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Hi! I am Steve Neff

I have been playing and teaching saxophone and jazz improvisation around the New England area for the last 30+ years. I love teaching and anything to do with the saxophone. I hope you find this website helpful in your musical journey. Thanks, Steve

Theo Wanne Ambika Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

August 3, 2010 by Steve 17 Comments

Here’s another Theo Wanne tenor saxophone mouthpiece for you to check out. I just received a ton of these and I’m working my way through them as you might have noticed. This is a hard rubber version of the Ambika mouthpiece.  The Ambika is on the darker side of the tone spectrum.  It has a […]

Filed Under: Tenor Low Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Ambika tenor mouthpiece, tenor saxophone, Theo Wanne

Theo Wanne Wood Gaia Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

August 2, 2010 by Steve 3 Comments

Here’s another Theo Wanne alto saxophone mouthpiece for you to check out.  I just received a ton of these and I’m working my way through them as you might have noticed. This is a wood version of the Gaia mouthpiece.  The Gaia is a middle of the road type mouthpiece tone wise.  From bright to […]

Filed Under: Alto Medium Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Alto Saxophone, gaia mouthpieces, Theo Wanne, wood gaia

Theo Wanne Hard Rubber Kali Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

August 2, 2010 by Steve Leave a Comment

Here’s another Theo Wanne alto saxophone mouthpiece for you to check out. I just received a ton of these and I’m working my way through them. This is a hard rubber Kali mouthpiece. It is an 8 tip opening which is around a .080 I believe. This is similar to the metal Kali mouthpiece I […]

Filed Under: Alto High Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Alto Saxophone, hard rubber, Kali mouthpiece, Theo Wanne

Theo Wanne Gold Kali Alto Mouthpiece

August 2, 2010 by Steve 7 Comments

Here’s another Theo Wanne alto mouthpiece for you to check out.  I just received a ton of these and I’m working my way through them.  This is a brushed gold Kali mouthpiece.  It is an 8 tip opening which is around a .080 I believe.  This is similar to the Durga mouthpiece I reviewed earlier […]

Filed Under: Alto High Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Alto Saxophone, hard rubber, Kali metal mouthpiece, sax mouthpiece, Theo Wanne

Theo Wanne Gold Durga Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

August 2, 2010 by Steve 8 Comments

This is a Theo Wanne gold Durga alto saxophone mouthpiece.  This has a higher and longer baffle than the other Theo Wanne mouthpieces I have played.  The baffle looks to be in two stages.  The first stage is high and looks to be about half an inch long.  At that point there is a ledge […]

Filed Under: Alto High Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Alto Saxophone, Durga alto, mouthpiece, Theo Wanne

Theo Wanne HR Amma Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

August 2, 2010 by Steve 4 Comments

This is a Theo Wanne hard rubber Amma alto saxophone mouthpiece. Theo was kind enough to send me a big box of mouthpieces to try out and I spent all morning playing and recording them.  This Amma is an .080 tip opening and is made out of hard rubber.  The Amma has a slightly higher […]

Filed Under: Alto High Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Alto Saxophone, Amma mouthpiece, sax mouthpiece, Theo Wanne

Theo Wanne HR Gaia 8 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

August 2, 2010 by Steve 1 Comment

This is a Theo Wanne hard rubber Gaia 8 alto saxophone mouthpiece.  Theo was kind enough to send me a big box of mouthpieces to try out and I spent all morning playing and recording them.  I already put up a clip of a Gaia 6 alto mouthpiece a couple of weeks ago.  This one […]

Filed Under: Alto Medium Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Alto Saxophone, Gaia Hard Rubber, sax mouthpiece, Theo Wanne

Great Hal Galper Masterclass Videos

August 1, 2010 by Steve Leave a Comment

Here are some great clips from youtube of a Hal Galper masterclass.  Hal Galper is a great piano player who has has played with many of the jazz legends.  I came to know him from some Phil Woods albums I had growing up.  These are great to watch a number of times.  Hal is such […]

Filed Under: Jazz Education Tagged With: Hal Galper, Jazz Education, Jazz Improvisation, masterclass

MacSax Empyreal Alto Saxophone

July 20, 2010 by Steve 10 Comments

Today, I’m reviewing the MacSax Empyreal Alto Saxophone.  This sax is manufactured in Taiwan for the MacSax company in Austin Texas. This is the Unlacquered Finish model.  It looks like bare brass which gives it a cool vintage look.  I am told that the brass is subjected to a gas treatment that gives it a […]

Filed Under: Sax Reviews, Saxophone Stuff Tagged With: Empyreal Alto Saxophone, Gaia, MacSax, sax mouthpiece, Taiwan saxophones, Theo Wanne

