Your questions answered about all things music and saxophone! You can send me questions about saxophone gear, playing tips, practice techniques, tone production, improvisation, reading... You get the idea! No question is too large or small!
2023 Sessions:
February 2023: Reeds, mouthpieces, practice tips, vibrato and articulation.
March 2023: The bis key, improvisation and fuzzy sounds, tuning.
April 2023: High notes, low notes, jamming with a band, and sticky keys.
May 2023: Breathing, how to store you sax and reading chords.
June 2023: Staying motivated and focused, writing a blues and articulation.
July 2023: Playing different size saxes, notation software and improvisation.
August 2023: Playing tied notes, synthetic reeds, squeaky G, how to count when reading and more.
September 2023: ii V Is, daily practice routines, how to remember tunes, low Bb tips and more
October 2023: Choosing a mouthpeice, teeth vibrating on mouthpeice, breathy sounds, how to become an improvisor and more.
November 2023: Fixing high notes, sore lips, playing to an audience, gear for gigs and more.
December 2023: Recording your sax, standing and playing, tuning, should I join a band and more.
2024 Sessions:
January 2024: Economics of reeds, learning road maps, overcoming mental blocks and more.
February 2024: The most questions ever! everything from reeds, reading and improvising!
March 2024: Stuffy D's! Help with high notes! What are these 'x' and '+' markings? and more!
April 2024: How the mouthpiece changed through sax history! Best videos for the II V I, What body part is best for feeling rhythms? and more!
May 2024: When to replace a saxophone reed, learning about chords and improvisation, automatic recall of music theory.
June 2024: Motivation, triad paris, finger speed, memorising tunes and chordsand much more!
July 2024: "Gb or F#? Best way to learn by ear? Is it a minor key? Master complicated sections? How does Candy Dulfer do it? Play over multiple chords per bar? How should a senior citizen learn? Are sharp D's a problem with my sax? Combat sticky keys?"
August 2024: This Q&A covers busking rules, structuring practice across instruments and key centers, and resolving technical issues like saliva rattling in the mouthpiece. It explores vowel shapes for register control, altissimo fingerings, lacquered vs. unlacquered saxes, and using blues scales in improvisation. Additional topics include tuning a C-melody sax, timing solos, and mastering chord inversions.
September 2024: This Q&A covers key saxophone practice tips, from prioritizing exercises and mastering basic technique to improvising on "Take Five." It also offers advice on injury prevention, developing a unique style, choosing a mouthpiece, improving rhythm, and staying motivated during practice.
October 2024: We cover topics like improving memory for chord inversions, maintaining practice motivation, playing by ear, cataloging licks, understanding jazz progressions (e.g., backdoor progression), articulation tips, mastering tricky palm keys, improvising over similar chord changes, and overcoming sticky pad challenges.
November 2024: Products to prevent sticky saxophone pads and extend pad life. Explore the pentatonic scale for improvisation, find "My Way" backing tracks, and build confidence for busking. Learn music notation abbreviations, basic DIY sax repairs, clear jazz phrasing, and effective phrase start/end notes.
December 2024: Coming Soon! Send your questions to [email protected]
