Question:
Introducing.... Me. (Ta daaaaa)
Just found this site and thought I'd introduce myself.
I'm 42, been playing the sax (my first and only experience of any kind with music) for a few months. I'm an elementary teacher, and the band teacher in my school has loaned me an extra student instrument. It's a Conn 20M (I think) and the much-worn mouthpiece has Leo (perhaps Geo?) M. Bundy printed on it. I'm playing with 2 1/2 reeds.
The band teacher is teaching me when I feel inclined to bring the sax in for a lesson, but mostly I'm doing things on my own. I have the Essential Elements book which I'm almost through. I recently bought a Hal Leonard Jazz play-along book/CD, but unfortunatly the contents is still quite beyond me. I do enjoy listening to it though
I think my next purchase needs to be a metronome. I'm getting pretty good at reading the music out loud (you know... "One and two and three..." etc. ) But have a hard time keeping that time when playing it. Especially those annoying little dotted notes. In other words, I understand what the music SAYS to do, just can't make the sax do it.... yet.
I am also thinking that what I truly want is a tenor sax. I'm not sure why, exactly. I just find the lower notes on my alto more... I don't know.... satisfying somehow. Maybe I just need to wait until I have widened my range and gotten more comfortable on the alto. Anyway, as long as I'm getting this one for free, it's alto for me.
Also, how do folks here feel about learning with play-along books. I've been told they make one lazy, since you end up not really reading the music, but memorizing the tune. But it sure is gratifying to play along with backup and make something that sounds nice. I've been trying to give myself a good mix of scales, drills, etc. and some just-for-fun playing each time I practice.
Not really any questions at the moment. (Although I am confused at this whole mouthpiece thing. They all looked the same to me at the music store!) Just wanted to make my presence known and say "Hi."

Answer:
Hi Dopey (boy, I really wish you had given us your real name! :shock: )
Late bloomer here also, a few years older than you, and have been playing since January (with about a 6 month layoff due to a bad case of bronchitis and teacher issues, don't ask!).
Wow - you have a great arrangement. Lessons whenever you feel inclined to bring in the horn, and a loaner horn at that! What a sweet deal! I know you probably don't want to feel like you're taking advantage, but there's nothing like live instruction, especially in the beginning. (If the band director is not charging you for lessons, a bottle of wine or other small gift would really be appreciated, and make you feel better.)
By the way, it's George Bundy. ;)
Personally, I think that the play-along stuff is fun, and makes practice easier. Lots of people use them. Also popular is a program called Band-in-a-box that provides backing tracks that you can play along with among other features. You can check it out at . Make sure you read through the Beginner and Late Bloomer forums here - lots of great info. Also check out the articles available on the home page of SOTW.
Boy, you've opened up a can of worms with this comment - "Although I am confused at this whole mouthpiece thing. They all looked the same to me at the music store!" :lol: You'll see when you read through the posts here. All mouthpieces are not created equal. Metal, hard rubber, tip openings, bright sound, dark sound, vintage, new, chamber size, spoilers - there are so many things to consider! People are pretty passionate about them. Whatever works for you.
Welcome aboard - nice meeting you.
Frank

Answer:
Dopey is the name of my now-deceased, once-favorite, blood parrot fish. It's the name I've gone by for years on Aquarium forums. So, I guess it just sort of carried over to here. Don't worry... if you knew me you'd realize that calling me Dopey is really pumping up my self worth. :D

Answer:
Welcome Aboard!
Originally Posted by Dopey (Although I am confused at this whole mouthpiece thing. They all looked the same to me at the music store!) Just wanted to make my presence known and say "Hi."
This is a great place to lurk around. I began playing again in 2001 after nearly 20 years off. I find motivation in using play alongs as well as Band in a Box. Playing with a CD hopefully forces you to pay attention to intonation and to play in tune with others.

The only thing that's really the same when it comes to mouthpieces is.................um.........................ah.. .................................I guess they all can be used as a door stop. ;) As you get better, go and try out some and you'll get the idea of how different they can be. What you have is fine for now.

