The Sax School Online Podcast

Feel like you don’t have enough time to practise saxophone?

If you’re juggling work, family and everything else life throws at you, finding an hour for saxophone every day might be completely unrealistic.

But what if you only needed 10 minutes?

In this episode, Nigel McGill, Fred Vigdor and Joel Purnell share three different ways to make a short daily practice session genuinely useful — and explain why consistency can matter more than finding big blocks of practice time.

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Sore neck? Aching thumb? Tension when you play?

You don’t have to put up with it.

In this episode, Nigel, Joel, and Fred break down the most common causes of pain when playing sax—and the simple fixes that can help you play longer, more comfortably, and with better technique.

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Improve your playing today: Sax School 14 Day Trial: saxschoolonline.com

Most people assume learning an instrument gets harder as you get older. But in the ways that actually count — motivation, taste, self-awareness, and knowing what you want — adults have a real advantage. In this episode, Nigel, Fred, and Joel dig into how adult learners are different, why that's a good thing, and what your saxophone learning experience might actually look like.

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Improve your playing today: Sax School 14 Day Trial: saxschoolonline.com

Coming back to saxophone after 20 or 30 years away? This episode is for you. Nigel, Fred, and Joel talk honestly about what returns quickly, what takes time, and the emotional side of rediscovering an instrument you once loved. Warm, practical, and genuinely useful if you're thinking about picking it up again.

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Improve your playing today: Sax School 14 Day Trial: saxschoolonline.com

There's a saxophone song that got to most of us — Baker Street, Careless Whisper, something on the radio you never forgot. In this episode, Nigel, Fred, and Joel each share the song that hooked them on the sax and why. It's personal, it's joyful, and it might just make you want to pick one up.

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Improve your playing today: Sax School 14 Day Trial: saxschoolonline.com

Is online saxophone learning actually as good as face-to-face lessons? Here is the honest answer from our Tutor Team — including what can go seriously wrong if you don't do it the right way. If you're considering starting to learn sax as an adult this is a MUST LISTEN!

All Episodes: saxschoolonline.com/podcast

Improve your playing today: Sax School 14 Day Trial: saxschoolonline.com

Not sounding the way you want on sax?

It’s not just about practising more—it’s about what you focus on.

In this episode, Nigel, Joel, and Fred break down the key reasons players don’t sound “pro” yet—and the simple changes that can transform your sound.

🎷 You’ll learn:

Why your sound concept matters more than you think

How timing instantly improves your playing

The hidden impact of intonation

What to stop doing (that’s holding you back)

All Episodes: saxschoolonline.com/podcast

Improve your playing today: Sax School 14 Day Trial: saxschoolonline.com

Practising your sax regularly… but still not improving?

You’re not alone—and it’s probably not your effort, it’s your approach.

In this episode, Nigel, Joel, and Fred break down the 3 biggest practice mistakes sax players make—and how to fix them so you can finally start making real progress.

🎷 Learn how to:

Build a simple, effective practice routine

Stop reinforcing mistakes

Make faster progress with less frustration

All Episodes: saxschoolonline.com/podcast

Improve your playing today: Sax School 14 Day Trial: saxschoolonline.com

What happens when a sax player goes from the practice room to an international tour? Catherine Rannus joins Nigel to share what she learned touring Europe and the USA with Bolden—and how those lessons can help every sax player grow faster.

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Improve your playing today: Sax School 14 Day Trial: saxschoolonline.com

Want to learn saxophone improvisation but don't know where to start? In this episode, Nigel, Joel and Fred explain the first steps to improvising on sax, including note choice, rhythm, harmony and confidence-building exercises for beginners.

All Episodes: saxschoolonline.com/podcast

Improve your playing today: Sax School 14 Day Trial: saxschoolonline.com