Saturday 19 July 2014

Albert Cyprys: Playing the Saxophone



Albert Cyprys is a student at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut. He is majoring in accounting, and says he is looking forward to graduating so he can join the workforce and begin to achieve some of his lifelong goals.

Albert Cyprys is a music enthusiast. He loves keeping up with the latest musical trends, and he also enjoys playing the saxophone. In buying a saxophone, Albert Cyprys learned there are many things to consider, no the least of which is what type of sax to buy. The instrument comes in several different styles, which go to how the instrument is pitched. The most common types are the soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones.

There is some other equipment that should go with a saxophone. Albert Cyprys recommends having a firm case to carry the instrument in, and cautions against a soft "gig bag," which does not afford as much protection to the instrument as a hard shell case. He says you should have a good, solid music stand, a neck strap, and a swab of some kind to clean the inside of the instrument once you are finished playing it.

The saxophone, as Albert Cyprys has learned, is not an easy instrument to master. One of the hardest things for new players is developing what is called an embouchure, which refers to the way the player applies his or her mouth to the instrument's mouthpiece.
Albert Cyprys says there are past saxophone masters to listen to get an idea of the full possibilities of the instrument. These include past masters like Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, and Roscoe Mitchell, and modern masters like James Carter.