Comments on: How to Begin to Play the Saxophone

on 6/3/2009 Excellent article. 5 stars!

on 5/20/2009 I should get my old Cleveland out. I played it over 40 years ago.

on 3/3/2009 I would like to learn how to play the Alto Saxophone too my name is Eber my Email: vivaamerica247@hotmail.com...." where could I find information on how to play the saxophone Anyone knows please. ?

on 3/3/2009 Hello Dear I just got stated in an alto saxophone and I would love to know where can I find " Information on how to play the saxophone ? "...I would like to learn to play at church.

on 2/13/2009 After giving this a go, if you want to take it farther check out www.benbogart.com. He gives saxophone lessons online. He's a Berklee grad with a lot of experience. I think the first lesson is free.

on 11/18/2008 Hi there, am a great fun of sax, but my problem is that1. i dont have one 2. i dont have the cash to buy one and 3 i dont know how to play so that i can play people's own, but i long to play sax to praise my maker while i have breadth till my voice is lost in death. All i need is a sponsorer to have a sax of my own to play and glorify God. my email is shosholloza@yahoo.co.uk. thanks

on 3/20/2008 Anybody please tell me where to find an online video teaching beginners how to play tenor saxophone ?

Here's my e-mail : eliasawad75@yahoo.com

Thanks y'all !

on 3/20/2008 Anybody please tell me where to find an online video teaching beginners how to play tenor saxophone ?

Here's my e-mail : eliasawad75@yahoo.com

Thanks y'all !

E.

on 7/7/2007 I would appreciate some of you experienced players share how you break in your reeds. If you soak your reeds, how much of the reed do you emerse in the water?

on 1/19/2007 When starting to play an instrument, always tune it first. It makes playing a lot more enjoyable, as it will sound better. You can use a piano to tune, or another instrument. You can also buy a tuner at most music stores. This also makes you music more beautiful, as it won't "repel" the sounds from other correctly tuned instruments.

on 9/20/2006 Always practice the music you hate or music that is hard first. Then when you get really stressed out, play the "fun music." It makes practicing a lot more enjoyable.

on 9/17/2006 You should choose a mouthpiece based on the style of music you want to play. For classical music you will probably want to use a good, hard rubber mouthpiece, whereas metal mouthpieces are more suited to Jazz. Some mouthpieces produce brighter tones than others, depending on what style of music they are made for. If you plan on investing in a high quality mouthpiece, you should make sure to try out many mouthpieces to see which one is the best for you. Evaluate the different mouthpieces on tone quality, tuning, dynamic range, and range of notes you can play. Be careful, as different mouthpieces of the same model can still be slightly different.

For beginners, I recommend the Selmer c* mouthpiece. This mouthpiece makes an okay all around mouthpiece, but it is great in a classical setting. I myself use a c**.

While I definitely recommend investing in a good mouthpiece, good mouthpieces range in price from about $70 to about $200 for alto sax mouthpieces, and more for tenor or bari sax mouthpieces. If you are not prepared to make such an investment however, you should definitely not use the mouthpiece which comes with the saxophone. Major saxophone companies also make cheaper, not as high quality mouthpieces for beginning students. These mouthpieces range in price from about $15-$30. I would recommend the Selmer Goldentone, although it is still a good idea to try out each of these cheaper mouthpieces.

on 4/19/2008 Producing a good tone while playing the notes below a low D can be tough...try this and you'll see better results. Holding each note 2 counts begin on a low F; Slur down the chromatic scale stopping at the first note that gives you trouble. First just focus on slurring down to that note successfully. When you can finally slur down to that note, in the same breath, hold/sustain that note for 2-4 counts and then, also in the same breath, tongue the note 4 more times with a legato (connecting) articulation. Repeat this process, beginning on the low F and move down through all of the remaining lower register notes to low Bb. Recap: Just remember once you get the difficult note to sound, hold it, then in the same breath legato tongue 4 more times.

on 8/8/2006 It is very important when playing the saxophone to keep your cheeks in, for good tone production. Don't puff out your cheeks!

on 8/8/2006 Remember to have your fingers positioned correctly; on the top three and bottom three, using your index, middle, and ring fingers.