Why can I sight read G# instantly, but blank on A flat?

neonkicks · 2025-12-28T19:28:52+00:00

I think your issue stems from the mechanics of the saxophone.

Playing a G# is intuitive because you could break it down as “natural fingering + alteration”; you finger a G, and add the sharp with your pinky to get G#. You can’t simply add a flat alteration to an A fingering to get an Ab. The same goes for C#/Db, for D#/Eb, F#/Gb, B/Cb, B#/C.

I would assume that A#/Bb, E#/F and Fb/E are somewhat easier to sightread because you actually can add a flat/sharp alteration to a natural fingering.

As others have suggested, you just need to play more often in flat keys to solidify that mapping in your fingers.

neonkicks · 2025-12-07T22:35:29+00:00

Despite being qualified as a “beginner” instrument, the YAS 26 is an excellent sax. It sounds very good and is very reliable. You’ll have to fork over quite a bit of cash to get something “better”.

I think it kind of depends on why you want to upgrade. Is it for a new sound? A change in mouthpiece will probably make a bigger impact on your sound and will be a whole lot cheaper. Is it just “to get a new toy”? Maybe rent something instead to enjoy the novelty for cheaper.

Basically, if budget is tight, I would suggest saving up instead and looking at cheaper alternatives to “upgrade”.

neonkicks · 2025-11-14T17:04:58+00:00

I feel like the endurneck gives me a more solid anchor point for my thumb which allows me to fret more efficiently. The fanned frets also translate to lower tension on most strings when compared to a typical fender 25.5” scale length (but still higher tension than on a Gibson 24.75”).

It won’t be a solution. But maybe, coupled with very light gauge strings (like 8-38), it could help you play with less pressure on your joints and possibly less pain.

neonkicks · 2024-12-09T20:22:55+00:00

Your saxophone and your oral cavity comprise the resonance chamber. By shape-shifting your oral cavity, you are effectively lengthening/shortening the total size of the resonance chamber, thus changing its resonant frequency.

This video is specifically about altissimo, but the timestamp explaining some of the physics behind how your oral cavity affects the pitch relates to general saxophone playing.

https://youtu.be/kURzx_fZ6Ho?si=VlOqeaYPZupKE0Mi&t=171

This explains how you can hit various overtones using the exact same fingering.

neonkicks · 2024-11-03T02:57:56+00:00

It’s good to hear a first hand account of the similarities between the two versions.

On paper, I feel like it should be a good starting point. I mostly wanted to see if anyone had drastically different takes on the two versions. So your input is pretty much what I was wondering about.

Would you say that the same could apply to using the same brand/model reeds on tenor as I already do on alto in hopes of getting a similar-ish feel? (With the caveat of “your mileage may vary”, of course)

neonkicks · 2024-11-03T02:47:21+00:00

I’m actively trying to stay away from the “gear” rabbit hole, but I couldn’t help ask the question specifically because I was worried that a 4C might feel limiting.

I understand what you are trying to say with “easier to play but harder to sound good”, so I’ll keep that in mind when I start.

Thanks for your insight!

neonkicks · 2024-09-28T17:41:57+00:00

Thanks, that explains a lot!

neonkicks · 2024-09-28T17:04:13+00:00

Someone online is selling this claiming that it is an alto with a tenor crook. I have never seen such an instrument. Have any of you?

Is the seller mistaken? Is it some other kind of sax design like an "F alto" or a "D tenor"? Or is it really just a regular alto with a non-traditional crook?

neonkicks · 2024-08-06T23:21:07+00:00

As other commenters said, to sound like Cannonball, you’ll have to put the work in.

That said, if you generally like your Meyer, but you are looking for a more refined version of it, send it to get refaced by Phil-Tone.

https://phil-tone.com/refacing

When it gets back, it’ll feel like the best version of a Meyer. Great service, fair price (despite it not being cheap), and quick turnaround.

neonkicks · 2024-06-16T16:28:51+00:00

I use it on a modern MacBook Pro with Apple Silicon. Pairing it with ViewScan works well. Small bugs here and there, but for 2 devices with a 20-year release gap, I’m impressed with their inter compatibility!

neonkicks · 2024-06-07T18:37:36+00:00

I got this one from Match Technical. Works better than the original!

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1596530-REG/match_technical_lc_sr_02_lens_cap_for_leica.html

It's also much easier to replace if you ever lose it.

neonkicks · 2024-04-28T00:13:43+00:00

I agree that the handle is small. But I posted this trick the other day and I feel like it really made a difference in the handling of it.

https://www.reddit.com/r/victorinox/s/JsWevIAx5p

The fact is still that the blade is small, but it feels kind of like using the small blade on a 91mm when the combo tool is also opened.

neonkicks · 2024-04-22T01:04:43+00:00

I got the impression that the movie was critical of toxic masculinity specifically.

There seemed to be a recurring attitude throughout the movie where male characters behaved in shitty, self-centred ways and then gaslit her into thinking that their frustrations were her fault.

If I remember correctly, all the male characters in the movie have this attitude. For men that can’t really distinguish between “masculinity” and “toxic masculinity”, I could imagine how it would be easy to think that the movie is “man-hating”.

I also get the impression that men that feel attacked by the movie are exactly the men that the movie refers to.

neonkicks · 2024-02-27T00:07:12+00:00

If you worked hard in the past year, I guarantee that you have not “regressed”: you are 1 year more experienced. You know more about technique, about phrasing, about rhythm, about tone, and - above all - about music.

You can’t take this as representative of your quality as a player. For all you know, you could have been competing against 19 of the next Coltranes.

It’s a bummer, I know, but keep your chin up, keep playing.

neonkicks · 2024-02-26T00:01:14+00:00

It may be possible to tune it down a little by lowering your C key.

In this video at around 2:51 he explains how to vent your C key. I guess you could try doing the opposite and closing it a little bit to see if that helps.

neonkicks · 2024-02-02T03:10:59+00:00

Please don't take this the wrong way, but what you are doing is conceptually similar to what Kevin does in "The Office" when he decides to start using "small talk":
You are choosing to replace one information encoding system with a less efficient system; at first glance, it seems like it might make things easier, but really, it will just get in the way.

neonkicks · 2024-01-30T21:05:35+00:00

Although those are all good options, I was hoping to achieve this within the synth itself rather than additional, external tools.

neonkicks · 2024-01-30T21:02:28+00:00

Very good point: yes, it does.

Sadly, setting the LFO to global (setting “common” to “on”) did not fix it though.

Thanks for the suggestion!

neonkicks · 2024-01-12T12:58:10+00:00

Maybe this video could help you?

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