My first attempts

[nick_cook]

Well, I managed to get some time with my sax last night (after cutting the grass!!) - it was much more difficult than I had anticipated!!!

It seemed to take ages to get it set up, looking at the book, finding all the bits, making sure I didn't drop it. With a reed stuck in my mouth all this time too!!!

Finally got it all together, lots of adjustments to the neck strap so the mouthpiece was at the right height, and then turning the crook so the mouthpiece was actually pointing to my mouth and not my ear!!!! Next problem was reading the book!!! I was too near with my normal glasses and too far away with my reading glasses. I think I'll need to find my varifocals tonight!!!

So, the moment arrives - can I play a note. Took a deep breath and blew - nothing. Kept on trying and eventually got a note!!! It didn't sound too bad!!! The book said compare it with the note on the CD. So put the sax down, got the CD out of the book, put it in the player, played track one, picked up the sax, played the note again, played the CD again. It sounded very similar, so I must be getting there!!!

Spent the rest of the time playing B notes - single notes, 4 notes together, short notes, long notes, some notes shorter than intended as I ran out of breath! This is definitely harder than the recorder!!!! Where was the bit in the book about comparing the note played with that on the CD? Oh - I'd switched books - no CD with this one.

I found all the problems that I'd read about on other threads here. Mouth and jaw ached, right thumb ached, and I was very concious of the fact that I was making a lot of noise and quite probably disturbing the whole neighbourhood!!!

Still - I know I'm going to enjoy this experience - round 2 tonight!!!

 

[frankb]

You mean you haven't stabbed yourself in the eye / nose / chin / throat with the mouthpiece?! 😱 I'd call that a win! 😉

The muscles strengthen, the air comes easier, the tone gets sweeter and either the neighbours stop banging on the walls or you play louder so you can't hear them!

Great stuff, Nick! Keep on honkin'!

 

[philthd]

FrankB wrote:
You mean you haven't stabbed yourself in the eye...

ive been playing a long time - and i still managed to do that twice last week



wish i could think of some appropriate words of encouragement, nick, so just assume ive said them and keep playing - youre one of us now **faintly evil laugh**

 

[frankb]

philthD wrote:
youre one of us now **faintly evil laugh**

That was more than a little Cushing-esque!

A chill ran down my sax-strap...

😛

 

[Rogerb]

A very painful thing to avoid is hitting and bruising your lip with the mpc 🙁

Good luck.

 

[ochaye_mckay]

Congrats Nick - at long last you got to play (with) your sax. I'm an old sweat of 2 months experience now 8) , but went through everything you're going through now (I was the sore thumb). Everything starts to improve very quickly.

You're gonna love it!!!

Dave.

 

[Bobby G]

Yes, you are gonna love it! Even the pain of nearly knocking your teeth out when you're simultaneously concentrating on playing and moving about. >.<

Blummen tenor saxes!

I have of course totally avoided the regular/reading/varifocal specs issue by learning to play by ear...


Cheers, Bob

 

[fecklesseric]

Is it just me or is the way that the mpc comes straight out of the side of the bass sax really scaring? At least a tenor is able to move a bit if you hit it - that bass mpc just looks like it's waiting to impale someone.

 

[nick_cook]

Much better yesterday - perhaps first night nerves got the better of me on Wednesday!!!

Sound seemed to coming out ok. Got onto B-A-G, progress!!!!

Got moaned at about the noise - will have to get a shed or one of those mute sponges to put down the end!!!

First lesson Monday!!

 

[richard_mac]

Well done Nick, keep at it, you will get better.

 

[Pjonah]

Well done Nick its a long and enjoyable road!

33 years and it still feels like yesterday!

Ah yes I remember, wait 'till you get the callous on the right thumb and the tooth line on the inside of your lower lip.

I remember a few years ago now, we had some crash rehersals for a surprise gig, shortly after my first retirement. I found it really hard to form a good seal around the mouthpiece after 5 hours continuous playing! I was totally knackered the Berg Larson metal mpc seemed so small for tenor I had to change it for a rubber piece just so I could get a seal.

Sooner rather than later you will see yourself gliding over the bridge between C-D and the tone of those two notes will blend into one.

My first alto (Conn) had a very pronounced change in tone between C and D and this really bugged me, practice of long notes and scales sorted that. My only other piece of advice would be not to get too bogged down in the technical exercises and play stuff you enjoy, also try copying some of the classic solos for sax by ear thats always good fun, above all enjoy it, you'll have good days and bad days!

Simon

 

[jadoube]

Nick,

Put not all trust in varifocals.

Ok, it will probably be fine but ... the idea behind varifocals is you make small movements of the head so you're reading the page through the same bit of the lens, and as your head is impaled on the ruddy great sax in your mouth, it may make this movement less easy.

I sometimes found myself trying to read the bottom lines on the page underneath the glasses. The resulting imitation of a blind bat led to an abrupt halt to the music, much to teacher's amusement.

Ended up getting a cheap pair of specs for music reading distance.


John

 

[nick_cook]

Hi John,

Yes, I think that'll probably be the route I'll have to take.

Will leave it a few weeks to see how I get on with the glasses I've got, and make a decision when I'm reasonably consistent with my setup.