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eddieb

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Hi there!
I'm not even a beginner yet if that makes any sense.
Been dreaming of playing sax for years and finally got round to buying one along with some tutorial material.

It's been delivered today and I'm like a child before Christmas waiting to get home and open the box! 🙂

Of course I've been trawling the web for info and guides to how to get started and came accross this place.
It's been some very interesting reading so far and I'd love to take a look at the extra pages now that I've actually got a sax!

This seems like a great forum and I look forward to reading and understanding more as I go along.


Now why can't that clock move any faster...? 😛
 
Greetings Eddie,

What sax have you gone for?

It's worth considering buying one of Pete's tutorial dvd's... link in Pete's main site.

Let us know how the evening goes 😉

Ken.
 
I went for a cheap option after doing quite a bit of research on the saxs which are coming out of China and getting re-branded by the seller.

The info I got told me that about 50% are now adequate for learning on.


This was of course with a view to upgrading before too long if I find I love playing the sax as much as listening to it! 😉

Here's what I went for:

eBay Link

Pete's DVD was delivered the same day! 😉
Unfortunately my DVD player decided to break down just after the "You might want to play it like this...." section.
So until that's sorted out I'm stuck with the book that came with the sax. :cry:

The evening went pretty well though I think.
No idea what normal sort of progress is for a first night but after figuring out how to actually get a sound out of it, I was having a whale of a time!

I played recorder at school so have a vague idea of notes and scales and such things.
I managed to play (in between a lot of honking and squeaking) a fairly clean sounding B, C, G and A, and string them together just about.
I even played a little tune from my recorder days using only those notes.

As the sun started setting and I began to consider my neighbours, I decided to get way ahead of myself and try all the notes in the fingering chart in the book.
Discovered that my right pinkie finger is not really long enough to reach the key for 'low C' (I think that's the bottom note is it?)
No doubt it's the way I was trying to reach it...

So before my confidence slipped I took a big step back to where I was supposed to be, played my little tune again and called it a night feeling quite pleased with myself! 🙂

Still the best bit was opening the case and seeing the beautiful gold sax laying there waiting to be picked up I think!!! :w00t:

Ed.
 
Hi Eddie,
thanks for sharing your experience, I'd love to turn the clock back 40 years and do that all again - lol - Sounds like you've done everything right up to now. have fun. - regards - spike
 
Great first night Eddie, as Bob said... thanks for letting us in on it.

EddieB wrote:

Discovered that my right pinkie finger is not really long enough to reach the key for 'low C' (I think that's the bottom note is it?)
No doubt it's the way I was trying to reach it...
Read more…

I guess the distance to that Low C depends on sax make/model, I haven't much experience.

One suggestion, someone correct me if I'm wrong, don't let the sax hang too low, in other words adjust the strap so that the mpc is just about level with your mouth when you neck is straight. This should help not only the low C fingering but also your air flow through your throat and your embouchure.

Good luck, keep us posted.
 
Thanks Ken, I think I did have it a bit too low.
Moved it up an inch and it is a bit easier (also easier with practice I guess).

Was feeling a bit dis-heartened the other day when I seemed to have lost all the control over tone that I had got up to that point.
Lots of squeaks and unintentionally playing an octave too high...

Then I noticed a tiny split in the reed at the right hand edge.
Replaced it and all was well again. I found it amazing how much difference that tiny bit of damage could make. Now I know.
All part of the learning experience I guess! 🙂
 
Hi Eddie,

Diss-heartenment<!>, along with good days, bad days and kicking the cat, are unfortunately part of learning the sax. I'm only a novice of 6 months and go through the same. Don't let it get you down though... it does get better.

I won't comment on the differences reeds can make, there are far more experienced folk on the forum and I'm not of exactly the same mind. However, a split reed definately won't help (although I did play one for some weeks... because it was my favourite).

What make/strength reeds are you using?. Do you know what mpc it is, or is it un-marked?

Good luck,
Ken
 
Unmarked plastic mpc that came with the sax.
Rico 1.5 reeds at the moment.

Maybe I was letting my embouchure get lazy and the split was a handy excuse in my mind.
Perhaps with the new one I was more focussed again and so it sounded better?
Who knows!? 😉
 
Hi Eddie,

Good luck with the new sax. I just bought a cheap selmer made in china alto and I'm having a great time with it. You'd do well to consider a new mouthpiece, a yamaha 4c is under 30 quid and a great bargain - it will improve the ease of playing and the tuning of your new sax.

best wishes

jono
 
I wonder if this question really belongs here, but I imagine it's a very simple answer, not worthy of any discussion, so I won't bother with a new topic:

Will the ligature I've already got fit onto a new mouthpiece as and when I get one?

I've seen the Yamaha 4C for sale but it states explicitly that it does not come with it's own ligature.

Thanks!

Ed.
 

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