Six Tips to Guarantee Success as a Saxophonist
Let's find out what makes the saxophone a great instrument to learn and master.

The saxophone isn’t as celebrated among artists as the piano and guitar, but it’s one of the best ways to stand out and give your fans some extra spice. It’s an awesome instrument for the stage, one that allows you to express yourself beautifully while holding the attention of your audience.

If you’re reading this, it means you have at least some interest in playing the saxophone. That said, I understand you might still be wondering whether it’s the right way to go. Let me try to convince you.

Why Play the Saxophone?

Improves your breathing

Playing the saxophone basically consists of blowing air into the metal tube while pressing different buttons to produce music. This trains your lungs so that they can sustain you playing for long periods. Playing the saxophone is, therefore, an effective form of cardio. It’ll improve your breathing and, by extension, your heart health.

Helps you stand out

While the piano and guitar are much more popular among established and upcoming artists alike, an indie artist playing saxophone is much rarer. As a result, it’s easier for you to stand out among a crowd of artists hoping for their fifteen minutes of fame.

It’s not to say the piano and guitar aren’t good instruments to learn, absolutely not, it’s that you’ll have to be superb at playing those to stand out because the crowd is larger. For the saxophone, however, you’re already different. All you need to catch people’s ears is to be decent.

Great for onstage performances

Among woodwind and brass instruments, the saxophone is the best suited to performing on stage. Instruments like the flute, trumpet, and trombone are all better suited to an orchestra-style performance. The saxophone, on the other hand, is handy for spontaneous solos and catchy freestyles.

The saxophone has the widest dynamic range of all woodwind instruments and, with the right skill, is flexible enough to mimic a singing voice. So you can literally “sing� your song with the saxophone. This is why the saxophone is a major solo instrument in jazz music.

If you need any more convincing, take a look at this short clip. Don’t you just love how it sounds?

Six Actionable Saxophone Tips

Get the right accessories

Imagine getting a new phone, except it comes without a charger. The phone is the main thing you want, of course, but the lack of a charger makes life less convenient. The same principle applies to your saxophone. The instrument is the main thing you need, but some accessories will make things much easier for you.

For example, you need to get a good mouthpiece. If you get a proper one, it can improve your sound. On the flip side, a bad one will ruin your sound. You also want to get a good sling that allows you to be comfortable while playing. These accessories aren’t the main thing you need, but life’s harder without them.

Use backing tracks

If you’re a total beginner, you’re probably wondering what backing tracks are. If you love music, you’ve probably done karaoke before. The background music during karaoke is called a backing track. When practicing your saxophone, it’s important to play plain at first so that you nail the song. Once you’ve mastered that, use a backing track.

A backing track gives you a baseline rhythm so that you can play and freestyle. By using backing tracks, you’re simulating a real-life performance with other musicians. And we both know that’s the goal, to perform on stage.

Transcribe and transpose

One of the best ways to know how well you’ve mastered a song is to transcribe it. That means listening to the music and writing out the notes being played by the saxophonist. Start with songs you already know so it’s easier to navigate at first, then move on to newer songs to truly test your ability.

Once you’ve learned all the notes, the next step is to play the song. In doing that, transpose the song into two main areas. Firstly, reduce the speed to about a tenth of the original, depending on how fast the song is, then increase the speed as you go. Secondly, play around with the key of the song. Go low, go high, go wherever you want.

Exercise

Given that playing the saxophone requires your lungs to be in perfect working condition, you should probably hit the gym. No, I’m not kidding. You need to do cardio exercises to ensure that you’re in good shape because if you’re not, you won’t last long playing the saxophone. You also need to work on your posture and ensure that your body doesn’t accumulate tension in the wrong places.

Nail your embouchure

Embouchure is one of the most important things you must nail if you’re to become an awesome saxophonist. Gotten from the French word, “bouche�, which means mouth, embouchure refers to the position of your mouth as you blow air into the saxophone. If done wrongly, you won’t produce the right kind of sound.

If there’s one place you do NOT want tension, it’s your embouchure. Your entire sound depends on the air blown from your mouth. If for some reason, that air isn’t flowing correctly, there’s a problem. I can’t talk much more about embouchure, but you can read more about it.

Sing

Don’t roll your eyes, I’m serious. Singing the notes you’re about to play out loud is a great way to keep them in your head so that you don’t forget while you’re playing. You don’t have to sing the lyrics, just sing out the notes. That said, proper singing also helps.

Singing helps clear your windpipe and can also serve as a way to improve your breathing. The more you play, the better you can sing. The more you sing, the easier it will be to play. It’s a cycle of improvement.

Final Thoughts

I hope you’re not only fully convinced to make the saxophone your instrument of choice, but that you’ve also gotten some useful tips that’ll help you go from beginner to pro. If you’d like to start your journey afresh with a coach to help, you can either find a place close to you or check out Saxophone Masterclass on YouTube.

Godspeed, Champ.