What project are you working/thinking about working on

Trying to wrestle a bit with “love theme” from blade runner. I find it very rythmically challenging as there really isn’t any drums or bass to lean up against.
 
Well, my saxophoning is on hold, as of Friday, I have no teeth! They've all been pulled out in preparation for dentures, so I'm a bit sad, and a bit sore.
I did run through an "original" 12 bar blues song a few times, so I have tracks to sort through. I'm still in the beginner stage though, so it's little more than single notes. I'll post what I have here when I've got a decent mix.

Being that I may not have dentures until after Christmas, my next project is making my own! I've ordered silicone mouthguards, and I'm hoping that between them and some of the denture cushion stuff that some saxophonists mould over their bottom teeth, I'll be able to make some sort of dentures good enough to allow me to play saxophone! Yes, I am a crazy man, but maybe it'll work. I'm not really sure how I'd go playing the sax with only gums, has anyone here tried it? Let me know if you have!
I recorded vocals for another 4 originals before getting my teeth out, so I have something to work with, I'll be able to play guitar and bass tooth free!
I think I'll post some songs here, and ask for sax part submissions from some of the beginners on the forum if they're interested. My focus shifted, and I didn't get as far with the saxophone as I'd liked, so perhaps others in the beginning stages would welcome the opportunity to feature in an original song.
Anyway, those that like a good laugh should stay tuned, I'm almost ready to post my version of "When the Saints" on the forum!
 
Pondering doing some proggy stuff over the winter, not too sure, but I am loving the new Regal Worm album " the Hideous Goblink" search it on bandcamp. though not too saxy. very good

Meantime I did this shallow little Skaceed number about coming back from holiday by mistake. Its not part of any release as such just throwaway as most of my stuff has to be.
 
I haven't been playing saxophone for nearly a year. I started a Christmas song project for a year ago that t didn't finished. So I will continue this project. It's just playing sax to backing tracks. I ordered new baritone reeds (softer). Before I lay down my saxes for a year ago I discovered tha I played more bari than tenor. For me bari is more laid back. Not so stressy as a tenor can be. My favourite Chrismas song is "Chrismas, Baby Please Come Home". It's not easy to play Christmas baritone á la Steve Douglas/Bruce Kapler. Concert Eb (C) or E (C#)? A ½ step makes a big difference.
 
I like this thread in that it helps rationalize the general chaos of my so called creativity. Also- everything feels a bit more real after I've announced its existence!

I’m in the latter stages of putting together my experimental folk jazz trio’s first four track EP- hammer dulcimer / harp, double bass, me on assorted whistles and saxes plus a fair bit of electronica. The project only exists via DAW but I’m really liking the sound, I’ve got a bit of hankering to try and assemble a version for live work- particularly if I can find an acoustically interesting & atmospheric venue like an old church.


My musical accompaniment for a silent movie and Henry Mancini tribute album both feel like they’re the kids in class putting their hands up and going “pick me, pick me”.
 
Trying to learn how to use modal interchange for composition and also how to write harmony in the non-diatonic neo-soul style. JazzDuet's YouTube videos on musical harmony according to Stevie Wonder got me hooked. I'm a restarter on sax so I'm just working rudimentary exercises/scales and dreaming of getting my chops back some day. Hoping at 66 I will actually be able too. It's going awfully slowly but I'm progressing at least.
 
Jules said:
I like this thread in that it helps rationalize the general chaos of my so called creativity. Also- everything feels a bit more real after I've announced its existence!

I’m in the latter stages of putting together my experimental folk jazz trio’s first four track EP- hammer dulcimer / harp, double bass, me on assorted whistles and saxes plus a fair bit of electronica. The project only exists via DAW but I’m really liking the sound, I’ve got a bit of hankering to try and assemble a version for live work- particularly if I can find an acoustically interesting & atmospheric venue like an old church.


My musical accompaniment for a silent movie and Henry Mancini tribute album both feel like they’re the kids in class putting their hands up and going “pick me, pick me”.
Click to expand...
Look forwards to hearing some of this in the future.
I feel exactly the same about posting my intentions. Commital?
It's the actual pulling stuff from the ether and bottling/pickling it that's the fun/difficult part though.
 
Clivey said:
I feel exactly the same about posting my intentions. Commital?
It's the actual pulling stuff from the ether and bottling/pickling it that's the fun/difficult part though.
Click to expand...
Absolutely- like telling folks you're giving up smoking....

Ideas- I can pull ideas for projects out of the recesses of my psyche reasonably regularly, its whether they are remotely pratical thats the issue. My creativity is very good at writing cheques that my talent and/or organization can't cash!
 
A double entry this post.
A lesson to keep a hold of any music you value even if it`s a wee bit. just in case it gets lost. This first number is from 2011 and was written and recorded by me and Folk musician Freddie Kay. He plays nylon geet on this and me Tenor. though I also did it on sop and also a duet with both now lost "thank god" basically it was a little project that got lost on myspace and I had to rip a mp3 off of youtube to get my own work as I have misplaced the master on some hard drive. It`s very very low fi as it was recorded in my shop on a mic probably costing about a fiver if you are lucky.

