“If I practise (saxophone) an hour every day am I guaranteed to be a competent player in 6 months?”

Conversation about competency and the saxophone:

If I practise an hour every day am I guaranteed to be a competent player in 6 months?
-Phetola

What does being a competent player mean to you?
-Neal

Hi Neal
Thank you for your swift response.
Being competent to me means being able to play a piece comfortably. I obviously want to be an excellent player, however my short-term goal is to be able to play a whole song in 6 months.
-Phetola

What song?
Being able to play ‘twinkle twinkle little star’ is different than playing Coltrane’s solo on Giant Steps. What do you want to be able to play?
-Neal

That makes sense…There’s a beautiful Celine Dion song that Kirk Whalum plays -Because you loved me.
-Phetola

You could probably play it in six months. Tone takes a long time to develop though.
-Neal

Reed and Mouthpiece Combinations….

By Neal 20 Comments

Mike emailed me asking about reeds and mouthpieces.

Please leave a comment about mouthpieces and reeds you have tried!

Thanks
Hi Neal:

My greatest frustration on the sax was always ( and to a certain degree still lingers) is “Reed vs. Mouthpiece”. I am a self-taught saxophonist (autodidactic). When I started with the sax I had no one to advice me, internet didn’t exist,cellphones either. Living in an fourth world country never gave the opportunity to visit a sax music store an try out different mouth pieces & reeds ( I don`t even think they let you do that, you have to BUY)-
So I have never been able to try out the whole array of close tips vs. hard reeds, the inverse,etc, or talk with anybody who knew better.

So I thought the goal was playing a #5 reed on a #8 mouthpiece…!!!!…on an old leaky sax!!!! ! Can`t explain how I didn´t burst !

Oh my friend,…I suffered. I don`t know how, or why, I kept on pushing.

Actually I play on Otto Link metal #8 with Rico #2 on a Yamaha CustomZ tenor…..

I perform over my own tracks and interpret covers from the 40`s to the 80`s. From Duke & Dixie to Sting & Pink Floyd, even Elton !. I also play flute (that`s how I started , it was Jethro Tull`s fault), soprano and croak (sing) yes, I`m a singer too.

I have NO IDEA of how it feels/sounds to play on a close MP with a very hard reed, or the inverse. I still have and always will have the fantasy of having before me different MP and reeds and get to try them all ( half a bottle of scoth or tequila would turn the experience into a party !
Very well Neal… I have let out some of my saxophone frustrations…Uff , feel better!
I will appreciate spanding on this subject…at least so I can fantasize .

Cheers !

-Mike

My experience:

Right now I’m using a Vandoren V16 mouthpiece with a 9 tip opening. At first I was using V16 size 3 reeds, but they were too hard, so I went down to 2.5 and then 2.

I also use Fibracell reeds sometimes- a size 2.5 seems to work well with the V16 T9 mouthpiece.

Before the Vandoren mouthpiece I was using a Selmer American 7* mouthpiece with size 3 V16 tenor reeds.

And I also have a Meyer 8 which I was using size 3 reeds on too.

My alto mouthpiece is a V16 A8 and I’m using size 3 Fibracells on it.

It takes some experimentation.

-Neal

“How do you play the sax without making mistakes or by simply get tired? You make look so easy”

By Neal Leave a Comment

Question:

How do you play the sax without making mistakes or by simply get tired? You make look so easy.

(playing one year)

-Daniel Arellano

My response:

Thanks. Most times, with many other things as well, it takes a lot of work to make something seem easy.

I do make mistakes sometimes. But if I do, I try to pay attention and fix them. And you can always play better than you are currently.

Breaking down things into the movements that cause problems and focusing on small parts of music and elements of playing musically allows you to improve how you sound and play.

I have been playing saxophone for 17 years, and though it hasn’t always been my main focus, I do practice everyday with a few exceptions.

As far as not getting tired, you learn to play without extra tension or strain and you also develop the muscles used for playing. You get more stamina as you play more.

One of the first things to do is to shift to practicing everyday. And practice deliberately, not passively. Having a teacher and getting feedback helps a lot.

