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Message: <blockquote data-quote="frankb" data-source="post: 616790" data-attributes="member: 10139">Well, it's been fifty-three weeks since I acquired my tenor, so a bit of a retrospective might be in order from me too!I've progressed from my initial explosive foghorn-like farting noises (some of them with the saxophone!) to what I feel is a reasonable repertoire for a one-year player. My favourites are still Harlem Nocturne and In The Heat of the Night (dig it out Chris, if you like the former you'll like the latter too!), but Black Coffee and Basin Street Blues are in the short list as well. My sight reading has come on (from a standing start) and I can now usually puzzle stuff out without hearing it first, which helps a lot. Playing by ear has also come on and to the point where if I hear an easy sax riff on the telly I can grab a horn and copy it, usually with half-decent results.GAS-wise, well an alto joined my tenor in January and the tenor's now wearing a JodyJazz HR* 5. I also have a stack of music books which are (I confess!) terribly underused! (A pair of exceptions are "Blues For Saxophone" and "Classic Jazz For Saxophone" each featuring over 60 fairly easy arrangements of mostly very good tunes - bought as a pair and one of my better purchases!)Cadging-wise, I currently have a Yamaha flute on loan from my nephew (useful things, nephews!) on which I'm making slow (but fun) progress. I also have a JodyJazz HR* 5M on loan from the owner of this thread (very much obliged, Chris!) which has utterly transformed my alto! It was always a bit thin and weedy on the 4C, but now it's much fuller, fatter and more interesting! Niiiiiiiiiice!Has it been worth doing so far? Hell yes! I'm still having enormous fun. Any problems? Well yes, a couple.I've been a bit too self-indulgent of late and have moved from practising to noodling, and it shows!  <img src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2064%2064%22%3E%3Ctext%20x%3D%2250%25%22%20y%3D%2250%25%22%20text-anchor%3D%22middle%22%20dominant-baseline%3D%22central%22%20font-size%3D%2254%22%3E%F0%9F%99%81%3C%2Ftext%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="22" height="22" alt=":(" title="Frown    :("  data-smilie="3"data-shortname=":(" />  I've now started a regimen of long-tones, scales and a more methodical progression through my repertoire. Hopefully it should sort me out a bit.The other problem is physical. I've lost about a stone and a half over the last three months (intentionally) and seem to have developed a problem with the alto's strap (a BG item that came with it). After half an hour's playing I keep getting a pins-and-needles jolt down to the little finger of my left hand. I think the strap must be nudging a nerve which isn't as over-padded as it once was, or something. It isn't weight as the tenor doesn't seem to give the same problem (same type of strap).Every silver lining has its cloud, eh? Still it's an excuse to shop for sax accessories again...!  <img src="data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2064%2064%22%3E%3Ctext%20x%3D%2250%25%22%20y%3D%2250%25%22%20text-anchor%3D%22middle%22%20dominant-baseline%3D%22central%22%20font-size%3D%2254%22%3E%F0%9F%98%89%3C%2Ftext%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="22" height="22" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /> Cheers for keeping the diary up over the last year Chris. It's always an interesting and entertaining read, and it's been great watching you progress. Also thanks to the population of the Breakfast Room for the help, support and companionship, and (of course) huge thanks to Pete for setting it up and maintaining it.All the best,Frank</blockquote>