what shall i do

[bard101]

Well after leaveing school i have had some time to think about things( im 16 ) .....my friends play instruments guitar drums ect and i thought hmm well maybe i could start playing sax it just seemed right to me ya know :)

ive never been able to take up a instrument due to problems in life put it this way i had a real bad time at school ...most of my friends are in the year above(the better year) ..and my music lessions were awfull im not trying to moan but most of the lessions were spent watching the teacher throw people out the class room or telling them off and many other things you really dont wanna know about LOL :D

Anyhow my lifes better now and i wanna take up a instrument and the first thing that poped into my mind is sax i need something to focus on and too do other then partying with my mates and playing my compter :D ...

problem is no cheap music lessions at school cuz i left and im not rich ...but i think i can get the money together for everything but thats not really why im posting im posting for your advice on what to do next ....and any other advice you can give to a wanna be sax player :D

my mum says i should go to the libary and get some books which is what i will do tommow but any other advice you could give would be GREAT


( sorry about the bad spelling ect its really late in the night well morning now :) )

[Dave Dolson]

Bard: Try to find Larry Teal's "The Art of Saxophone Playing." Then, rent a saxophone and get to it. Private lessons are the best bet, but if you can't afford that after the sax rental, well - many of us are self-taught. The hour of the day is no excuse for poor writing skills. Work on that, too. DAVE

[bard101]

is being deysexic a good excuse =P anyhow thanks for the advice...

[Dave Dolson]

NO excuses, sir!!! DAVE

[stitch]

Bard: Try to find Larry Teal's "The Art of Saxophone Playing." Then, rent a saxophone and get to it. Private lessons are the best bet, but if you can't afford that after the sax rental, well - many of us are self-taught.

You'd do well to follow most of Dave's advice, bard, but I'm not sure I agree on the Larry Teal book. It's true that it contains lots of good stuff, but I find it very dry and it gets very technical very quickly. Have a look at it in the library (or even the bookshop!) by all means, but if pennies are tight it's not the one I'd personally choose first.

[bard101]

ok cool ...well my mums going to the libary ....the one near my nan cuz it has lots of good music books so shes probly just gonna get a ton of books ...ill pick one or two of the best to read 8-) thanks for the input ;)

[bard101]

oh and dave feel free to rant about my spelling i did do my best so like w/e :|

[Gandalfe]

Bard, people from all over the world read our Web site so using good grammar and proper capitalization helps people with English as a second language to read and understand your posts.

I have found some nice method books in second-hand book stores too for pennies on the dollar of the original price. I also have tryed some books out that my friends have (and likely haven't touched in years) such as Jamie Aebersold's CD play alongs.

In high school I borrowed some music from my band teacher which was way cool because I really came from a poor family. Hope that helps.

[Face Ache Mike]

Bard, go for it! Read all you can from the internet, start simple, but most of all have fun! You will sound like a dying duck at first but you`ll soon see progress. Try not to push ahead too fast. Ask questions. Record yourself playing then go back to it at a later time and compare. Sax is such a rewarding instrument to learn!

Oh and youre spelling etc looks fine to me - Ive seen much much worse! :)

[JL]

Bard, definitely go for it. Along with the books, get some cds by Cannonball Adderly, Dexter Gordon, King Curtis (and many others; look for sax players). Also check out the blues guys like Albert King, Buddy Guy, etc. Many of them used sax players. This is for inspiration, at this point. I remember as a beginner trying to copy Charlie Parker (!!) which was sort of frustrating but still helpful in some ways.

Be ready to become a "warrior" and stick with it through thick and thin. Music is very rewarding but the rewards are directly proportional to the work you put in and your ability to persevere.

Finally, music is communication and in this respect is not all that different from writing. So, yeah, work on those writing skills also. You're not the only one on the internet who should do that, LOL. All the best to you.

[Bill Mecca]

You might also contact some players in your area and see what they charge for lessons, if you can scrape some cash together at least get one lesson in to show you how it goes together, some basic fingerings adn get you started off on the right foot.

BTW, where are you located, maybe someone round here could help.

