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Alto Saxophone

Theo Wanne Wood Gaia Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

August 2, 2010 by Steve 3 Comments

Here’s another Theo Wanne alto saxophone mouthpiece for you to check out.  I just received a ton of these and I’m working my way through them as you might have noticed. This is a wood version of the Gaia mouthpiece.  The Gaia is a middle of the road type mouthpiece tone wise.  From bright to […]

Filed Under: Alto Medium Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Alto Saxophone, gaia mouthpieces, Theo Wanne, wood gaia

Theo Wanne Hard Rubber Kali Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

August 2, 2010 by Steve Leave a Comment

Here’s another Theo Wanne alto saxophone mouthpiece for you to check out. I just received a ton of these and I’m working my way through them. This is a hard rubber Kali mouthpiece. It is an 8 tip opening which is around a .080 I believe. This is similar to the metal Kali mouthpiece I […]

Filed Under: Alto High Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Alto Saxophone, hard rubber, Kali mouthpiece, Theo Wanne

Theo Wanne Gold Kali Alto Mouthpiece

August 2, 2010 by Steve 7 Comments

Here’s another Theo Wanne alto mouthpiece for you to check out.  I just received a ton of these and I’m working my way through them.  This is a brushed gold Kali mouthpiece.  It is an 8 tip opening which is around a .080 I believe.  This is similar to the Durga mouthpiece I reviewed earlier […]

Filed Under: Alto High Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Alto Saxophone, hard rubber, Kali metal mouthpiece, sax mouthpiece, Theo Wanne

Theo Wanne Gold Durga Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

August 2, 2010 by Steve 8 Comments

This is a Theo Wanne gold Durga alto saxophone mouthpiece.  This has a higher and longer baffle than the other Theo Wanne mouthpieces I have played.  The baffle looks to be in two stages.  The first stage is high and looks to be about half an inch long.  At that point there is a ledge […]

Filed Under: Alto High Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Alto Saxophone, Durga alto, mouthpiece, Theo Wanne

Theo Wanne HR Amma Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

August 2, 2010 by Steve 4 Comments

This is a Theo Wanne hard rubber Amma alto saxophone mouthpiece. Theo was kind enough to send me a big box of mouthpieces to try out and I spent all morning playing and recording them.  This Amma is an .080 tip opening and is made out of hard rubber.  The Amma has a slightly higher […]

Filed Under: Alto High Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Alto Saxophone, Amma mouthpiece, sax mouthpiece, Theo Wanne

Theo Wanne HR Gaia 8 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

August 2, 2010 by Steve 1 Comment

This is a Theo Wanne hard rubber Gaia 8 alto saxophone mouthpiece.  Theo was kind enough to send me a big box of mouthpieces to try out and I spent all morning playing and recording them.  I already put up a clip of a Gaia 6 alto mouthpiece a couple of weeks ago.  This one […]

Filed Under: Alto Medium Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Alto Saxophone, Gaia Hard Rubber, sax mouthpiece, Theo Wanne

What Difference Does the Saxophone Ligature Make? Part 2

July 16, 2010 by Steve 55 Comments

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 […]

Filed Under: Saxophone Stuff Tagged With: Alto Saxophone, mouthpiece ligatures

Drake Vintage Resin NY Jazz Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

July 15, 2010 by Steve 37 Comments

Yesterday,  I received a box from Aaron Drake at Drake Mouthpieces. I couldn’t open it fast enough. Inside were 3 brand new vintage resin alto saxophone mouthpieces for me to try. I’ve been wanting to try these for months now and I was very excited.  This is the second mouthpiece I tried of the three. […]

Filed Under: Alto Low Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: aaron drake, alto mouthpiece, Alto Saxophone, NY Jazz, vintage resin

Drake Vintage Resin Contemporary Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

July 14, 2010 by Steve 13 Comments

I’m starting to get overwhelmed by how many great mouthpieces are out there today.  This morning  I received a box from Aaron Drake at Drake Mouthpieces.   I couldn’t open it fast enough.  Inside were 3 brand new vintage resin alto saxophone mouthpieces for me to try.  I’ve been wanting to try these for months […]

Filed Under: Alto High Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: aaron drake, alto mouthpiece, Alto Saxophone, contemporary, Drake Mouthpieces, vintage resin

Theo Wanne Gaia 6 Hard Rubber Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

July 9, 2010 by Steve 11 Comments

This is another great mouthpiece by Theo Wanne.  This is a Gaia 6 alto saxophone mouthpiece that came with a Macsax alto that I’m trying out (more on that later).  This sax mouthpiece has  a nice baffle in it as you can see from the pictures. The baffle slopes down into the chamber and is […]

Filed Under: Alto Medium Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: alto mouthpiece, Alto Saxophone, Gaia mouthpiece, Theo Wanne

Marc Jean Ligature Review

April 18, 2010 by Steve 23 Comments

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 […]

Filed Under: Saxophone Stuff Tagged With: Alto Saxophone, Francois Louis, Marc Jean Ligature, Optimum, saxophone ligatures, tenor saxophone, wood sticks

The Ultimate Alto Sax Sound-Jesse Davis

March 3, 2010 by Steve 10 Comments

I love Jesse Davis! I listen to tenor saxophone players about 80% of the time but when I want to listen to an alto saxophone player Jesse Davis is usually my first choice.  If you don’t know him check out this video of “The Very Thought of You”…….He has an amazing sound that is huge,fat […]

Filed Under: Jazz Videos Tagged With: Alto Saxophone, Jesse Davis

Freddie Gregory Refaced Metal Otto Link 7 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

August 13, 2009 by Steve 5 Comments

I just received this mouthpiece in the mail today.  It is a metal Otto Link alto saxophone that was refaced by Freddie Gregory. Like I mentioned on some other posts, you can’t go wrong with anything Freddie Gregory worked on.  I won it on Ebay and the seller said it plays great with a huge […]

Filed Under: Alto Medium Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Alto Saxophone, freddie gregory, metal, otto link, refaced, review, sax mouthpiece

Freddie Gregory Early Babbitt Otto Link 7 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

August 13, 2009 by Steve 2 Comments

This is an old hard rubber Otto Link alto saxophone mouthpiece that was refaced by Freddie Gregory. When ever I see Freddie Gregory’s name on a mouthpiece,  I have to take a look. I have played so many great mouthpieces and I know his incredible work firsthand.   I just bought this alto saxophone mouthpiece […]

Filed Under: Alto Medium Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Alto Saxophone, early babbitt, freddie gregory, otto link, review, sax mouthpiece

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Testimonials

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

Hello Steve, I’m getting so much out of your lessons and books, amazing how much one may think one knows, there is always a new frontier or new way to view something you think you had somewhat down. You have taken it all to a new level and am so grateful. Your lessons are so down to earth and understandable and clear!  Thanks so much Steve! Cheers, Eddie

Eddie Parente

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
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

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

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

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’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
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 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
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

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
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
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 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
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 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.
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
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
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
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
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
I am a music book junkie and I have to say that your books are the most clear, user friendly, and helpful books I own.  They are my absolute favorites and I only wish I had them years ago.  I wouldn’t change a thing about the experience I had in acquiring my degree at Berklee, but my playing has perhaps grown more in the time I’ve spent buried in your books and lessons.  Keep up the great work!!! Thanks, John
John

I must say again how much I appreciate all your material. Including the video tutorials. It help keep me focused and knowing what to aim for. And your laid back teaching style appeals to me too. 

Thanks

P

P

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