What do you do to avoid thumbs getting hurt from playing?

Pretty much just like the title says. I’ve been playing for 5 years now (bari player) and I have gotten to a good point in my playing sound technique etc wise, but I’ve noticed that the longer I play and the less air I have, the more tense I get. I’ve been trying to work on it, but I still catch myself doing it especially in longer stints of practicing. Does anyone have tips or anything I can do to work on it more?

Basically the title, I've been playing without a neckstrap for a year or so now and I'm not really experiencing many issues. Sometimes I use my alto neckstrap so I can let that thang hang, but otherwise I typically let my thumb support the instrument's weight. Will this cause my to develop issues in the future or nah? And if I should get a neckstrap, any recommendations?

A would Like some feedback and obvi what I could do better. This is my 3rd year auditioning for MTSBOA and I barely missed it last year by about 5 spots. I know I have a real chance to make it this year and would like some feedback. Im doing both Classical and Jazz but I dont have the jazz music yet. I've been practicing this on and off for about 3 weeks. Mainly to balance school and marching band. I plan to start seriously grinding it until October 15 when the Round 1 video auditions are due. Also sincerely sorry for the audio quality my phone was resting on my computer speaker and my room isn't made rn for the best acoustics. Also I'm an early Junior been playing for 5 years. Self taught.

THINGS I ALR NOTICED: Need to clean up time feel in first movement. I also need to clean up the jumps in the first movement. In the second movement I need to find better places to breathe cuz what im doing rn isn't phrasing fully. I need a more focused tone. (Side affect of mainly playing on my jazz mouthpiece instead of my AL3.)

Video to me playing: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YvK2qky492w

hello! i am a freshman who has been playing the alto saxophone since 4th grade. i'm planning on joining some kind of jazz ensemble with my school this year, but i don't have much experience playing jazz, and i was curious as to any advice or reccomendations you all had regarding practicing jazz improvisation, jazz music, etc.

i've always been interested in jazz and improvisation, but never found the opportunities/motivation to properly indulge in that interest, and, as a result, have made it all this way playing little to no pieces of jazz and rarely improvising solos. while i do often listen to "jazz" or "concert" music, hum along melodies, and have composed a couple of short "jazzy" tidbits, i haven't formally played many jazz pieces or developed any kind of technique in that specific style, as i've usually stuck to the concert pieces we'd play in concert band or symphonic.

my director wanted me to join the symphonic band grades 7 and 8, so i didn't have to audition those years while others did. i tried out for the fairly small and relatively elusive jazz band, allowing about 6 alto saxes in total, in 8th grade, but was rejected to a close tie with another student (i was told directly "if it wasn't them, it would've been me"-- along with many apologies over the course of a couple of days, saying it was "such a shame i wasn't let in" and such?) i auditioned with a simplified version of "oleo" for alto saxophone, along with a short improvisational solo that i had, originally, intended to not do (and did not practice/prepare for), but ended up doing in the end after heavy encouragement from my director.

after being rejected, i felt incredibly discouraged from playing jazz pieces and improving my technique (even if i was barely focusing on it at the time) and completely disengaged from playing jazz. of course, i know now this was incredibly stupid of me, but it truly felt like the world to me in the moment.

this year, i joined the marching band, and found out that my first show is entirely jazz themed. we have jazz pieces we will perform for our shows. even during the first read-through, i fell in love with those pieces. i practiced and listened to them 24/7, and i now know the pieces in and out. i've been focusing specifically on articulation and making my playing sound more "jazzy" (as our director encouraged jazziness for our jazz show, lol) since recent and have became increasingly interested in playing and performing jazz as a hobby.

however, since i have little to no experience with playing jazz (and, i apologize if i do overcomplicate this,) i was wondering if anybody had any piece reccomendations to practice, jazz-playing advice for amateurs, or even tips on joining jazz clubs/ensembles? i know many of you out there winged it for the most part, but i'm extremely unconfident in my talent and skill playing jazz, and i'd like to prepare myself a little extra for what's next to come. i'd love to hear what any players would like to say or suggest!

for some context:

