Tagged With: Donna Schwartz, Everything Saxophone Podcast, interview, steve neff

GetaSax Echo Master Brilhart 3-Band Style Saxophone Ligature Review

May 31, 2019 by Steve 8 Comments

I received an email a couple of months ago from a fan of the site asking if I could review these new Echo Master ligatures (formerly Echo Brass) being sold by Getasax.com.  These are reproductions of the infamous Brilhart 3-band ligature that Kenny Garrett uses.  I have been curious about these ligatures ever since I […]

Filed Under: Saxophone Stuff Tagged With: 3 band, Brilhart, Echo Brass, Echo Master, EchoBrass, Echomaster, Getasax, ligature, review, saxophone, three band, triple band

The Boston Sax Shop Black Box Custom Tenor Saxophone Reeds Review

May 30, 2019 by Steve 76 Comments

Today, I am reviewing a new BSS custom saxophone reed released by Jack Tyler at the Boston Sax Shop.  Jack has been my repairman for the last six years and always gives me the inside scoop on new saxophone gear that is coming out. Besides being a phenomenal repairman and craftsman, Jack is always up […]

Filed Under: Saxophone Stuff Tagged With: Boston Sax Shop, BSS, custom, dark rich tone, Jack Finucane, reeds, review, saxophone reed

Michael Brecker International Saxophone Competition

February 7, 2019 by Steve 1 Comment

I was recently informed about this new competition by Brian Plautz and Susan Brecker and thought I would pass on the information here on the site.  If you are an aspiring saxophonist between the ages of 16-30, are a citizen of the world (no extraterrestrials) and can burn it up on the saxophone, then this […]

Filed Under: Jazz Education, Saxophone Stuff Tagged With: International, Michael Brecker, saxophone competition

The Difference a Neck Can Make: Boston Sax Shop Heritage Alto Saxophone Neck Review

January 17, 2019 by Steve 26 Comments

I have to admit, I usually stay away from anything to do with trying saxophone necks or different brands of saxophones.  So much of my time is already consumed with trying so many different saxophone mouthpieces that adding necks and saxophones to the mix is just too overwhelming for me.  The reality is that changing […]

Filed Under: Sax Reviews, Saxophone Stuff Tagged With: Alto Saxophone, Boston Sax Shop, BSS, Jack Finucane, sax neck

Guardala Mouthpiece Informative Brochures From 1990

December 21, 2018 by Steve 10 Comments

A friend of mine on Facebook, Adrian Chia, posted  these pictures of hardcopy Guardala mouthpiece brochures that he received from Dave Guardala in the mail back in 1990.  Dave was living in Hicksville NY at the time and working out of his garage from what I have heard.  If only I had a time machine……………  […]

Filed Under: Saxophone Stuff Tagged With: 1990, Dave Guardala, informative brochures, Michael Brecker, sax mouthpiece

The Art of Imitation-Michael Brecker on Peep

October 11, 2018 by Steve 14 Comments

Someone on SOTW (Sax on the Web) posted a video this morning of Michael Brecker soloing over his tune Peep from the early 90’s. Peep was a Brecker tune from the album “Now You See It… (Now You Don’t) that blew my mind when it was released in 1990.   I was a young Brecker head […]

Filed Under: Saxophone Stuff Tagged With: imitation, Improvisation, jazz sax, Michael Brecker, Peep, tenor saxophone

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

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

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

Balam Saxophone Backstrap Comparison and Review

January 10, 2018 by Steve 24 Comments

Today, I am reviewing a new saxophone neckstrap that I received from my saxophone repairman Jack Tyler at the Boston Sax Shop.  Jack has been my sax repairman since 2013 when my long time repairman Ernie Sola died.  The last 3-4 times I went in to see Ernie before he died he told me about […]

Filed Under: Saxophone Stuff Tagged With: backstrap, Balam, best, Boston Sax Shop, comparison, Hyman, Just Joe's, neckstrap, review, Saxholder, saxophone

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Testimonials

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 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
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

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 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
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 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
Steve really changed my way of practicing: I got a whole lot of new ideas for my playing the tenor.  His lessons are really helpful, give a lot stuff to practice and give clear answers to complicated stuff.  Steve has a lot of humor and I wish I had laughed so much in my former days with the horn.  All topics, from Blues to Approach note are dealt with clearness that wet ones appetite to play and practice that great ideas.
Uwe
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
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 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
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

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 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
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
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

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
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 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
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

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
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

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
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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