Rock & Roll Saxophone classes in Sweden

[thomsax]

I'm glad to tell that we have some Rock & Roll Saxophone outside USA and UK as well!

Anyone who happens to be in the south of Sweden/Denmark on the 5:th or 6:th of August? Then you can join workshops in Rocksax. Leader and teacher is Andrew Clark (Rock 'n ' Roll saxophonist and contributor to the Saxophone Journal. He is also running his own musicschool in Boston). I think it's going to be small groups, 4-6 persons/workshop, so there will be some time for individual advises as well. The workshops are held in a small village on the countryside of Scania, ca 45 minutes from Copenhagen. The name of the restaurant/place is called "Table and Cher" (the owner is a big fan of Cher!!!). Advanced or less advanced, young or adult, male or female, Eb or Bb ... it really doesn't matter, everyone is welcome. We'll cover:

Bluessax Workout in A & E
The guitar keys! Don't be afraid, you´ll get used to it.
- Differnt exercises with bluesscales in A & E. (B and F# for ten/sop, F# and C# for alto/bari).
- How to add rocksax effects to your playing to make it sound more interesting. Learn and practise growls, flutter tone, doo -wop, thrills, altissimo, subtone, note bending .....
- To build up and play an easy solo. Also how to play licks, riffs and fillings to keep the guitarplayer, and maybe bandleader, happy!! ..
Other tips and hints during the class: Mouthpieces and setups, recommeded listening, important rocksaxophonists and how to make a good practise schedule ......


Five Common Styles In Rocksax
A look into the Ballad-, Blues-, Funk-, Soul- and Reggae-style. Similar to the masterclass Andrew Clark did in the May/June issue of the Saxophone Journal.
The Bluessax Workout in A & E is great as a base for this masterclass. You're already familiar with some of the techniques, tricks and scales that can be used in this class.

Prices: 500 s e k (c £40.00) for one class, 800 s e k (c £ 65.00) for two classes. Charts and CD-R (play-a-long) are included.

If a member from Breakfastroom signs up, I'll donate 5% of the amount to Pete's charity fondation. PM me for more information.

Click on the link below to see the poster!
http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm201/thomsax/?action=view&current=rocksaxaug091.jpg

Rock On!

Thomas

 

[rhysonsax]

That sounds brilliant ! If only it was happening around these parts I would love to come along. Please let us know how it goes.

Good luck.

Rhys

 

[thomsax]

That sounds brilliant ! If only it was happening around these parts I would love to come along. Please let us know how it goes.

Good luck.

Rhys

Thank you!

I hope everything turns out well. Sometimes I think a narrow thing like Rocksax is too small for Sweden or this part of the world, but on the other hand it's fun to have small projects going on. It's easy to handle.

It's the seventh time Andrew Clark is coming over for workshops. I've so far arranged 12 worskhops with teaching musicians as leader of the classes.

I'll let you know how it went.

Thomas

 

[thomsax]

The Rocksax workshops went well. Andrew Clark had produced some new material which was great to work with. We did one class with "Bluessax in A & E" and another with "Five Common Styles In Rock". Clark did a splendid work, as useall very well prepared, and really trying to get everyone "on the toes".

Bluesax in A & E: We spent most of the time on rocksax effects, tone and solos. To create an interesting way to play with growls, vibrato, altissimo tones, thrills, tremolos, articulation ... . We practised how to plan a 12 bar bluessolo; add some interest, try to get into to the song and play stilistic correct, "tell a story", start-middle-end, less is more, cut the solo into small pices over 4 bars, into the "fifth", fillings and riffs .... .

Five Commons Styles in Rock: A lot of playing and practising the things from Bluessax in A & E. The funk and soul styles are not easy for hornplayers ... . A fun and useful class.

Of course, it's not possible to have a rocksax workshop without talking about saxes, mouthpieces, reeds and mircophones. Since I'm really into saxsounds I kept my eyes on differnt combinations between saxes and mpc's. All players used metal mouthpieces on tenors and they also used older saxes except on who played Yangisawa 800 model (tenor and soprano) with Otto Link metal. Nice sound. The other players was on : The Martin -59 with Larsen ss 100/1(bullet) from the 70's, The Martin -59 with Rovner Deep-V, Conn 10M late 30's with Dukoff M7, Selmer MK VI -60 with Lawton and SML Gold Medal -56 with Dukoff S7. Andrew Clark is playing a Selmer MKVI-66 with Dukoff D8.

Thomas

 

[Jules]

Of course, it's not possible to have a rocksax workshop without talking about saxes, mouthpieces, reeds and mircophones. Since I'm really into saxsounds I kept my eyes on differnt combinations between saxes and mpc's. All players used metal mouthpieces on tenors and they also used older saxes except on who played Yangisawa 800 model (tenor and soprano) with Otto Link metal. Nice sound. The other players was on : The Martin -59 with Larsen ss 100/1(bullet) from the 70's, The Martin -59 with Rovner Deep-V, Conn 10M late 30's with Dukoff M7, Selmer MK VI -60 with Lawton and SML Gold Medal -56 with Dukoff S7. Andrew Clark is playing a Selmer MKVI-66 with Dukoff D8.

Thomas

sounds a great workshop- here, I suspect Big Jay McNeely's playing in Sweden some time soon- check his MySpace (still gutted about missing his amsterdam show due to a delayed flight)!
On the subject of mouthpieces etc- As a pretty straight down the line Rock & Roller/R&B player, I've recently really gone off playing on metal 'pieces. Not quite sure why, but I'm finding I can get a better old school R&B tone on ebonite these days- got a Berg Larsen grained 105/1, one of Pete's PPTs and a fantastic Saxscape Red River. Flitting between them at current- but can get every bit as much power out of any of them as I could with my old Bronze Berg (the Saxscape, in particular, can scream like a really good Dukoff but has a far fatter core than my old Dukoff ever did).....

 

[thomsax]

Jules,

Do you know where In Sweden? Big Jay is the last of the big honkers from the 50's who is still gigging. Amasing person and player. Sax Gordon Beadle played with him for some years ago. He told me what a great person and player he is. I was in Berlin the other year and I missed his performance with a day.

Yes, I agree about the new generation of ebonite, hard rubber ... mouthpieces in Rocksax. They are working well in Rocksax. But I'm an old stubbern player who have spent my last 35 years with a metal mouthpiece in my mouth. I can't imagine how life should be without the taste of metal!! I'm playing on a Rovner Deep-V #8 tenor with Rico Plasticcover reeds # 5.

I got a nice comment about my tone and playing the other week. A person thought I sounded like Clarence Clemons!! At last, after years of practising long tones with heavy vibrato and playing few tones (the pentatonic scales) in a safe way!! Maybe the person who told me I sounded like CC don't like the way the Big Man blows

Thomas

 

[Jules]

Apologies- its Norway ( http://www.myspace.com/bigjaymcneely ).
Hey- complemented on sounding like Clarence Clemons- nice one! I got favourably compared to Gordon Beadle the other week, it must be the season for complementing rock sax players!

 

[Lloyd]

This sounds great, Thomas. How did it go? Do you know if this guy plans any workshops in the UK as rocksax is my thang?

 

[thomsax]

This sounds great, Thomas. How did it go? Do you know if this guy plans any workshops in the UK as rocksax is my thang?

I don't think Andrew Clark is planing any workshops/clinics in UK. But if someone contact him for teaching a workshop/clinic I'm sure he'll come to UK. I is quite busy with teaching at his own music school, gigging and writing about Rock 'n' Roll Saxophone in Saxophone Joournal but I think he can always fly over for a weekend.

Thomas