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<blockquote data-quote="Wade Cornell" data-source="post: 411771" data-attributes="member: 1787">It&#039;s all a matter of perceptions for the individual.&nbsp; If you&#039;re happy with things the way they are and don&#039;t see a problem, then (for you) there is no problem.&nbsp; &nbsp; If you&#039;ve been encouraged and supported to get an advanced performance degree in Jazz sax playing and find that there is no hope of ever playing professionally, then you&#039;d be aware of a problem.&nbsp;&nbsp; I&#039;m aware of this and it seems a waste of talent that is due to a failed teaching system.&nbsp;&nbsp; If there&#039;s a way to quantify this it would be interesting.&nbsp;&nbsp; E.g. how many jobs are there for drummers, bass players, guitarists and keyboard players compared to sax players?&nbsp; &nbsp; What are the number/proportion of music graduates in each of those instrument groups who are able to play professionally?&nbsp;&nbsp; Does anyone think that the sax wouldn&#039;t be on the bottom by a big margin in categories?&nbsp; We are what we play.&nbsp;&nbsp; Once again look around.&nbsp; What do we hear sax players playing?&nbsp; Mostly standards in the style of that time.&nbsp;&nbsp; Take those other instruments, what do you hear them playing?&nbsp;&nbsp; This should be a BIG clue to the problem, and the solution if you think about it.In another thread a sax player asks how to get into playing with DJs.&nbsp;&nbsp; That&#039;s pertinent!&nbsp;&nbsp; That&#039;s where a sax can play and be relevant in the present tense and possibly even play professionally.&nbsp;&nbsp; How well will a jazzer mix with DJ style dance music?&nbsp;&nbsp; If you&#039;re trying to just play a lot of fast arpeggios and jazz riffs does this work?&nbsp; I don&#039;t think so.&nbsp; &nbsp; Most dance music has abundant rhythmic references.&nbsp;&nbsp; Adding a lot of notes just makes a mess, most of which won&#039;t be heard.&nbsp;&nbsp; What&#039;s almost always missing is a top line...a melodic reference.&nbsp; &nbsp; If you can spin melodic lines that works in the DJ context (I&#039;ve been doing this for a few years).&nbsp;&nbsp; If you can&#039;t, well no need to apply.&nbsp;&nbsp; Playing as you would sing is the key and being one with your instrument so that it&#039;s your voice.&nbsp;&nbsp; Teaching in a &quot;one size fits all&quot;&nbsp; method that encourages mechanical play (finger memory) and not necessarily being able to even hear the notes you&#039;re about to play is the antithesis of melodic playing.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Wade Cornell, post: 411771, member: 1787"] It's all a matter of perceptions for the individual. If you're happy with things the way they are and don't see a problem, then (for you) there is no problem. If you've been encouraged and supported to get an advanced performance degree in Jazz sax playing and find that there is no hope of ever playing professionally, then you'd be aware of a problem. I'm aware of this and it seems a waste of talent that is due to a failed teaching system. If there's a way to quantify this it would be interesting. E.g. how many jobs are there for drummers, bass players, guitarists and keyboard players compared to sax players? What are the number/proportion of music graduates in each of those instrument groups who are able to play professionally? Does anyone think that the sax wouldn't be on the bottom by a big margin in categories? We are what we play. Once again look around. What do we hear sax players playing? Mostly standards in the style of that time. Take those other instruments, what do you hear them playing? This should be a BIG clue to the problem, and the solution if you think about it. In another thread a sax player asks how to get into playing with DJs. That's pertinent! That's where a sax can play and be relevant in the present tense and possibly even play professionally. How well will a jazzer mix with DJ style dance music? If you're trying to just play a lot of fast arpeggios and jazz riffs does this work? I don't think so. Most dance music has abundant rhythmic references. Adding a lot of notes just makes a mess, most of which won't be heard. What's almost always missing is a top line...a melodic reference. If you can spin melodic lines that works in the DJ context (I've been doing this for a few years). If you can't, well no need to apply. Playing as you would sing is the key and being one with your instrument so that it's your voice. Teaching in a "one size fits all" method that encourages mechanical play (finger memory) and not necessarily being able to even hear the notes you're about to play is the antithesis of melodic playing. [/QUOTE]

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