Glen

Answer:
Dopey,
First things first. You really can't play the sax until you get a cool name. Here's a sample list of "cool" names.... you'll note that "Dopey" is not on the list, although "Fathead" comes pretty close:
Zoot
Bird
Klook
Monk
Fathead
Trane
Newk
Count
Duke
Prez
King
Dex
Fats
Seriously, welcome! I was struck by the fact that you seem to have a natural tendency to play by ear..... turn that lemon into lemonade by practicing by ear every day, particularly if you're interested in playing jazz. The reading will come with time and practice.
Here's an ear training site you might find useful, it uses a "call and response" approach:
Best,
Al

Answer:
Hey alsdiego, that site you gave a link to is GREAT, just what I've been looking for as I'd love to start to play by ear but didn't quite know what was the best way to approach it.
That site is fantastic, thanks for offering up the link....:D

Answer:
Hi,
Congratulations on beginning the sax. Play-along books, beginner music, or classical music, you are learning something. I began on play-along books in high school, which I quickly ignored out of boredom and found more modern songs, but still, those books helped me learn my notes.
Keep on it and good luck!
S.

Answer:
Homer,
You're welcome! Here's another interesting site, by a very good trumpet player who "preaches" the importance of the ear, especially with jazz:
He's a computer programmer by day, so he's developed a free "ear trainer" that's on the site. His name is Rick, and he's absolutely passionate about jazz.... and loves to tease sax players.
Al

Answer:
Welcome...late bloomer here as well. I started at about 39 or 40...cant seem to remember. Be happy, you have arrived at the best spot on the web!

Answer:
Wow.... that "I was doing all right" site is cool. I have no idea what any of it means, but still.... Cool! I say!
One look at the music generator was enough to tell me that it's still way beyond me. Didn't even know what the checkboxes meant. m2? M2? I'm still at the "Every good boy deserves favor" stage.
I thought the Petersax.com was a little more newbie-friendly. But I tried that today. The problem was the music was way too fast for me. I know the notes, and play them pretty well and quick. But I just couldn't listen, think, and play in the small amount of time allotted. Now, if that sight had a "tempo" slide, like the IWasDoingAlright site, it would have worked for me.
I'm finding I'm frustrated by two contradictory facts.... The stuff in my Essential Elements "Learn to play" book is all only four or five measures long, and oriented towards marching band or "oompa" music. But if I try to move on to a play along jazz book, or buy some sheet music, it as all way above my head. I want a source/book/cd for ultimate beginners like me, who have a goal of solo classical or solo jazz in mind. I guess most people start in the high school band, and thats why stuff for beginners seems to lean that way.

Answer:
Hi Dopey,
I started from scratch, with a lot of enthusiasm and a book called "The Jazz Method For Saxophone" by John O'Neill.
This takes you from complete beginner to playing Bird tunes and basic improvisation....which I haven't started yet:D ... sight reading music, everything. There's a CD included with the book as a play along. It introduces you gradually to more difficult exercises as you work your way through it, and theres a full fingering chart at the back.
I highly recommend it, just make sure you order the correct one for your instrument, there's editions for alto and tenor.
Once you start to grasp reading music etc. you can get a couple of transcription books with other tunes on, ballads or pop tunes to learn as a bit of a break from the book.

Answer:
Dopey,
I second what Homer says, the John O'Neill book is great.... I'm another "Late Starter" (yet to bloom....) and I have found the book contains some very simple but fun tunes...

Answer:
Originally Posted by Dopey I'm still at the "Every good boy deserves favor" stage.
I remember years and years ago when I played clarinet for a few months in the elementary school band they taught you E G B D F on every line and then F A C E in between every line. But when I started doing music seriously again (with bass) I found that it's best to learn 3 adjacent notes at a time. Like learning how to read a musical passage with the low E, F, G, work on that for a week or so, then A, B, C for another couple weeks, and so on.
Of course now, I have to relearn how to read music because I'm relatively new to saxophone as well, and almost all music for it is written in treble... and I've been using bass clef for the past 6 years.
Good luck to us both then, eh? :D

Answer:
Dopey,
If the "Petersax" site is too fast for your current level, give me an idea of a comfortable speed for you (from your metronome), and I'll record and send you a "call and response" mp3 at that speed. We could start with, say just 3 or 4 notes.
Playing by ear is, in a sense, just like sight reading. At first you're thinking like mad, using your brain to correlate a dot on the page with a particular fingering. With enough practice, you see the dot, and without thinking at all, your fingers know what to do. With ear training, you're trying to eventually get to the point where you hear something, and it comes out of your horn without thinking. That ear-horn connection is incredibly important. Imagine if you could hear a cool lick on a tune you're working on, and just play it. Or put the books away, and just start playing your favorite tunes. I can do that, and believe me, I'm not incredibly talented, just stubborn! I truly believe that anyone can radically improve their ear by simply spending some time every day playing what they hear. Can you play the first 2 notes to "Here comes the Bride", starting on middle G? OK, now try it starting on G#, and so on up the horn. If you can get to the point where you can do that from any starting point on the horn without thinking about it, you've just mastered the perfect fourth interval, my friend!
Al