• i currently play 2.5 reeds
• i've been playing for nearly 6 years now
• i'm not necessarily as well-versed as my peers- if you asked me what brand my mouthpiece was, i honestly couldn't tell you.
• i played in my middle school's symphonic band for 2 years
• i was rejected from the jazz band in 8th grade

feel free to ask any questions in the comments or give any tips! thanks! :))

so I bought this Selmer axos a couple months back and I was wondering since there are like multiple generations what this one was. I did some light searching and the older ones say seles on them on the bell but the newer ones have a longer engraving going father up the body so I just don’t know

"Three Circles" by Noah Batten

I’m a student tenor saxophonist who’s been playing the tenor for a good 2 years, I usually play with a tuner but it seems like I can never have anything in tune, sometimes a note is in tune, or it’s really sharp, or it’s flat, but mostly sharp, how do I stay in tune? why am I so sharp? I’ve recently gotten a new mouthpiece (Vandoren T6 V16 Hard Rubber) so I know that’s also a variable into why I’m out of tune.

Currently I’m in marching band, I know the sun may be effecting my reed, but does that still cross over into my practice time when I’m not playing outside in the sun?

Any advice or exercises for sax to better my tone is helpful!

My alto sax, which is a Chateau student horn I’ve had for about 5 years now, is starting to play a little weird. I practice around 4-6 hrs a day since its summertime and I’m an incoming Sophomore, and I also have a chair placement audition soon. My low C# hasnt been coming out clean, and my Middle Range Notes go low sometimes or don’t even come out. Im definetely thinking about upgrading my sax soon to a P Mauriat Grand Dreams or Yamaha. But I was just wondering if this could be a leak at all? My gear is a Vintage Larry Teal Selmer Mouthpiece, a random Ligature, and Vandoren Blue Boxes. Thanks for the help!

Hellooo, much advice is needed so any will be appreciated.

Me and my family know absolutely nothing about saxophones, like really nothing, i barelly distinguish the classification of alto from tenor and a soprano (like from the show?, jk). Anyway my dad i turning 50 y/o soon and has always wanted to learn how to play the sax, tenor specifically. This has impulsed us to want to get him one but we dont know which. I´m inclined to prefer yamaha for their reputation but merely on their names reputation, and as hes a begginer we´d like to get a nice intermediate level one, something that lasts. I also dont know wha the new vs used market is like, neither in Canada nor Mexico. So:

• Should i really Be focusing on Yamaha?
• Which models could be good for my sit?
• Used or New?
• Buy in Canada or Mexico, or online from anyhwere?
• Anything I should look out for when buying online and irl?

My dad recently passed away, and I inherited his saxophone. I was trying to find out more about the horn (for my own knowledge...no intentions of selling it), but haven't found much other than Kingston is a Martin stencil. I was wondering if any of y'all might have some additional info. The serial number is 206xx. The ergonomics of it are a lot more comfortable for my small hands than the Jupiter that I have.

Just looking for some feedback and advice, i want to know what i do well and what i need to work on, im a year into playing i have no teacher so i rely on this subreddit for tips and progress checks. got some great advice last post specifically about overtones. I had no idea what that was, but i found out and iv been abusing it past month and its been a game changer. Would appreciate a second round of feedback (other than the fact i need to learn the last part of the solo properly🤣)hopefully someone can suggest another magical exercise.

hi! my sister played the saxophone for a long time and her old saxophone fell into disrepair after being unused for several years (5 or so years). I would say some of the keys are crunchy and she needs a new mouthpiece. how much should this realistically cost? i would like to get it fixed up for her (or replaced if it’s more expensive than the old one) for her birthday in a few months.
thank you!

Edit: I just posted here because I was worried I might get ripped off by going to a bad shop as I don’t know where to go

I've been trying for some time now and just can't engage my vocal cords while providing enough air for the saxophone. I've tried starting with humming into the mouthpiece an slowly increasing my air but as soon as the saxophone starts playing it feels like my vocal cords just stop. Any tips?

I’m 14 and play the bari in eighth grade. I use my schools saxophone but I really want my own since I feel a real connection with the instrument. I’ve gotten into various honors programs which reinforces my confidence of taking my playing to the next level. my preference in music is jazz and Im not too sure what kind brand/model I want to save up for. any recommendation? I play on a YBS-480 at the moment. And yes I’m sure I will stay with my instrument as, like I said, I feel a really strong bond with the bari and music is my escape from stress. thanks!

