Here I am reviewing the amazing Yanagisawa 991 baritone saxophone. This baritone was unpacked before my very eyes and only had the packing cork taken out – i.e. there was no setup. It plays straight out of the box – this can’t be said for many other makes.
It’s so easy to play. Even though I haven’t played baritone for nearly two years I can just pop the mouthpiece on and get a great sound.
Highly recommended!
I’m incredibly fortunate to have studied with some wonderful teachers, both in Europe and in New York. What they all have in common is their willingness to share their passion for playing great music.
That’s what I try to do with Cambridge Saxophone – create a passionate environment where you can be inspired to make music.
My answer can be as simple as two words: passion and inspiration.
I’ve been inspired by some great teachers over the years. Going right back to when I was just about tall enough to reach the keys and hammer away on my grandma’s organ, music has always fascinated me.
At primary school my teacher, who was not a trained musician, was so passionate about getting kids involved in music that he held DAILY band practices and an hour’s rehearsal after school on a Friday.
When I got older I met – and studied with – some of the biggest names in the saxophone world, As I got to know them and found myself having amazing conversations with them, one thing struck me: ALL of them were passionate about music and wanted to draw other people in to know and love this wonderful art form.
Let’s face it, when it comes to the saxophone few things give us more frustration than reeds. Finding a good reed is like finding the perfect playing partner: when the reed plays well, you play well. I’ve found that RICO reeds give me the best chance of finding the best ones; I play Rico Select Jazz 4M at the moment on my tenor sax.
In this video I explain my process of preparing reeds. I’m not someone who spends a lot of time on this – I would far rather be playing! However, I do find some soaking and breaking in helps the reed ‘speak’ better and extends its life by quite a few weeks.
Anyway, here’s my video review – enjoy it, and please leave your comments below!
This lesson is a follow-up lesson to Modes – Part 1 (on sax). In this video I’m sat at the piano showing you how modes work in relation to C major, i.e. just the white notes on the keyboard.
Remember, PLEASE leave a comment in the forum with any questions – if you’re brave enough to leave a question you’ll help the probably about 10 others who aren’t. I WILL answer all your questions as best I can, or if necessary do another video.