Saxophone
These pages will guide you towards the right/recommend instrument and gear upgrades, as well as give you links to great resources and videos of great examples of outstanding musicianship on each specific instrument.
The saxophone requires a few special items. You must have a cleaning swab, cork grease, and reed guards. The care kit that Beacock Music sells contains a cleaning swab, cork grease, mouthpiece brush, reed guard, and a neck cleaner. All very important.
The saxophone requires a few special items. You must have a cleaning swab, cork grease, and reed guards. The care kit that Beacock Music sells contains a cleaning swab, cork grease, mouthpiece brush, reed guard, and a neck cleaner. All very important.
Band 6 will need Measures of Success Book 1 for Alto Sax
Band 7/8 are using materials that I will provide.
You will also need an eyeglass-repair screwdriver. They are available at the checkout stand at Safeway for about $2.
You must also have high quality reeds to play on. You need to have at least three reeds with you at all times. The quality of the reed (brand) and the strength of the reed directly impacts your ability to play. Beginning Band students need Rico Royal reeds (in the light blue box). The orange box ones just called "Rico" are terrible. They cost a few cents less each, but they are NOT worth the savings. Once the student is avdancing, they might want to move up to Vandoren reeds. They are slightly more expensive, but are significantly better reeds. but them in boxes of ten to save money per reed. You are going to buy and use them anyway throughout the year, might as well get them at once and save some money.
Beginning Band - Rico Royal #2½ at the beginning of the year, possibly move up to #3 in the spring.
Intermediate and Advanced Band - Rico Royal #3 or Vandoren #2½ (Vandorens run a little stronger).
The more you practice, the stronger your embouchure will become and you will eventually need to move up to the next strength reed (Rico Royal #3½ or Vandoren #3).
Be sure to specify what size/strength when you order.
Band 7/8 are using materials that I will provide.
You will also need an eyeglass-repair screwdriver. They are available at the checkout stand at Safeway for about $2.
You must also have high quality reeds to play on. You need to have at least three reeds with you at all times. The quality of the reed (brand) and the strength of the reed directly impacts your ability to play. Beginning Band students need Rico Royal reeds (in the light blue box). The orange box ones just called "Rico" are terrible. They cost a few cents less each, but they are NOT worth the savings. Once the student is avdancing, they might want to move up to Vandoren reeds. They are slightly more expensive, but are significantly better reeds. but them in boxes of ten to save money per reed. You are going to buy and use them anyway throughout the year, might as well get them at once and save some money.
Beginning Band - Rico Royal #2½ at the beginning of the year, possibly move up to #3 in the spring.
Intermediate and Advanced Band - Rico Royal #3 or Vandoren #2½ (Vandorens run a little stronger).
The more you practice, the stronger your embouchure will become and you will eventually need to move up to the next strength reed (Rico Royal #3½ or Vandoren #3).
Be sure to specify what size/strength when you order.
You'll also need a reed guard (or two). These keep the reed from warping. They make the reeds last longer and play better.
The mouthpiece that comes with most beginning saxophone rentals is not very good and actually gets in the way of the students being able to make the most progress and meet their full potential. Luckily, there is a very affordable mouthpiece that is significantly better and makes a tremendous difference even at these beginning stages.
I recommend the Fobes Debut saxophopne mouthpiece.
Another great item to upgrade is the ligature. The ligature is what holds the reed in place on the mouthpiece and directly affects the tone quality you produce. You want the Rovner Dark ligature.
videos
Here are some examples of great saxophone playing. Watch all of these at least once. You will want to watch the ones at the end (the performance ones) a zillion times.
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