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bucksmusic

bucksmusic

Member
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24
Location
Kent UK
I've just bought a Trevor James Alto Horn classic II. I'm primarily a keyboard player, but as I'm about to retire at the tender age of 58 I thought I'd take up the Sax again I used to play a Yanagisawa Tenor, which I sold a few years ago. I was never very good, and while I was working, the tenor was a bit of a white elephant and too loud!
I decided to get a Yamaha 4C mouthpiece, which, from what I've read is worthwhile investment as the TJ is distinctly average.

I hope to learn a lot from the good people on here. My main interest is playing blues/rock, but I'm a competent reader, and on the Piano an all-rounder who can do a bit of everything.

Cheers

Simon
 
Welcome. I took up the saxophone as a retirement project, and I have never regretted it.
It can be an expensive hobby though! Altos get lonely on their own, and baritone saxes don't come cheap. ;)
 
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bucksmusic said:
I've just bought a Trevor James Alto Horn classic II. I'm primarily a keyboard player, but as I'm about to retire at the tender age of 58 I thought I'd take up the Sax again I used to play a Yanagisawa Tenor, which I sold a few years ago. I was never very good, and while I was working, the tenor was a bit of a white elephant and too loud!
I decided to get a Yamaha 4C mouthpiece, which, from what I've read is worthwhile investment as the TJ is distinctly average.

I hope to learn a lot from the good people on here. My main interest is playing blues/rock, but I'm a competent reader, and on the Piano an all-rounder who can do a bit of everything.

Cheers

Simon
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Hi Simon, I'm new here too. So hello from me, Bit envious of your retirement, I'm 56 and I need to keep going for a long while yet, but am looking forward to more time for music when I do.
 
Thanks and hello Tony; you're in Kent too... small world! My retirement won't be lavish; if I'd kept working for a few more years I could have retired a much wealthier man, but could also have dropped dead straight afterwards. I've worked 41.5 years continuously, and I think that's enough!
 
Glad to have you here! I purchased a Yamaha 4C for my alto several months ago. I learned here that it is Yamaha's starter mouthpiece but a good one, too. I felt and heard the difference with the first use. There are two other "no name" mpc's in my case that my woodwinds instructor told me to leave there as he pointed out the differences in the chambers. I'm nearing retirement myself in a year or two, but have 7 years on you. Congratulations on the good life ahead!
 
bucksmusic said:
Thanks and hello Tony; you're in Kent too... small world! My retirement won't be lavish; if I'd kept working for a few more years I could have retired a much wealthier man, but could also have dropped dead straight afterwards. I've worked 41.5 years continuously, and I think that's enough!
Click to expand...
Hi Simon, Understand that perfectly. I went through a stressed period just before Christmas where I thought I was going to burst something and needed a month off of work. Have to say my sax was a motivational thing. Reminded me why I keep working, well that and the mortgage. I find myself picking the sax up before guitar at the moment - perhaps its because its the greater challenge now; to get it sounding good. Sounding good is harder work than I thought it'd be!

I recently played my first sax session at a jam and that was learning experience. It was only a couple of numbers on sax and guitar for a few others. Did a rocked up version of Move It On Over. It's a Hank Williams country song, but George Thoroughgood and The Destroyers did a heavier version which was the inspiration. It was fun developing a solo part which I enjoyed doing. I also played along to I Just Want To Make Love To You, by Willie Dixon as made famous by Etta James. Getting the riff in sync was a challenge at first but the solo is full of raucous growling and flutter tongue which I love. Still need a lot of practice on that. My flutter tongue is a bit hit & miss at the moment depending on the note.

There's lots of great Jazz tunes to listen to, but I struggle to find great rock or blues ones. Personally I'm happy to be in a horn section rather being the next Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, etc and so find myself drawn to Soul tunes like Midnight Hour. I think Brown Sugar and Jail House rock are next on my list to bag.

What's grabbed you?

Regards,
Tony.
 
Hi Tony

I'll be starting practicing Sax next week. At the moment my only ambition is to be able to blow a blues solo so I can occasionally play sax with the guys I jam with. It would be nice not to have to carry all that gear around (keyboard, amp etc).

I like a lot of different music. We play a mix rock/blues stuff. Bowie/Clapton/Elton/Santana etc. Occasionally we drift into Jazz which I've done a bit of in my time, though I'm not a proper Jazz Pianist. We do the odd gig, and were lucky enough to record at Mark Ronson's old studio in London last November. Not because we're any good I might add! But we recorded 5 tracks in afternoon.

At home I play a lot of Ragtime, always the blues/boogie-woogie and I'm about to restart lessons with a professional Jazz Pianist to improve my Jazz Piano playing.

I don't know what flutter tongue is btw!

Cheers
 
Tony K said:
Hi Simon, Understand that perfectly. I went through a stressed period just before Christmas where I thought I was going to burst something and needed a month off of work. Have to say my sax was a motivational thing. Reminded me why I keep working, well that and the mortgage. I find myself picking the sax up before guitar at the moment - perhaps its because its the greater challenge now; to get it sounding good. Sounding good is harder work than I thought it'd be!

