jazz band silhouette

Jazz Scales: The Chromatic Scale

I remember back in middle school and high school preparing for regional band auditions. Placement was based on a scoring […]

Read More
bebop scale

Jazz Scales: The Bebop Scale

I’ve practiced many hours in my life. Absolutely no doubt I’ve passed the popularly theorized (although subsequently debunked, sort of) […]

Read More
jazz guitar

Jazz Scales: The Pentatonic Scale

Pentatonic Scale The pentatonic scale gets a bad rap sometimes. Maybe because it’s simple; far from the most complex scale. […]

Read More
saxophones

Benefits of Playing Saxophone Duets in Lessons

When I first started taking saxophone lessons, my teacher concluded every lesson by having us play some duets. Saxophone duets […]

Read More
lead sheet example

Understanding Lead Sheet Notation

What is Lead Sheet Notation?   If you have any experience performing jazz, or any other style of popular music, […]

Read More
close up of saxophone mouthpiece

Choosing a Saxophone Mouthpiece

A saxophone player’s sound is a saxophone player’s identity. It’s what defines them. Hear one or two notes and you […]

Read More
orchestral score with conductors baton

What is ‘Concert Pitch’?

Concert pitch is a strange thing. Many professional musicians will spend their entire careers never having to deal with concert […]

Read More
saxophone fingering chart

Saxophone Fingering Chart

Having a saxophone fingering chart is essential. An accurate saxophone fingering chart is an invaluable tool for every beginning saxophone […]

Read More
saxophone brands on display

Saxophone Brands: Finding Your Perfect Horn

So you’ve been renting a saxophone from your school or a local music store for a couple of years now. […]

Read More
clarinet with case and music

Clarinet Warm Ups: Exercises for All Levels

Before getting into our clarinet warm ups, let’s ponder a few hypothetical scenarios:   1) You’ve been assigned a group […]

Read More