Answer:
Originally Posted by Dopey Also, how do folks here feel about learning with play-along books. I've been told they make one lazy, since you end up not really reading the music, but memorizing the tune. But it sure is gratifying to play along with backup and make something that sounds nice. I've been trying to give myself a good mix of scales, drills, etc. and some just-for-fun playing each time I practice.
Personally, I think the play-a-longs are a great idea for sax players.
The guys never get tired.
They don't mind repeating the same tune over and over.
You control the volume.
And you get to choose all the tunes.
Remember that notated music is not music. It is only ink blotches
on paper that represent music.
Without written music it would be so difficult to put down our ideas and
communicate those ideas to others (especially before there was recorded
music). So reading music is only a means to an end.
The real music are those sound waves that come out of your horn.
Try and memorize as much as you can.
Try and play by ear as much as you can.
I find there are different brain processes happening when you play
by ear, compared to when you play by reading.
When you read, often you are not really listening.
Have fun. The sax is a wonderful instrument in the right hands.
It can be made to sound terrible though, so listen to other players
and practise getting a sound you enjoy.

Answer:
Kavala, you said what I'm trying to say, only much more eloquently.... right on!
If I were starting over, I would devote some practice time each day to the following:
Tone development
Learning to read music
Ear development
Technique
I firmly believe that if you practice BOTH the eye-hand connection (reading music) AND the ear-hand connection (ear development) you will advance much much more rapidly. Like Kavala said, it's very possilbe to learn to read music without really hearing it, sort of like learning to type.
I once attended a jazz camp where I met a young trumpet player who sounded eerily like Miles Davis.... he had been playing for six months! He had spent the entire six months imitating Miles Davis solos... he couldn't even read music. They had sent him to the camp to learn to read music, which of course is impossible in six days! Crazy.

Answer:
Originally Posted by Dopey Just found this site and thought I'd introduce myself. Welcome
I think my next purchase needs to be a metronome. Yes - a metronome will be very very good for you
I am also thinking that what I truly want is a tenor sax. I'm not sure why, exactly. I just find the lower notes on my alto more... I don't know.... satisfying somehow. The switch to tenor will probably be easy in that case, I started on alto, then tenor, now I'm just as happy on either
Also, how do folks here feel about learning with play-along books. I've been told they make one lazy, since you end up not really reading the music, but memorizing the tune. No problem, you need to be good at memorising tunes as well as reading music, and they will of course help with your timing and be more fun/creative than metronome.
Not really any questions at the moment. (Although I am confused at this whole mouthpiece thing. They all looked the same to me at the music store!) Just wanted to make my presence known and say "Hi." I wouldn't worry yet as long as yours is OK (and your teacher should be able to check that). If it's not then I'd recommend a very standard Yamaha 4C as a good inexpensive all round mouthpiece to start on and stay with until you know how to choose another mouthpiece. Good Luck!

Answer:
Just Got My Tenor!
The music teacher who's teaching me just loaned me a tenor. So now I've got an alto and a tenor up in my bedroom. So now not only am I incompetent to play the alto, I am also incompetent to play the tenor!!!! I've doubled my musical knowledge in one fell swoop!!!:D
Seriously, I really like this tenor sound. The alto is like... umm... suger, where the tenor is like caramel. The alto is like chocolate chips, the tenor is like hot fudge. (geez... I need to eat something.)
Alsdiego, a comfortable speed on my metronome is very dependent on what notes I'm playing. But, if all notes were between G and G, a comfortable speed would be 70. If you add D, E, F, F# at the bottom end, and add in A# at the top end, then a comfortable speed would be 60. Understand, I can sight read quite a bit quicker than this, but my brain is not trained to do this listening thing, and my time on the petersax website showed me I need time to think when playing by ear.
(Notes I can currently sight read and play fluently are those. Anything else I'm still looking for the fingering charts in the back of the book.:cry: )