25 Saxophone Lessons from Over 40 Years of Playing

2025 was my 41st year as a saxophone player.

I’m still learning new things, but more importantly…

I’m still gaining a deeper understanding of the things I’ve learned a long time ago.

So today, I’d like to share some of those lessons that continue to help me become a better sax player year after year.

1. Nothing has a bigger return on investment than consistent practice. It’s not necessarily about how long you practice each time, but how many concurrent practice sessions you can string together.

2. We only need to focus on 3 things when we play saxophone. Sound, Rhythm and Songs. If they are the focus of our daily practice we will always be moving forward.

3. Learn to love what comes out of your saxophone (even when it needs improvement). Most musicians have a very hard time with this and it can block all progress.

4. When you are practicing sound (long tones) make it a technique exercise as well.

5. When you are practicing technique (scales, patterns etc,) make it a sound exercise as well.

6. When you are practicing songs, make it a sound and technique exercise.

7. Playing a musical instrument is perhaps the best analog activity you can do to balance out a life increasingly digitized, virtual and isolated.

8. Playing a musical instrument is an amazingly effective stress reliever especially if you do number 3.

9. No matter how good you get, allow yourself to think like a beginner. This takes away the pressure, and will accelerate learning even when you’re very experienced.

10. There is almost always more to be learned by listening to great saxophonists than by practicing. Make sure you listen at least as much as you play.

11. Go beyond your comfort zone in every practice session. This guarantees steady progress.

12. Stay within your comfort zone when performing. This guarantees strong performances.

13. Prepare yourself beyond what is necessary for the performance. (faster tempo, extra songs etc.) This ensures you are well prepared and can stay relaxed.

14. When improvising, less is almost always more.

15. You don’t need to learn everything, but you should always be learning something new. 

16. Return to material you practiced in the past often. This shows us how far we’ve come and allows us to strengthen our knowledge.

17. Collect as many different perspectives on the same concept as you can. This leads to deeper understanding. 

18. You don’t have to play the same way as everyone else. If you are feeling something different, go with it.

19. Performances can sometimes trigger negative emotions, such as doubt and fear. Instead, view them as a joyful reward. This is your opportunity to reap the benefits of your dedicated practice and preparation. Adopting this mindset will lead to improved playing, resulting in a much more enjoyable performance for both you and your audience.

20. Like life itself, a musician’s journey has no final destination; it can never be considered complete. Instead, our success is measured by the quality of our approach to the process.

21. Your musical goals are like waypoints along the path. We can revisit these points multiple times if we so choose.

22. Do not blame your gear. Just about any working saxophone can sound great in the right hands.

23. Buy new saxophone gear as a reward to yourself. You probably deserve it 😉. Don’t expect any gear to make you a better player without putting in the work though.

24. Some things feel like a waste of our time, but I’ve never regretted time spent practicing. As long as you are kind to yourself, practice can only have a positive effect.

25. I used to think of myself as a professional musician. Although I made my living this way, this mindset actually took away the joy of the process. When I switched to treating the saxophone as a hobby, not only did I enjoy playing much more, but I actually improved at a much faster pace.

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