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How much time should I at least practice my saxophone?

Mr. Sax

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Rockwall, TX
How much time should I put into practicing my saxophone as a beginner?:confused2:
 
I would say the general advice is about 30 minutes per day, when possible. More is better, if you are up to it and have the time.
 
That is good. I loved playing the sax since the day I got it (A few days ago), so I have been playing at least an hour and 15 minutes.
 
I would say it's more important to know what and how you should be practicing, not the time. There are good and bad practice habits.
It's all part of the learning process.
 
OK. I have watched how I am supposed to play the songs in my book. So I am pretty sure I am doing it right. And I used to play the piano so I can read music VERY good. So yeah...
 
I don't want to discourage you, so don't take this the wrong way, but that's a pretty large amount of time for a beginner to practice all at once. That kind of endurance takes a good while to build up in most players.
When you play, you are not supposed to bite the mouthpiece to make a sound, but use your facial muscles to make a seal around the mouthpiece instead. As players become more tired, the tendency is to start biting.
Especially as a beginner, be aware of this as you practice for extended periods of time, as it will become habit if left unchecked. Being careful to avoid bad habits early on will go a long way.
 
Play for as long as you enjoy it and don't beat yourself up if you skip a day.
I always tell my students that quality is more important than quantity. Just blowing a piece start to finish is fun, but not necessarily the best help. If you've got 2 hard bars then do those, you don't need to do the 20 easy bears leading up to them. Play that bit as a reward afterwards.
 
Haha some people have no stamina!
Poor bears.
(I'll watch out for typos better in future)
 
Whenever I can I try to practice in front of a mirror so I can check myself.

How come you need a mirror to check yourself?

I get confused when I look in the mirror! :confused: Everything is reversed... :confused2:

I practice 'till my whole family gets annoyed or I get light headed

I can only practice peacefully when my wife is away. Else she won't let me!

About the mirror, I actually need to add one in my music room, but I haven't found the right spot to place it. I do need one as I have to work on keeping my fingers from flipping away from the keys!
 
Ha. Good thing I am only 11 and that my mom supports me. So my siblings can not overpower me. To me the mirror is helpful anyway.
 
Playing in front of a mirror is recommended imo. You'll get a good idea of the sound being produced as it's reflected back to you and it's good to watch you're not lifting your fingers too high. Looking eye to eye with yourself will mean your head is in the right position and therefore your sling and playing position. I do it regularly.

As far as practice time goes, little and often when starting out. When the muscles of the embouchure have developed you can extend practice times and can't practice too much. Tone production is as important as playing and should be included. If your aim is to improvise, scales and arpeggios mustn't be neglected. Play every day, if only for five minutes. A day off can set you back a week.

Once your chops have developed, four hours a day for a decade should get you up to speed
 

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