Saxophone beginners is it just practice

[eb424]

no need for sorry... sometimes the answers obvious as you say practice thats today sorted...

 

[Colin the Bear]

Writing the notes out with letters isn't such a bad idea when starting out. There comes a point with enough repetition that it becomes redundant.
I still have to count some ledger lines.

The bell notes are very dependent on good regulation and some saxophones are more ergonomic than others. Embouchure, oral cavity and breath control all play their part too.
It will come with practice but perhaps when starting out it may be more fun to play pieces from a chart specifically for saxophone.
I seem to remember using large print sheets. They may still be available.

 

[mizmar]

I will try it next time I practice, but an answer to this might be to work out how much of the lower stack you can finger while playing G to (mid) B... Quite a lot of Clarinet playing across the break uses that kind of manoeuvre (closing keys which don't stuff the sound to badly)

So, I tried. Doesn't really work. You can close the low B & C spatulas while playing middle B and that's all. Maybe it makes moving to low B a little smoother? Fewer holes to close all at once.

 

[ESJohn]

Are you working with an instructor? I didn't really improve much at all until I found one. One can work on one's own on a piece and think that it's right. Just when it sounds right to you, an experienced teacher hears you play it and that is when you find out how many things you are doing wrong. Our director stresses the fundamentals so that when a triplet or dotted half notes, etc. is encountered, it makes it much easier to play about anything that is thrown at you.
I have a long way to go myself, but this is what I have learned in the past year. Best wishes and keep us posted!

 

[Colin the Bear]

Closing any of the RH keys while playing B2 will flatten it to Bb.
Make sure you have the sling adjusted so that your hands aren't supporting the weight of the instrument. You should be able to play without thumbs.