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Nice to become a member of your great site, my name is carl

carlosvan

Member
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18
Hi as ive said my name is carl and i bought a sax about 2 years ago just as my 1st daughter was born and ive made about every excuse in the book to why i cant play and practise, ive picked up this wonderfull instrument about once every 2 months for say 1 hour which really is a disgrace, ive learnt music to a ok standard at least and the notes on sax, bought a rake of good books, watched a huge amount of youtube clips, ive now got to the stage where i cant listen to any sax music because i feel ive really let myself down, i really wanted to learn the sax.
So ok what ive done now is say i need 15 mins a day , 5 days a week, 2 days off in week, 1 hour on each, i feel like im a alcoholic trying to bring my life back , ive done 1 weeks so far and ended up having to travel to a wedding in dublin so missed 2 sessions!!! doh"!! but ive learnt so much in the past week,
Im working though practise sections in my larry teal art of saxophone, NO MORE YOUTUBE CLIPS/ JUST GET THE BLOODY THING OUT OF ITS CASE!!
My name is carl , im welsh, im living in Ireland, im a qualified butcher that has now turned professional photographer, im 35 and in about a month when i can honestly say ive given it my best ill ask you lovely people questions, but i need to work this out in the meantime
Oh i should say i got 4 lessons when i 1st got it so ive had some direction. thanks for reading
 
Welcome. Just stick at it. Good regime you've got, you'll soon be getting frustrated with the lack of time to play....

Bounce ideas, questions, we love to talk & have fun.
 
Hi Carl, + 1 to what Kev said and I would add enjoy yourself;}..Welcome to the Cafe..

Chris:sax:
 
Hi Carl, welcome to the cafe, like I say to loads of beginners, just enjoy the ride. It is, after all, supposed to be fun!
 
thanks alot for your kind words, yeh i already do love playing, but ive had a few problems squeeking in silly notes, like a low g , i changed the reed and it made a huge difference, was this normal? if so im a complete mug!!! because ive been struggling for ages on this, im starting to question if im better than i think and it may be the reeds but like i tell people all the time, a bad workman always blames his tools!!! about a year ago i got the sax serviced so i wouldnt have to blame my tools. plus one other thing, i said in my post at beggining, my 1st daughter was born, ,,, well i only have 1 daughter, sounds like i have a flock, :)
 
Welcome aboard! Sounds like you'll fit in well here.

If you have somewhere safe you can leave your sax out (on a stand and away from little fingers), then you don't even have to think about getting it out to practice - one less excuse, and it'll be there to remind you every time you walk past it!

Enjoy!

Cheers,

Amanda
 
Hi

Welcome from me too and good for you with your regime. My first tutor told me 15 mins a day 6 days week for practise but it is surprising how you can get caught up in it and play for longer.

I do always take one day off and sometimes play for a short time and take a break and go back if I am struggling with something and that always helps.

Keep it up.;}

Jx
 
i changed the reed and it made a huge difference, was this normal? if so im a complete mug!!! because ive been struggling for ages on this

Whatever you do, don'y beat yourself up for making a silly mistake, otherwise your sax career will be full of bruises! :))) We all discover little gems of information throughout our journeys that make life either easier or harder! After all, it is a journey.
You will continually make little changes to your set up and your style. It's what makes us all individuals and why we all sound so different. :mrcool
 
Hi Carl
Welcome. As a butcher it won't be long before you build up your chops.
Sorry!
Andrew
 
Hi Carl, I started playing last year and set out to play 100 hours in the year. I completed that by November. This year I set out to do 150 hours. I've nearly done that already. Sax catches up with you and eventually leaves you frustrated if you go a day without playing, at least I do. Welcome to the cafe. You can get great insights just by asking.
 
What Ho mate ...

View attachment 898
[Click Me]

Hey Hey Carl ...

