Beginner recording Summertime...so, how do I improve?

[Tiberius]

I had a go at learning the sax a few times, usually last about a month, then it goes in the attic for a few years 🙂 This time is about the best progress, probably lasted two months so far.

Ok, Summertime, one of my first recordings, certainly the first time I've ever let anyone else listen to the output.

I don't really 'solo' yet, so the 2nd/3rd repeat of the chorus is more 'playing the melody with a few extra notes'.

My thoughts:

There's a definite couple of errors, where something doesn't work...yeah, that will happen.

Swapping from D2 down to B2/C#, the B comes our a bit strong sometimes.

I can't do vibrato...

Wish it sounded a bit brighter...it's not really the 'sound' I want, but I'm not too sure how to improve it, is it really just practice?


View: https://soundcloud.com/dean-bisseker/summertime

 

[jimmylh]

Your soundcloud link doesn't work for me. It gives me this message: "You have not provided a valid SoundCloud URL. Learn more about using SoundCloud players."

 

[Ivan]

@Tiberius

Great name

Just as our friend @jimmylh says....link broken and I bet he is as anxious as I am to hear you play

 

[Veggie Dave]

I'm guessing the track's set to private, in which case we need a different link.

Click on the 'Share' icon below the track. This will open a window that has a link for the private track. Using the URL showing in your browser won't work for anyone other than you.

 

[Colin the Bear]

I find with saxophone the first twenty years are the hardest. A few hours practice a day for a decade or two should sort out any problems. 😉

 

[Tiberius]

Ok, as Soundcloud have removed it, I've put it in my dropbox and shared it out. The link below should work I hope.

Dropbox - Summertime20160430b.wav

 

[Taz]

Two months in? Wow is all I've got to say really. Tone is really nice (I know it's not the tone that you're after,) but it's still a very listenable sound and very pleasant. Your timing is great and so is your intonation. The only thing that you appear to be lacking is the confidence and knowledge of where to take any improvisation but this will come with practice, playing and also listening to others!
The best thing is that you are still playing and haven't hidden your sax in the loft again

 

[Tiberius]

I guess it's not totally accurate to say I'm two months in as I have had a couple of other goes at learning in the past. But this is the first time I actually got as far as playing along with a backing track, so kinda enjoying it now. In the past unfortunately work has taken me away and made it not viable to carry on. Hopefully this time that won't happen.

 

[ChillyMike]

Sounds great to me @Tiberius 🙂

I hope you keep it up this time, and made have a go at the SOTM I am hosting for May 😉

 

[jbtsax]

Very well done. Pitch and timing are right on. My only comment would be to try to take larger breaths so you can "blow through" each phrase and not let it "die out" at the end.

 

[Jazzaferri]

How much time a day do you practice long tones?

 

[Tiberius]

Pitch and timing are right on. My only comment would be to try to take larger breaths so you can "blow through" each phrase and not let it "die out" at the end.

The setup does seem accurate pitch wise, at least according to my tuner...a bit out at the extremes (Bb at the bottom comes out a touch sharp, the palm keys a bit flat, but if I stare at the tuner long enough, it gets fed up and moves to where I want it to go 🙂)

Larger breaths, yes, thank you, I can feel that. That's one of those...oh yes...I'm definitely doing that wrong...thank you 🙂 ...of course, knowing it and applying it, hmm, I will have to remind myself a few times, I'm gonna print a sign and stick it on the wall...big breaths 🙂

 

[Tiberius]

...have a go at the SOTM I am hosting for May 😉

By a strange coincidence, last months, ain't know sunshine...I just started that, I didn't know it was on here for last month. As I've just booked a diving holiday in the Maldives, I'm hoping it's not prophetic, so maybe I should stop that one and have a go at something else. 'fraid I've never heard of this month song though, so I'll have a look.

 

[Tiberius]

How much time a day do you practice long tones?

hmm...5 mins maybe 3 times a week. Recently bought the taming the sax volume 1 book, just starting to work through it.

 

[Tiberius]

... timing are right on

That's something I did a lot of work on. Basically I only play in my lounge, on my own, or with my teacher (couple of hours or so Saturday morning). That environment did not encourage timing at all. Until recently I played songs from sheet music at the pace I wanted to, slow down for the difficult bits etc. The past couple of weeks I started playing along to backing tracks and had tremendous err...fun 🙂 Really at the start I don't think I was even on the same page 🙂

There's at least on place in the recoding where I come in late...it might sound like I meant to, but I didn't, I was just late 🙂

 

[Jazzaferri]

Something to consider. Have some way to generate a tone and play long tones to the generated tone rather than using a tuner. Practice your long tones and overtones 15-20 minutes a day.

If you wanna be a rock and roll star.....ya gotta do altissimo. Absolute must now IM experience. Tenor should be able to hit a good sounding altissimo up to an octave above the palm keys and be able to make it both full sounding and scream as well.

 

[Tiberius]

Tones, yeah, tbh I only use the tuner a couple of times to see how the intonation of my setup was. It seemed ok so I left it at that. I did find it kinda strange how if you stare at the tuner for long enough, then the needle moves to exactly where you want it.

Altissimo? I'm nowhere near that standard yet. I can occasionally get an overtone on low Bb and perhaps low C, but it will be a long time before I'm good enough for altissimo I think 🙂

Rock and roll? I'm more of a smooth jazz person I'm afraid. I have no musical sophistication 🙂

 

[Colin the Bear]

how very dare you....................Smooth jazz is very sophisticated......

 

[Targa]

I'm gonna print a sign and stick it on the wall...big breaths 🙂

Better to use a photo of a girl with a lisp.

 

[Tiberius]

Better to use a photo of a girl with a lisp.

I was going to say a photo of Pamela Anderson.