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

[cappers]

Went to my first community band practice tonight and it was great! Only a couple of miles from me (the Saltdean Jazz Band) with weekly practice sessions in a church and fairly regular gigs at a couple of local pubs and other events. They welcome musicians regardless of the stage they are in their knowledge and experience who enjoy playing music with others for fun.

There are about a fifteen or so regulars, all amateurs save the band leader who is a retired pro. There was keyboard, drums, two electric leads and one bass guitars, two flutes, a trumpet/flugelhorn, a clarinet, two tenors (plus me now), and four altos.

There was another beginner (alto) who couldn't read music at all and he just stood at the back and blew a few notes every so often. I eventually did the same because I didn't have their song book and the two songs they called that I know were 1. in a different key 😳and 2. played at the proper tempo which is more than twice as fast as me.

Nevertheless it was fun. I found that my ears are better than I thought because I was improvising on the melodies, getting a feel of the music's direction and going with the flow. Afterwards one of them said they could hear me playing quietly at the back and thought I was good!

Packing up, the band leader came over and invited me to join saying I'll pick it up quick enough and not to worry about my lack of experience.

Last December when I began my saxophone journey I never for a minute imagined I would be in a band 5 months later

 

[wakyct]

That's great! Very cool you have a band so close with a welcoming vibe.

 

[ESJohn]

Awesome, Cappers! That sounds like the New Horizons Band that has taught me so much since I've joined it. You will have so much fun and learn more than you could imagine! The concerts are a blast. The fellowship is great. Congratulations on your new venture!

 

[Dr G]

Are newbies responsible for providing refreshments? Or do they tell you that after the next meeting?

 

[mizmar]

Fab

Just a case of getting what's in my head to my fingers ;>) !

Looks like that's working

 

[cappers]

Are newbies responsible for providing refreshments? Or do they tell you that after the next meeting?

I haven't read the small print yet! I get the sign-on form next week.
'The large print giveth and the small print taketh away' Tom Waits
I took a bottle of water.

 

[cappers]

Fab

Looks like that's working

I was very surprised, considering when I play by reading I'm quite wooden. Or if I make something up, a phrase or riff, I don't remember it later on in the tune so it's all a bit random.

Tonight I just closed my eyes, listened to the flow of the music and 'felt' it, and blew what I thought would go nicely (except I didn't consciously think if that makes sense?). Although I couldn't say what I was doing with regards to intervals, scales, triads whatever, I'm starting to recognise their qualities and what goes with what, and what doesn't.

Very simple but I don't think it was discordant - nobody complained or gave me dirty looks!
I had fun anyway.

 

[ghostler]

Packing up, the band leader came over and invited me to join saying I'll pick it up quick enough and not to worry about my lack of experience. Last December when I began my saxophone journey I never for a minute imagined I would be in a band 5 months later

Congrats @cappers , sounds like fun. The band director's attitude is very accomodating, which is fantastic, give you room to gain your confidence playing before a crowd and learning to meld in with the other players. Over time, it will become "old hat" to you.

Enjoy your new friends and experience! 😉

 

[Jimmymack]

That's the way to do it, by doing it. I did the same and, like you didn't really know what I was doing and could barely read but occasionally you get a "nice solo" from the leader. Trouble was I didn't know what I'd done to get the compliment. There used to be quite a few of such sessions but they've mostly gone now. You're fortunate to find one.

 

[cappers]

That's the way to do it, by doing it. I did the same and, like you didn't really know what I was doing and could barely read but occasionally you get a "nice solo" from the leader. Trouble was I didn't know what I'd done to get the compliment. There used to be quite a few of such sessions but they've mostly gone now. You're fortunate to find one.

It's great that they're virtually on my doorstep.
The band started just before the pandemic and lockdown in 2020 and I'm glad that it survived and is going strong.
I've printed off some of their songbook and will start practicing.
Roll on next Thursday evening!

 

[cappers]

Congrats @cappers , sounds like fun. The band director's attitude is very accomodating, which is fantastic, give you room to gain your confidence playing before a crowd and learning to meld in with the other players. Over time, it will become "old hat" to you.

Enjoy your new friends and experience! 😉

When I arrived the leader suggested I go and stand with the other tenor but I declined saying my reading and playing of new material was too slow and I'd rather stay in the background and try and find my feet. After about half an hour I got enough confidence to tootle away quietly at the back and nobody seemed to mind. The parting was 'hope to see you next week'. Made my day!

 

[dexdex]

Great read, thanks for sharing. There is nothing like playing in a band. It is a permanent lesson in music, but also in life in general. You learn to care, to act towards a common goal. To adjust, to cope with your own limits and challenges.