[jazzbluescat]

Bard, I don't want to get too personal, nor tell you what to do. But, did you leave/quit school because you have trouble getting along with people. If so, you might want to brush up on your people skills. It's very important in music[and most anything, far as that goes].

[bard101]

Ok that was real nice advice thanks! ;)

ok well my mum got a book "The rough guide to saxophone" which looks pretty good im gonna go give it a good long read after I done posting ....

I will go check out those artists you said about dads getting back from mainland soo i should be able to go buy some cds with him ....Then after i done spending a week with him im going camping with my aunty and family shes a pro at the violin so should should help me get set up with starting the saxophone and hopefully help towards getting one ...

She lives in london far away so i dont get too talk to her much she thinks im Mr devil child so i better do my research i gotta make my self look like im serous about this ( and i am ) :D

Im going to take things slow like you said i am a slow learner at first but once I got the hang of it I should be on my way and thats what I want you to help me with soo if you could give me some links for places to buy a sax or places/shops near me to buy one it would be GREAT :) .

I live in england on the isle of wight so if anyone has any idears on somewhere to go to get a good noobie sax that i can afford then please do .

I do not have much I think its better if i dont go into numbers because i dont know how much im gonna get to buy one but the cheaper the better but of course i dont want a duff one that wont last or play well anuf till i can afford a upgrade.

Thanks for great help and advice im gonna go do some reading later all 8-)

( Ok did I do better in my spelling I really did try that time!! this forum needs a spell checker so i can correct myself I talk on anouther forum which is about a game I play called everquest and you can correct your mistakes its a shame you cant here :| )

[davidtw]

i though my english were the badest here lol

[gary]

Bard - regarding getting lessons you might consider this. In college there was a trumpet teacher I really wanted to study from but I didn't have the spare cash so I used to do work around his house in return for lessons; painted it, as a matter of fact.

Years later, I had a music-teaher friend who had all his yard work, car cleaning and other maintanence stuff around his house done by students in return for lessons. Worked out well for everyone.

[Face Ache Mike]

Bard, check out www.saxophones.co.uk. Theyre in south England and great to deal with. Their prices are good too. I have no connection with them other than being a very happy customer.

[jazzbluescat]

.......( Ok did I do better in my spelling I really did try that time!! this forum needs a spell checker so i can correct myself I talk on anouther forum which is about a game I play called everquest and you can correct your mistakes its a shame you cant here :| )

This might work for you:

A free spell checker for Internet Explorer (http://www.iespell.com/)

Good luck.

[bard101]

Bard, I don't want to get too personal, nor tell you what to do. But, did you leave/quit school because you have trouble getting along with people. If so, you might want to brush up on your people skills. It's very important in music[and most anything, far as that goes].

NO! :evil:

I left school because llike most of people my age in the uk leave school at 16 ... i left school to go to colledge .....

and yes i have people problems well i did have people problems with people in my year of school because i was put in groups with the bad kids baiscly because im deysexic to put it short as possible

i could go on and on about the crap in my past but thats not really what i came here to talk about the point is i left school its done and the scars will heal ( it was hell ) but im free and lovin it because now im happy every morning when i wake up ;) and now i can learn the sax so help me :D

[bard101]

Bard, check out www.saxophones.co.uk. Theyre in south England and great to deal with. Their prices are good too. I have no connection with them other than being a very happy customer.

sweet dude thanks ;)

[JL]

OK, there's spelling, then there's punctuation and grammer. Music is much the same. Learning to spell out scales and chords is just the beginning. You have to put it together in a coherent fashion; learn to phrase well, articulate, and make it all fit together rhythmically. One important factor in learning musical language is to listen to lots of music. Likewise, it's essential to read books if you want to learn how to write.

