Saxophone blog
Do you need a huge chamber mouthpiece on vintage horns?
Maybe it’s a myth that vintage saxophones must have vintage “pickle barrel” mouthpieces in order to play in tune. We take a cautious look at the science involved. Then throw caution to the wind (pun intended).
Why you should bite when playing the saxophone (caution: rant)
I often hear people say you shouldn’t bite. I see this quite a bit on the forums, e.g. when a beginner complains of jaw pain they are told to stop biting. If they have a problem with high notes, “stop biting.” If they are getting a lot of squeaks, “DON’T BITE!”
Bright or dark sound
How do we define those words There seems to be a lot of confusion about how we describe sound. It seems many people these days want what they call a dark sound, but when I delve deeper into what they mean, I realise it may not be the same as what I call a dark sound. Dark or Bright?
Progressing to softer reeds
There still seems to be a belief that you are supposed to play harder reeds as you progress. After at least 30 years of professional playing including a lot of practicing, I use 2 or 2.25 reeds mostly. The hard reed myth