practice

Everyone in a band/orchestra knows it's important to play in tune - and that that means 'in tune with the rest', not 'at 442Hz'. I was looking for ways to practice and get better at 'finding' the right pitch. Practicing long tones with a tuner is of course a great start, but that doesn't help...

Recently I bought what at first I thought to be the holy grail of reeds... It was a box of (5) Vandoren Java Red 2.5s, and first thing I did was test the box to see which ones were good and which ones were not etc... To my shock it seemed the entire box played good...like not one reed did I...

Hello Sax On The Web I have come to the conclusion that I need more grip and finger strength in order to continue to improve my technique. What type of exercise and what type of device do you recommend ? There is much different grip/fingers strengtheners of different force. Also hard to find...

Hi Everyone, I wanted to share an eBook and physical book I Co-wrote with saxophone player Alex Murzyn which is now available that I have been working on to aid students learning how to play jazz. 20% OFF USING CODE THIS MONTH FOR SOTW MEMBERS USING PROMO CODE: SAXSPY...

Hi all, first post here and I wasn't sure which subforum it should be in but this seemed the most likely culprit! Apologies in advance for potentially rambling a bit. Anyways, I've been an on-again off-again tenor sax player for years and a big part of not staying with it has been that music...

hi, Using an older/used reed produces more hissing. However, a thought occured to me: isn't it a good exercise to use an old reed rather than a good one, to be able to produce a good sound without hissing and having a better embouchure? Seems to me that it would enforce proper embouchure; sort...

I'm sure all humans have good days and bad when practicing. You know, one day you're on your way, exactly as you heard yourself in your dreams. Then, nothing is right, it's all bad (or at least compared to your ideal sound, intonation, phrasing, facility). For us beginners, kt's largely a matter...

I am placing this story in case anyone else is considering a similar action. I have two locations. In Buenos Aires the walls are thick and the downtown noise drowns out my practicing, so I can do my thing until about 11:00 at night. But in Orange County California, the walls are thin and the...

Greetings forum, I am a junior in high school and I am a lover of all things Saxophone. I regularly read the forums and I own not only Larry Teal's book on Saxophone, I also own the Orchestral Saxophonist- so yeah, I'm kind of nerdy about it. For some reason, I have this personal ambition to...

Hello dear more experienced player, I am looking for tips to practice blues scales. Do you have routines that utilize the blues scales but add some additional elements to break the looming monotony when going through the keys? If so, what are they? Thank you LouCo

Mr Rascher has used triads and arpeggios of diminshed, augmented, dominant and half-diminshed chord qualities in constructing his patterns. Can anyone help with an overview of the specifiek pattern for each exercise?

Hi all, I've played alto for about 10 years now, but until recently I was quite focused on grades which meant my practice routine was just playing the pieces I had to to pass exams. I have since passed grade eight and have kind of fallen back in love with the sax (playing in a few bands helped)...

I'm 50, soon to be 51 and as of today going to get serious about my sax practice. It seems I've been taking music lessons most of my life (piano, theory and composition), but have only had a dozen or so on the horn. Plan to study on my own for a year or so, and then resume lessons locally. I...

Hi Music Makers... With various book formats to choose from,which do you prefer when practicing and learing new material. If the choices are PDF, Kindle, Mobi, ePub or Paperback,which do you prefer? Pick one or two to help Authors know what you prefer. We want to keep the information flowing...

Hi All, I'm an avid doubler and I try to keep my skills sharp, but I always end up focusing on a couple of instruments a week, and letting the others slip a bit. I'm balancing Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Piccolo, Flute, Alto Flute, Clarinet, Oboe, and Bassoon. I know it's a lot to keep in shape on a...

I’m always eager to play my saxophone and I’m passionate about improvisation, but being “effective” ,practicing deep work and intense focus seems to be at an another level… I don’t know about you guys but it feels like working in the practice room is less about scales, 2 5 1, tunes and...

Hi all, I have been playing the saxophone for most of my life, but I've always had a hard time practicing. I notice that I become especially discouraged after a long hiatus. It can feel (at least from a technical perspective) like I'm far behind where I was at an earlier time in my life...

My wife and I recently had our first child. It's a crazy time and I am constantly worried about losing my embouchure when I have several gigs coming up, and a wonderful new kid to look after. Bottom line: I've been going through these exercises a few times a day, and it's actually helped me to...

Getting focus. You get ready for a 4 hour practice this afternoon. Your instrument is standing graciously in the practice room waiting for you; your reeds are neatly arranged on the table next to a bottle of 2 liters of fresh water. You’re ready for the ride when the email notification rings...

Dear forumers! I want to share some of my experience in self control and learn out about yours. While practicing and performing every one of us has a «switch» of self control which works in two positions: I like/I don’t like. So every day I practice I have it switched on and sometimes I like...