[bard101]

:| i read alot im just a slow learner on spelling and writeing ...i guess it will get better in time

[Saxland]

Hi Bard101. I took a "How to play the guitar" course at university. It was a full year and the teacher sat on us to get throught it. He was dyslexic and had an incrediable advantage over other guitarists. He found it better to memorise entire pieces of music and encouraged us to do the same. Reading music for him took away from the fun of the music. He could sight read great but it did seem to take up a lot of head space. He had to work so hard at it that years later he can play from memory any piece he learnt. I still can play two of the pieces from my recital/exam from 15 years ago. From memory. He pointed out to me that I could memorise a piece in half the time he could, so what was I complaining about? :) He also pointed out that once anyone decides to learn this way then quality of playing overtakes quantity. Some people are just faster at getting a piece than others. But how many people take the step to memorise everything? Just by doing this memorising and commiting to it, I put myself in a differnt league than most of the students. Now my focus was on how many ways can I play a piece, not can I learn it. Stress level is lower when you know the piece. I play them every year and see how my intreptetation is on them. I'll probbably do this the rest of my life. My old university roomates can not believe that I still know the pieces that they put up with me practicing. That is the satisfaction that he wanted us to know. As well every note I play I commit to, because I have put so much into it.

If you find a teacher that knows how to maximize your learning and give you the necessary support it will make a world of difference.

[gary]

OK, I've been cool up to now. Sometimes commenting on something just serves to highlight it more, so I haven't, hoping it would go away. But this won't go away so...Enough already about the English!! :angry4:

The point has been made and IMO bard's responses have been pretty tolerant. So how about ending it now. It's obvious he's got/had some problems. Hammering on them won't help. But WE CAN help by providing information about the saxophone.

I used to work in a soul band with a guy named "Spaceman". We never knew his first name. He could hardly write his name much less add without the help of his fingers and toes.

Anyway, in learning a tune, we would listen to a recording over and over and over again. Spaceman, on the other hand, would sit there intensly listening the first time through. The second time he would play softly here and there on his bass. The next time he would play the entire song through perfectly and he never would forget it after that. Who would you rather work with; a Rhodes scholar or Spaceman?!

Just for the record, I am also dyslexic.

[CircaRevival]

At a summer camp I went to some kid got kicked out, and everyone called him "Space Cadet" maybe there is some link between the meaning of those two names...

Anyway...Good luck bard, I'm interested to see what your aunt tells you. Keep us posted.

Cheers,
CR

[bard101]

OK, I've been cool up to now. Sometimes commenting on something just serves to highlight it more, so I haven't, hoping it would go away. But this won't go away so...Enough already about the English!! :angry4:

The point has been made and IMO bard's responses have been pretty tolerant. So how about ending it now. It's obvious he's got/had some problems. Hammering on them won't help. But WE CAN help by providing information about the saxophone.

I used to work in a soul band with a guy named "Spaceman". We never knew his first name. He could hardly write his name much less add without the help of his fingers and toes.

Anyway, in learning a tune, we would listen to a recording over and over and over again. Spaceman, on the other hand, would sit there intensly listening the first time through. The second time he would play softly here and there on his bass. The next time he would play the entire song through perfectly and he never would forget it after that. Who would you rather work with; a Rhodes scholar or Spaceman?!

Just for the record, I am also dyslexic.


Wow thank you !!!!!!thats what ive been trying to say... Dont worry guys i wil keep you posted ....i cant wait till she gets back and we go on hoilday it gonna rock 8-)

still need help on getting a sax i think i could get one rented ( dont know where ) ....but advice on shops near me would be great :)

[bard101]

heya im still here :)

and im not going camping til sunday had some probs in the family sooo anyhow i still need your help/advice/thoughts ;) ...

i went to the bookshop and there was no books on saxes ....i mean we talking a big book shop and there was nothing :( ....

later im off to go watch a movie mmm teen movie mmmm girls *droolz :D

[Dave Dolson]

Bard: Cruise around Amazon.com. That site has tons of material. DAVE

[BuffetBlowerDude]

