Are you practicing with a metronome? If not, you should be! Rhythm is usually the biggest weak spot for developing saxophone players. Part of the problem is we’re always focusing most of our energy on what notes to play, when we really should be paying closer attention to the rhythms of those notes. Today I’m
How To Improve Your Rhythm & Time Feel with a Metronome Read More »
In today’s edition of “gear I can’t live without”, I’m going to show you the JazzLab Sax Deflector and why I can’t play a gig now without it. I’ve been using it non-stop for gigs. One time I went out without it, played a few notes, and decided that I had to go back and
JazzLab Sax Deflector Review Read More »
How to Not Mess Up a Performance… Wanna hear a cool story? Lately, I’ve had a very specific task in the practice room. Which involves learning the horn lines to dozens of songs by ear and memorizing them. The music I’m playing is from a band called the California Honeydrops. If you don’t know about
How to NOT Mess Up a Performance Read More »
Today we’re going to talk about a very simple blues lick. You can hear this in almost everything. Singers do it, saxophone players do it, piano players do it. It’s everywhere! Be sure to download this free lesson pdf and backing track so you can play and follow along. This lesson is a great introduction
Blues Lick for Saxophone – Old as Dirt Read More »
I sat down with a veritable star of the saxophone, Grace Kelly. I’ve been following Grace on Instagram for a while now loving her content, her music, her style, and her positivity. But after having spent time with her one on one I became even more of a fan since she has so much going
The Air Sax Ear Training Exercise – with Grace Kelly Read More »
The video for this week is top 10 list of great tenor saxophone players. It’s a follow up to my top 10 alto sax players video. I’m going to talk about Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Ben Webster, Dexter Gordon, Illinois Jacquet, Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt, Stan Getz, Sonny Rollins, Hank Mobley, and John Coltrane. In
Top 10 Classic Jazz Tenor Saxophone Players Read More »
Rigotti Reeds Rigotti Reeds are some of the best in the business. How many times have you bought a box of reeds and think, damn these things are really expensive… I know I do! During the summer of 2019, I toured the Rigotti Reeds Factory in the South of France near St. Tropez. After putting
Why Are Saxophone Reeds So Expensive? Rigotti Reed Factory Tour Read More »
My Production Setup When I create my videos I have a fairly elaborate production setup to help me create the best possible content for you all. A lot of people ask about the equipment I use and what my creative process is like, so I’ve put together my list of production setups and equipment recommendations.
Jay’s Production Setup and Recording Gear Read More »
Alto Sax Mouthpieces Today, I’m going to play test and review 5 different alto sax mouthpiece upgrade options. I get asked every day about mouthpieces. Which one is better, which one should I buy, how can I get a more jazzy sound? The list goes on and on… I never tell anyone buy this particular
Play Testing 5 Alto Sax Mouthpiece Upgrade Ideas Read More »
Update for 2024- The BetterSax Alto Saxophone Since the release of this video, BetterSax has launched the BetterSax Alto which is now our top recommendation for student alto saxophones. The BetterSax Alto saxophone was designed to fill a gap in the market for an affordable, reliable, and desirable instrument. Unlike other low-cost options, the
Student Alto Saxophones – Buyer’s Guide Read More »
Low Tech Practice Room Necessities Today I want to talk about some essential low tech items every musician should have in their practice space and how I use them. If you’ve got any tips for low-tech practice room gear please share them in the comments section below! Music Stand My first bit of low tech
Must Have Low Tech Gear for All Musicians Read More »
Who are the Greatest Alto Saxophone Players of All Time? Today we are going to take look at my top 10 of the greatest alto saxophone players. This list, in no particular order, are 10 of the greatest and most influential classic jazz alto saxophone players of all time. If you play the saxophone you
Top 10 Classic Jazz Alto Saxophone Players of All Time Read More »
Hey BetterSax Players, today I’m going to play test 6 different professional metal tenor sax mouthpieces. All but one of these mouthpieces are based on or inspired by the classic Otto Links of the 1950s but they are all modern versions that you can go out and buy new today. For this play test, I’ll
Play Testing 6 Metal Tenor Sax Mouthpieces (Otto Link Inspired Designs) Read More »
Jody Jazz HR* The Jody Jazz HR* 7 is killing on alto. This is my first time playing it and I dig it a lot. A more in depth review and comparison with other Jody Jazz alto mouthpieces on the way. “The HR* is a hard rubber saxophone mouthpiece aimed at professionals and students looking for
Jody Jazz HR* 7 – Alto Sax Mouthpiece Play Test Read More »
I’m always getting asked about the headphones I’m using in my videos. They are actually a really important part of my daily music work flow. So today, we’re going to talk about which ones I use, and some cool uses for them you may not know about. Today we’re talking about high tech gear in
How to Use Headphones in the Practice Room Read More »
I try new mouthpieces all the time, and sometimes it’s hard to truly evaluate the mouthpiece without playing on it a long time. Here are two tips to think about while trying new mouthpieces. Advice for Trying New Mouthpieces 1. New mouthpieces need a bit of play time on a variety of reeds before you
Advice on Play-Testing New Saxophone Mouthpieces Read More »
This Drake Studio Mouthpiece is an incredible addition to the Drake Mouthpiece line-up. This mouthpiece is absolute FIRE ? “This mouthpiece is an original design which features a rollover baffle and a medium chamber. The baffle and floor contour are specifically calibrated to offer flexibility with outstanding control and projection. The versatility of this design
Drake Studio Mouthpiece – Mini Mouthpiece Review Read More »
Core Essentials The exercise I’m going to show you comes directly out of my Core Essentials Course on saxophone fundamentals. If you’re already taking the Core Essentials Course, this video is gonna help you get even more value out of the long tones exercise – which you should be doing every day. Long Tone Exercises for
How to Play Sax In Tune Read More »
Lots of viewers have asked me how to swab and clean out their baritone saxophone so I did it for the first time myself to find out. The crook of the baritone sax is not easy to swab out. I had to add a long piece of string to an alto sax swab in order
How to Swab or Clean Out Your Bari Sax Read More »
Are we practicing the right things? Think of the #1 thing you should be practicing everyday, but aren’t. What are some of the things you practice instead? I’m going to talk about some bad habits we all have in the practice room, and how to fix them. What’s Really Important When Practicing? Just like in
Are You Practicing the Right Stuff on Saxophone? Read More »
Ever hear of saxophone lung? It’s a real thing! I promise, Google it. “Saxophone Lung is a rare type of hypersensitivity pneumonia, in which patients develop allergic pulmonary disease when they’re exposed to fungi that invade instruments — and are never removed. Basically, the musicians have allergic reactions to the mold that won’t let up” –
The Essential Cleaning Routine & The Saxophone Lung Read More »