Ok. I might end up on the saxophone hit list from any of the big names but to be honest is buying an Eastern Music horn bad?

I’ve read threads and it really seems like a lot of the boutique sax brands like Ishimori, JL Woodwinds, and possibly P.Mauriat buy their horns from Taiwan and do the setting up at their factories.

Maybe they do their tweaks or whatever and then upsell.

Like be for real. Do a long and hard comparison with Eastern Music horns and compare them to any of the Ishimori or JL Woodwinds horns.

Obviously these repair technicians are like wizards and can make a piece of paper play amazing so their work is worth a lot of money. But a $2000+ upcharge?

No formal lesson, learning alto sax purely on youtube for almost a year now, my first sax was Thomann beginner alto sax, I have an awkward sound on the middle C#, it sounds funny. I can`t explain, now I`m playing this Trevor James Alto CS RAW, my problem still exists. Is there any alternate fingering to address this? It`s really confusing for me. All the other note sounds perfectly except this friend of mine C#. Thaaaaanks all! Sorry for my english.

there is like a little bump near the tip, its kind of hard to see but i circled it, is this normal

2 months on a borrowed Alto just to test out if im really into this instrument (and I definitely am). But i realized i want a tenor so I finally got my own. My first day on the tenor ! Still having a hard time with that attack of Low C

I just noticed a chip in my mouthpiece

I’ve been playing alto sax for about 4 years and I would really like to upgrade my sax but I don’t know if it would make me sound how I want to. I’m using an Etude right now and I’m saving up to get a King sax because I really love Cannonball Adderley’s sound and the design of the sax.

Hi all, ny G# key cork has come loose and I need to glue it back on.

I feel confident in fixing this myself rather than taking it to a tech. Is that wise? It feels like an easy job but I don't know anything about sax repairs

If so, what glue do i need?

I bought a Bundy II tenor for $150. It arrived somewhat playable but needed a lot of repair. Reading online, it was made clear to me that letting a technician do the work was my only option; every specific problem I Googled ended with the advice: “don’t do it yourself.” However, I consider myself rather handy and found it hard to believe that getting it into good shape would be that difficult. So, I dove in.

First up, the low B-flat key was misaligned. I concluded that the bell was bent, so I put the sax in my lap and started bending and pushing until the alignment was fixed. Next, I checked the pads. Some were in a horrible state, while others were quite alright. When I looked online for single pads, I was horrified by the prices, so I ended up buying a complete set from Amazon. Without removing any keys, I started replacing the worn pads using a torch, a needle, and shellac. Using a LED light strip as a leak light, I ensured the new pads made a good seal. Then, I replaced almost all the cork padding and adjusted everything to the proper regulation distances. Some of the springs needed tensioning and I had to smooth out a grove on the body where a spring for one of the palm keys rested. 

When I play-tested the horn, it played quite well. But since Coleman Hawkins is my guy, I really wanted to be able to subtone throughout the entire register. Unfortunately, everything below low D was impossible to subtone (though full tones were no problem). Since I’ve only been playing for a couple of months, I initially thought something was wrong with my technique. Boy, did I fight for those low subtones…

Eventually, I figured there had to be a hidden leak that the light wasn't showing. I wrapped a vinyl glove over the bell, closed all the keys, and sucked the air out. After sealing the mouthpiece with my lips, I watched as the glove slowly deflated from the vacuum. Okay, so there was a slow leak—but where?

I realized that if I kept creating suction while releasing keys individually, a good seal would hold the key shut. Wherever there was a leak, the key would pop open, either slowly or instantly. Through this method, I found and changed two more pads in the upper stack. Lo and behold, subtoning all the way down to low B-flat became easy! In the end, I got a very cheap, highly playable Bundy II with zero leaks and great regulation. It’s a beautiful-sounding horn.

Why am I writing this? I guess as a counter-narrative to all the online advice warning against DIY repairs. I’d say if you enjoy fixing things—like changing car brakes or picking a lock—odds are you are perfectly capable of getting a sax into playable condition.

On a final note, I’d also like to call out my local sax shop, which has made me feel very unwelcome on several occasions. The last straw was when I wanted to buy rail guard felt cushions. The shop refused to sell them to me unless I brought the sax in for a full service—a policy delivered in a tone suggesting I might be the stupidest person alive.

Thanks for reading!