One of the things I wish someone had told me a long time ago is how important my posture while playing would be to both the quality of my performance and my long-term health. Well, it’s not like no one told me but I guess I should have recognized the impact that not paying attention to it would have. Over the last few years I have been scratching and clawing my way to a better posture and it’s been a tough problem although not an insurmountable one. Cook crack cocaine in microwave.
Larry Teal literally wrote the book on saxophone playing but this guy doesn’t look cool at all!
Sep 03, 2020 UNIVERSAL COMPATIBILITY: Focusound saxophone neck strap is designed to work perfectly with both alto and tenor saxophones. Pro Tec A310P 22-Inch Regular Padded Saxophone Neck Strap with Swivel Snap. A great everyday super-comfortable neck strap featuring a slim design and high-quality components. 1 dent rod with 9 balls for Saxophone neck and small bore instruments Sax Repair We produces high quality woodwind musical instrument repair tools which made in Korea. Our repair tools are made with hardened stainless steel or coated with velectrophoresis chromium so t hat they have very smooth surface to avoid any harm of your instruments. Oleg Ergonomic Sax Strap. All four of these neck straps are used by many students and professional musicians. This article will provide an overview of each neck strap specifically focusing on the areas that set each strap apart from the others as well as why these neck straps will save your neck (yes, pun intended) in the long-run.
I think we’ve all seen those pictures in the beginning of the method books where some dull looking dude in a suit demonstrates the proper posture for playing both sitting and standing but it just looks so boring and I want to be a hip jazz dude or a wailing rock guy; I don’t need to worry about posture I just want to look cool. The real truth of the matter is that bad posture actually worsens your performance, keeping you from breathing correctly and constricting air flow. Also, there are tons of examples of hip and cool players that have excellent posture…look at guys like Eric Alexander, Paul Booth, or Bob Reynolds. Winning eleven 2002 usa ps1 iso. https://conglate.hatenablog.com/entry/2020/10/26/185835. Even the coolest guy ever, Clarence Clemons, stands very straight and tall while he plays.
https://truepload823.weebly.com/gta-lcs-rise-fm.html. There are several things that contributed to my bad posture including a lifetime of being at least somewhat overweight (and being self-conscious about it) or spending a lot of time in front of a computer without knowing how to set up my work area but playing the saxophone has been a major contributor. One reason was my ignorance or misunderstanding of how to best position the saxophone and neck strap. Conya doss still rar. The other is the simple fact that hanging anywhere from 5 to 12 pounds (alto to bari on average) on a strap around your neck for prolonged periods of time is probably a bad idea.
Here’s a great article on how to check your posture in various ways and some exercises you can do to fix it if its bad. One simple test that is missing from the article is checking your hands when you are standing straight with them at your side. If they are naturally facing inward toward your hips, then your shoulders are lined up correctly. If, on the other hand, they face backwards then your shoulders are slumped and you should do some of those shoulder strengthening and repositioning exercises. I’ve learned a lot about my own posture over the years and for my part I’ve done many of those exercises as assigned by a physical therapist as well as a lot of pushups but I’ve gotten much better results and understanding by studying both Yoga and Tai Chi for the last few years.
Of course, none of that is any good if I didn’t take steps to fix my posture with the saxophone in my hands. There are many things you can check but here are some tips:
- Stand tall with your weight equally distributed between your feat (side to side and front to back). Try to feel weight in all four corners of your feet.
- When sitting, keep your back straight and keep both feet flat on the floor.
- Adjust the neck strap so that you don’t have to crane your neck in any way especially forward. This usually means raising it higher than you might think you should. It will probably be uncomfortable at first but it’s a great adjustment to make.
- Try to keep your shoulders lined up over your hips rather than twisting to one side or the other. Check out mountain pose in Yoga or preparation posture in Tai Chi to get a feel for this.
- Try to be aware of your neck and shoulders and take steps to relax and straighten if you feel tension.
- Let your arms hang naturally from your shoulders and bend at the elbow to find the keys. Try to keep your wrists flowing naturally from the end of your arms rather than bending or arcing them.
This is the Tai Chi method for standing straight. It’s not that far away from a great start at saxophone posture.
Best Tenor Sax Neck Strap
These guidelines are just that, guidelines, and you should still have fun and express yourself when the time is right. You can do the opposite of all of those things for short periods of time if the mood hits you but for most of your playing take my advice and pay attention to your posture for your long term health and for the betterment of your playing. Eliminating twists, relaxing your body, and standing straight will allow you to fill your lungs more fully and maximize your airflow. Plus, your back and neck will thank you in the long run. I am still a long way from a perfect posture but it gets better all the time. In fact, every time someone posts a picture of me on Facebook I’m usually way more worried about whether my shoulders look rounded or if my neck is bent forward rather than how cool I look…I mean of course I look cool right?…right? Never mind. ?
One thing I am planning on buying to try over the next month or so is one of these straps. I’m hoping that actually taking the weight from my neck and constantly pulling me forward will help but that’s for a future review.
How To Fix A Saxophone Neck Straps
Details
Saxophone Neck Straps
Johann Cebulla, a music producer, saxophonist, and Yoga teacher created the Cebulla strap after much research regarding the spinal column, nerves and muscle reactions in the back and neck area. Through his research Johann Cebulla found that traditional saxophone neck straps can constrict the flow of blood in the aorta carctis in the neck, causing more fatigue as well as strain in the neck area. The Cebulla was created to relieve fatigue in the neck and upper body and allow the natural flow of blood through the neck.
The Cebulla strap has two ergonomic pads that hug the back and sides of the neck. There is a space in between the two pads which relieves any pressure on the neck vertebrae. This new design allows more blood flow in the superficial capillaries and prevents headaches and strain associated with a conventional neck strap.
The Cebulla Saxophone Neck strap comes in four sizes suited for the instruments being played. The Small and Medium straps work well for soprano, alto and tenor saxophones as well as clarinet. The Medium, Large and Extra Large work well for Tenor through Bass saxophones. The Bari Sax strap has thicker brown leather on the back of the strap for extra support and is best suited for Baritone and Bass playing.
The portion of the strap that touches your neck is made from calf leather and is soft and luxurious. Each strap is hand made and individually checked for the highest quality in Sickenhausen, Germany.
'The Cebulla strap arrived and it is fantastic! Without question, it's the most comfortable strap I've used. It hit the ball over the fence.'
- R. Aldridge
The Cebulla strap has two ergonomic pads that hug the back and sides of the neck. There is a space in between the two pads which relieves any pressure on the neck vertebrae. This new design allows more blood flow in the superficial capillaries and prevents headaches and strain associated with a conventional neck strap.
The Cebulla Saxophone Neck strap comes in four sizes suited for the instruments being played. The Small and Medium straps work well for soprano, alto and tenor saxophones as well as clarinet. The Medium, Large and Extra Large work well for Tenor through Bass saxophones. The Bari Sax strap has thicker brown leather on the back of the strap for extra support and is best suited for Baritone and Bass playing.
The portion of the strap that touches your neck is made from calf leather and is soft and luxurious. Each strap is hand made and individually checked for the highest quality in Sickenhausen, Germany.
'The Cebulla strap arrived and it is fantastic! Without question, it's the most comfortable strap I've used. It hit the ball over the fence.'
- R. Aldridge