I recently played my first sax session at a jam and that was learning experience. It was only a couple of numbers on sax and guitar for a few others. Did a rocked up version of Move It On Over. It's a Hank Williams country song, but George Thoroughgood and The Destroyers did a heavier version which was the inspiration. It was fun developing a solo part which I enjoyed doing. I also played along to I Just Want To Make Love To You, by Willie Dixon as made famous by Etta James. Getting the riff in sync was a challenge at first but the solo is full of raucous growling and flutter tongue which I love. Still need a lot of practice on that. My flutter tongue is a bit hit & miss at the moment depending on the note.

There's lots of great Jazz tunes to listen to, but I struggle to find great rock or blues ones. Personally I'm happy to be in a horn section rather being the next Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, etc and so find myself drawn to Soul tunes like Midnight Hour. I think Brown Sugar and Jail House rock are next on my list to bag.

What's grabbed you?

Regards,
Tony.
Click to expand...

bucksmusic said:
Hi Tony

I'll be starting practicing Sax next week. At the moment my only ambition is to be able to blow a blues solo so I can occasionally play sax with the guys I jam with. It would be nice not to have to carry all that gear around (keyboard, amp etc).

I like a lot of different music. We play a mix rock/blues stuff. Bowie/Clapton/Elton/Santana etc. Occasionally we drift into Jazz which I've done a bit of in my time, though I'm not a proper Jazz Pianist. We do the odd gig, and were lucky enough to record at Mark Ronson's old studio in London last November. Not because we're any good I might add! But we recorded 5 tracks in afternoon.

At home I play a lot of Ragtime, always the blues/boogie-woogie and I'm about to restart lessons with a professional Jazz Pianist to improve my Jazz Piano playing.

I don't know what flutter tongue is btw!

Cheers
Click to expand...

Hi Simon, Good luck with the lessons. I live near Longfield and go to James Penny in Maidstone once in a while. Sadly I work away from home some weeks and so don't get to go as frequently as I'd like. James has helped me a lot. Unlike the guitar, I find the sax is more difficult to get yourself going just on yourself and I've definitely benefited from lessons.

Flutter-tongue, if I've got the term correct, is the effect when rolling your 'r's into the mpc. Very cool if you can get it done right. Think of the intro to Rat Trap by Boomtown Rats. At least I think that's what's going on.

We have similar tastes. The other songs I did that night were- not sax but on guitar - where Smooth by Santana and Addicted to Love. Great fun.

You listened to Melody Gardot?

Tony.
 
Nice to have a blues honker joining the CS. Welcome. I love to play blues, rock, soul ...... . I'm 64 years old and still trying to blow loud and hard.

"The major solo instrument in Rhythm & Blues is the saxophone. It's sound is the voice of R&B and the short, heavily structured sax-solos of the R&B songs that crossed over into Rock and Roll, and the sax riffs that built up these songs are forever engraved in the hearts and souls of a generation."
 
Tony K said:
Hi Simon, Good luck with the lessons. I live near Longfield and go to James Penny in Maidstone once in a while. Sadly I work away from home some weeks and so don't get to go as frequently as I'd like. James has helped me a lot. Unlike the guitar, I find the sax is more difficult to get yourself going just on yourself and I've definitely benefited from lessons.

Flutter-tongue, if I've got the term correct, is the effect when rolling your 'r's into the mpc. Very cool if you can get it done right. Think of the intro to Rat Trap by Boomtown Rats. At least I think that's what's going on.

We have similar tastes. The other songs I did that night were- not sax but on guitar - where Smooth by Santana and Addicted to Love. Great fun.

You listened to Melody Gardot?

Tony.
Click to expand...

Hi Tony

I lived in Meopham for over 20 years with parents so know Longfield well. I now live in Snodland. I've contacted James and booked my first lesson with him. Thanks for the tip! The Piano lessons can wait....

The guys I jam with are part of the Whitstable Yacht Club (I'm a non-sailing member) so we jam in the bar there once a week on Thursday. To be honest its about as good as it gets. We don't take it too seriously, there's a bar until about 9pm, and we can stay as long as we like after that. We play Smooth sometimes.

Haven't got anything by Melody Gardot, though I know the name.

Here's a link to our version of Black Magic Woman

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2adP6dzkY8


No Sax I'm afraid. Maybe after a few lessons I'll be able to do something.

Cheers
 
bucksmusic said:
Hi Tony

I lived in Meopham for over 20 years with parents so know Longfield well. I now live in Snodland. I've contacted James and booked my first lesson with him. Thanks for the tip! The Piano lessons can wait....

The guys I jam with are part of the Whitstable Yacht Club (I'm a non-sailing member) so we jam in the bar there once a week on Thursday. To be honest its about as good as it gets. We don't take it too seriously, there's a bar until about 9pm, and we can stay as long as we like after that. We play Smooth sometimes.

Haven't got anything by Melody Gardot, though I know the name.

Here's a link to our version of Black Magic Woman

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2adP6dzkY8


No Sax I'm afraid. Maybe after a few lessons I'll be able to do something.

Cheers
Click to expand...
Great version Simon. Love the keys solo towards the end.
 
Tony K said:
Hello Back Nick,

That looks like some hunk of brass in your avatar. Lungs of steel. I'm mixing quite a few metaphors there and that doesn't really make any sense, which is quite common with me. One of these days I'm going to try something that's not a Tenor.
Click to expand...
Lungs of cotton wool at the mo unfortunately. Nevermind. I've got a gig where I'll be using it tomorrow in Broadstairs (same place as avatar pic) so I'll have to toughen up a bit. I haven't gigged since mid December. I think it's the longest layoff in 20 years.
 

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