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Caring for Your Single Reeds: Essential Tips for Clarinet and Saxophone Players
16th July 2025Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced player, caring for your single reeds will extend the life of your favourites and provide the best performance. Good reed maintenance not only saves you money, it ensures your playing stays consistent, smooth, and expressive. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you get the most from your clarinet or saxophone reeds.
Finding Your Musical Voice
Five Steps to Make Your Playing Truly Yours
In the world of instrumental playing, it’s easy to get caught up in perfecting the technical aspects – clean articulation, accurate intonation, and solid rhythm. But great players don’t just play the notes – they say something with them. Finding your musical voice is about making your playing unmistakably you. It’s a lifelong journey, but here are five steps to help you start carving out your unique sound, inspired by brass supremo Christopher Bill.
Top 5 Upgrade Flutes: Features, Benefits & What to Consider
10th July 2025Upgrading your flute is a pivotal step in evolving as a musician. Whether you’re transitioning from a student model or simply refining your sound, the right instrument can dramatically enhance tone, ease, and expression.
In this blog, we explore the top 5 upgrade flutes – each offering distinct technological innovations and tonal profiles. Alongside features and benefits, we’ll point out what to consider when evaluating these instruments. Don’t forget to watch our video with flautist Thom Conroy to hear his wonderful demonstrations and reviews.
This Is Your Sign To Try A New Instrument!
4th July 2025Whether you’re a curious beginner or a seasoned musician thinking about doubling, take this as your sign to take the plunge and try a new instrument! We get it – investing in a new instrument can be a big step, especially if you’re not quite sure how it’ll fit into your playing or your practice routine.
That’s where our rental scheme comes in – a flexible, affordable way to explore new instruments without the pressure of a full purchase. It’s the perfect solution for anyone looking to dip a toe into the world of doubling or starting fresh with something completely new.
A Self-Care Guide for Woodwind and Brass Players
24th June 2025World Wellbeing Week 2025
During World Wellbeing Week 2025, let’s shift the focus inward: from performance to presence. Woodwind and brass players know the intense demands of their craft – daily pressure on the breath, fine motor control, long practice hours, and often, physical tension. We’ve put together a self-care guide for musicians with 5 tips on slowing down and taking a moment. Whether you play oboe, saxophone, trumpet, or tuba, you’re constantly balancing technical skill with physical stamina and emotional focus.
We’ve also included some invaluable resources from the British Association for Performing Arts Medicine at the end of the blog to support all musicians through their journey.
Unlock Your Sound: 5 Essential Tips for Bass Clarinet!
19th June 2025Mastering the bass clarinet takes more than just playing low notes beautifully – it’s about developing habits that support tone, technique, and longevity. Based on expert advice by low woodwind specialist, Preston Cummins, here are 5 essential tips for bass clarinet to unlock your sound and take your playing to the next level:
Developing Low Notes on Trombone & Brass: Techniques and Tips
11th June 2025ft Christopher Bill
For many brass players, hitting those booming low notes, the low register presents a set of unique challenges: breath control, embouchure flexibility, and tone consistency, to name a few. Luckily, with the right techniques and mindset, you can unlock the depth and power of the low end. We spoke with Christopher Bill, a trailblazing trombonist known for his virtuosic YouTube performances and practical advice, and have put together a few techniques and tips to support you in developing low notes on trombone and brass.
The Stylish Saxophonist; Setup Choices for Jazz vs Classical Playing
10th June 2025By Alastair Penman
Although I see myself predominantly as a “classical” player, I also love playing jazz, and a fair amount of my work inhabits the area between the two. As saxophonists we’re often called upon to be musical chameleons, shifting between different styles (and even instruments); how can we choose a setup that allows us to do this as easily as possible?
Dawkes Music Tuition: New Teachers…
17th August 2021We are thrilled to have welcomed Rob Blencowe (Brass) to our teaching team. Rob brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to our team! Check out more about Rob and his role with us below…
(more…)Adult Tuition: What’s On (Autumn 2021 )
We have a wide variety of lessons and ensembles to play in during Autumn 2021. From small groups to our larger bands, there’s something for every player at every level. All the info about our upcoming groups is below…
If you would like to book your place on any of the termly groups please drop Vicky an email: teaching@dawkes.co.uk
Kids Tuition: What’s On (Autumn 2021)
We offer a range of kids musical tuition here at Dawkes Music, from individual lessons to group sessions. Why not check out some of our highlights for the Autumn term below…
