Beginner Making more progress

Colin1 · Feb 13, 2015

Another lesson today
We covered the D Major scale, G Major scale, side keys for alternative C and A, I was itching to get those into my routine, now I've got two of the three going.

She was very pleased with my work on scales, note-twisters and my 'Fly me to the moon' which I went through soulfully and deliberately before kicking it up an octave and going through it again.

We did some very useful work on navigating a score sheet , I now know how to repeat 'section A' as far as it tells me to before moving on to 'section B', the meanings of some thick bars, rests and double rests, which has really helped - simple score sheets don't look quite so intimidating now.

We finished with a couple of passes of 'Georgia On My Mind'

She seemed really pleased with my progress since the last lesson so I'm definitely feeling upbeat at the mo

Edit: I forgot to mention F# and C# - it never occurred to me that there was a 'hands off' (fingers off?) note

Jeanette · Feb 13, 2015

Great news sounds like you are progressing nicely 🙂

Jx

Colin the Bear · Feb 13, 2015

I'm not aware of an alternative A. Do tell.

jimmylh · Feb 13, 2015

Colin the Bear said:
I'm not aware of an alternative A. Do tell.

I'm thinking he's talking about the A#/Bb side key..

Colin1 · Feb 13, 2015

jimmylh said:
I'm thinking he's talking about the A#/Bb side key..

That's the one

Colin1 · Feb 27, 2015

Yet more side keys today

G#
D#

and yet another A#
My first chromatic scale in G
F and D major scales

and some riffs

I wish I knew how it would feel to be free (theme music to Film 96 etc with Barry Norman if you were wondering)
Mercy, Mercy, Mercy (don't bother with the jokes, I've already thought of them) 🙂

Also bought a Rico 2 reed, I'll see how I get on with that

Colin the Bear · Feb 27, 2015

Get into the habit of calling the keys by the names everyone uses.

G# is a pinky key. D# /Eb too

The side keys are the ones up the side. Right hand.

Left hand are called palm keys. It helps when talking to other saxophonists if we're all on the same page.

Nick Wyver · Feb 27, 2015

Colin the Bear said:
G# is a pinky key.

Argh! Nooooooo!!!!!

altissimo · Feb 27, 2015

Nick Wyver said:
Argh! Nooooooo!!!!!

Jeanette · Feb 27, 2015

I think I'll ask @Chris if we can have yellow submarine as song of the month >:)

Jx

Jeanette · Feb 27, 2015

@Chris @kevgermany where is your sense of nostalgia 😉

Jx

Colin1 · Mar 13, 2015

Badly held up on my way to today's lesson, in the end I turned round and came home
At least I know why now

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-31866724

Colin1 · Mar 13, 2015

Ha ha
I just saw the 'congratulations' in the unread messages window from @jazzdoh re the Progress thread.

I thought 'Congratulations? For not making it to my lesson?'

However all is good, for I have seen the light.

I did four and half hours sax today, I don't think I've ever done that - perhaps I should miss lessons more often.
Besides, driving to tutoring on two successive Friday 13ths is just asking for it.. 🙂

Colin1 · Mar 13, 2015

Can I open this thread up to all the other newbs to let everyone know how they're progressing?
Possibly should have suggested that on the first post

Feels a bit weird having my own thread..

kevgermany · Mar 14, 2015

It's already open, threads aren't locked to a specific member.

jazzdoh · Mar 14, 2015

Colin1 said:
Ha ha
I just saw the 'congratulations' in the unread messages window from @jazzdoh re the Progress thread.

I thought 'Congratulations? For not making it to my lesson?'

However all is good, for I have seen the light.

I did four and half hours sax today, I don't think I've ever done that - perhaps I should miss lessons more often.
Besides, driving to tutoring on two successive Friday 13ths is just asking for it.. 🙂

I congratulated you on your original opening post,although a little late but only read it yesterday.

Colin1 · Mar 14, 2015

kevgermany said:
It's already open, threads aren't locked to a specific member.

Yes, I know that
That's not really what I meant though. People might have thought I opened the thread solely to report my own progress - it's easily done through simple politeness.

Colin1 · Mar 14, 2015

jazzdoh said:
I congratulated you on your original opening post,although a little late but only read it yesterday.

No worries Brian - thanks anyway 🙂

Colin1 · Mar 27, 2015

Well
today was one of the best lessons I've had so far

Low C#
Alternate F#
Side C

Chromatic scale, in C this time - this one tied me up a bit

Some of my major scales using my new keys

Georgia On My Mind - with a backing track, the coming-in and timing was killing me to start with but I started to get to grips with it eventually. With two saxophones (my tutor accompanying me) it felt awesome... when I was holding it together that is...

One to take home and learn, My Funny Valentine, she couldn't believe I'd never heard of it. I told her I'd had some funny girlfriends but...

I think I enjoyed it today because the backing track session felt like tangible progress and less like I was the only person in the room

Today's lesson was brought to you courtesy of a lack of burning cars on the M4

NB: I hadn't noticed it before but my tutor has got a Selmer Mark VI alto in polished silver finish - very sexy-looking beast