My Blog
Playscore 2 App Review
I was approached by the creator of the PlayScore 2 App to create a product review. Here's a little background on the PlayScore 2 app: PlayScore 2 is a sheet music scanning app for mobile devices. It has revolutionized music education by its ability to play printed...
Work Song Lick from Cannonball Adderley
Avoid This Chord Spelling Mistake If You Want to Spell Chords Correctly
Many musicians nowadays are self-taught. They search YouTube for any kinds of videos to learn how to play their instrument. These free videos talk about chords and scales, but when you don't have a certain level of understanding basic music theory, many misconceptions...
Avoid This Music Practicing Mistake to Play Faster
In this series on optimizing your music practice, we are looking at a music practicing mistake that most people do not realize they are making. If you want to be able to play fast phrases on an instrument, this concept will be a game-changer for you! Most people will...
How to play over a solo break; Eric Marienthal funk saxophone licks over Cold Duck Time
Playing over a solo break on saxophone can be daunting. What exactly do you play? What if there are no chord symbols - can you just play any notes? The best answers to those questions is to study what others have done first. This includes transcribing breaks that you...
Funk Saxophone Licks; Candy Dulfer
When it comes to Funk saxophone licks, one of the best ways to fast-track your improvisation is to learn licks from others. And when it comes to Funk music, it's vital to listen deeply, because the articulation and rhythms are very intricate. That's why the best way...
The 2 5 1 Progression; From the basics to developing your own patterns
Breathing Exercises & Resources for Musicians
Breath support is vital for all brass and woodwind musicians. In the following 2 video lessons, I share a few breathing exercises, and some resources to help build or maintain your breath support for playing saxophone, trumpet or any wind instrument. Even if you do...
How to find target notes to improve your solos
If you want to improve your solos, finding and connecting the target notes will make them flow more smoothly. What are target notes? These are notes that provide smooth, stepwise connections between the chords. Sometimes, connecting target notes can be referred to as...
How To Improvise Using Melodic Shapes
Does improvising using melodic shapes and warming up have anything in common? Yes! Let me explain. I frequently am asked how I warm up. I don't do long tones like most people, where you hold out 1 note for as long as possible. While this is invaluable, I feel that...
Gig Bag Essentials for Saxophone Players
What's in my gig bag? That was a question asked by one of my super-fans recently. I've been on gigs where I have forgotten something essential, and it can create extra worry and unnecessary stress. In this video lesson, I cover the "gig bag essentials" that saxophone...
Saxophone Practice Routine to Improve Technique
If you're stuck in a rut with your saxophone practice routine, and are feeling like you need to boost your saxophone technique, there is a popular routine that has helped many saxophone players get a better understanding of their scales and chords. It has also helped...
Jamey Aebersold Volume 24; How to improvise
Just starting to improvise? Still learning scales on your instrument? Or maybe you want to improve your ability to improvise on the notes and chords from scales? Jamey Aebersold Volume 24, Major and Minor is a good resource for you to learn how to play your Major...
How to Play Jamey Aebersold Volume 1; How to improvise
So many musicians think that improvisation is a big secret...a mystery that only a select few know how to do. But if you think of improvising as carrying on a conversation, you can create your own solos...just using the language you already know. One of the...
How to Use Licks in Solos
Do you try to use licks in solos, but your mind goes blank when it's your time to perform? Or maybe you're not exactly sure what to play during a section of a tune, so you try to force a lick into that spot but it doesn't quite work out? A common belief is that solos...
How to Start a Solo; Three-part series to sound like a pro
One of the biggest challenges when improvising is how to start a solo. You may be thinking... What can I play that would sound hip? What notes should I start on? Should I do a whole bunch of fast notes or start off slow? Should I start on a high note or low note?...
Five Music Practice Tips that Will Motivate You to Practice
This past week, I ran a 5-day music practice challenge with daily tips to get you inspired, excited and motivated to practice your instrument more. Each day was a different tip and a different topic. And I did something I had never done before.... I made each video...
Saxophone Overtones; How to play them and why we use them
How many times has someone said to you, practice your saxophone overtones? So you go to attempt to play them, but immediately get stuck. Certain pitches come out great but others are impossible. And then you start wondering why you are practicing them in the first...
Scale practice; How and what to practice to build your saxophone technique
One of the most effective ways to build saxophone technique is through scale practice. Scales are the building blocks for all music genres, and help build vocabulary and ear training skills. Scales also include arpeggios, which are the individual pitches that make up...
The Musical Instrument Museum; A gem for musicians of all ages
I couldn't believe the multitude of musical instruments I saw at the Musical Instrument Museum. And how certain brass and woodwind instruments evolved over the centuries and continents. That's what you'll see and hear and more at the Musical Instrument Museum in...
Saxophone Neck Strap Review
A good quality saxophone neck strap is not only important for maintaining good posture, but also for preventing neck, shoulder and back pain. I've reviewed some neck straps in the past, but the ones I review here are one I would wholeheartedly recommend for a person...
Three Tips for a Successful Rehearsal
Are you rehearsing or practicing? There's a huge difference between the two, and that's what separates the pros from the amateurs. Watch the video below to discover that difference and for tips to make your next rehearsal a success. Three tips for a successful...
Want to learn tunes? Don't Make These 3 Mistakes
About Donna
Musician, educator, speaker and Everything Saxophone Podcast host, Donna Schwartz, has helped thousands of people of all ages, all over the world, boost their music performance and improvisation skills through private and small group coaching, and online courses for over 30 years.
She has created dozens of online courses, including Boost Your Blues Improvisation, Jazz Improvisation Explained, Supercharge Your Jazz Improvisation, Get a Killer Saxophone Tone and many others.
Donna has performed in the NY and Los Angeles metro areas with finalists from the NBC show, The Voice, members from Billy Joel, Black Sabbath and Blue Oyster Cult, Barbara Morrison and many other artists.
Her tracks have been featured on a number of indie artists' CD's, and in Criss Angel's Believe show at The Luxor in Las Vegas. Read More…