What Difference Does the Saxophone Ligature Make? Part 2

July 16, 2010 by Steve 55 Comments

In part one of this blog post on “the differences a ligature can make” I talked about the difference a ligature can make to a saxophone player from his or her perspective.  (For those of you who don’t know,  the ligature is the device that holds the saxophone reed to the mouthpiece)  How it can […]

Filed Under: Saxophone Stuff Tagged With: Alto Saxophone, mouthpiece ligatures

Drake Vintage Resin NY Jazz Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

July 15, 2010 by Steve 37 Comments

Yesterday,  I received a box from Aaron Drake at Drake Mouthpieces. I couldn’t open it fast enough. Inside were 3 brand new vintage resin alto saxophone mouthpieces for me to try. I’ve been wanting to try these for months now and I was very excited.  This is the second mouthpiece I tried of the three. […]

Filed Under: Alto Low Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: aaron drake, alto mouthpiece, Alto Saxophone, NY Jazz, vintage resin

Drake Vintage Resin Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Comparison

July 14, 2010 by Steve 20 Comments

I thought I’d put up a comparison post of the three Drake vintage resin alto saxophone mouthpieces I received today.  I will be doing a separate review for each mouthpiece but I thought that if I played a simple melody on all 3 next to each other you could hear the differences better.  On these […]

Filed Under: Alto Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: aaron drake, alto mouthpiece, contemporary, Drake Mouthpieces, NY Jazz, vintage resin

Drake Vintage Resin Contemporary Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

July 14, 2010 by Steve 13 Comments

I’m starting to get overwhelmed by how many great mouthpieces are out there today.  This morning  I received a box from Aaron Drake at Drake Mouthpieces.   I couldn’t open it fast enough.  Inside were 3 brand new vintage resin alto saxophone mouthpieces for me to try.  I’ve been wanting to try these for months […]

Filed Under: Alto High Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: aaron drake, alto mouthpiece, Alto Saxophone, contemporary, Drake Mouthpieces, vintage resin

Warburton Soprano Saxophone Mouthpiece by Eric Falcon

July 12, 2010 by Steve 8 Comments

This is a Warburton soprano saxophone mouthpiece made by Eric Falcon.  This is one of the best soprano mouthpieces I have had the pleasure of playing.   It plays effortlessly and has a big fat soprano sound to it.  The first day I played on it, I actually recorded a few lessons with it because I […]

Filed Under: Soprano Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Eric Falcon, soprano mouthpiece, soprano saxophone, Warburton mouthpieces

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Testimonials

Just a brief note to compliment you on your teaching skills and in particular for the honesty of your lessons.  I am a returning alto sax player in my 50’s and I was looking for a no nonsense, straight to the point kind of guidance. I had intended to email you with a few questions regarding the use of the bis key but then I noticed that there was a lesson on that specific topic and after viewing it,  all my questions were answered. I once took a group lesson with a well known professional sax … Read more
Patrick

Mr. Neff,  I want to thank you for sharing your God-given talents through your on-line lessons.  My husband, Michael, is blind, but he is a great sax player and he has been enjoying your lessons for quite some time now.  It’s not unusual for me to hear “Hey, babe, listen to THIS!” – and he will cut loose on his sax, just thrilled at what he learned during his session with you.  His excitement warms my heart!  You have no idea how much you have poured into my husband.  You have opened musical … Read more

Carole B

Hello Steve,

I just want to say thank you so much for your unbelievable work, it is just mind opening, thanks for sharing it.

Wolfgang from Berlin

Wolfgang from Berlin

Hello Steve, I’m getting so much out of your lessons and books, amazing how much one may think one knows, there is always a new frontier or new way to view something you think you had somewhat down. You have taken it all to a new level and am so grateful. Your lessons are so down to earth and understandable and clear!  Thanks so much Steve! Cheers, Eddie

Eddie Parente
Steve’s monthly lessons are entirely valuable. Without brow beating, he tells you all the stuff you deep down know you really should be working on, instead of just relying on the same old patterns. In spite of the fact that you’re taking a video lesson, Steve’s presentation is comfortable and “real”. In a little more than a year, he’s developed a library of lessons that seem to offer any player a lifetime’s worth of practice material. I’m just glad I stumbled upon it.… Read more
Grant
I am enjoying your style of teaching, and you’ve done a great job with the videos….good sound quality and well constructed lessons.  Balances the more guitaristic material found on the majority of guitar based programs.  Jazz vocab is what I’m all about at this point in the journey.   I especially dig the fact that you’ve studied with Bergonzi…helps me see his voluminous output in a more  bite sized way.
Milton

Steve,

I have played for many years and have enjoyed going “back to the basics” in some of your lessons!  You have such a gift for explaining concepts.  As I have gotten older, some of the basic things have gotten muddled because I just play, not knowing why.  As I refresh myself with “why”, it increases my confidence and expands my playing.  Thank you so much for using your gift!  You are a blessing!

