SaxoBrain

What to buy? A Guide for the Beginning College Saxophonist

The following article was originally posted on Facebook by Dr. Matthew Taylor. It has been edited for clarity and to reflect Dr. Rosenberg’s preferences.

Sometimes, parents ask me what they should buy their new college saxophone students to help them be successful in college. It is such an expensive time!! I have compiled a little list that I hope will be helpful. Keep in mind–most of this stuff is “extra” and you can make do without it, so approach this as “stocking stuffers” that you (or grandparents) could get as special gifts, or even something to save up for. Academic Saxophone friends, what do you suggest? Saxophone students, what have you found helpful/useful that I left off the list?

Clothing

  1. A good black suit / pantsuit or a full-length black dress
  2. Both white and black dress shirts with long sleeves
    • Price: $150—$500. You can sometimes find these used at thrift shops. (I’d keep it to the lower end—concert black is more of a prop than a fashion statement!)
    • A black suit can step in as a tuxedo with the addition of a bowtie, and can serve as attire for most concerts on campus, whether the requirement is “pit black,” which is solid black, or “concert black,” which is tuxedo and gown.
    • Those who identify as women often wear slacks onstage. In this case their concert attire for pit black and concert black are the same.
  3. Black dress shoes
  4. Black socks or black stockings

Equipment

  1. A decent neck strap
  2. Instrument stands
    • Price: $50-$100
    • There are many occasions that you must put an instrument down for long rests in music, switch between instruments, etc. There is really no “safe” way to put a saxophone on a chair or the floor. The best way is to have a stand to hold your instrument. They last virtually forever, and protecting one’s instrument is an important part of being a professional musician. I like the K&M stands because they fit easily in the bell of the instrument for storage (except for the bari stand, where I prefer the Hercules), but there are several good brands to explore.
  3. An iPad Pro + Apple Pencil
    • Price: $1,200+
    • This is NOT a necessity, but many people have begun to read music off of the 12.9” iPad Pro. I would not go smaller than that. Obviously, this is an expensive item, so you should use your best judgement. Get a refurbished one to save money, or just use sheet music.
    • Most people who use an iPad for sheet music use the ForScore app.
  4. Apps to purchase:
    • Tunable Tuner App
      • Price: $8
    • A metronome app
      • There are many available. Choose one you like.
      • Tunable has a metronome function built in. It works fine.
  5. Really good headphones
    • Price: Varies widely
    • When you are living with other people, the way you listen to music becomes important. You can spend whatever you want on headphones. I suggest investing a little to get some good ones. If you already have headphone you like, there’s no need to get anything else.
      • FiiO FT1 - closed-back, over-the-ear; somewhat heavy—not for exercising
        • Considered the “budget kings” of closed-back headphones.
        • Uses a cord; will require an adapter to use with most smartphones.
        • Price: $130-$180
      • Moondrop Space Travel - true-wireless earbuds with noise cancelling
        • Better sound than Apple AirPods Pro, worse noise cancelling (but, not bad!).
        • Not nearly as good integration with iPhones, iPads, Macs, etc. as AirPods; so less convenient to use.
        • Batteries will eventually wear out and can not be replaced.
        • Price: $30-$40
      • Apple AirPods Pro - true wireless earbuds with noise cancelling
        • Decent sound when using tips that fit well; unbelievably good noise cancelling.
        • Excellent integration with Apple’s other devices.
        • Batteries will eventually wear out and can not be replaced.
        • Price: $240
      • KZ ZSN Pro In-Ear Monitors - shaped in-ear earphones with a cord
        • Better sound than Apple or Moondrop; but, without noise cancelling.
          • With a good fit, noise-cancelling is not needed. Even playing at medium-low volumes will block out most noise.
        • Uses a cord; will require an adapter to use with most smartphones. A cord can get in the way while exercising; but, other activities, such as walking around campus, shouldn’t be hindered.
        • Price: $20-$25 (That’s not a mistake… they’re really only $20.)
    • Personally, I have a multi-headphone strategy: closed-backs for critical listening (mixing, editing, etc.), in-ears w/ a cord for casual listening, AirPods for exercising & doing chores where a cord would get in the way, (plus a couple others because I’m fancy! 💅).
      • If you can only get one set, get either the Moondrops or the AirPods. Build out from there.
  6. A powerful portable bluetooth speaker
    • Price: Varies
    • You will need to use these when you practice intonation with drones, transcription projects, and when you want to party. It needs to be at least as loud as you play.
  7. Professional Earplugs
    • I know it sounds crazy to spend money on earplugs. But, protecting your hearing is so important. Professionals wear earplugs, or they lose their hearing. That is all there is to it. A large ensemble can be as loud as a jet engine. Exposure to sound that loud, over time, will damage your hearing.
    • I like Earasers. You can get them custom fitted by an audiologist, if you prefer and have the extra money to spend. The benefit of these fancy earplugs is it takes the levels of each frequency and drops them at the same rate so the sound is balanced and true—just quieter. They are small can can’t easily be seen by anyone who isn’t looking for them.
    • Apple AirPods Pro can reduce the outside sound to safe levels via settings on an Apple device. However, due to their bright white color and visible “stem” that protrudes from the ear, they are easily noticeable. So, they are not appropriate for wearing during a performance.

