How to Play Great: A Guide from an Amateur Player

Hello everybody! Today's guide entry will discuss my favorite mouthpiece for beginner saxophone players. I hope you enjoy, and remember, if you have any suggestions for this series, please email me!

What is the History of...?

Below is the second installment of the What is the History of...? series. If you have ever wondered how this Italian saxophone maker began, check out this article found directly from their site. Enjoy!

New Training Tool or Just a Conversation Piece?

Hello everyone,

After searching the internet for interesting new inventions in the world of the saxophone, I present to you something that will blow your mind. It is a keyless saxophone! Yes, you just read that right, it is a saxophone without any keys. This product reminds me of a spin off of the slide saxophone (see it being played here) except it looks more alto saxophone-like. Invented by Siguard Rascher, this strange invention seems to be used to help train a student in overtones, improving tone quality, and lung capacity (see the testimonials below):

Mouthpiece Case Review

Recently, a guy named Sonny sent me a mouthpiece case to review. He does not mass-produce these cases but instead hand makes each one. Read this post to find out what I think about his mouthpiece cases:

How to Choose the Right Mouthpiece

When I began playing, I was never told about the different type of mouthpieces, the different materials, and how each material could affect the sound. I was just told by my director, "Go buy a C*." If, as a beginner, students were educated in how each material and type of mouthpiece affected the tone, durability, and what style each mouthpiece is used in, they might better understand why we can't use a metal mouthpiece in concert band. Here is an interesting article from http://www.pickyguide.com/musical_instrument/saxophone_mouthpieces_guide.html that will hopefully clear up the cloud of fog for beginners.

WHAT?!?!? Flavored Reeds?!?!?

So apparently I've been missing something here. No one ever told me that reeds can be flavored! According to Flavoreeds, a company making reeds in flavors other than cane, a student's playing will improve because soaking a reed will no longer be unpleasant (although I do like the taste of cane, different flavors would be nice). Also, this reed has the nice plus side of notifying you when to change reeds: when the flavor is gone, it's time for a new one! The flavors are Strawberry, Bubble Gum, Cherry Red, Watermelon, Cinnamon, Mint Green, Piña Colada, and Blue Raspberry (the most popular flavor, but it turns your lips blue). It looks like these reeds come in two packs for clarinet and alto sax, and three packs for tenor sax. All reeds come in strengths ranging from 1.5-3.5. I would love to try these reeds!

What is the History of...?

This is the first post of a mini-series called "What is the History of...?" It will feature the history of famous manufacturers, styles of playing and musicians. If you have any suggestions for this series, feel free to email me This post, written by Steven Knight of eHow.com, talks about the history of the Selmer alto saxes.

How to Play Great: A Guide from an Amateur Player

Hello everyone! I decided I will try to make a guide on this site about how to become a better player through the eyes of an amateur. As I am only an amateur and do not know everything about the sax, this should be very interesting. So without further ado, here is the first (and possibly only) installment of How to Play Great: A Guide from an Amateur Player.

Clark Fobes Debut Mouthpiece Review

Clark Fobes agreed to send me a free Debut mouthpiece to review. Read on to find out what I think; plus, band directors and private lesson teachers, visit his site to find out how you can get one for free too!

First Impressions: Upon first trying out this mouthpiece, I found it very easy to produce tones, unlike my beginner mouthpiece. At around the same price, I would have opted to use this mouthpiece if my music store sold these. Great for beginners and intermediates (some clarinet and saxophone players at my high school still use these), this mouthpiece is very solid for learning how to play.

Cost: $44- Alto, $47- Tenor, $39.50- Clarinet, $65- Bass Clarinet

Design: All Fobes mouthpieces are hand finished and tested to insure that the best tone and quality are produced with each mouthpiece.

Pros: 

• At $44 for an alto sax one and $39.50 for a clarinet mouthpiece, this mouthpiece is very affordable
• It plays very smoothly and will be great for beginners
• Tone production is easy on this mouthpiece, making it ideal for beginners

Cons:

• Only sold at select retailers

Rating: 5/5 stars

I loved this mouthpiece! It is so easy to play and has a nice sound. I wished I had purchased this mouthpiece as a beginner instead of a no name $40 one which was so much lower compared to this. Clark Fobes knows how to make mouthpieces and definitely displays this through his Debut mouthpiece. And don't forget, if you are a private lessons teacher or band director, contact Mr. Fobes through his website for info on how to get a free Debut mouthpiece! http://www.clarkwfobes.com

 The alto sax version of this mouthpiece

inside view of mouthpiece

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