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JayeNM
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 3,832
- Location
- New Mexico, US
It took until response #9 for someone to suggest the most obvious - get a teacher, one on one lessons.
I mean, that should ALWAYS be the default suggestion, really. Vids, even live streaming lessons, are a distant second (for a beginner).
Beginners need a very firm foundation in fundamentals....embouchure, breath support, as Doc mentioned - things like that. Hard for vids and online courses to really communicate that effectively , and there is no way for the online material/teacher to really experience what the student is doing right in front of them, together in the same room.
I can usually spot a player, easily, who didn't learn that foundational stuff....they may even be - by certain standards - 'intermediate' in a number of categories...but you can hear when the foundational stuff was not part of their learning. Oftentimes tonality is poor, intonation is wonky, and bad habits as far as blowing and embouchure are already ingrained so need to be unlearned. Yet they might be able to sight-read well or even rip a nice improvised solo. But....
In the VERY LEAST, I always urge a new player to take AT LEAST 4-5 starter lessons from a teacher, then if you wanna dive off into video or book land, at least you have something under your feet to do that with.
IF that is NOT available (no local teacher), and for many it is not...then go to the books and vids and online courses, IMHO.
I mean, that should ALWAYS be the default suggestion, really. Vids, even live streaming lessons, are a distant second (for a beginner).
Beginners need a very firm foundation in fundamentals....embouchure, breath support, as Doc mentioned - things like that. Hard for vids and online courses to really communicate that effectively , and there is no way for the online material/teacher to really experience what the student is doing right in front of them, together in the same room.
I can usually spot a player, easily, who didn't learn that foundational stuff....they may even be - by certain standards - 'intermediate' in a number of categories...but you can hear when the foundational stuff was not part of their learning. Oftentimes tonality is poor, intonation is wonky, and bad habits as far as blowing and embouchure are already ingrained so need to be unlearned. Yet they might be able to sight-read well or even rip a nice improvised solo. But....
In the VERY LEAST, I always urge a new player to take AT LEAST 4-5 starter lessons from a teacher, then if you wanna dive off into video or book land, at least you have something under your feet to do that with.
IF that is NOT available (no local teacher), and for many it is not...then go to the books and vids and online courses, IMHO.
