Introduction Greetings from the opposite side of the globe

[atwl77]

Middle-aged newbie here, in my late 40s and picked up a student model alto sax (a Yamaha YAS-26) about a little over a year ago, liked what I was doing, sold it off to buy a more pro model (YAS-82z, i.e. "buy once, cry once")... and here I am looking forward to learning more from the community.

I'm entirely self-taught, which I know isn't ideal but c'est la vie. I've dabbed with other instruments in the past, but never really gotten serious or committed to anything, though I did somehow manage to take and pass the ABRSM grade 5 theory exam... but that was over two decades ago, a lot of my theory is now quite rusty. My interests lie more towards playing pop songs with backing tracks; I'm not really that much into jazz or classical save for some of the more "modern" performers like Dave Koz and Candy Dulfer.

This year, my personal goal/focus is to continue improving my tone, sight-reading, as well as rhythm, which is my weakest point. I'm terrible at reading rhythm, often relying on a moving pointer (such as in the MuseScore app, or the words of a karaoke backing track) to keep time, or just generally listening to identifiable cues in backing tracks to not lose my position in a song.

So... that's me in a nutshell. Looking forward to participating in the Cafe! 🙂

 

[mizmar]

Re timing, Paul at Online Sax Academy is building out a fantastic mastering rhythm course.

Welcome

 

[wakyct]

sold it off to buy a more pro model (YAS-82z, i.e. "buy once, cry once")

Welcome! I probably shouldn't feed my GAS, but I'm curious what you noticed were the most obvious differences between the 82z and the 26?

 

[atwl77]

Welcome! I probably shouldn't feed my GAS, but I'm curious what you noticed were the most obvious differences between the 82z and the 26?

Physically there's the additional high F# key, the adjustable front F mechanism, and the sax does feel a bit heavier.

Keys feel better, I suppose because they feel lighter and require less effort to press? Especially the ones for the left and right hand pinky keys, the 82z feels sooooo much more comfortable in this regard.

Can't say I feel any difference in sound or tone, I suppose I'm still very much a beginner in this sense.

 

[Dr G]

Welcome, atwl77 - may I call you atwl? 😉

Regarding reading and rhythm: Fred Lipsius (some may remember him from the group, Blood, Sweat & Tears) wrote an excellent book called "Reading Key Jazz Rhythms". I like it because it teaches the rhythms separately from the melody lines, then adds the two together, and provides a play-along recording.

Given what you have shared regarding your experience and your goals, I suggest you take at least a few lessons to optimize your embouchure, air stream, and air support. It could save a lot of time and frustration to sort it out now rather than unlearn bad habits later.

Enjoy the path.

-George

 

[Jeanette]

Welcome to the café🙂

Jx

 

[SaxBoss]

Welcome

When one says "...from the opposite side of the globe", what area would that be?

 

[atwl77]

Thanks for the welcome everyone, as well as the advice and recommendations on rhythm.

Truth is, I tried some rhythm exercises where you clap according to notes on a line before. I can usually do well up to 1/8th notes, but the moment you throw 1/16th notes into the mix, things turn frustratingly awry very fast. I know it's an obstacle that I need to surpass some day... just that I've been putting it off for other more fun, low-hanging fruit exercises and techniques to learn.

Another problem is that I have difficulty maintaining a count in my head while playing. I can memorize a song and play it to a backing track, but the moment I try to consciously keep a running "1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and..." in my head, my fingers start pressing the wrong keys and mess up the song.

But it's not all that bad; there was a time when I couldn't even count while playing 1/8th note scales to a metronome, but after some persistent practice I am now able to. Some day I'll need step that up to counting 1/16th notes... but again, I keep putting it off for other things.

But for now, I just am reliant on backing tracks to play songs. Usually there's the drum beat, or some instrument playing chords or arpeggios, to help me keep time. Then there are cues to help me know my position in the song. For example, in Christina Perri's A Thousand Years, the piano plays a very specific phrase before the start of the verse. In Feliz Navidad, the instruments pause for a moment right before the verses and choruses. I do have a bit of difficulty at the beginning of Ed Sheeran's Perfect, but once the bass guitar kicks, in I can find my position in the song. In The Beatles' Ob-la-di Ob-la-da, I do have to count in my head at the beginning to know when to start the first verse, as well as in between verses/choruses, but otherwise I just listen to the beat and stop counting or else my fingers will mess up.

