Saxophone beginners Come on now, join the band....(Beginners blog)

[skeller047]

I'm not saying I was good because I'm really not, just a 6 month's novice. But it felt OK all things considered. MrsC and daughter both said they could hear me, that I was on time, in tune, didn't make any bum notes, and sounded good!

Dude - you’ve been playing sax for 6 months and you are playing in a band and giving concerts! This is incredible, you are to be congratulated. “Good” doesn’t cover it, man, you are doing GREAT!

The great thing about music is there is always room to grow. Celebrate your successes and get back to work!

 

[cappers]

Great to hear that!

Btw I just noticed the Blue Moon sheet music, I’m not sure but maybe this still has a copyright? We need to be careful please let me know, thanks.

@Pete Thomas It is in the band's playlist on our dropbox and I assumed it was purchased. I will check and let you know.
Even better, as a mod can you remove it? It's not needed, just chatting with @PiccoloPirate.

 

[MikeMorrell]

Nice! Much bigger band that ours, more 'Big Band' style.
....

@ESJohn's band is much bigger than (and different to) a standard Big Big too. This is what I would call a "Wind Orchestra". Standard Big Bands don't have flutes, clarinets, horns, acoustic bass players or so many percussionists. See concert band on Wikipedia.

 

[PiccoloPirate]

Sounds like you had a great time.
It only gets better, until your first solo. 😵‍💫

If that's you with the silver horn, looks like a caucasian Billy Harper. 🙄

 

[cappers]

Sounds like you had a great time.
It only gets better, until your first solo. 😵‍💫

If that's you with the silver horn, looks like a caucasian Billy Harper. 🙄

Must be the lighting, my hair is silver the horn (YTS-25) is lacquered brass with nickel plated keys.

Look like Billy?........I wish I could play like Billy

 

[Digger2054]

Just reading through this well done @cappers

I've done a few concerts with the orchestra I play with, the next one has 11 new pieces, and some are really challenging, not just for me but many others too. Tonight I was playing bits I could, and when I spot bars where my fingers and brain can't keep up, just follow along and join back in.

Don't worry too much about fluffing it up... I stood for a solo in one performance, barely played 2 bars before my mind went blank and I just sat down in a panic 🙈 good job we don't get paid... I'd be struggling to pay my mortgage 🤣

 

[ghostler]

Look like Billy?........I wish I could play like Billy
View attachment 29132View attachment 29133

"Brothers" like in the movie with Danny Devito and Arnold Schwartznegger called "Twins"? 😉

 

[cappers]

Played my second gig tonight and all went well.

It was in a nice seafront hotel/restaurant/bar with an appreciative audience. We got a round of applause after each tune and some compliments were shouted at the end, well I think they were compliments. A couple of well lubricated punters attempted to sing along to Fly Me to the Moon and You Are Sunshine of My Life, which was interesting😱

I played what I could which was more than last time. Got lost occasionally but managed to find my way again. (I'm still unsure what to play when it says coda, al coda, dc al coda etc or during or after solos and repeats; something to work on). At least I was (mostly) in time and in tune. Anyway a good time was had by all. My dear wife came along so I bought her dinner and a drink whilst I got ready. My oldest son popped in at half-time and bought me a half. I'm lucky to have their support and encouragement 🙂

Our next gig is on Sunday week at a local community fair in a park. We are one of several bands with a 40 minute slot. First time I will have played al fresco which I believe is a different experience. Then another gig a fortnight later at a seafront cafe popular with bikers; looking forward to that one.

 

[Dr G]

I'm still unsure what to play when it says coda, al coda, dc al coda etc or during or after solos and repeats; something to work on). 🙂

Is there a question to the Cafe there, or have you asked your band mates about D.S, D.C., and Coda?

Our next gig is on Sunday week at a local community fair in a park. We are one of several bands with a 40 minute slot. First time I will have played al fresco which I believe is a different experience.

If you have never practiced outdoors, now's the time. You may find that your sound evaporates into the ether. Balance within the band will sound very different.

 

[cappers]

Is there a question to the Cafe there, or have you asked your band mates about D.S, D.C., and Coda?

If anyone here wants to offer advice I'm all ears.

I have asked my teacher and band mates and I know what they mean per se e.g.
DC (da capo) - from the head, repeat back from start. Al fine - after repeat start there.
DS (da segno) - repeat back to special sign ($) al coda - after repeating back, play to the coda mark, then jump to the coda (tail). etc
But in the heat of the moment I get muddled. I need to study it a bit more.

Off to bed, half midnight here.
Good night and thank you.

 

[ghostler]

Main thing is you had fun, had a good responsive audience, who appreciated the band's playing. As you get more comfortable, you'll have even more fun. That's all that really counts, IMO. 😉

 

[GCinCT]

It can definitely be tricky to get your eyes to the right place, especially if there are page turns. When I first get a chart, I use a pencil to circle the signs and make them easy to find. That might help. You’ll eventually get the hang of it.

