Here’s the second part to the story of my rebirth as a scale-ophile! (don’t think that’s officially a word, but I think it should be!)… …There I was at music college in the UK, studying under some great saxophonists, and musicians. The more I learnt about music, harmony and improvisation, the...

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I’ve been talking about scales a lot recently, so I thought I’d tell you the story of why I love them so much… The younger me refused to play scales; my teacher would talk to me about them and I would just glaze over! All I wanted to do was play and improvise. I think the idea that I had to...

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This review can be made very short: Quite simply, the Reedjuvinate is the best saxophone accessory that I have ever had! What is it? It is a reed storage system with space for 3 reeds, so it’s ideal to fit in your case and to have with you on gigs or in rehearsals. Inside the case is...

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I have just been filming some "How To Play" videos of scales, tips etc for the March update in the Scales Library, and at the end I was having loads of fun messing around with the scales that I had just filmed. Scales are not, as the younger me used to think, an instrument of torture designed...

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I ran a rehearsal last night for one of my saxophone groups, and it struck me (as it has done lots of times before) how powerful playing long notes collectively can be. Do you practise with friends and/or other saxophonists? If not, you should definitely try it. As a warm up, try all of you...

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Since graduating from music college in the UK in 2000, I have specialised in teaching jazz improvisation on the saxophone. And, although I have taught advanced techniques to University students, I have found that the largest number of pupils have been adult learners looking for a way in to the...

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3. Creative Exercises For Instrumental Teachers from Saxophone Studies.com on Vimeo. In a follow up to his blog post, The Importance Of Creativity In Instrumental Tuition, Matthew Smith from Saxophone Studies presents a film with the third in a series of 3 Creative Exercises for...

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2. Creative Exercises For Instrumental Teachers from Saxophone Studies.com on Vimeo. In a follow up to his blog post, The Importance Of Creativity In Instrumental Tuition, Matthew Smith from Saxophone Studies presents a film with the second in a series of 3 Creative Exercises for...

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1. Creative Exercises For Instrumental Teachers from Saxophone Studies.com on Vimeo. In a follow up to his blog post, The Importance Of Creativity In Instrumental Tuition, Matthew Smith from Saxophone Studies presents a film with the first in a series of 3 Creative Exercises for...

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Matthew Smith from Saxophone Studies argues for the huge importance of creativity in the music teaching process: Going through the process of writing material for this site has really got me thinking about the role of creativity within education, and specifically within instrumental education....

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