Today, I am reviewing a product that I never ever thought I would review. The product is a synthetic reed. (*Before you read further, I need to state in all honesty, that I have always hated, detested and scorned every synthetic reed I have ever tried. Over the last 20 years I have at times tried […]
Saxophone Stuff
Saxophone Microphone Review and Audio Shootout Part 2
Walter Ruckdeschel wrote a great in-depth review of 8 different stand mounted microphones that can be used for live gigs a number of months ago. I was so fascinated that I asked him if I could post his finding here for everyone to see. Walt emailed me today and said that he had just completed […]
ReedJuvinate Woodwind Reed System Review
Today, I am reviewing a product called the ReedJuvinate Woodwind Reed System. As a woodwind player, you are probably already aware of what a pain reeds can be to keep and store. How do you best store them? I’m always curious about the different ways people store their reeds when not in use. I’ve seen […]
Rigotti Gold Reed Strength Comparison
Today, I thought it would be interesting to write a reed strength comparison article on my blog. I was trying a new Phil-Tone Mosaic 7* tenor mouthpiece this morning with different strength Rigotti Gold reeds when I had the idea to record some clips and throw it up on the site to see what some […]
Reed Placement Poll
I thought it would be interesting to run a poll to see where everyone places their reeds on the mouthpiece when setting up. I know many of you will think this is nonsense and you might assume that we all do this the same but I have had so many students come in my studio […]
Saxophone Microphone Review and Audio Shootout
I recently had a member on my site (Walter Ruckdeschel) post an in-depth review of 8 different stand mounted microphones that can be used for live gigs. I was so fascinated that I asked him if I could post his finding here for everyone to see. If I didn’t have my hands full teaching and […]
Silverstein Saxophone Ligature Review
Today, I am reviewing a new ligature made by Silverstein Works. For years I have heard about the amazing results that musicians would get from string ligatures. These whispers and rumors were usually heard on different clarinet boards and forums that I would visit. These posts were so compelling and convincing that I had […]
The “Reed Geek” Universal Reed Tool
Back in December, I was lucky enough to get a Reed Geek “Universal” Reed Tool to try out. Anyone that has been to my house for lessons has probably noticed the shoe boxes on my shelves in my studio. These shoe boxes are filled with every reed I have ever tried and not liked in […]
More Saxophone Teachings from Joe Allard Via Harvey Pittel
Harvey Pittel is an award winning and internationally acclaimed classical saxophonist who has performed as a soloist with many of the world’s greatest orchestras and has recorded extensively as a soloist and with ensembles including his own saxophone quartet. He is the Professor of Saxophone at The University of Texas at Austin Butler School of […]
Saxophone Mouthpiece Trial Tips
I’ve had a ton of questions emailed to me over the years about all the mouthpieces I have reviewed. Some of the typical questions are: -How do I switch to different mouthpieces so often? -How do I know what reeds to use? -Why do I choose the ligatures I do? -How do you know if […]
Jazzlab Saxholder Neckstrap Review
Today, I will be reviewing a new neckstrap by Jazzlab called the saxholder. This is a revolutionary neckstrap that is designed so that there is no pressure whatsoever on the neck and upper spine of the player. A few years ago, I started having numbness and tingling in my hands and arms. I would get […]
Joe Allard Lesson Videos
Joe Allard (December 31, 1910 – May 3, 1991), a native of Lowell, MA,was a famous saxophone and clarinet professor at Juilliard, The New England Conservatory and The Manhattan School of Music. Some of his most famous students were: Michael Brecker, Eddie Daniels, Bob Berg, Dave Liebman, Paul Winter, Steve Grossman, Kenneth Radnofsky, Bill Pierce […]
Warburton Modular Sax Neck System
I have an exciting product to review today. It is the Warburton Modular Sax Neck. This is one of the coolest products I have ever tried. Whoever thought of it is a genius. Basically, it is a neck that has no tenon or cork on it. The two items that are missing can be screwed […]
Bending Notes on the Saxophone
A great sax player has mastered the art of bending and shaping their notes to express what they want to convey. It might be a mood, attitude or emotion. There is no doubt that bending notes adds excitement and emotion to a solo. Bending notes on the saxophone is one of the coolest things that […]
Free Universal Method for the Saxophone
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 […]
MacSax Empyreal Alto Saxophone
Today, I’m reviewing the MacSax Empyreal Alto Saxophone. This sax is manufactured in Taiwan for the MacSax company in Austin Texas. This is the Unlacquered Finish model. It looks like bare brass which gives it a cool vintage look. I am told that the brass is subjected to a gas treatment that gives it a […]
What Difference Does the Saxophone Ligature Make? Part 2
In part one of this blog post on “the differences a ligature can make” I talked about the difference a ligature can make to a saxophone player from his or her perspective. (For those of you who don’t know, the ligature is the device that holds the saxophone reed to the mouthpiece) How it can […]
Does Your Saxophone Equipment Matter?
The ongoing debate in the saxophone community is whether equipment really matters. By equipment we mean the brand of saxophone, mouthpiece, ligature, reeds, neck, pads and resonators. Some people will even argue that the type of material, screws and resonance stones on the body of the sax make a difference. I’ve had students come in […]
Marc Jean Ligature Review
Around the middle of February I received an email from Marc Jean at Musique de Marc asking if I would be interested in trying one of his Marc Jean ligatures. He said it was a new design and that many players of note were digging it. I was a bit skeptical as I get a […]
What difference does the ligature make? Part 1
A saxophone ligature is a device that holds the reed against the table (flat part) of the mouthpiece. Most people wouldn’t think this is that big of a deal, I mean how hard is it to use something to make the reed stay against the mouthpiece? You could use a rubber band if push came […]
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