Julia
I have been a member of Neffmusic for more than a year now and have enjoyed every minute of it! I have not only been going thru the Dominant Bebop Scale lessons and book (OUTSTANDING!) but the mouthpiece reviews, solo clips and transcriptions are very interesting. Steve approach to beginning and intermediate improv have given me many new pathways to teach my high school jazz ensemble students. Congratulations Steve, great product!
Craig

Hi Steve,

First, I want to thank you for all of your great lessons. They are like a “For Dummies” version of all the books on my shelf. The lessons break things down into manageable pieces, and give me the confidence that I’m practicing the right pieces. I’m starting to make progress.   Thank You,   Kim

Kim

Steve, just a note to say thanks.

I’ve been playing a long time, but your material, laid out in such a thoughtful way, helps me to understand concepts in a new and deeper way.

You are a true gift to the jazz community.

60 lessons and going strong,

Kevin Ledbetter

Kevin Ledbetter
I have found your videos and publications inspiring and your contribution to the world of saxophone playing is immense. Paul
Paul
Hi Steve, I can’t express just how much I appreciate your teaching. My playing has improved so much over the past year since I have been studying and practicing with your lessons. It is possible to teach an old dog new tricks, these lessons are proof! Thanks, Michael Byington
Michael Byington
Thank you for the wealth of helpful lessons you’ve provided over the years.  I truly feel as though it has improved my playing more than the 4 years I spent at Berklee… and that’s not a slight on the school as I loved my experience there.
John
John
Hi Steve, I live in a gorgeous but rural area of Oregon-no music store within 80 miles. Your lessons are my lifeline!  Truly the best there are anywhere online. Love your playing. Love your teaching.  Thanks again. Ed
Ed Woodmansee
For anyone living in remote areas away from live jazz sax teachers, Neff is the way to go. In fact this is a great resource for anyone seriously interested in mastering the sax. I’ve never been disappointed in a lesson.
Oliver
I just wanted to write a thank you note to you for this website. I play and teach saxophone, but I have always been intimidated by the gear aspect. Your website has helped me become a lot more knowledgable. Your knowledge is staggering! I’m telling all my students about your website. Pierre
Pierre
Absolutely the best learning experience in my 40 years of playing.These books are awesome!!
Alfred LaBella
I bought Steve’s dominant bebop book and took a couple of online lesson from him. I really appreciated Steve’s careful listening of what I wanted to get done in a lesson and his clear, concise ideas on next steps to improve my playing and musical interpretation.  His mastering  the Dominant Bebop Scale has lots of exercises to use a scale that addresses the largest percentage of chords I come across in pop/blues music. The dominant V7.  Needless say it has improved my playing.  I teach and a… Read more
Keith

Your material is great! I got your New Altissimo Lesson 6 months ago and I have learned more from that than in all my 44 years of playing! I appreciate your down to earth teaching method and I really appreciate the heart that you teach with. I have been a subscriber to your lessons for the past 6 months and I have learned a great deal. Over that period of time I have had some questions and you have never failed to respond. Thanks! I have already recommended your lessons to a number of players in… Read more

Michael Byington

Love your lessons!  I have been using your lesson packages for many months now, and am learning a lot.  It is so perfect for me with a very busy adult schedule and difficulty in taking jazz/improv music lessons from reputable instructors who live and hour or more away from me.

Lenore

I want to thank you again, because, not only are you an inspiration to listen to, you are a fine teacher!

I have been teaching sax and other winds for over 20 years, and you give me that “push” to give my students more!

Mark Peotter

Mark Peotter

Steve,  Just want to say thanks for all you are doing for all of us. I’ve learned more from you than anyone else in my 40 years of playing.

If you can give some tips on One Note Samba, Ceora, and Wave… that would be cool.  I really like learning how you apply your concepts to actual songs!

Have a great year,

Kevin Ledbetter

I've learned more from you than anyone else in my 40 years of playing.
By the way, BIG COMPLIMENTS to you, Steve! Not only are you a great player, you are also a great teacher! I, too, am a woodwinds player/teacher. I have new inspiration to play and teach because of you. The concepts and “thinking” is similar to what I already learned in College, but hearing you explain and PLAY the concepts REALLY MAKES THE DIFFERENCE! Also, your written patterns are more interesting than other books I have seen! Keep up the good work. I will be recommending your sit… Read more
I will be recommending your site to others!
I want to say something about Steve Neff’s series of lessons, Beginner Jazz Improvisation. For a couple of years I tried many beginner lessons and my problem was that there was a gap between lessons that were fairly simple and ones that I was not quite ready for and my progress stalled out. That problem was solved with the series Beginner Jazz Improvisation. He guides you step by step along the way and builds a foundation for learning jazz and blues. He leaves no question about what to practice … Read more
Pete

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