So what's your favourite style of music - Who would you like to sound like ... :sax:

Is there any particular tune you would really like to learn to play ... View attachment 899

Tell us everything ... ;}
 
Hi Carl have fun and play slow you will be playing fast before you know it good luck Tommy
 
Hi Carl and welcome to the forum.

With you list of activities, practicing (ie finding the time) the sax etc and anything else is about priority.
Ask yourself what really is the most important and do more of that... Also choose not to do certain things.... Wish I could take my own advice.

Cheers & Ciao
Jimu

1935 Conn naked lady alto & Blessings soprano
 
Welcome Carl. If changing the reed made a huge difference then you played the other one for too long. I think that we are all inclined to do that to begin with. Tired reeds just hold us back. Keep having fun.

Jim.
 
Hi Carl, I understand your frustration. I have little time to practise and sometimes it really bugs me.

I do have a teacher which helps motivate me and one of the best things she said to me was - buy a sax stand. With the sax always on it ready to go it's easy to sneak in 15-20mins rather than waiting for a whole hour or two to practise - just slap on a reed and go for it!

As you mentioned you can have vast improvements in your playing after just a few weeks of 15 minute practise sessions. 15 minutes is all I can manage most weekdays (sometimes not even that if I get home from work too late) and then on weekends I spend an hour or two each day so I can really consolidate all those bite-sized sessions for my Sunday arvo lesson.

There's tons of reasons that you can't practise and most of them are outta your control so don't beat yourself up about them :) Just get what time you can and if you don't have a sax stand get one. It's silly but it makes it so easy to snatch quick grabs of playing time.

Best of luck :D
 
The other thing about blowing a sax is that it's a great stress reliever. Come home from work wound up and fuming. Pick the sax up and BLOW.... Wonderful therapy. Almost as good as kneading bread....
 
Hey Carl
Hers a tip
Get yourself one of those sax instrument stands
dont ever put your sax away in the case but leave it on the stand somewhere your bound to walk
past it in the house.
now every time you walk past you will see it .
When you do, pick it up and blow just one blow
see if can stop at one,
Or to inspire yourself have a tune or riff or whatever next to it and play it better each time
Let me know if this helps
 
Welcome to the caff©, Carl.

Welshman living in Ireland! What was the name of the Welsh guy involved in the 1916 Royal Mail takeover attempt? Any relation? ;}

ENJOY!™
 
Hi Carl, I started playing last year and set out to play 100 hours in the year. I completed that by November. This year I set out to do 150 hours. I've nearly done that already. Sax catches up with you and eventually leaves you frustrated if you go a day without playing, at least I do. Welcome to the cafe. You can get great insights just by asking.

thanks for the advice , ive spent the last year and a bit messing around really, i have the bones of what im doing but never commited myself, i think i really have started pulling it all together the last week and a bit, did you take lessons or ar eyou self taught? i had lessons with a nice guy but i found i wasnt getting anything from the lessons, maybe i was just a bad student being a little older mature student!!!! i got to a stage i was getting really frustrated with the squeeking and he wasnt telling me or trying to help me with this side of it and instead just said it will come keep going, it might be me i domnt know??? but i have all rico royal reeds and i still had 1 reed from when i bought sax 2nd hand and it is a valdoren and for the 1st time ever im not squeeking in any note anymore, ...even tho im delighted im finding im asking more and more questions of myself!!! my wife said your sounding really good and that was when i put the valdoran reed on, that coming from her that a huge compliment,
 
View attachment 898

[Click Me]​


Hey Hey Carl ...​




So what's your favourite style of music - Who would you like to sound like ... :sax:

Is there any particular tune you would really like to learn to play ... View attachment 899

Tell us everything ... ;}



well i love loads of different music but my favorite band is depeche mode, not sure thats gona work well on the sax but i havent seen anyone ells play there music so we'll see, i think im gona go in the pop direction more , but as i practise i cant help doing a little jazz direction if that makes sense and i love it ,,, aaghhh hell i dont know!!! i just love music
 
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