Saxophone beginners Arrghhh Peggio!!

[Targa]

Tell the school the same as you've put on here and ask for a refund.
This man's only use as a teacher is to keep children out of the way and stop them causing trouble from 9 to 4.
Which is what they used to do, although from the number I see wandering around the streets all day even in school uniform teachers are even more useless than they used to be.

 

[photoman]

Thanks for the feedback guys - yes the last post was intended to give you a laugh. As my mother used to say - it would be funny if it wasn't so serious!

I pay the rent by teaching (Photography now and psychology for many years previously) online and personally, and I know that adapting to your student is the way to keep them hapy - and to keep them coming back.

I have paid in advance for 6 classes - the fist half term - at the school (having been to him privately for 3, previously). I definitely won't be happy about paying for the other half of the term (another $240 euro) if I feel like he's on auto pilot for much longer.

I'll see how Wednesday goes and them talk to him and I would certainly let the school know if I decide to leave.

Stephen

 

[Colin the Bear]

Teacher teach thyself, or was that physician?

You're musicaly competent and it's only a saxophone

Take your flute to your next sax lesson and give it a toot before you sack him. There's a wealth and depth of knowledge on here that should get you through the self teach process.



I thought the sax and flute had a lot in common as far as fingering goes. It's all the Boehm system innit?

As for the finger coordination problems, playing infront of a mirror and keeping an eye on the fingers helps me. Watch and keep your fingers on the pads. It also reflects the sound back to you, so you get a clear picture of the noise you're making and how you're making it.

Also make sure you're not supporting any of the weight with your hands or holding the instrument in position. Let it hang on the sling, adjust the sling so the mouthpiece is in the right position and comfortable then put your hands on and play it there. No gripping, a light touch is all that's needed with a well set up quality instrument. Having said that my old Weltklang baritone needs a firm grip and a long session on it can feel more like a work out than a practice session.

You'll see some old masters lifting way off the keys in some youtube clips. Paul Desmond springs to mind, but only in the slow passages. When you watch them playing fast it's hard to spot any movement at all. Of course they could be miming in some clips , but not all of them.