New Saxophones and Accessories

In the market for a new axe!? That is WONDERFUL! My suggestion is to contact the saxophone professor at your university FIRST. We often have connections that can potentially save you money, and can help guide you to the equipment that will be right for you. I have seen people purchase an instrument before college that turns out to have serious intonation issues, or a price tag that is way higher than it needs to be. Mouthpieces, too, are very personal, and it is best to have a specialist help you select the one that will help you get to the next level in your playing.

Unfortunately, the market is flooded with cheap saxophones and “knock-off” accessories. But, most saxophone players avoid these due to the poor quality of materials, craftsmanship, and quality control. To get an idea for the models of saxophones and accessories that I would suggest, you can consult these pages:

Reeds

You will likely be using more reeds that you have in your entire life. In college, you are playing all the time, so you will go through them quickly. Budget around $60 per month for reeds. Some months you won’t hit that number—those are great months—but some you will exceed it, especially if you are playing multiple saxophones in the semester.

A Saxophone Bag

I like a small messenger bag that I can put all my accessories into. In college, you often have to play multiple instruments for various ensembles. If you put all your folders, most of your reeds, pencils, tuner, metronome, speaker, and various other important items in one back, you can develop the habit of having it with you whenever you play. I lost things constantly as an 18-20-year-old; so, I would also suggest you embrace technology and put an AirTag or Tile in it in case it gets misplaced so you can find it quickly.

An Alarm Clock

Some students have a hard time making it to class in the morning, and to be fair, college students stay up later than the rest of the world, in general. Those students either learn how to wake up, or they fail out of school. For those whose phone doesn’t do the job…

This Rolling Robot Alarm Clock Won’t Stop Beeping Until You Catch Him

A Notebook & Calendar

College-life will become over-whelming. That’s part of the deal. Your teachers will challenge you more than you have ever been challenged. Your personal-life will become more complex. Your days will get longer and more full. You need a way to keep track of it all, and relying on your brain is not going to work.

You can use any notebook you want, as long as you use it. It can be a paper book, digital notes, index cards, post-it notes, whatever. The point is that it’s something you will keep with you and use often.

You also need a calendar. Here, I recommend using a digital one because of how easy it is to enter and move things around as needed. The one that comes with your smart phone is fine. There’s thousands of apps if you need something different. Again, the most important thing is that you will use daily. My calendar is the only thing that separates my life from pure chaos. As I like to say, “If it’s not on my calendar, then I’m not doing it.”

Adopt a practice of note-taking and planning your schedule right away. You will be glad you did.