It's says 'saxophone' but any instrument you are learning or playing is fine for this discussion and ancillary poll. This is about your goals, how you see yourself in 5, 10 or 20 years. (Or in my case 6 months, one or two years. At breakfast, I search the web for obituaries to see if my name has come up.)
I would love to hear from you all about your plan and especially, what you are doing to put it in motion. Are you taking lessons? Do you follow method books at home? How much do you practice and what do you practice? How much facility do you need for your goals? What else does anyone do to prepare? Listening to music, for example? What music? Classical, bebop, avant garde, country western, pop...?
This discussion/poll isn't limited to beginners. Those of you "at the top" of your form, maybe you've reached the goal, how did you get there? How do you maintain the level? Same questions of how long and what you practice. Here are the poll question in more detail that software allows:
1. I want to be able to play anything that's put in front of me, but be able to improvise in most contexts, too
I knew a young pianist in Fresno, California. I played a few gigs and jams and recorded with with him. Back then in the 1970's, Downbeat had published a transcription of Coltrane's solo in Giant Steps. I brought it to a rehearsal and asked Louis if he could read it. He sat down and played it through! Today, Lou Pardini plays and sings with the band Chicago. Clearly, whatever he did to get there, he's there:
Lou: "At the age of 5, my parents noticed that I had a talent for figuring out the popular songs of the day on their piano… strictly by ear. Soon after, they decided to enroll me into private lessons. I took lessons from many different teachers, and actually studied guitar too, but piano was my fave."
2. I want to read and play well enough to get jobs and recording gigs focusing in one kind of music. This is a high achievement, too. A lot of people get there,, on a local level. I've know dozens of players at this level, especially in the area of jazz. The stage has moved from the local clubs to YouTube and the rest of the online platforms.
3. I want to be able to read music easily enough to play along with recordings or at jams for my own pleasure. I think many Café members are in this phase now or are just about there. Reading is a door opener, a true gateway drug to better playing.
4. I want to play what I hear in my head for pleasure and in public when feasible. The question is, do you have music in your head? If you are in a room with a sax and someone comes in the room and says, "Play something!" can you do it from your own ear, not some written thing you practiced?
5. "I just want to get to outer space, I don't care who gets there first." The Byrds said something like this.
6. It's complicated. Every one of us has some specific goals. I'd love to hear yours and how you plan to get them on the rails. We're friends here, it's a safe space and all that, so let's hear it!
I would love to hear from you all about your plan and especially, what you are doing to put it in motion. Are you taking lessons? Do you follow method books at home? How much do you practice and what do you practice? How much facility do you need for your goals? What else does anyone do to prepare? Listening to music, for example? What music? Classical, bebop, avant garde, country western, pop...?
This discussion/poll isn't limited to beginners. Those of you "at the top" of your form, maybe you've reached the goal, how did you get there? How do you maintain the level? Same questions of how long and what you practice. Here are the poll question in more detail that software allows:
1. I want to be able to play anything that's put in front of me, but be able to improvise in most contexts, too
I knew a young pianist in Fresno, California. I played a few gigs and jams and recorded with with him. Back then in the 1970's, Downbeat had published a transcription of Coltrane's solo in Giant Steps. I brought it to a rehearsal and asked Louis if he could read it. He sat down and played it through! Today, Lou Pardini plays and sings with the band Chicago. Clearly, whatever he did to get there, he's there:
Lou: "At the age of 5, my parents noticed that I had a talent for figuring out the popular songs of the day on their piano… strictly by ear. Soon after, they decided to enroll me into private lessons. I took lessons from many different teachers, and actually studied guitar too, but piano was my fave."
2. I want to read and play well enough to get jobs and recording gigs focusing in one kind of music. This is a high achievement, too. A lot of people get there,, on a local level. I've know dozens of players at this level, especially in the area of jazz. The stage has moved from the local clubs to YouTube and the rest of the online platforms.
3. I want to be able to read music easily enough to play along with recordings or at jams for my own pleasure. I think many Café members are in this phase now or are just about there. Reading is a door opener, a true gateway drug to better playing.
4. I want to play what I hear in my head for pleasure and in public when feasible. The question is, do you have music in your head? If you are in a room with a sax and someone comes in the room and says, "Play something!" can you do it from your own ear, not some written thing you practiced?
5. "I just want to get to outer space, I don't care who gets there first." The Byrds said something like this.
6. It's complicated. Every one of us has some specific goals. I'd love to hear yours and how you plan to get them on the rails. We're friends here, it's a safe space and all that, so let's hear it!
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