Thank you for this excellent tutorial. I've forwarded the link to my wife who is a good classical pianist but has an obsession with learning the Xaphoon but has been having difficulty finding a good, consistent tone. This is going to help enormously I think. Thank you for posting.
Brother! So excited for this video been learning how to play and was looking for something like this vid. Awesome to see it’s a recent post, please keep up the beginner tutorials!
To validate other people's comments - this seems like an excellent video! Thanks!! (Also, now I know how to pronounce the "X" - it's sort of like a Mexican/ Spanish [?] s/z?!)
Nice this is a big help, thanks for the tips! Would love to see you walk through picking out some songs in different keys and the process of figuring out the fingering. Maybe even transposing the song so that’s easier to play on the Xaphoon. Geared towards beginners
A good video. Would be nice to see some hints regarding the reed setup of a bamboo Xaphoon. The mouthpieces of those are often cut flat and not round to be parallel with the reed. I figured out, it might be an easy setup to shift the reed backwards by the strength of a finger nail in order to avoid a mini area where the air blows the reed upwards.
Thank you, a very good tutorial for us beginners! I also play the guitar but when I saw Rory Hoffman play one of these I fell in love and decided I need one. Hoping to sound a good as you on it I have read to be careful not to buy the cheaper knock offs, and to make certain that it's a Maui. Ebay has one for around 80$, does that sound about right? Thanks again!
Hello. I appreciate the videos. I have questions please. I have no musical experience and I have a mini sax in C. Where or what kind of sheet music will work. Or is the sheet music dedicated to just this instrument. jan
Anything that's for a C instrument (piano, guitar, flute, violin, etc) will generally work that doesn't play below a middle C- You'll find some sheet music from my other videos that are specifically for the Xaphoon.
What reeds will fit these? Is it reeds for an alto sax, or? Mine is a cheapo that only came with one reed, and it has a small knick on it right at the edge of the thunder section of the reed. No spares came with it. Thinking of ordering some 2.0 reeds, as this thing is a touchy bugger!
My problem currently is that I can comfortably get the sound out every time, but covering the holes tightly is super hard, there is always some „fake air” coming out of one of them. Also, I tried this against a tuner and the problem is that the tuning varies a lot with how deep the mouthpiece is in my mouth and that changes with the note I play. Eg. I play a clean, in tune Eb and then I let open the hole to make it an F and it’s like 25 cents out of tune and I have to adjust the depth othe the mouthpiece by a few milimeters for it to be in tune, which means I have to constantly adjust it at each note I play. I’ve never played a wind instrument before, is this how it’s supposed to work or am I doing something wrong?
Keep the position in the mouth consistent over anything (don't care about the tuning too much when you're first learning). You could get your F or G in tune and keep that mouth position solid.
I just got my Xaphoon Pocket Sax today. Trouble is l followed your instructions about positioning my mouth over the reed and put my thumb on the back hole of the instrument with four fingers on the holes of the front of instrument but not a single sound came out and not a single note. Does this instrument have a device inside of it which makes the sounds since as l said, no sound at all comes out of this instrument no matter how many times l blow into the reed.
I would try not putting any fingers down to just practice blowing into the Xaphoon. Also make sure your reed is lined up with the mouthpiece correctly. You should also be using a softer reed a 2 or 2.5 are good for beginners.
Thank you for this excellent tutorial. I've forwarded the link to my wife who is a good classical pianist but has an obsession with learning the Xaphoon but has been having difficulty finding a good, consistent tone. This is going to help enormously I think. Thank you for posting.
Thank you sooo much! We need more content on the xaphoon. It's so hard as a beginner with so little of it out there.
Thanks for the help. You made playing my xaphoon possible immediately!!!!😂😅😅😊
Brother! So excited for this video been learning how to play and was looking for something like this vid. Awesome to see it’s a recent post, please keep up the beginner tutorials!
Can do, thanks!