-Neal

“I feel like my embouchure fatigues and I feel like I run out of breath when playing a song or many keys in a row. (playing for six weeks) I’m using rico 2.5”

By Neal Leave a Comment

I’m just learning on a tenor sax. (Started six weeks ago)

I feel like my embouchure fatigues and I feel like I run out of breath when playing a song or many keys in a row.

How can I improve that?

I feel that I can play ok but when I look to play a G, I never can make the note out.

-Marquis Dennis

What number reed are you using?

-Neal

I’m using rico 2.5
-Marquis

Try using a 1.5, that should make things a lot better for you.

I use a Rico 2.5 (different mouthpiece probably) but still, the size reed I use and you use should probably not be the same. I definitely started on a softer reed in the first weeks.

-Neal

Buying a Saxophone

By Neal 3 Comments

I’ve started looking around for a sax, I really appreciate your recommendations. I found a vintage Selmer and am seriously considering putting something down on it. What do you think I should pay for a good Saxophone or is it kind of hard to say?
-Chris
If you’re just starting, I would probably use a beginning horn. They tend to be a little easier to play on. Depending on the vintage horn though, it might turn out all right. Plan on spending ~$1500 or so for a solid beginning horn. Did you decide on an alto or tenor?

Try it out and bring a saxophone player with you if you can.

-Neal

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Thoughts on the Vandoren A8 Alto Sax V16 Mouthpiece

By Neal 2 Comments

Have been playing a Vandoren V16 A8 alto sax mouthpiece for a little while now.
V16 A6M Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

It has a medium chamber- it’s the same specifications I have on the tenor mouthpiece that I really like.

The other mouthpieces I have for alto are a Jody Jazz and a Selmer piece that I got with a horn I bought.

I play the V16 mouthpiece with a medium strength reed and it seems to project pretty well. Haven’t tried a metal piece yet on alto.

Does anyone have any other recommendations?

Figure I’ll try some mouthpieces at the NAMM show.

“How long from absolute beginner to non frustrated player?”

By Neal Leave a Comment

Question:
How long from absolute beginner to non frustrated player?

-Manny

My Response:

Frustration really depends more on your attitude than your level of playing.

You can view practicing as part of a journey and a set of challenges that are fun. Or you can think of yourself as sounding terrible and needing tons of work.

I would say you want to always challenge yourself, that is how you get better. But some may view challenges as frustrations. If so, the challenges/frustrations never end if you want to continue to improve.

The greatest saxophone players always keep pushing themselves and challenging themselves. Sometimes it is likely that things will be a little frustrating. Most of the time, if you enjoy music, the challenges will be something that you can have fun with.

If your question is more about skill level, that depends on what your goals are. To play a few songs decently well could take 20 hours of practice. To become one of the best in the world would very likely take a lifetime. Most people will probably have a goal somewhere in that range.

Think about what you want to do and work to get there. Enjoy the process, otherwise, maybe it’s not worth the time.

What are your goals with playing the saxophone?

Alto Sax Solo Over Sponge by Randy Brecker – Neal

By Neal 2 Comments

Playing a chorus over Randy Brecker’s tune ‘Sponge’. On alto saxophone.

Vandoren V16 Saxophone Reeds

By Neal 2 Comments

For a few years I have been using Vandoren V16 reeds. They play pretty well and consistently. And now they even have a spiffy new wrapping that keeps each reed sealed.

Vandoren V16 Saxophone Reeds

The first reeds I played when starting were Ricos and Rico Royals. They cost a bit less, but the cut is not always quite right. The Rico Royals were a little better than the Ricos.

Experimented a bit with Bari plastic reeds and Fibracell reeds. They last a very long time and I keep a couple in my case in case I need them. Between those two I like the fibracell reeds better and I still use them when I pick up my clarinet.

My new mouthpiece on tenor is a Vandoren V16 T9, which seems to work pretty well with the V16 reeds. The 3’s I have been using are a bit too stiff though since the T9 is pretty open, so I’m about to order some 2.5’s. Hopefully they will work better.