Beginner Saxophone day 1 (dont worry I wont post every single day :p)

[Matabayahsi]

So today i at last got my saxophone (hanson sa5) had 3hours of practise in the garden because inside wasnt an option because of my employers( i live with them).
I have managed to get all of the low notes a good sounding C major and chromatic notes. I still have some problems with my 2nd octave low C but I guess that should be alright with practise.
I tried to play with a backing track concert Ebmajor and It didnt sound completely out of tune so i think my practises with the mouthpiece has something to do with that.
I could fiddle around with the c major make little melodies even tried to play my fav things by coltrane (failed after 3notes 😀 ) and chameleon by jaco (failed after 5notes 😀) but it was a good effort 😛
One thing that I came across and couldnt find the answer in the forum is at the moment if it is alright that my fingers are all over the place? Does that improve in time or is it something I should work on strictly?
Another question is this little plastic cover on the octave joint should it be removed or not? (Shown on the photo)
Hope you all had a day as amazing as I had.

 

[Clivey]

Congratulations on 1st Horn. I bet you love it.
.re fingers Sit with horn on knee when it`s too late to practice and do silent scales and dexterity exercises. You can bond with your sax whist surfing the forums etc.LOL

re. Octave Post Leave it be. It`s adjustment material designed to silence mechanism. Older Horns may use tubular rubber or Cork.

 

[Colin1]

...inside wasnt an option because of my employers (I live with them)...

Pulling a sickie sounds like a real challenge...

Congratulations by the way if you managed all of that on your first day, all I managed for the first two-and-a-bit days was to blow fresh air through an expensive, shiny tube.

To be fair, it wasn't until a friend (a retired music teacher) asked me by eMail if I was moistening the reed enough; up to that point I'd been fervently trying to keep it dry

 

[Matabayahsi]

I did watch tutorials constantly for the last 2 weeks and practised with the mouthpiece for that while too so I was ready for some actual action and it all just came together today.

Oh my, dry reed 😀 I am glad I haven`t done that

 

[Colin1]

Oh my, dry reed 😀 I am glad I haven`t done that

Errrr... anecdotal purposes you understand... for the... umm... grandkids... 😀

 

[MandyH]

the fingers will come together with time and patience.
wherever possible, try to practice without lifting your fingers from the pearls.
I say this as someone who is now trying to re-train my fingers (after 6 years) to stay down, rather than lift off too far.

 

[jimmylh]

still have some problems with my 2nd octave low C but I guess that should be alright with practise.
.

Got a question for you about what your definition of "2nd octave low C" is. What fingering are you using, and are you pressing the octave button? The point I'm making is, if you are playing the lowest C on the horn(where you have all the main keys pressed plus your right hand pinky finger) and you are also pressing the octave button to try and play a C2, it's going to be out of tune.

 

[kevgermany]

Got a question for you about what your definition of "2nd octave low C" is. What fingering are you using, and are you pressing the octave button? The point I'm making is, if you are playing the lowest C on the horn(where you have all the main keys pressed plus your right hand pinky finger) and you are also pressing the octave button to try and play a C2, it's going to be out of tune.

It's also unstable/difficult to play on many saxes. Not a recognised fingering.

Should be just the middle finger, left hand, no octave key.

 

[Colin1]

So all fingers + right pinkie (low C) is second octave?
Not first octave?

I haven't really had cause to consider it yet but I would have assumed that octave numbering started from the bottom of the stave (low C) and longest finger on my left hand (middle C) would be second

What possesses you to get out of bed at 4.15am?

<= 😱

 

[jimmylh]

So all fingers + right pinkie (low C) is second octave?
Not first octave?

I haven't really had cause to consider it yet but I would have assumed that octave numbering started from the bottom of the stave (low C) and longest finger on my left hand (middle C) would be second

What possesses you to get out of bed at 4.15am?

kevgermany, Today at 4:15 AM Report Bookmark <= 😱

Sorry for the confusion. C1= main keys down+right pinky, C2= left hand middle finger, or B+right hand side key. C3= same as C2 with octave key pressed.
The wording of the OP was such that it sounded to me like he was playing a C2 with C1 fingerings with the octave key pressed. Not a normal way to play C2 unless your want a certain sound effect. Like when people alternate swiftly between a normal C2 and the funky C2. I've heard 50's songs with that effect in it.

 

[Nick Wyver]

I've heard 50's songs with that effect in it.

It's a favourite of Maceo Parker's too.
Usually too horribly sharp to be of much use as an alternative fingering.

 

[Matabayahsi]

Yes that was exactly what i was doing 😀 i am quite glad i added that there now thanks for that!
I am using the basic finger chart on the web page kind of assumed it was the same chart when i pressed the octave 😛 i should really stop assuming things hehe

 

[kevgermany]

What possesses you to get out of bed at 4.15am?

I wake up early, and don't want to disturb my wife, besides we're an hour ahead of you.

 

[kevgermany]

So all fingers + right pinkie (low C) is second octave?
Not first octave?

Should be clear from the previous replies, but this is first octave C, notated Middle on the stave. Op was using this fingering for the next C up, doesn't work well.

I haven't really had cause to consider it yet but I would have assumed that octave numbering started from the bottom of the stave (low C) and longest finger on my left hand (middle C) would be second

Yes. Confusingly sax guys call this middle C sometimes, but it doesn't go with the convention for piano, other instruments or musical notation.