Your tunes.

[ken]

One of my curiosity questions:-

It's kind of a beginners subject, but also relates to everyone.

1. What was/do you remember the first tune you played "reasonably" all the way through.

1a. Was it a tune that you had some desire to play (ie a favourite) or was it the first in a 'lesson book/course'.

2.&2a. Same as above, but the first tune you played "well".

3. The first five tunes played "well".

4. The next five tunes that you would like to learn.

With played "well" it's accepted (I guess) that we'd all like to do it better next time, so tunes that made you think... "yer that was good" will do.

Thinking about it, yes it would be nice to hear what the Pro's started out playing.

Any takers?

 

[pauloalto]

Hi Ken,

Good question... but are you going to post your own answer?? 🙂

When I first bought my sax I bought some books to go with it from the same music shop and the tunes in them weren't very inspiring so it was probably something I played by ear.

As for the first 5 tunes, my teacher started me off on the Skye boat song and This old man! I think he must have been impressed at how quickly I got on with those because he then threw me in at the deep end with a couple of pieces in a booklet called Jazzy flutes and Scott Joplin's Weeping Willow and The Non Pareil, which although very challenging for a beginner I found really good for getting my fingers moving over the whole instrument and helping me with sight reading.

Since then I've changed teachers and my new teacher's focus is improvisation, but I've also been trying to find time to work through John O'Neill's Jazz method and also trying to play along with Jamey's Aebersold's transcribed demo tracks from Volume 24 major and minor.

 

[Bobby G]

Being self-taught, and learning tunes by ear, the first tune I got all the way through was "One Step Beyond" by Madness, followed by "Summertime", "Autumn Leaves", and that all-time classic "Theme Tune From EastEnders". Well, the telly was on at the time.

I can play, or improvise around, several bluesy jazz tunes such as 'Bags Groove', 'Big Shoe' 'Jeeps Blues' and a couple of Cannonball Adderley tunes off 'Somethin Else'.

Obviously I'd like next to learn 'Giant Steps', preferably as a ballad

Cheers, Bob

 

[Lisa]

I'd love to play Soul Darling... I've only ever heard Jr Walker play it.

 

[Pete Thomas]

I started as a "Free Jazz" player so I didn't play ant tunes for while.

The first one I remember was from a book called "Play Like Cannonball Addrerley" and it was a tune called "Shooting High".

 

[jadoube]

A fairly easy question for a raw beginner.

1 &1a). Dark Isle - my wife gave me my sax and its her favorite tune so I resolved I would play it for her as soon as I was able

2 & 2a). Various stuff from 'tune a day' book - few of which I ever desire to play again

3. I don't think I'd claim to play anything well yet, but on the principle that relative to my ability I thought "that was good" the first five are as above.

4. I don't want to start on favourite tunes and ruin them if they're beyond my current abilities. I'm happy to let my teacher select material that is just hard enough to stretch me. I'll have plenty of time to branch out once I some basic technique under my belt.

What a souless boring old git huh?

Ok, I'd love to be able to play quite a few Gerswin tunes well but the list is a lot longer than that.

 

[Rogerb]

Plaisir d'Amour, which has the advantage of being playable in either high or low register without 'crossing the break' 😀

 

[peter_fitton]

1) My first was When the Saints... from Pete's DVD.

2) Greensleeves. But in a, shall we say, alternative key. My excuse being that I can't start it on F Sharp because my habitually sticking C Sharp pad renders the lowest note of the tune unplayable.

3) The main theme to St Thomas. A very proud moment. Though again in the wrong key and for the same reason.

4) The solo from Bowie's Subteraneans. Well, most of it :S

5) God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman, which, surprisingly, lends itself well to a bit of Coltrane-esque (I wish!) free jazz extemporization. My neighbours' opinions on this matter may be radically different, however.

Now just exactly where do I find this "articulated C sharp adjustment screw" or whatever it's called? Grrrrr.

Cheers

Peter

 

[peter_fitton]

Peter Fitton wrote:

Now just exactly where do I find this "articulated C sharp adjustment screw" or whatever it's called? Grrrrr.

Cheers

Peter

It's just occured to me that this feature of my beloved alto may well refer to the higher "no fingers required" C sharp and might well be the screw that sticks out of the left hand side where the neck joins the body.

D'oh!

 

[Pete Thomas]

Peter Fitton wrote:

Peter Fitton wrote:

Now just exactly where do I find this "articulated C sharp adjustment screw" or whatever it's called? Grrrrr.

Cheers

Peter

It's just occured to me that this feature of my beloved alto may well refer to the higher "no fingers required" C sharp and might well be the screw that sticks out of the left hand side where the neck joins the body.

D'oh!

No it's not there, it's on the end of the little bar that reaches across the G# key. It should be adjusted so that when you play bottom C# the G# doesn't open. The adjustment is critical, too loose and the G# opens causing leaks when you play C# B and Bb, too tight and there will be leaks on F and F#. This key is not to do with sticking G#, for that you need lighter fluid.

 

[Bobby G]

Lighter fluid should be marketed as 'no-more-stickipad', it really does the job. I'm surprised no-one has come up with an identical, but branded, product that costs twice as much.

 

[peter_fitton]

Pete Thomas wrote:

Peter Fitton wrote:

Peter Fitton wrote:

Now just exactly where do I find this "articulated C sharp adjustment screw" or whatever it's called? Grrrrr.

