front and back handed compliments

[zootsaxenberger]

i have, over the years received some lovely feedback from punters,and one question that i often get asked is how easy the sax is to play, well my standard answer to this is it depends on how well you want to play it,
with a bit of help and some practice you can be knocking off nursery rhymes in no time,
when i tell them that i have been playing for nigh on forty years and still consider myself to be learning, i often get surprised looks.
i think that to some , the sax still has the same standing as the stylophone a novelty instrument, they don't necessarily see the endless possibilities that this amazing instrument holds,

 

[trimmy]

I agree that you are always learning, and that is not just with the sax but with any hobby, pastime, even work, i think a lot of people just get complacent and believe after a certain number of years they know it all.
If you look at the top people in any walk of life, i would say they all have one thing in common "They all learn something new each day"

 

[BigMartin]

I think most people never understand that you could keep learning anything for more than a few months. I don't think it just applies the saxophone. In a past life I did some research in mathematics, and most folks just couldn't imagine that there was anything beyond the stuff they were (mostly rather badly) taught in school---"but surely that's all done by now, what is there to research?". I've heard it said , and it sounds about right to me , that the hardest thing most people ever learn to do is drive a car. Such a waste of possibilities...

 

[jazzdoh]

I think sometimes people seem to think that playing a sax well looks easy especially when faster runs if played with the fingers close to the keys they hardly see the fingers moving.
i have been playing many many years and have had realatives and friends buy sax`s thinking in a short space of time they will be sounding good,they soon realise it not that simple and all have sold their sax`s within a couple of months.

Brian

 

[rhysonsax]

Sometimes the punters only really appreciate it when the sax player makes it look really difficult or does some crowd-pleasing stuff like holding a high note for ages and ages.

Luckily I naturally make playing the sax seem really difficult.

Rhys

 

[Lodger]

Luckily I naturally make playing the sax seem really difficult.

Rhys

I certainly manage to make it sound difficult!

 

[old git]

the sax still has the same standing as the stylophone, a novelty instrument,

Have you tried playing "The Minute Waltz" or "The Flight of the Bumble Bee" on a Stylophone? ;}

 

[LAP13]

I agree that you are always learning, and that is not just with the sax but with any hobby, pastime, even work, i think a lot of people just get complacent and believe after a certain number of years they know it all.
If you look at the top people in any walk of life, i would say they all have one thing in common "They all learn something new each day"

+1

 

[zootsaxenberger]

Have you tried playing "The Minute Waltz" or "The Flight of the Bumble Bee" on a Stylophone? ;}

I wouldn't without the necessary safety gear O.G.