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Swingin’ Max Ionata “All the Things You Are” Tenor Sax Solo Transcription

January 14, 2023 by Steve 2 Comments

Here is another masterful solo by the great tenor saxophone player from Italy, Max Ionata.  I absolutely love this short rendition from Youtube of Max soloing on the changes to “All the Things You Are”.  This solo is so full of great jazz vocabulary perfectly crafted into a beautifully melodic solo over this classic jazz […]

Filed Under: Transcriptions Tagged With: All the Things You Are, Max Ionata, solo transcription, tenor saxophone

SYOS Max Ionata Signature Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

January 14, 2023 by Steve 16 Comments

Today, I am reviewing another tenor saxophone mouthpiece from SYOS mouthpieces in France.  This is the SYOS Max Ionata signature model 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece I will be reviewing today.  The SYOS company hit the saxophone mouthpiece scene a few years ago and immediately caught the world’s attention by producing these really bright colored 3D […]

Filed Under: Mouthpiece Reviews, Tenor Medium Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Max Ionata, mouthpiece, review, Signature Model, SYOS, tenor saxophone

Swingin’ Max Ionata “I Remember You” Tenor Sax Solo Transcription

July 13, 2022 by Steve 3 Comments

Here is another swingin’ melody/solo by the great tenor saxophone player from Italy, Max Ionata.  I absolutely love this short rendition from Instagram of the melody of “I Remember You” with Max’s signature bebop lines weaved within the spaces.   Max Ionata plays with a perfect blend of hip jazz lines, crazy technique, a swingin’ time […]

Filed Under: Transcriptions Tagged With: I Remember You, Max Ionata, solo transcription, tenor saxophone

Max Ionata Ridiculously Great Parole Parole Tenor Saxophone Solo Transcription

May 28, 2020 by Steve 2 Comments

I have another treat for all of you!  A couple of weeks ago,  I discovered a new sax player on Facebook who was posting killer transcriptions on Youtube. His name is Dimitrii Sergheev from Moldova.  Dimitrii caught my attention because we seem to have the exact same tastes in great tenor sax solos that need […]

Filed Under: Transcriptions Tagged With: Greta Panettieri, jazz sax, Max Ionata, Parole Parole, solo, tenor saxophone, transcription

Swingin’ Max Ionata “You’re Driving Me Crazy” Tenor Sax Solo Transcription

February 5, 2020 by Steve 5 Comments

Here is another swingin’ solo by the great tenor saxophone player from Italy, Max Ionata.  I absolutely love this solo and have probably listened to it a hundred times over the last few days while transcribing it.  Max Ionata plays with a perfect blend of hip jazz lines, crazy technique, a swingin’ time feel and […]

Filed Under: Transcriptions Tagged With: Francesca Tandoi, Max Ionata, solo transcription, tenor saxophone, You're Driving Me Crazy

Swingin’ Max Ionata “Home At Last” Tenor Sax Solo Transcription

June 29, 2019 by Steve 5 Comments

Here is another killin’ solo by the great tenor saxophone player Max Ionata.  I absolutely love this solo and have probably listened to it a hundred times this morning.  Part of what I love about the solo, is watching Max on the video.  He is playing this killin’ perfect tenor sax solo but he looks […]

Filed Under: Transcriptions Tagged With: Hank Mobley, Home At Last, Max Ionata, solo transcription, tenor saxophone

Dave O’Higgins and Max Ionata Minor Blues Tenor Sax Transcription

July 26, 2018 by Steve 5 Comments

I just got back from a family vacation and was dreading picking up my sax and playing after having about two weeks off.  I decided I needed some inspiration,  so I found this video on Youtube to transcribe this morning.  It is of Dave O’Higgins and Max Ionata tearing up a minor blues on tenor […]

Filed Under: Transcriptions Tagged With: Dave O'Higgins, jazz sax, Max Ionata, Minor Blues, tenor saxophone, transcription

Max Ionata “But Not For Me” Killer Tenor Sax Solo Transcription

June 11, 2018 by Steve 8 Comments

Some days the “sax gods” just rain down blessings upon me.  Over the weekend, I started a transcription of Max Ionata’s killer tenor sax solo on “But Not for Me” from the Youtube video below.  This solo has been on my transcription to-do list since I first heard it on Youtube four years ago.  Max […]

Filed Under: Transcriptions Tagged With: But Not for Me, Max Ionata, sax solo, tenor saxophone, transcription

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

Theo Wanne Gaia 3 Metal Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

July 16, 2019 by Steve 36 Comments

I was excited to hear that Theo Wanne was releasing a new tenor saxophone mouthpiece called the Gaia 3 a few months ago and asked Theo if I could review it.  I had reviewed the original Gaia tenor saxophone mouthpiece back in 2009 and it was one of  the best tenor saxophone mouthpieces I had […]

Filed Under: Mouthpiece Reviews, Tenor Medium Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Gaia 3, review, saxophone, tenor sax mouthpiece, Theo Wanne

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Testimonials

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

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
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

Hello Steve,

I just want to say thank you so much for your unbelievable work, it is just mind opening, thanks for sharing it.

Wolfgang from Berlin

Wolfgang from Berlin
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
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
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
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
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

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
I’m an experienced player in the pop/soul/funk areas of music and, previously, classical.  Over the decades I’ve been playing, I’ve always felt that I could do what I needed in those styles of music.  However, recently I began to feel limited by my use of the same old licks. When I discovered Steve Neff’s website, and heard the audio examples based on the exercises in his books, I realized they were what I needed.  I purchased all of them and have been working on them since.  It’s very hard work… Read more
Paul
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
I want to say something about Steve Neff’s series of lessons, Beginner Jazz Improvisation. For a couple of years I tried many beginner lessons and my problem was that there was a gap between lessons that were fairly simple and ones that I was not quite ready for and my progress stalled out. That problem was solved with the series Beginner Jazz Improvisation. He guides you step by step along the way and builds a foundation for learning jazz and blues. He leaves no question about what to practice … Read more
Pete
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
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’ve been having ‘ online’  lessons with Steve for a few months now. Being a teacher myself I had had some reservations with the idea at first and the practicalities of it .  Let me just say that my playing has taken a huge leaps forward while studying with Steve and continues to do so.Steve studied with some renowned player/teachers such as Bergonzi and Garzone– this in itself is invaluable but Steve teaches from his own books, which cover a a vast amount of  jazz language. Steve h… Read more
David
Absolutely the best learning experience in my 40 years of playing.These books are awesome!!
Alfred LaBella
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!
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 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

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
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

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