Description
For the past 12 years I have been teaching online lessons using Skype. It has been working great so far. It is amazing that you can sit down at your computer and have an in-person lesson with someone on the other side of the world. Once in awhile I have run into problems with the speed of the connection slowing down, the video freezing or a session getting dropped but so far 99% of the time it has worked great.
The way Skype works is that you need a computer with a video camera, mic, the skype software (this is free) and a high speed internet connection. You create a username on Skype for yourself. After you purchase a lesson or number of lessons, you can email me to set up a time and give me your Skype username. At the time of your lesson I will call you on Skype using your username and when you pick up we can see each other and talk just like an in-person lesson,
During a typical skype lesson, I will ask you to play something that you feel comfortable with and then give you feedback on what I think. If you are an ongoing student of mine, I will ask you to demonstrate what you have been working on since the last lesson. Skype makes it easy to see what you are doing and how you are playing. I can also demonstrate things and you can see them firsthand also. It’s like we are in the same room with one another.
You can take a lesson once a week or once a month or whenever you feel the urge just email me. If you are interested feel free to contact me and we can try to set something up during a time that works for the both of us.
James –
I bought Steve’s V7 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 also have recorded lots of on line lessons and Steve’s explaining style and demonstrating ability is top notch. I wish he was close enough for direct lessons. I plan to use him in the future. Thanks Steve
Mario –
I had an embouchure problem due to the fact that I was playing in 5* hotel business where people wanted music but wanted to talk and thus I had to play for 13 years 5 to 6 times a week a sort of soft music… and now back to France when I had to replay with bands, I got quickly tired and my bottom lip went sore and even sometimes bleeding, I bought Steve’s lesson on “Mature Embouchure” and after a week of constant practicing I still had a problem, not on embouchure and pain but on tongueing, I decided to have a skype lesson with Steve….I should tell that this was an excellent thing to do, .Steve is a patient and interesting guy, and he listens and sees what’s wrong with me and he notices that my embouchure was alright but we came to an agreement after a few questions that I had a bad tonguing habit coming from , I think, my flute playing, now I simply have to be conscious of that problem and work on it….thanks Steve that was an unbelievable experience,
Oliver Grosz –
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.
Dave Wright –
I would highly recommend taking a skype lesson with Steve . If you are thining about it and have reservations that perhaps it won’t be as personal as a one on one lesson then let me reassure you that the benefits much outway anything else . I have most if not al of Steve’s books and we went over this material with the author himself . Steve actually came up with additional material , personailised to my requirements . We had a huge time difference so it was let for him and early for me but was absolutely worth it . I’m studying with one of the USA’s top jazz educators who himself learned from a generation of masters . It can’t get much more first hand than that , and as such these lessons are priceless. Speaking of which i am well overdue a cyber hook up – time for more shed material Steve , thanks.
Terry McDonnell –
Steve
Thanks for the great advice and putting me at my ease. I put the lesson material into my practice schedule right away.
I have the Rich Perry Album and he is a wonder. I think I saw him some years ago with Maria Schnieder at Monterey. I will be listening to more and I will bookanother lesson down the road after having worked on your new ideas.
Thanks again
Terry
Juan M –
I have been taking Steve’s Skype lessons for a number of months now. I am extremely happy with them. I have seen great results in my playing!! Steve has a real gift to teach his thoughts,concepts,knowledge, and ideas. Coming from another background different from jazz, Steve has taught me the right approaches to develop the right “Jazz vocabulary” to face improvisation in Jazz.
Skype lessons are excellent! I am also recording the lessons which allows me to have a file from the lesson which I can access and play anytime.
If you would like to take a meaningful jazz lesson Steve’s skype lessons are by far the best way to go!!
Paul Maine –
I have been taking Skype lessons from Steve for about a year now. I have been using a combination of recorded Neff Music lessons and the private lessons with Steve. Steve is always on-time for the lessons and an absolute professional. Steve began my Skype lessons by accessing my capabilities and then formulating a lesson plan and course of study. Steve even uses a tuner with Skype to make sure I’m playing in tune! Steve is very patient and wonderful at explaining and demonstrating lesson material. I have been very happy with Steve’s lessons and recommend him to any sax player that wants to improve their theory knowledge and technique. His lessons on jazz improv would work well for any instrument. I only wish I could of learned about Steve many years ago!
P.S. The following notes are lessons learned when I decided to use Skype for sax lessons. I initially tried to take a Skype lesson with Steve using a Logitech webcam with a built in microphone. During the lesson Steve asked me to play and we quickly found out that my sax was over driving the microphone. This microphone did not have a way to decrease the volume so I had to purchase another microphone. I purchased a USB Samson G Track mic and it has worked well for the Skype lessons. I have also purched a Skype add-on for about $25 that allows me to record the audio of the lesson with Steve.
Jimmy Tampubolon –
First time I was in contact with Steve was about 8 months ago and at that time I had no idea about jazz improvisation. I subscribed on his website, bought some of his books and most important I took Skype lesson with Steve. Now I feel that I have made a lot of improvement with my listening skills. I learned a lot about jazz improvisation and I have made so much progress compared to the time before I knew Steve. Even though I’m a bit busy lately with my job, when I continue, I will only continue my jazz lessons with Steve.
Thanks Steve for teaching me so much about jazz and saxophone playing, I really appreciate it.
Last but not least, I strongly recommended lessons with Steve for those who are late bloomers like myself. Just to inform you, I’m living in Abu Dhabi which is almost half the globe-distance from where Steve lives.
Cheers all….
Mike T – NJ (verified owner) –
After 20 plus years of playing/studying the jazz guitar ,I decided to take up the tenor sax. In the 5 years since this time, I must have studied with 10 different teachers trying to find the one that would help me the best. Although I gained something from each one, my Skype lessons with Steve have been better than any of these teachers for my needs. I didn’t think that an online lesson could be as good as in person one, but I can tell you that Steve sees what I do (take more mouthpiece) and hears what I do (you’re a little flat) better than anyone else that I studied with. Another benefit of studying Skype with Steve is the inexpensive lessons he has produced. Say vibrato was addressed at the lesson – you can buy the vibrato lesson and have an in depth tutorial on that skill that you can watch over and over. As I told a number of people, I have not found any “live” teacher that is better than what Steve offers me.