To validate other people's comments - this seems like an excellent video! Thanks!!
(Also, now I know how to pronounce the "X" - it's sort of like a Mexican/ Spanish [?] s/z?!)
Thank you for this!
Glad to see ya uploading my dude!! Great video!!
Nice this is a big help, thanks for the tips! Would love to see you walk through picking out some songs in different keys and the process of figuring out the fingering. Maybe even transposing the song so that’s easier to play on the Xaphoon. Geared towards beginners
Thanks for the good idea!
A good video. Would be nice to see some hints regarding the reed setup of a bamboo Xaphoon. The mouthpieces of those are often cut flat and not round to be parallel with the reed. I figured out, it might be an easy setup to shift the reed backwards by the strength of a finger nail in order to avoid a mini area where the air blows the reed upwards.
I have just started to learn the xaphoon the trouble is I get a lot of saliva dribble out of the end where am I going wrong. Great and clear tutorial
Dripping saliva is very normal/expected, welcome to wind playing!
it’s simply condensation from your breath. you’re not drooling.
Thank you, a very good tutorial for us beginners! I also play the guitar but when I saw Rory Hoffman play one of these I fell in love and decided I need one. Hoping to sound a good as you on it I have read to be careful not to buy the cheaper knock offs, and to make certain that it's a Maui. Ebay has one for around 80$, does that sound about right? Thanks again!
Yes, that’s about how much mine cost and it’s held up very well!
@@mbensonmusic Thanks!!
Love your shirt;)
Hello. I appreciate the videos. I have questions please. I have no musical experience and I have a mini sax in C. Where or what kind of sheet music will work. Or is the sheet music dedicated to just this instrument.
jan
Anything that's for a C instrument (piano, guitar, flute, violin, etc) will generally work that doesn't play below a middle C- You'll find some sheet music from my other videos that are specifically for the Xaphoon.
What reeds will fit these? Is it reeds for an alto sax, or? Mine is a cheapo that only came with one reed, and it has a small knick on it right at the edge of the thunder section of the reed. No spares came with it. Thinking of ordering some 2.0 reeds, as this thing is a touchy bugger!
Tenor sax reeds are what you want! Good luck!
My problem currently is that I can comfortably get the sound out every time, but covering the holes tightly is super hard, there is always some „fake air” coming out of one of them. Also, I tried this against a tuner and the problem is that the tuning varies a lot with how deep the mouthpiece is in my mouth and that changes with the note I play. Eg. I play a clean, in tune Eb and then I let open the hole to make it an F and it’s like 25 cents out of tune and I have to adjust the depth othe the mouthpiece by a few milimeters for it to be in tune, which means I have to constantly adjust it at each note I play. I’ve never played a wind instrument before, is this how it’s supposed to work or am I doing something wrong?
Keep the position in the mouth consistent over anything (don't care about the tuning too much when you're first learning). You could get your F or G in tune and keep that mouth position solid.
@@mbensonmusic😂s
I just got my Xaphoon Pocket Sax today. Trouble is l followed your instructions about positioning my mouth over the reed and put my thumb on the back hole of the instrument with four fingers on the holes of the front of instrument but not a single sound came out and not a single note. Does this instrument have a device inside of it which makes the sounds since as l said, no sound at all comes out of this instrument no matter how many times l blow into the reed.
I would try not putting any fingers down to just practice blowing into the Xaphoon. Also make sure your reed is lined up with the mouthpiece correctly. You should also be using a softer reed a 2 or 2.5 are good for beginners.
Sir is it available in india
yeah it is, its on amazon only
How to blow smoothly the xophoon when it comes to play music as a begginer sir.
Think of a small stream of fast air- like you're blowing out a candle. Breathing exercises can help, too- look some up on youtube!
pretty sure this is Zack Galliifinakas dressed up and playing character???
BRO WHAF HOW DID I JUST REALIZE THAT THE MOUTH PEICE IS SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE A SAXOPHONE