Saxaphone

[derrick]

Anyone on here play the sax? Never really got into playing musical instraments, but always liked the sax, they are a work of art, anyway bought one a week ago, have been blowing on it for a few days, loads of youtube vids, really helpful, am managing to get a descent sound out of it, but a long way to go, it's good this time of year as not getting out to much, my wife also is enjoying it, though she is more musical than i am, she is definetly picking it up quicker than me, niether of us read music, but if i can learn a tune or two i will be happy. Any one else dabble?

 

[icowden]

Not on the Sax, but as a musician of 45 years who plays piano, trumpet (medium-badly), guitar and who can read music like it's a book, take it from me - you are doing brilliantly.

Most of the difficulty is in building up the lip muscles to control the reed. Youtube is really useful these days in learning the basics of any instrument. Ultimately an actual Sax teacher is going to be able to help you learn more quickly and effectively. You will also find "learning to play" type books which will also teach you the basics of notation -which in turn helps you to learn tunes from written music. However playing by ear is also a valuable skill. I can do both and the ear informs the dot reading. If you have a tune you know well - find the sheet music for it online and you'll find that you start to understand the pattern of the notes and what the music is telling you.

 

[derrick]

Not on the Sax, but as a musician of 45 years who plays piano, trumpet (medium-badly), guitar and who can read music like it's a book, take it from me - you are doing brilliantly.

Most of the difficulty is in building up the lip muscles to control the reed. Youtube is really useful these days in learning the basics of any instrument. Ultimately an actual Sax teacher is going to be able to help you learn more quickly and effectively. You will also find "learning to play" type books which will also teach you the basics of notation -which in turn helps you to learn tunes from written music. However playing by ear is also a valuable skill. I can do both and the ear informs the dot reading. If you have a tune you know well - find the sheet music for it online and you'll find that you start to understand the pattern of the notes and what the music is telling you.

There are a few guys doing great vidios on you tube, This guy has some good stuff, very easy listening.
https://www.saxschool.online/products/locker/categories/2148863047/posts/2152372295

 

[Legs]

I played clarinet from 7 or 8 to about 15. I wasn't particularly good - I scraped through my Grade 4. This will, I'm sure, be relevant to playing sax too, and is probably mentioned all over YouTube: I found that reeds varied hugely and that sometimes no amount of moistening would soften them up enough to make playing easy. When you've got a good one, take great care of it and make it last!

I picked up my clarinet for the first time in nearly thirty years recently. My embouchure was unsurprisingly not up to the task of making much more than a squeak!

 

[derrick]

I played clarinet from 7 or 8 to about 15. I wasn't particularly good - I scraped through my Grade 4. This will, I'm sure, be relevant to playing sax too, and is probably mentioned all over YouTube: I found that reeds varied hugely and that sometimes no amount of moistening would soften them up enough to make playing easy. When you've got a good one, take great care of it and make it last!

I picked up my clarinet for the first time in nearly thirty years recently. My embouchure was unsurprisingly not up to the task of making much more than a squeak!

I am blowing for an hour or so a day to improve this. also have tried a couple of different reeds, not sure i can tell the difference yet. It's actually quite hard work getting a descent sound out of a sax. i need more puff.

 

[Profpointy]

I am blowing for an hour or so a day to improve this. also have tried a couple of different reeds, not sure i can tell the difference yet. It's actually quite hard work getting a descent sound out of a sax. i need more puff.

Interestingly I once had a go on my lodger's saxaphone. Like you, he'd recently bought it and was starting from scratch. I was a lapsed brass player rather than woodwind player but I was surprised how nice I sound I could get from it first go. I suspect that this wasn't any innate skill but more likely the guy's teacher had set the reed up correctly for him so that it just worked from the off. I'd never even had a blow of another reeded instrument. Maybe get an expert to make sure it's set up right if you can't easily get a note out of it.

 

[icowden]

I am blowing for an hour or so a day to improve this. also have tried a couple of different reeds, not sure i can tell the difference yet. It's actually quite hard work getting a descent sound out of a sax. i need more puff.

@Profpointy makes a good point. It shouldn't take that much puff - a huge thing with reed instruments is getting the reed right. Right position, right type of reed . There is a good webpage here that looks at reeds and mouthpieces. https://www.yamaha.com/en/musical_instrument_guide/saxophone/selection/selection002.html#:~:text=The normal range for reeds,will have a brighter tone.

Reed players all develop favourite reeds right down to the brand. They will find that one brand works better for them than another.

 

[derrick]

Second lesson tomorrow. Going back to school at 73 is a bit odd. am the oldest kid there.although most are learning guitar,Have a really nice teacher, have checked her out, she is a well accomplished musician.

 

[derrick]

6 weeks in, and loving it, learned a couple of tunes, not pitch perfect, but i am happy with progress. watch this space there could be video soon. Home made stand,
It's all about your Embouchure. not blowing so hard now more technique.

 

[icowden]

6 weeks in, and loving it, learned a couple of tunes, not pitch perfect, but i am happy with progress. watch this space there could be video soon. Home made stand,
It's all about your Embouchure. not blowing so hard now more technique.

Indeedlydoodly. I knew a trumpeter once who decided to switch to sax. He was heavily recommended not to as the embouchure is different and you can really end up screwing up your lip muscles. He got away with it though.

Pitch and tuning will come. Wind instruments have a heavy front end learning phase during which no-one wants to hear you play, and the irony is that you need to play as much as possible! (Same is true for string instruments too, especially violins)

 

[raleighnut]

Wind instruments have a heavy front end learning phase during which no-one wants to hear you play, and the irony is that you need to play as much as possible!

Rory Gallagher started to practice Sax in a wardrobe to deaden the sound for others, this was back in the 'Taste' years, he ended up pretty good ...............check out 'It's Happened Before it'll Happen Again'

 

[derrick]

Indeedlydoodly. I knew a trumpeter once who decided to switch to sax. He was heavily recommended not to as the embouchure is different and you can really end up screwing up your lip muscles. He got away with it though.

Pitch and tuning will come. Wind instruments have a heavy front end learning phase during which no-one wants to hear you play, and the irony is that you need to play as much as possible! (Same is true for string instruments too, especially violins)

Went through the sore lips a couple of weeks ago, it feels good when someone recognises what you are trying to play.
We have great neigbours, but only play in the day, nothing after 6pm, both sides have kids, both have been learning piano, they sounded as bad as me when they started. Nothing worse than a badly played violin.

 

[icowden]

Nothing worse than a badly played violin.

What's slightly worse is when you children decided to learn violin and:-

• Your dad is a semi-professional musician
• Your mum is a very good musician
• Between them they can play piano, flute, guitar, trumpet, recorder/pennywhistle and voice

Not only can you *really* hear the tuning issues with a professional ear, but you also have the lack of knowledge beyond the basics to help them get better.
I swear that they got together and went "which instrument will be most annoying for our parents...?". Older daughter is now a drummer as well. We've put the kit nearest the neighbours we don't like.

 

[Alex H]

6 weeks in, and loving it, learned a couple of tunes, not pitch perfect, but i am happy with progress. watch this space there could be video soon. Home made stand,
It's all about your Embouchure. not blowing so hard now more technique.
View attachment 763254

I like the stand, but I think I would have added a head, so it looks like someone struggling to carry it

 

[derrick]

Would love to be able to play this.
View: https://youtu.be/IYXlSPQEIYE?si=wkzUOuZSLK7tDEah