Where to start again

[yamaha_mad]

After about a 6 year lay off (with the occasional 5 minutes a year play time) in some respect I'm starting again. I was up to grade 5 theory about grade 4 playing when I stopped. I can still read music, slowly, and the fingerings coming back as is the 'lip' but it only last about 5 minutes before going 'buzzie.'

I don't feel like having a teacher again, the music CD and books don't inspire me to play and I find the 100+ solo's for sax boring.

So where do I start again?

I'm not ready for bands or gig's just got to find a way to start playing and wanting to play again.

Yamaha mad.

N.B. My last teacher was a guy called George Sketcher who moved away.

 

[TomMapfumo]

Develop a new hobby that you are actually interested in 😛

No, it sounds like a difficult position to be in, but you do seem to lack some motivation in playing at the moment. Why have you started again?
You may actually need a new challenge; playing the sax alone, with CD backings or in a band type situation more or less cover the available options.

Questions for me are:

1. Is it a type of music issue? Do you know what you'd like to play?
2. Is it a Sax issue? Have you had enough of playing Sax?
3. Is it a music issue? Do you have sufficient interest in music at the moment, or should you be doing something else with your time?

Hope this is helpful in trying to conceptualise the difficulty you are facing at the moment.

Kind regards
Tom 8)

 

[jonf]

I had a few years off a few years ago, when my eldest daughter was pathologically terrified of the sax (bless her, she loves it now and sings along when I play). I didn't fancy going back to gigs either, and still don't, but I'm motivated enough to play every day.

Lots of folk wil probably recommend that you do scales, long notes and exercises, working up through increasingly challenging pieces. Well, that wasn't for me. I just play the sort of music I like to listen to, because that's what I enjoy. It keeps me motivated, and I love playing, even when I'm knackered from work. Maybe it would be a technically better approach to have more structure, but I accept that I'm never going to be the best player the world has ever seen, and I don't care.

Anyway, that's just my opinion - everyone else will have their's too, which Im interested in hearing as well.

Jon

 

[thomsax]

Amen Jon!! You're right. Do you own thing.

Listen and play the music you like. I do play scales-, longtones-, and overtones-exercises but must of the time I try to play my own music. Right now I 'm trying to get back in the same shape as I was 10-15 years ago. I bought a new mouthpiece and I finaly found the right setup on tenor for me: A Rowner (metal) mpc with Rico Plasticover bari reed 3 or 3?. Very powerful. I'm playing nearly every day for an hour or so. I'm also trying to play with a 5-piece blues/R&B/R&R band. Just for fun!

Thomas

 

[yamaha_mad]

I've never found a 'sound' or a player that I wanted to copy so I've always been happy with my own sound.

The bigest buzz was playing after 3 months with a local band infront of 200 people.

I always fought with the wife over music, so made the decision to step aside and give her freedom in the subject. That was 6 years ago. When I got her the new sax and I was given mine back it was like a released for me. Yet the desire to practice or gain the ground that I lost has not come back with the sax's return.

I still sing and enjoy that but the playing side has only been since Christmas so three weeks.

I'm not a lover of big bands, brass bands or concert band so thats a no go. A bloke from work burnt me son Snake Davis music which I quiet like plus some soft jazz. Very mellow and a nice feel but I've been more infulenced by the 1970's 1980's pop music.

Over the years several teacher's have told me to stop working and go to University to do a degree in music, then go on to be a session musician.......

Maybe Tom your right. I should be doing something else with my time.

Cheers.
Yamaha mad.

 

[Linky Lee]

I think you should find a band playing 70's and 80's pop and play with them.

Covers the things the enjoyed before.

I don't think going to uni to do a degree in something that you're not motivated for is a good idea, and if you're not wanting to play with bands then being a session muso is probably the worst thing you could do as you'd spend all your time playing with loads of different bands and in the studio covering all sorts of different music.

Just do whatever floats your boat, you might find you start wanting to practice once you're having fun again, and things could lead on from there.

 

[Bobby G]

Basically, James, unless you want to get back into it seriously, play for fun - play along with CD's or the radio, anything that grabs your ears; maybe go to a jam session if you're that way inclined - usually there's no pressure to get up and do your 'party piece', there are opportunities for background noodling/riffage.

I think my approach is pretty much the same as JonF's, play what you want to, have fun with it; maybe a bit of proper 'practise' to improve your tone etc but maily just have a good time with it....

Hoping you do get back into it, however you do....

 

[yamaha_mad]

Develop a new hobby that you are actually interested in 😛

This comment has stuck with me more than any other. I think that this comment is more profound that meets the eye.

I'm not actually interested in playing anymore. 😱 So I've done a good job on me then :erm: :erm:

NEXT :whistle:

Old wobbler