 

[Digger2054]

If they are your copies of the scores, I find highlighters work well.

I find it easier to highlight the $, coda, so my eye jumps from colour to colour. Some of our pieces have tiny symbols, or they're floating in ambiguous positions.

Repeats I mark with a pencil so I can't shouldn't miss it.

For long periods of rests during rehearsals will write what's happening, eg Clarinets play, Brass plays, just saves counting endless bars, I can sit back and relax a little and start counting at a more suitable time, less chance of me loosing count too.

Occasionally I still write beats, especially on slower pieces, as a reminder to count, and I scrawl note names on occasions too, especially if it suddenly goes off the stave.

Anything to get through the piece 🤣

If they're band scores, pencil only.

 

[Vetinari]

With any of my parts I scan and print when I can, then I can make any notes I want. May be not supposed to but I never give them to any body else. It also gives me the opportunity to practice parts at home

 

[cappers]

The 'scores' (not sure of the correct term) are held on Dropbox and we print out our own copies so no problem annotating them.
I have highlighted the coda marks etc ditto beats/bars for solos and sometimes the notes when they are tricky. Just need to practice this more so I don't have to think about it.
All part of the learning curve.

 

[MikeMorrell]

Played my second gig tonight and all went well.

It was in a nice seafront hotel/restaurant/bar with an appreciative audience. We got a round of applause after each tune and some compliments were shouted at the end, well I think they were compliments. A couple of well lubricated punters attempted to sing along to Fly Me to the Moon and You Are Sunshine of My Life, which was interesting😱

I played what I could which was more than last time. Got lost occasionally but managed to find my way again. (I'm still unsure what to play when it says coda, al coda, dc al coda etc or during or after solos and repeats; something to work on). At least I was (mostly) in time and in tune. Anyway a good time was had by all. My dear wife came along so I bought her dinner and a drink whilst I got ready. My oldest son popped in at half-time and bought me a half. I'm lucky to have their support and encouragement 🙂

Our next gig is on Sunday week at a local community fair in a park. We are one of several bands with a 40 minute slot. First time I will have played al fresco which I believe is a different experience. Then another gig a fortnight later at a seafront cafe popular with bikers; looking forward to that one.

Wow, it's great to hear that your band has so many gigs. And with appreciative audiences too! Wonderful to have your wife and son there too, to see and hear the benefits of your rehearsals and practice.

I would consider the (well-lubricated) 'sing-along-punters' as a compliment. At least they were (in their own way) 'engaged' with your music! Unless, of course you had a vocalist that was drowned out!

My Big Band has much less frequent gigs. Probably 3 or 4 per year. Personally, I love open-air performances! It's a different 'atmosphere' for audiences and the band to playing indoors.

I'm glad that you're looking forward to your performance at a popular 'biker café'!
OT: I was recently at a funeral of my best (female) friend's brother's funeral. He was a fervent 'biker' (and much than that!), I'd known him for almost 25 years. He was - and his many biker friends still are - a lovely lot. Despite their often (to me) 'intimidating' appearance.

More than 150 'bikers' turned up at his funeral and formed (with their roaring Harley's) a 'final salute' as his coffin was brought to it's final resting place for cremation. It truly gave me goosepimples. I filmed it, my 'best friend' loved it and shared it. But it's not for me to share the video here.

It once again brought home to the saying "don't pre-judge a person by his/her appearance". I could add many other examples but that's it for now.

 

[cappers]

It once again brought home to the saying "don't pre-judge a person by his/her appearance".

So true.

We get biker gangs down here in the summer, some good coast roads for a burn up and they are always great if sometime a bit intimidating to look at 😳

Couple of years ago there was a mass biker rally passing through here to honour a fellow biker who had died and to raise money for a kids' charity. They got cheers all the way.

 

[Digger2054]

The 'scores' (not sure of the correct term) are held on Dropbox and we print out our own copies so no problem annotating them.
I have highlighted the coda marks etc ditto beats/bars for solos and sometimes the notes when they are tricky. Just need to practice this more so I don't have to think about it.
All part of the learning curve.

But like our groups set up, trouble is you get a gig and then there's 11 new pieces to rush through 🙄

 

[cappers]

But like our groups set up, trouble is you get a gig and then there's 11 new pieces to rush through

Yes! I was lucky as there were only 5 new (to me) pieces to get under my fingers in a fortnight with one rehearsal.

My imposter syndrome has been replaced by blagger syndrome - if in doubt leave it out, wiggle the fingers and pretend to blow

 

[Digger2054]

Yes! I was lucky as there were only 5 new (to me) pieces to get under my fingers in a fortnight with one rehearsal.

My imposter syndrome has been replaced by blagger syndrome - if in doubt leave it out, wiggle the fingers and pretend to blow

Just you wait... before you know it you'll have Baritone in your collection, and your fellow Bari player will miss a rehearsal and you suddenly find yourself sight reading a new piece that happens to have a massive Bari intro/solo Can't pretend to blow then