Beginner (playing) Nearly gave up today

[cappers]

I'm trying to learn to improvise so I today I spent some time just noodling, playing whatever came to mind/fingers, aiming for some melodic phrases. I had my phone nearby as it has a tuner so I thought I'd record what I played. I don't have any proper recording equipment so I used the voice memo app.

I played it back..............It was absolutely awful 😱 Brash, tinny, no depth, clipped soft notes and slurs, sounded like a duck blowing a kazoo into a tin can.

I seriously thought if that's what I sound like after 6 months with a teacher and diligent daily practice then I should give up. And what am I doing in a band with a gig on Sunday sounding like this? I listened to it several times becoming more disheartened each time.

After dinner I asked my wife what she thought or more exactly "Is this what I actually sound like?" If I did she would say so!

Fortunately, she said that it sounded nothing at all like me, that my tone is much fuller and rounder and like a saxophone should sound. Her analogy was when she photographs one of her paintings it never looks like the original.

I know I can sound bad but it's a relief to know I don't sound as bad as on that recording

 

[GCinCT]

You weren't exactly using top-notch recording equipment, so I'm sure that was not an accurate reflection of your sound. You're playing in a band after 6 months! That's impressive. Keep it up. Think of how you'll sound in a year, and 5 years, and 10, etc.

 

[cappers]

You're playing in a band after 6 months!

More like blagging in a band, but they don't seem to mind.
It has really accelerated my progress in reading, timing and musicality. Great fun too.

 

[Veggie Dave]

Recording the sax is a talent all of its own. If you're only using your phone, try playing in the bathroom - the sound in there may be more pleasing when recorded on your phone.

 

[Pete Thomas]

Don’t give up! We’ve all been through that, I still do.

 

[cappers]

If you're only using your phone, try playing in the bathroom - the sound in there may be more pleasing when recorded on your phone.

It was in the bathroom Since my neighbour complained I've been blowing into a duvet hanging in the shower enclosure!
I blame the phone not my tone......

 

[ghostler]

It was in the bathroom

I hope

the "blagging" wasn't the water closet flushes, water filling the tank, dripping faucet, and an occasional "rip" of, ahem, digestive gases? 😉

Hang in there. Who knows, with a little patience you may come across an affordable, quality portable recorder.

Fortunately, she said that it sounded nothing at all like me, that my tone is much fuller and rounder and like a saxophone should sound. Her analogy was when she photographs one of her paintings it never looks like the original.

Her words are golden and much closer to the truth. We tend to be more critical of our playing than listening observers are.

Several years from now, you'll look back and recognise how much you've grown in your playing abilities. With age we move forward, not back. 😉

 

[Digger2054]

Don't give up! Improvising is a whole different kettle of fish to reading written music.

Fun yet equally frustrating, I'm finding improvisation painfully slow progress. Unlike written music, there's little to measure progress against.

 

[ghostler]

Unlike written music, there's little to measure progress against.

This is why it doesn't hurt to occasionally record one's playing, then save it to their storage repository. Through it, one can see their weaknesses and during a future practise, make changes. Or, after say some time passes, compare one's performance now to a previous one. More likely than not, they will find that they have definitely have improved.

 

[mizmar]

voice memo app.

Have you tried a better app?
I use the Recorder in TE Tuner on the phone... Voice / "Dictaphone" oriented apps can mess with the sound; automatic gain control, compression using a voice model etc.

 

[cappers]

Don't give up! Improvising is a whole different kettle of fish to reading written music.

Fun yet equally frustrating, I'm finding improvisation painfully slow progress. Unlike written music, there's little to measure progress against.

No way, I'm enjoying it 🙂 It's not what I played but how it sounded on the phone.
I have heard myself on a recording of the band and I didn't sound bad like on the phone recording.

Have you tried a better app?
I use the Recorder in TE Tuner on the phone... Voice / "Dictaphone" oriented apps can mess with the sound; automatic gain control, compression using a voice model etc.

Good point. I have TE Tuner on the phone and will try the Recorder. I also have it on my mac laptop, would that be better sound quality than the iPhone?

 

[mizmar]

I also have it on my mac laptop, would that be better sound quality than the iPhone?

I don't know - but wouldn't assume so because phones have upped their game on microphones, every generation, due to content creation whereas using auxillary mics on a laptop is more usual.

Assuming the iphone is just a few years old; a proper app + assuring you dont saturate the dynamic range of the analog chain (don't stand too close) - it should be fine.

 

[cappers]

the "blagging" wasn't the water closet flushes, water filling the tank, dripping faucet, and an occasional "rip" of, ahem, digestive gases? 😉

As I wrote elsewhere the bathroom is probably an appropriate venue for my level of playing.

BTW I understand the US 'bathroom' is a UK 'toilet' but in our case the 'bathroom ' contains the bath, a shower and the toilet (water closet). Old Victorian house, originally the toilet/water closet was in a brick outhouse

 

[mizmar]

TE Tuner can add reverb - no need to inconvenience family by occupying the facilities!

 

[cappers]

Don’t give up! We’ve all been through that, I still do.

Don't give up!

I won't give up (groans of disappointment) I love it too much; the post title was tongue in cheek.

To paraphrase Charlton Heston "I'll give up my sax when you pry it from my cold, dead hands"

Good night all 😉

 

[wakyct]

I watched a piano tutorial video recently where the teacher said she knew someone who would record themself 50 to 60 times per practice session (!). Seems a bit excessive to me but if you have a good setup maybe it would be really easy.

 

[ghostler]

BTW I understand the US 'bathroom' is a UK 'toilet' but in our case the 'bathroom ' contains the bath, a shower and the toilet (water closet). Old Victorian house, originally the toilet/water closet was in a brick outhouse

Water closet is a naval (the ship kind, not the "belly button") term meaning toilet room (usually with a sink for washing hands, on small ships sort of reminds me of airline and bus toilet facilities), used to see it on plans whilst working a short time at a shipyard. It could also mean a toilet (abbreviation W.C. with a centre line to show where mounted. 1st will show a heads on view or "elevation" with remainder denoted with a centre line cross of 2 lines).

Today in US, we have full bath meaning a room with sink, toilet and a bath tub, shower capability sometimes implied depending on type of tub. Then we have the three-quarter bath meaning with sink, toilet and shower stall. A half bath implies just a toilet and sink.

Since we live in a house on an acre lot with sufficient distance from neighbours, noise from practising in my case is not a problem. This may change when we move.

 

[Woodpad]

Saxophones are tricky with acoustics. Once a conductor mentioned aspects of my sound that I couldn't hear. After some time I found out that I could hear them when playing against a wall. Since then playing long tones against a wall became a part of excercise.

 

[Tenor Viol]

More like blagging in a band, but they don't seem to mind.
It has really accelerated my progress in reading, timing and musicality. Great fun too.

We all suffer from imposter syndrome. It took me ten years after I'd been singing in choirs for a decade to call myself even 'amateur musician'

 

[Tenor Viol]

...and acoustics are tricky and recording is another layer of tricky...