Hey Bard......Don`t overlook ebay as a source of a cheap starter sax, it can be a minefield but if your careful you should have no problems. Don`t forget that shops have overheads to cover so your paying a premium on top for even the lowest grade quality!
Arbiter,La Fleur, B&S Sonora...the list is endless but most will fill your needs (at least to start with), I would suggest you avoid anything "vintage" as there is always a good possibilty it won`t be 100% playable "straight from the box" as they say.
If the sax comes with a mouthpiece it will probably be a no-name duck call so get yourself a Yamaha 4c and some Rico Royal 2 reeds....can`t go wrong with that one IMHO!
As far as self teaching books go...I recommend "John O`Neil`s The Jazz Method for Saxophone"....comes with backing CD and takes you smoothly from playing your first note through to pieces by Charlie Parker and Thelonius Monk etc. This book is available from Amazon.com and Saxophones.uk and really is a good`un! Larry Teals book is a bit high-brow for beginners I feel.
You don`t stipulate a preference for sax type....Alto...Tenor? You are probably like me before I started playing in as much as you hear a sax on a recording and think....cool sax sound, but don`t know what sax is being played. Alto is the "preferred" starting point.....mid-range instrument and easy to find by the bucketloads. I started on Tenor and I find it easier to play than Alto???? But its horses for courses!
Don`t get too bogged down by the "techie" side of the music...books,tutors etc. Once you start to play you will start to play pieces you like "by ear" and that, at least for me, is where the real joy lies. Find the notes one by one, memorise them and then once you don`t have to think about WHAT your playing you can concentrate on HOW your playing and thats when you will notice your skills improving!
Crikey...I`m waffling on a bit so I`ll just wish you good luck in your endeavours.

[stitch]

Hey Bard......Don`t overlook ebay as a source of a cheap starter sax, it can be a minefield but if your careful you should have no problems. Don`t forget that shops have overheads to cover so your paying a premium on top for even the lowest grade quality!
Arbiter,La Fleur, B&S Sonora...the list is endless but most will fill your needs

There's been some discussion previously about the better student saxes available in the UK - a search should turn it up. There was one member who seemed pretty knowledgeable about the subject - might have been 'tinminer' or perhaps 'singlereed'.

Whatever you do avoid anything that looks like this (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Silver-Saxaphone-with-Case-No-Reserve_W0QQitemZ7344418725QQcategoryZ16232QQrdZ1Q QcmdZViewItem) or this (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/EXCELLENT-Chrome-Silver-Alto-Saxophone-Saxaphone_W0QQitemZ7344861436QQcategoryZ16232QQrdZ 1QQcmdZViewItem) - they're no use to man nor beast. They usually have red pads, but once you get used to what a real sax looks like you should be able to spot them pretty easily.

I second BBD's recommendation of the O'Neill book - well worth getting.

[StrtdTooLate]

[QUOTE=BuffetBlowerDude]As far as self teaching books go...I recommend "John O`Neil`s The Jazz Method for Saxophone"....comes with backing CD and takes you smoothly from playing your first note through to pieces by Charlie Parker and Thelonius Monk etc.QUOTE]

Where can this book be purchased in th states?

[BuffetBlowerDude]

John O`Neil The Jazz Method for Saxophone......
published by Schott Educational Publications, London.
Tenor sax ED 12420.......ISBN 0-946535-20-5
Alto sax ED 12410.........ISBN 1-902455-00-2
I bought my copy from saxophones.co.uk and they will post international.....as will Amazon I think!....retails around the £20 mark.
I bought some Kenny G books through Amazon from the US so it should work both ways........WHAT!....did I say something wrong? :?

[Joe Linux]

I think you would be better off with a cheap Casio keyboard than starting on sax. If you do okay with the casio then think about a sax. Perhaps you should just sing with a church choir.

[stitch]

I think you would be better off with a cheap Casio keyboard than starting on sax. If you do okay with the casio then think about a sax. Perhaps you should just sing with a church choir.

Don't listen to him bard - follow your heart! :D

How are you getting on with your quest, not heard from you in a while. Hope you're not getting discouraged. You said you've not a lot of cash, but can you give us an idea of how much you have to spend?

Hang in there!

[StrtdTooLate]

I think you would be better off with a cheap Casio keyboard than starting on sax. If you do okay with the casio then think about a sax. Perhaps you should just sing with a church choir.

