Playing the saxophone Rubbish night

[davhudson]

Is that the fish or the bottom of your shoe??

🙂))

Good point well made😀

 

[Amaranth]

At the moment (touching every piece of wood I can find) my sound/intonation has made a huge jump forwards at least to my ears though when I have my next lesson with Karen tomorrow she'll probably say what she always says" Your sound is very good considering how long you've been playing" and "you sound like you always do". She says this if I think I've improved or got worse!

Mind you, last lesson she was complaining about her own sound - she sounded great (and the same!) to me.

You guys playing in front of audiences should be applauded. :welldone :welldone :welldone

Now you see I admire you for the very professional way you apply yourself to your playing.

This weeks Saxophone endeavour at least ended on a high note, I had an excellent lesson - nothing earth shattering but I was complimented on consistent good tone and my ability to sight read by my hard to please Teacher - 2 ticks then. I'm happy 🙂

 

[Young Col]

Well I had a good lesson too, but my stomach muscles are aching from pushing top C forte enough for my teacher's exacting standards. I'm getting there. Still a big leap to performing in public.

I always thought that sole music was fishy as well. But don't
get OG going about fish or he'll be round here with a rod and line after my carp - not that he eats them, just wants to flog them down the market. ;}
Have a good weekend all.
Colin

 

[Taz]

We all have bad days.
I went to a jam yesterday and got knocked firmly of my own pedestal!!:shocked:
Actually it was a great experience and a real eye opener.
I've been playing for nearly five years and recently started with the new band. Now I don't know who or how good their last sax player was, I know he was an older gent, but when ever I play, the band say that my tone is great and they love my solos. My head and ego is so bloomin' big now that I'm probably the worst person to hang around with. I'm all "me, me, me!"
Well as I got to the jam last night, I was introduced Pelham Wood. A very pleasant thirty something young man, with an alto in his hands. Great I thought. Someone else to play with. Well I was severely humbled by this sax GREAT It turns out that he started playing sax before he could walk (almost) then he left school and went to a music school in Leicester, followed by Trinity College London. Oh and did I mention that he's employed by P&O....playing on the cruise ships for the last 16 years.🙂))

Anyone know a good teacher!

 

[old git]

I always thought that sole music was fishy as well. But don't
get OG going about fish or he'll be round here with a rod and line after my carp - not that he eats them, just wants to flog them down the market. ;}
Have a good weekend all.
Colin

Rod and line?
I'd have the trawler on your inland sea if we could find something powerful enough to pull the trailer up that steep hill. ;}

 

[thomsax]

Thom- I'm really intrigued- how do you define a specific Reggae sax style. The rest I can pretty much work out the specifics of their styling but I've never managed to define exactly what makes for a Reggae technique (ok- Tommy McCook of the Skatelites- very laid back, slighlty stoned sounding and a bit out of tune- but still sounds amazing!)... do tell....

Jules,

Here are my thoughts about reggaesax. It’s my personal opinons and you should see me more like a listener to reggae than a reggae saxplayer..

I agree when it comes to the sax in reaggae. Is there any specific style? I don’t think it was Andrew Clarks purpose to invent a reggaestyle, just to give some advise if you come in a situation where you’re surpposed to play a reggae song. Lots of semi-proffesionals are playing on weddings, receptions …. and they maybe want a saxsolo in a reggaeasong!! The style reggae is also a style that have many faces. Pretty common and popular here in Sweden!

For me saxes in reggae is:
- A part of a small hornsection. A threepart section; trp, trb and as or a twopart section with trb and as. The fluegelhorn also blends very well to the alto in reggae, BTW in all styles I think.
- Riffing and pumping hornsection in a laidback/relaxed way.
- The necessary repetiton is important in reggae.
- The brighter saxes from the saxophone family is best in this style. I prefer soprano and alto to tenor (or bari) in reggae.
- Players with an ”airy-floating” way to play a solo is better in this genre than a hardhiter with a ”punchy-edgy” style. And less is more. The tones should be ”short-staccato-chicken” and don’t play too much, leave space. I think Paul Desmond, Johnny Hodges and Tab Smith should have been terrific reggae saxplayers!

I prefer brassplayers to the saxplayers in reggae. Rico (trb) and John Drummond(trp) are great. Of course, both Tommy McCook and Ronaldo Alphonso are also very good samples when it comes to reggaesax. As I wrote earlier, the tenorsax in reggea doesn’t turn me on. But the soprano is great.

The Skatalites? I don’t know, after two songs I want something else. It’s all the same, I think. Partymusic that is best on Jamaca. Is nearly Easy-Listening! Nothing wrong with that if you’re having a party and a easy living on Jamaica, but on a snowy, cold and dark winter-evening i Sweden … ? There is another reggae saxplayer I like. His name is Im Brooks.

This is my personal opinon about saxes in reggae.

For you who haven’t heard the CD ”Five Common Styles in Rock”, here comes a clip from Andrew Clarks presentation to his reggae song . He is a musical educated person and talks about triads, minor, major ….. . A good teacher. Just click on the link.
http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm201/thomsax/?action=view&current=fivegroovesreggea_0001.flv

Thomas