Flying with a saxophone can be stressful. My vintage Selmer Mark VI is irreplaceable, and bringing it into the cabin is non-negotiable for me. The instrument almost never fits the standard carry-on dimensions any airline allows, yet I always get it into the cabin as hand luggage. So here are the top tips and tricks I've picked up after years of touring and traveling with my tenor, soprano and alto saxophones through Europe, the U.S. and beyond. If you want to know more about

Bendik Hofseth replaced Michael Brecker in Steps Ahead at 25 years old. He's been knighted by the Norwegian king. And he is one of my all-time favorite tenor saxophone players. His iconic sound is one of the most recognizable in European jazz, and we sat down to have a conversation about gear, setup, his career and his approach to the tenor saxophone. Bendik Hofseth's Tenor Saxophone Setup Inderbinen custom built tenor saxophone Inderbinen mouthpiece with high baffle (tip op

Wondering what to practice on saxophone this year? Here are the five areas that will give you the most progress in 2026, whether you're working on tone, technique, or building your jazz vocabulary. 1. Long Tones and Overtones The first thing you should be practicing in 2026 is long tones and overtones. If you follow saxophone-related content online, you already know this is something that gets emphasized a lot, and for a very good reason. Long tones and overtones have a treme

The JodyJazz Hand Hammered 8* is one of the most visually striking saxophone mouthpieces I've come across in a long time. Full disclosure: I've been endorsing JodyJazz for over a decade. JodyJazz sent this mouthpiece to me for free, but as always, that doesn't change my honest assessment. I've been playing my JodyJazz DV 8* as my main setup for over a decade, so any mouthpiece I pick up starts at a disadvantage purely due to familiarity. With that said, let me tell you what I

This is the greatest exercise you can do to develop your saxophone tone. If you want that full jazz sound, then look no further.

Learn Jazz Saxophone Online with Magnus Bakken Jazz saxophone lessons online, that's what my Patreon is built around. I'm Magnus Bakken, a Norwegian jazz saxophonist and composer with over 20 years of playing experience, and I've studied at Berklee College of Music and the Norwegian Academy of Music. Through my Patreon, I teach saxophone players and other instrumentalists who want to develop their jazz improvisation, their sound, and their personal musical voice. The greatest

Let’s take a look at how to develop your tone, get a fatter more resonant sound, control your altissimo, and transform your saxophone playing with overtone exercises. You have probably heard players talk about overtones and voicing. These ideas sit at the center of great saxophone playing. With a flexible throat and tongue position you’ll be able to play with an embouchure that stays stable through every register. Many of these concepts go back to Sigurd Rascher and his class

Many jazz players, especially students, spend hours playing along with play-along tracks. From the classic Jamie Aebersold series to Phil Wilkinson or iReal Pro. They’re everywhere, and they can be a fantastic way to learn tunes, practice chord changes, and build vocabulary. But are they always helpful? Or can they sometimes hold you back? Let’s dig into what play-alongs really do for your playing, and how to use them the right way. Jazz Is About Interaction Jazz isn’t just a

Many saxophonists struggle with tension, especially in the jaw and embouchure, which affects tone, intonation, and endurance. If you’ve ever caught yourself tightening up as you go higher, this guide is for you. In this post, I'll break down the essential elements for developing a tension-free embouchure that works in every register of the saxophone, from your lowest notes to your altissimo range.

When Italian trumpeter Cosimo Boni came to Norway on a grant from the ItalianInstitute, he reached out to his former Berklee College of Music classmate, saxophonist Magnus Bakken. Together with Håkon Huldt-Nystrøm on bass and Amund Kleppan on drums, they entered the studio for what became We Say, a full-length album recorded in a single day.