What's New/ Better/ Worse this week

[Smiffy]

Good luck Catherine

 

[thehunt]

New:Got my PPT 8* two days ago, still getting to grips with it. Saw Ray Gelato at Rionnie Scott's on Sunday.
Better: actually starting to relax when i play and not giving myself such a hard time.
Worse: still can't get my head round some improvising for Angel Eyes. 😛

 

[Luluna]

New: (kind of) my vintage Martin bari arrived....

Better: Love the Rousseau mouthpiece I chose to go with it...

Worse: the 2.5 reeds are way too soft - must wait for the 3.5s to arrive

The hunt ~ envious of your PPT arrival....mine's probably stuck in the blizzard we're having 🙂

 

[Smiffy]

New Headphones

Get some if you don't have any, wish I had before now, makes a big difference in hearing and playing, so that's Better

Worse, I am working on that

Happy Crimbo everyone

 

[thehunt]

New: Saxophone ballads CD
Better: hit low Bb with not too many wobbles
worse: too many family committments syopped me playing over Christmas.

 

[thomsax]

After realizing that I've become a 'saxophoneowner' instead of a saxplayer I decided to start over again. It has been a lot of longtone-, embouchure- and scale-exercises the couple of last months.

New: Working with chord changes for Basic Grooves (Rocksax)
Better: I sell my saxes without feeling any bad conscience!!
Worse: The buyers has a sax they want to trade.

Thomas

 

[alan_]

New - One Step Beyond just about passable when played at 100. Now have to work my way up to 152! :S

Better - Low notes popping out much better now that i have really focused on embouchure side pressure and breath support.

Worse - All scales now that i have started practicing them chromatically rather than working by way round the Cycle of 4ths. This seems to be a really good exercise though, since it forces my fingers and ear to really hear the scales rather than just removing a sharp or adding a flat.

 

[young_col]

Best - buying a Mauriat XA67R in lovely vintage matt laquer from the helpful Jules and chums at sax co before the prices went up. Even better that Mrs YC paid for it!

Worse - I have to put it away for several months until my significant birthday; in theory at least.

Better - After a few blows on the PM I have gone back to my student Trevor James Horn and seem to be able to hit low Bb much more cleanly.

Good - recommendations of CDs of Houston Person (lovely) and Ben Webster encounters Coleman Hawkins (nice contrasts), with thanks to Griff and Rhys respectively.
Colin

 

[TomMapfumo]

Congrats young Col - you'll soon be getting an awesome mouthpiece/lig set up and be playing some seriously good stuff. I personally love vintage matt lacquer (as on my Ref54 Alto) though it does seem to have its detractors.

If you do want to play it before your birthday you could always go on an extensive mouthpiece/ligature search - though the new PPT and FL altos will soon be upon us. If any of these even come close to my Ponzol Vintage HR I'll have to eat my hat, though 😛

New - FL basic ligature for my Alto - superb!

Better - All my Grade 5 pieces sound really effortless and full on, with improvisations comfortable. Also incredibly happy with my Tenor set-up (YaniT901/92 Neck/FL spectruoso T280ML/FL Basic Lig/FL reeds) which now officially has a Vintage Sound (subjective view obviously!).

Worse - nothing else to buy, so end of an era 🙁

Kind regards
Tom 8)

 

[young_col]

Ah yes Tom, that's a good wheeze. I'm still getting through some of those RJS2Ms you let me have, with my Selmer Soloist C*. Some blow really nicely and some just don't! It's a good pretext to try some different combinations.
I tried out several altos including a Swing 55 (which was nice) and a Yani (which was just a shade too bright for my liking). In the end I preferred the 67R to the 67 Inference - both in matt. Very personal I guess, but I shall indeed enjoy it and intend to blow some good stuff!
Regards
Col

 

[Smiffy]

Having a miserable time, cold that won't go and trying to keep work going, so not been near to two :cry:

 

[snowball]

New: practising pieces from the chaper of my Jazz tutor on swung quavers, also having a go at improvising - book tells you which notes to use. A bit random at the moment.

Better: not sure anything is, really

Worse: as above

 

[snowball]

Smiffy wrote:
Having a miserable time, cold that won't go and trying to keep work going, so not been near to two :cry:

*sympathy*

 

[Taz]

New - Johnny and the Zephyrs,

Better - My solo in Lucile,

Worse - the amount of blood on my nice new white tie when my lip split..... :cry: :cry: :cry:

 

[nick_cook]

[color:green]New: I've decided to go for the Grade 2 Jazz exam in March.

Better: Remembering the grade 2 scales (after lots of practising this week)

Worse: Not remembering the grade 2 tunes I had previously mastered!![/color]

 

[Pjonah]

Taz wrote:
New - Johnny and the Zephyrs,

Better - My solo in Lucile,

Worse - the amount of blood on my nice new white tie when my lip split..... :cry: :cry: :cry:

Ouch, thats not good.

Simon

 

[thehunt]

New: Play my first funky tunes from Kellie Santin creative sax book.
Better: getting to grips with the twiddly bits ( grace notes ) in Round Midnight. Blues book
Worse: Had a bad cold at weekend which meant i could not play as much as i wanted. :x

 

[peedee]

New: Joined a beginners swing (mostly sax) band.
Better: The leader of the band, Jo Gurr, ex professional is going to
be my tutor.
Worse: Hernia operation on the 22nd, so no sax for while. Wife
don't mind though 🙁

 

[Emma]

New: TJ horn sax0

Better: hopefully my sax playing abilities will be after roughly 4-5 years of practice - quite a few years to go then!

worse: sorelips, aching face and odd screeching sound. Talking becoming difficult due to inability to use face muscles (children are happy though as it hurts too much to shout at them...)

:erm:

 

[peedee]

Emma wrote:


worse: sorelips, aching face and odd screeching sound. Talking becoming difficult due to inability to use face muscles (children are happy though as it hurts too much to shout at them...)

:erm:

Hey! Max 10 mins to start. Patience
😡