The 2nd number is a wee prog thing I did last week and that a couple of the guys over at "progressive ears forum" thought was showing promise. Its perhaps a project though and rough. Oh don`t worry about the title I`m fine. it`s really just a play on words.

 
So. I pulled the trigger and bought the artinoise re.corder off the guy selling his on on eBay as he could not get it working on windows.£99 shipped to me.
Guess what. When I got it it would not work with Windows 32 bit so I contacted the development team and a day or two later they ported the 64 bit recorderBridge software over to 32bit for me and put me on the beta firmware update so it all works. Tee hee
Anyway it's an awful distraction from my ongoing stuff doing these 30 minute deep space nine improvisations and effing around with reason combinators and VSTI's, but I am now ready to return to the creative process and needless to say will incorporate the little beastie in future pieces . I have to say it's a ridiculous bargain even at the full retail price of 125 quid . It's Bluetooth only. Very little latency even on a crapola 10 year old laptop using only ASIO4ALL and Cubase rewired to Reason 4, No moving parts but mappable sensors for movement so you can assign them to whatever Cc's you fancy it comes premapped for vibrato but you have another 2 sensors you can map anyway you like. You can also remap the fingering system anyway you like or pick from custom fingering systems other guys have developed.

I haven't got anything to let you hear yet but currently Sax player Stef Haynes is driving the whole thing on with his series of cover versions showcasing the wee toys potential
Here's his Get Lucky. Check out his other vids too. He has lots of tips and sound clips
To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.
View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZotrxqfKQSE
 
Last edited:
So. It's now mid January 22 and I don't see too much going on or on the horizon, so I am giving this thread another prod with a blunt stick in the hope that folks will post links or at the least give us something to whet the appetite for the year ahead.
Me myself again succumbed to a slight Gas attack by picking up a gear4music guitalele electro, which was daft really as it's pretty well just a guitar with a capo on the 5th fret. I should have let the Gas bite properly and bought a full size nylon electro. but it's handy sitting on the knee on an evening hour when wind instruments could invite visitations from the local constabulary.
Have been getting back to tooting all my horns and re.corder again now my cold is hopefully on the mend and also doing remixes of some of my soundclick . Also contemplating selling vintage Kohlert/true tone thingy Tenor as it never gets out apart for a dust or a photo shoot .
Off to Tenerife for a week on Sunday where I can hopefully sit and ponder what the hang I am going to try and do musically in the next installment of existence. Tee hee.
 
Last edited:
  • Still trying to play/blow every day.
  • Try to make some kind of recording so I have a goal.
I'm, more or less, back to point were I started my sax journey for roughly 50 years ago: Playing easy rock and blues songs. Maybe upload a recording to "my sound clip" as a goal? No more talk about saxes, mpc's, reeds reapair, therory, great players ..... I'm just going to to blow my sax. The recording has nothing to do " ... look and see what I can do ...". More a sign from an old honker that is still thriving with the rocksax.
 
thomsax said:
  • Still trying to play/blow every day.
  • Try to make some kind of recording so I have a goal.
I'm, more or less, back to point were I started my sax journey for roughly 50 years ago: Playing easy rock and blues songs. Maybe upload a recording to "my sound clip" as a goal? No more talk about saxes, mpc's, reeds reapair, therory, great players ..... I'm just going to to blow my sax. The recording has nothing to do " ... look and see what I can do ...". More a sign from an old honker that is still thriving with the rocksax.
Click to expand...
Yeah the internet is fabulous. Unfortunately it's also very distracting and potentially wasteful when it comes to actually playing.
A little crutch I use is to at least pick up an instrument before picking up a phone or using a device. It works most times.
Good luck with your goals.
 
Having scored quite a few lives gigs with The Urban Voodoo Machine over the last few months I've realised that- due to work, family and my.gradually descent into being a ragged old git - I don't seem to be fitted with enough RAM to convincingly be both a live and studio musician at the same time. Ok- I've always considered the two things to be very different disciplines but both occupy a fairly large amount of my (minimal) surplus brain capacity.
I've still got my EP of -er- psychedelic folk jazz mostly, but not entirely finished which I must put the finishing touches to. Frustratingly this one has been in the works so long I feel I'm rather loosing objectivity on it....
Aside from that ive been experimenting with my new lap steel as a sort of pound shop Ry Cooder. Fun but pretty rough round the edges
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Shop at TamingTheSaxophone.com

Books & DVDs

Books & DVDs

Saxophone tutorials - beginners to advanced. Beginners DVD and our now famous Beginners Starter Pack with huge discounts.

Mouthpieces

Mouthpieces

PPT mouthpieces. The best mouthpieces. PPT hand made in the UK.

Pete Thomas CDs

CDs and Audio Tracks

Pete Thomas CDs and recordings. Mr Lucky, Big Midnight in the Naked City and more...

Beginners starter pack

Beginners downloads

A huge collection of tutorials & guides in PDF format. Over 80 backing tracks (mp3). Free when you order books, DVDs or CDs

New Posts

Latest: Members' Recordings

Featured

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom