Introduction Restarter after 50 years

[Gvdnberg]

Hello everybody, last November I found a Yamaha YAS62 alto saxophone, and I found out (via help from the forum Saxontheweb) that this instrument is one of the (transition?) instruments after the Purple Logo, but before version II. That means that my horn is from 1991 or 1992.
On primary and secundary school I used to play first 6 years Bb clarinet and then about 6 years Alto saxophone in a windband in Dordrecht, The Netherlands. Thereafter I did not play for 50 years and now that I am retired I started playing again. I found a good classical teacher who prevents me from learning the wrong things. I am still working on my breath and fingers, which takes a lot of exercise.
I am now playing in a windband in Tilburg and we shall see what the future brings.

 

[Jeanette]

Welcome to the café and back to sax 😃

Jx

 

[Pete Thomas]

Welcome to the Cafe and your revitalised saxophone journey.

 

[mizmar]

You've got a neighbour, here: @MikeMorrell

 

[Gvdnberg]

Thank you Jeanette and Pete.
Thank you Mizmar as well, I will probably find Mike some day here or in Breda/Tilburg

 

[PigSquealer]

Welcome to Cafe Saxophone 🙂 Wishing you the very best in continuing your musical journey.

 

[skeller047]

Bravo! At 78, and having spent the last year playing as much as possible in the night clubs and dives that I prefer, I understand your struggle. Good for you. Be patient with yourself. I played one good solo tonight (one out of about 10 tunes I played), and that's a major accomplishment for me.

 

[Joe from New Orleans]

Bravo! At 78, and having spent the last year playing as much as possible in the night clubs and dives that I prefer, I understand your struggle. Good for you. Be patient with yourself. I played one good solo tonight (one out of about 10 tunes I played), and that's a major accomplishment for me.

1 out of 10? That puts you in a league with Charlie Parker! That's what was said about him. I'm with you on playing night clubs and dives- I need to see the whites of the people's eyes.

 

[kamak]

Welcome!

 

[MikeMorrell]

Hello everybody, last November I found a Yamaha YAS62 alto saxophone, and I found out (via help from the forum Saxontheweb) that this instrument is one of the (transition?) instruments after the Purple Logo, but before version II. That means that my horn is from 1991 or 1992.
On primary and secundary school I used to play first 6 years Bb clarinet and then about 6 years Alto saxophone in a windband in Dordrecht, The Netherlands. Thereafter I did not play for 50 years and now that I am retired I started playing again. I found a good classical teacher who prevents me from learning the wrong things. I am still working on my breath and fingers, which takes a lot of exercise.
I am now playing in a windband in Tilburg and we shall see what the future brings.

Hi @Gvdnberg and welcome to the cafe!

Yes, as @mizmar pointed out (10 out 10 for Dutch geography!), we are 'neighbors' 30 minutes from each other! It's great that you're playing sax again and in a windband too.

I'll send you a P.M. (in Dutch) just to exchange some information on which bands we play in, musical events that are coming up, etc.

BTW, I still remember asking my music school sax teacher what the main differences were between playing clarinet and sax. His response was 'well, you need to really learn to play clarinet. But if you just hold a sax up in the wind, it'll play by itself'. So I've never learned to play clarinet 🙂.

 

[mizmar]

(10 out 10 for Dutch geography!)

Or, in the NL (it seems) everywhere is a convenient train ride from everywhere else.

 

[Gvdnberg]

Wow, that’s a warm welcome here on the forum. Thank you all! It stimulates me in practising playing my horn. And I hope to find some useful information for the moment that I am “on level” again and trying something new with my horn, like the effects of changing the mouthpiece. But for now I am quite happy with my setup.

 

[mizmar]

But for now I am quite happy with my setup.

Stick around here for a while and we'll cure that 😃

 

[Gvdnberg]

During the last few weeks I changed my reeds from Vandoren standard 2,5 to 3 and I bought some Vandoren V12 reeds 3. These V12 reeds were more comfortable for me and the sound was better, let’s say more round. I like these reeds more than the standard Vandoren reeds.

 

[Tenor Viol]

Hi, welcome.

 

[eb424]

Hi and welcome

 

[Gvdnberg]

Thank you all for being welcome!

 

[pablop]

welcome to the cafe @Gvdnberg!
Congratulations on your retirement and your return to the horn.
Lots of very helpful people here as you can already see with your welcome messages.
Have fun and play hard!

 

[Gvdnberg]

And again, thank you for a warm welcome Pablop!