Replys like this are why I don't ask too many questions on this forum.

[Joe Linux]

Replys like this are why I don't ask too many questions on this forum.


Do you sing in a church choir?

[stitch]

Do you sing in a church choir?

I'm guessing you're in the US, Joe? We're more secular than you seem to be over there, and singing in church choirs isn't something we traditionally do so much here in the UK.

I wasn't sure that you were being entirely serious in your earlier post. It might not be a bad idea to join a choir of some sort, but this is a young guy who wants to join his mates in making music. He's drawn to the sax, so let's encourage the lad.

[JL]

I'm guessing you're in the US, Joe? We're more secular than you seem to be over there, and singing in church choirs isn't something we traditionally do so much here in the UK..

Hey, stitch, unfortunately (for us in the US) I think you're at least partly right. I'm lucky enough to live in an island of sanity (a thin strip on the west coast) which is fairly secular. But you can't generalize too much about the US, since it really is diverse.

[Joe Linux]

Gospel music is some of the best out there. The reason I suggested a church choir is that membership is usually free, and they have choirs. In other words, it is probably the most inexpensive way to enter into the world of music. As a side, I've heard that liturgical music gigs can be some of the highest paid out there if you are with a top act.

[Wannabee]

Stitch

I wish out found this site a little earlier, and read read read like I have now.

Not saying which of those links you put up it is, but I was the complete muppet winner of one of those so called Saxophones. I'm no kid by any stretch of the imagination and wanted to own and learn the Sax from being a kid.

Eagerness and stupidity got the better of me, and now I have a very expensive piece of bent metal.

Bard101 don't give up the dream m8,

I now have a collection of books all inexpensive, have found out a mate of many years who's in a Jazz band will introduce me to the Sax player and I have a better idea of whats gonna bite if you rush into things.

Good luck in your quest :)

[ThomasK]

.....

[redhead]

Bard,

Don't give up on the dream, you never know where it might take you. - What have you got to lose? You have left school and presumably are now at college doing further exams. Plenty of people with dyslexia and who may not be particularly academic have found their niche in music- go for it!

Saxophones.co.uk is great- I bought my sax there about 2 months ago they were very helpful, and apparently you can go and visit them. They sent me a business card- the picture on the rear is a huge room filled with every sort of sax! (Drool, drool!) -It can't be too far from you, and you could go and try a few out, and see what sort of sax you'd like (ie size wise.)

John O'Neil book is the one I got- an easy read, and good fun.

What you haven't said is whether you can read music- if not then I would suggest seeing if there are any music theory lessons in your area.
It is unlikely that these would cost much, and you may be eligible for free tuition.

If you're likely to be going down the self tuition route, then the best place to get sheet music is to go to the local charity shops/car boot sales etc.
IMPORTANT- sax is a transposing instrument, (which, if you don't understand basically means that the note you read on the page is not the same pitch as is actually sounded) - if you are not planning to play along in a band or be accompanied, it doesn't actually matter, and there are often loads of rather dusty songbooks on the charity shop shelves. If you do want to play with others proper sax music (for your type of sax) will ensure that everyone is playing in the same key- otherwise you might have to sit down and transpose the music into the correct key!
Depending on the sort of sax you fancy- I have alto- which I chose because Tenor was very heavy to hold, and alto was easier to blow when I tried one!
-find out the range and bear that in mind when looking for music- eg with alto the range is more or less that of a soprano voice although you could always play up/down an octave if required- since I do a lot of singing, I simply play from my songbooks- you'll probably recognise the songs- pop hits/jazz songs etc even hymns! and that will help considerably in trying to play them on sax.-frankly as long as you are playing, it really doesn't matter what you are playing to begin with- beg/borrow music- download it off the internet. Provided it's in the correct range, and hasn't got too many black notes strung together it'll be fine!

Does your college have any music department- raid it! (ask first though!)
Maybe you know soemone else you might be in your situation and could share a lesson to keep down the costs.

If you have that dream, then do it, otherwise you'll have regrets.
Hope the above helps.

GO FOR IT!!!!!!!
Redhead