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Message: <blockquote data-quote="cappers" data-source="post: 641726" data-attributes="member: 9742">I've been learning to play for nearly two years now. Pretty much daily solo practice, two hours a week band practice (plus a monthly gig or two), an hour's lesson per month, and now one-to-one mentoring from my band leader.Despite some criticism here of my tone and playing, I feel I'm making some progress and feel confident and inspired to continue.Yes, it has taken me a while to hear and adjust my intonation and play mostly in tune. I checked with a meter and surprisingly my average intonation is better on the alto than the tenor (Must be the PPT mpc!)Another hurdle. It took quite a while for me to 'loosen up'. Playing the tenor has definitely improved my sound on the alto but the tenor needs more work. I know that for a long time my tone has been pinched. I thought it was embouchure related but after a lot of work on breath support and throat openess I realised that was the weak area. I'm putting a lot more air through now and do believe I'm sounding fuller and richer. I think the fear of upsetting the neighbours made me a bit hesitant to blow too strongly - equating more air with more volume - but I can play pretty softly now and that is only achievable with good breath control. Long tones have really helped me find the 'centre' of a note but still a lot more work to do for it to be consistent.Timing......I can keep in time with others but it's when reading I can stumble until I 'know' the piece i.e. have played it slowly and correctly a dozen or so times. Say a string of eighths, dotted eighths, sixteenths, eighths and sixteenths together - lem-on ade, pine app-le etcRe improv, love it and is one of the reasons I want to play, to make my own music. Again I've been accused of 'noodling' and am working hard on this to make it more melodic and structured. Chord tones, rhythm, trying to keep it simple (quite hard not to play every note!). I do have a fairly good sense of rhythm (mother was a professional dancer in her youth).Reading back, I think these are all common beginner issues.One thing that has surprised me is I can now 'remember' a few songs without the dots, and I am beginning to play some stuff by ear. No big shakes but I think I can hear intervals etc much more than before and find it easier to find the next note without too much hunting and pecking. As mentioned in other threads, my neighbour is fairly tolerant but she has a lodger who isn't. Late middle aged ex Para, told me when I started he doesn't like jazz and often moans, 'do you have to play every *>$%^&! day'. Since he's jazz hating ex mil I thought he'd like something more martial, so I learned Colonel Bogey by ear. Took about a week and I play it quietly at the end of each session, now with a bit of improv.Long post but an opportunity for a bit of self-reflection. I know I have a long long journey to become anywhere near a competent player, but when I look back to two years ago, I think I have achieved something. I have also enjoyed myself more than I ever expected.</blockquote>