Cheers

Peter

It's just occured to me that this feature of my beloved alto may well refer to the higher "no fingers required" C sharp and might well be the screw that sticks out of the left hand side where the neck joins the body.

D'oh!

No it's not there, it's on the end of the little bar that reaches across the G# key. It should be adjusted so that when you play bottom C# the G# doesn't open. The adjustment is critical, too loose and the G# opens causing leaks when you play C# B and Bb, too tight and there will be leaks on F and F#. This key is not to do with sticking G#, for that you need lighter fluid.

Thanks, Pete. So I was right the first time. Doh again! I think I've got a lot to learn about the mechanics of the sax :laugh:

My G# pad always opens when I play Bb, B or C#. In fact the four keys seem to be arranged so that the G# key presses down automatically when any of those notes are fingered and thus the G# pad opens.


Not had any probs with the G# pad sticking since I started using a pad saver, but the C# sticks after a short time no matter what I do with it :cry:

Peter

 

[Pete Thomas]

Just to explain the point of the articulation.

The G# key should open when you finger G# (obviously), but also when you finger G plus the C# key. This means you can play a scale of A by keeping your L.H. pinly on the C# instead of jumping it around from C# to G# if you play a G# down to a low C#. Older horns didn't have this but it's quite an easy mod for most vintage horns (Isn't it Griff?)

 

[peter_fitton]

Pete Thomas wrote:
Just to explain the point of the articulation.

The G# key should open when you finger G# (obviously), but also when you finger G plus the C# key. This means you can play a sclae of A by keeping your L.H. pinly on the C# instead of jumping it around from C# to G# if you play a G# down to a low C#. Older horns didn't have this but it's quite an easy mod for most vintage horns (Isn't it Griff?)

Thanks, Pete. I think I understand it all now as I've just been looking at what actually happens when I play low Bb, B & C#. I can see that the RH key mechanism prevents the G# pad from opening irrespective of what's happening with the G# key itself.

Ahem... thank you for your patience in this matter

Peter

 

[ken]

Pete Thomas wrote: This key is not to do with sticking G#, for that you need lighter fluid.

Curiousity....

Most pads are made of leather yes?. If so, I can't quiet get my head around wiping lighter fluid on leather!. I accept that it will probably cure the sticking pad (remove the gunge), but a solvent like petrol seems (imho) to be the last thing you'd want to put on leather, surely it would dry out the pads and deteriorate them quickly!!??

Would it not be a good idea to use a proprietry (non sticky/evaporating) leather conditioner???

 

[ken]

Bob Green wrote:Obviously I'd like next to learn 'Giant Steps', preferably as a ballad

Cheers, Bob

I'm leaning towards Giant Steps as a 'Rock' Ballad at the moment Bob. Have you ever heard anyone mention it could be played as a ballad?
:whistle:

 

[ken]

PauloAlto wrote:
Hi Ken,

Good question... but are you going to post your own answer?? 🙂

I didn't think mine would be very interesting, but:-

The first tune I got out of the sax was Sloop John B and that was purely because it was in my head due to a sax player having blown a rather 'non standard' version in my local bar a few nights previous.

The first "reasonable" tune I played was one of my own 'simple' composition.

I don't know why and I know it's not right, but I have an adversion to the beginner type tunes that are in the back of 'tune a day' books etc., NOT that I am any good or that I shouldn't really start off there... it's just that most of those tunes give me a mental block and I don't enjoy them... Saints etc (sorry Pete).

My next tune was my teachers choice, Fly Me To The Moon. Something else that is not really my style. Anyway that ended in a freindly row between my teacher and me due to different opinions on the notation. So now I just blow my version to wind him up on warm ups.

The first 5 tunes that "I" thought (no one else would) I had down good where my interpretations of... Have I Told You Lately, Precious Time, La Bamba, Dirty Old Town and the 'own composition' mentioned above. However (and again I know I am wrong), I work out/practise how to play em in my own way, picking out the melody, throwing in a bit of backing etc etc.

My goal, at the moment, would be to get anywhere close to being able to blow the intro/solo to The River ala Clarence Clemmons... my attempts are no more than a 'trickling stream'

 

[Bobby G]

I'm Beginning To See The Light was another of my first 5. My goal is 'Skylark' as sung by Maxine Sullivan, it's Doreen's favourite.

Other than that, I employ the Ken method of getting the melody then mucking about with it. That's jazz, innit? 😛

Cheers, Bob

 

[BeeVee]

Since I'm just about on my first anniversary as a sax novice. it's probably a good time to take stock of progress (if any). My first 'success' was "Fly Me to the Moon", simply because it fell together whilst coming down the scale of C major! After a bit if fumbling, I soon worked out how to find that G# and the rest of it. Another one which I found to be very easy was "The Very Thought of You".

On the othe hand, I find the middle eight of "Body and Soul" to be full of excruciating accidentals which I've never been able to master.

But then, there's always Scarborough Fair - a good number for getting to grips with various other instruments - I did it on cello and trombone too, once upon a time.

But back to the sax, my early attempts at improvising were helped along with "Bie Mir Bist du Schon" (spelling ?) and "Basin Street".

I like to attempt some of the classics/semi-classics too eg: The Swan, Song of India, The Chopin Etude (Deep is the Night) and Danny Boy.

Any one else have fun with classics?

 

[Bobby G]

Hello beevee, long time no see! Sounds like you've been busy playing. Hope you're still enjoying it.

Cheers, Bob