 

[cappers]

Third session tonight with the band and it went well, or at least nothing was thrown at me (even dirty looks!).
I played what I could, even a few phrases but the speed is my downfall at the moment. I was a bit faster at reading and playing than last week.
Tonight we rehearsed Blue Train, Cantaloupe Island, Blue Moon, Cold Duck Time, Just In Time, St Thomas, Stolen Moments, The More I See You, The Preacher, This Masquerade, You Are The Sunshine of My Life .... in a the deep-end but loving it.
I think these sessions are going to be very helpful for my progress. A bonus is that they are an easy going, supportive, non-judgmental bunch of people, who are there to have fun.

 

[Dr G]

Third session tonight with the band and it went well, or at least nothing was thrown at me (even dirty looks!).
I played what I could, even a few phrases but the speed is my downfall at the moment. I was a bit faster at reading and playing than last week.
Tonight we rehearsed Blue Train, Cantaloupe Island, Blue Moon, Cold Duck Time, Just In Time, St Thomas, Stolen Moments, The More I See You, The Preacher, This Masquerade, You Are The Sunshine of My Life .... in a the deep-end but loving it.
I think these sessions are going to be very helpful for my progress. A bonus is that they are an easy going, supportive, non-judgmental bunch of people, who are there to have fun.

That's a lot of tunes for one rehearsal. How much time do you spend on each one? Do you actually rehearse these or just play through them?

 

[cappers]

That's a lot of tunes for one rehearsal. How much time do you spend on each one? Do you actually rehearse these or just play through them?

The core band have been practicing together for a long time. They are doing a gig soon so this was a rehearsal, polishing their repertoire as it were. We stopped frequently to go over timing, rythym or any confusion or suggestions and repeated until everyone was happy. Does seem a lot but we had a full two hours, so 10 minutes per tune?

I'm off to bed, so good night.

 

[ghostler]

The core band have been practicing together for a long time. They are doing a gig soon so this was a rehearsal, polishing their repertoire as it were. We stopped frequently to go over timing, rythym or any confusion or suggestions and repeated until everyone was happy.

Sounds like you are off to a very good start. You'll also find that as you get more comfortable with the band, your soloing skills will greatly expand, too. Being with a live band certainly beats "karaoke" with a recorded backing track (although that is not a bad way to learn, too, even "busk" at a location.)

We finished our Spring Concert tonight, so we're on recess until August 25, when we start up again. Summer we previous years did a 4th of July concert in the park, but things didn't gel this year.

 

[PiccoloPirate]

If I was the band director, I'd advise you to learn one tune well, and forget the rest.
The one with a doable tempo.
Blue Moon perhaps.

 

[cappers]

If I was the band director, I'd advise you to learn one tune well, and forget the rest.
The one with a doable tempo.
Blue Moon perhaps.

We are expected to learn and practice the tunes in our own time and practice as a group.
Last week we started on the head of Cantaloupe Island, and this week we did the same and began on the rest of the tune.
I will practice the slower ones at home e.g. Blue Moon but I don't expect the band to wait for me to catch up or tutor me.
Although it is confronting and challenging I tend to thrive under such conditions!
A lot of the time last night I felt I was a fraud with imposter syndrome because when I got lost or couldn't follow I just twiddled my fingers but didn't blow!

 

[MikeMorrell]

We are expected to learn and practice the tunes in our own time and practice as a group.
Last week we started on the head of Cantaloupe Island, and this week we did the same and began on the rest of the tune.
I will practice the slower ones at home e.g. Blue Moon but I don't expect the band to wait for me to catch up or tutor me.
Although it is confronting and challenging I tend to thrive under such conditions!
A lot of the time last night I felt I was a fraud with imposter syndrome because when I got lost or couldn't follow I just twiddled my fingers but didn't blow!

Wow, congratulations @cappers! FWIW, it (in my case but with others too) usually takes months to 'get up to speed' with any new band/repertoire.

From your posts, this sounds like the very best kind of community band to join! Welcoming, supportive, appreciative and giving you all the time you need (months) to gradually get up to speed. I have absolutely no doubt that you'll learn so much more from playing in a community band! And it sounds as if you're off to a great start! Not least, by discovering your own musical strengths (harmonising, 'feeling' the musical flow, etc. Just my opinion, but in my (limited) musical experience these musical qualities (like a feeling for rhythm) are not easy to 'learn' if you don't have these 'innate' qualities. It sounds like you do.

FWIW, I think your band has a great repertoire. I've learned the most about 'playing music' from playing in community bands

 

[Dr G]

A lot of the time last night I felt I was a fraud with imposter syndrome because when I got lost or couldn't follow I just twiddled my fingers but didn't blow!

If/when you get lost, listen deeply for the form of the tune. Listen for the harmonic “blocks”. Listen for “1” of each measure. Listen actively while you play and eventually you’ll find you cannot get lost because you always recognize where you are. You may not know what notes to play in a given moment, but you’ll know where you are.