Still doesn't help with 1/16th or faster notes though; when playing those I just wing it and hope to stay in time afterwards 😅
And let's not even get started with triplets... though I somehow manage fine as long as it's three plain triplets, with no rests or ties in there.

Welcome, atwl77 - may I call you atwl? 😉

Sure. Or Adrian.

When one says "...from the opposite side of the globe", what area would that be?

That'll be Malaysia -- though I suppose from your perspective, not so "opposite side" 😀

 

[Dr G]

Welcome

When one says "...from the opposite side of the globe", what area would that be?

See “Locality” in the left column under the moniker.

 

[mizmar]

running "1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and..." in my head,

Tradition, here, is that new members ask interesting questions in their Doorbell thread - which would be worthy of a thread of their own!
I'm not sure people count "1 and.." while actually playing... Might be worth a thread

 

[MarkSax]

Hi and welcome. I am self taught too and also moved from a beginner sax to a pro with a few tears. I too had/have some of the problems that you have, I guess because we don’t have anyone to hear us play and correct mistakes immediately, and the temptation to play tunes quickly is too great. The cafe is a great place to hang and you’ll find friendly people with a lot of good advice that works. And I’ll try to answer any questions re: self taught pitfalls. And a teacher is a great way to start, even the Zoom ones, at least once a month.

 

[Digger2054]

Welcome! I can confirm Malaysia is a long way from the UK after visiting that part of the world over Christmas, wonderful apart from the flight home 🤣

I returned to the sax coming up to two years ago, have lessons. My tutor has given me exercises to work on my timing and rhythm that are separate to playing the saxophone.

Lots of hand clapping, singing, and even a bit of transcribing, all with the sax on the stand.

 

[Pete Thomas]

Greetings from Czechia

 

[saxyjt]

Greetings from France.

I'm kind of lost with the reference to the yas-26. I knew about the 23s & 25s, then here in Europe the 275s, 280s. But what is the 26? One major difference between the 23 and 25 was the F# key. So if the 26 doesn't have one. What is it then?

That's where international marketing gets kind of ridiculous...

 

[SaxBoss]

Yes, down under, they still sell the usal YAS-26 which is identical to the YAS-23 with a very slight tweek. See here. It's made in Indonesia.

YAS-26 - Overview - Yamaha - Music - Australia

Student Alto Saxophones.

au.yamaha.com

 

[SaxBoss]

It has no high F#

 

[MikeMorrell]

Welcome to the café, @atwl77

FWIW, the first week I rented my 1st sax (in my 40''s) I discovered that a sax was basically a metal 'recorder' which I'd played in primary school aged 10/11. Within a week or two I realized that my tone and technique were awful and signed up for some lessons, 6 months with a private tutor followed by a year at a music school. Not a lot of tuition. The rest I've picked up (as an amateur) by playing in bands and notably from this café.

I'm sure that your membership of the café will help you develop as it did mine.

 

[atwl77]

Welcome to the café, @atwl77

FWIW, the first week I rented my 1st sax (in my 40''s) I discovered that a sax was basically a metal 'recorder' which I'd played in primary school aged 10/11. Within a week or two I realized that my tone and technique were awful and signed up for some lessons, 6 months with a private tutor followed by a year at a music school. Not a lot of tuition. The rest I've picked up (as an amateur) by playing in bands and notably from this café.

I'm sure that your membership of the café will help you develop as it did mine.

Same here, when I noticed the fingerings were the same as a recorder I was practicing scales and simple tunes in C, G and F almost immediately. Took a while before I learnt that many people on the Internet frowned on the recorder fingering for Bb, so eventually I started practicing with the Bis and side key fingerings. That was one of many interesting experiences I've picked up during my saxophone journey.

 

[mizmar]

many people on the Internet frowned on the recorder fingering for Bb

IMHO - it's not a question of "frowning" - but of pricking the best fingering for the passage & tone.

 

[dexdex]

Welcome, greetings from Switzerland.

I’m also essentially self-taught on saxes, but have a 2 years “Conservatoire de musique” base on clarinet, which got me going.
No Bis on the clarinet, I’ve been learning to use it lately on the saxophone.