I took up the tenor Sax many years ago, but had to stop when we had kids as it scared the crap out of them. I still have it in the cupboard and will get it out again one day. One thing I found you need to play the Sax is a big block of land and a solid brick house!
Its not one of my favourite songs but this was the hardest tune I was taught by my teacher:
Thanks to whoever posted the careless whisper video!!! I've been wondering what song that was since i heard a minuite of it 4 years ago
Since reading this thread and getting into some more sax music i've started playing
is there any chance I'll end up like that careless whisper guy and how long would it take if i practise an hour a day? just roughly what you think
im used to piano where you tap a key any way possible and its in tune, but with this its a completely different ball game
is it normal not to be able to produce a crisp note with the lowest notes
oh and are lessons reccomended or is a book fine
get a few lessons, bad position on the mouthpiece is a killer. lessons will get that sorted up front.
yes it's normal to struggle with the low notes at first as more air is needed to get further along the instrument. where lessons will help with that regard is posture and breathing technique. playing sustained notes is also very handy, first up it helps you build your embouchure as you hold the note plus it encourages you to breathe out from deep in your lungs (as with singing) allowing a longer note. also you get to train your ear as you hold the note. small adjustment in embouchure position will alter the tone.
playing scales is good for embouchure, tongue and fingering technique, (yeah, go to town with that one) it takes a long time to build the technique to be able to control the note from start to finish so all notes are even in pitch. also practicing triplets is handy as it teaches you more advanced reed control. the faster and smoother you can do them the better.
then there's fingering, in the high register there are alternative fingering techniques that can be used depending on what scale you are playing to make it easier to play fast runs. that's more for advanced though. once you get better control you can squeal very high notes without fingering.
the guy in the vid is very good. i'd say you would need to play every day for at least 7 years to get that type of control. maybe longer.
or maybe he's been playing for 3 years and i'm wrong. still i'm going 7 years or so.
oh i forgot to mention, no biting!
wow thanks a ton i was also getting annoyed by not being able to get rid of the 'air' sound, but apparently thats something to do with the reed being a 1.5 instead of a higher number, but the 1.5's good for now
I'll get some lessons and try to get the right technique from the start