Before you post your first message

[Gandalfe]

Welcome to the For Beginners forum of the Sax On The Web (SOTW) site.

READ: The most common mistake a newbie makes on this site is to post a question that has been answered many times. Trust me, this happens too many times. Start with the SOTW FAQ. Look at some other posts on this site before you post. Reading first, before you post will give you writing examples, answer many of your questions, and show you some tricks of the trade.

SEARCH: If you have one specific question, consider using the Search button (at the top of every page on this site). For example, if you want to know everything about your new Yamaha 23 sax, select the search button, type in 'Yamaha 23" and select the 'search' button at the bottom of the dialog box.

SOTW MAIN: If you want to play better, and who doesn't, start by selecting the SOTW Main button at the top of every page. It will take you to the main SOTW site that is full of articles for saxophonists of all levels covering theory, history, and technique.

NO G33K SP34K or Regional Slang: Please read saxpic's comments in the main SOTW FAQ. While it's not prohibited, please don’t use geek speak (such as, u no wh4t i m34n?) or use slang excessively. We have people from all over the world on this site who speak English as a second or third language. Even using slang like, “I gonna send youse da motpiece.” can be confusing. This is the beginners' forum so we don't need any more confusion that is already present.

BE NICE: Finally, and I really hate to mention this, be nice. It seems that a very small group of our readers are overly opinioned, rude, outspoken and many have poor communication skills. You will find them soon enough. We have 5th graders who have come to this site, some because their music instructor recommended it. Consider that audience before you curse at, abuse, or belittle a person at SOTW.

Have fun and feel free to contact me if you have recommendations for or spot any problems in this forum.

Gandalfe
aka Jim Glass

[Paul Coats]

Thanks, Gandalfe!

Might I also make a suggestion? This is based on my experience on several forums that I visit:

When you create a new thread, please make the title of the thread germaine to your question.

Do not use thread titles such as "Help!", "Look at this!", etc.

Use meaningful thread titles such as "How to stop squeeks?", "How best to take care of reeds?", "Difficulty playing low C", that properly describe your problem.

As a reader of this forum, and many others, I skip right over threads with titles like "Help!". I don't have time to waste opening a thread, only to find out it contains something silly.

But if I see a thread that asks a question I know how to answer, I will try to answer that person as well as I can.

So, YOUR choice of title will help others answer YOUR question as well and as soon as possible.

And this is not just for Sax On The Web, but for any other forum you visit.

As a columnist here on Sax On The Web, I have quite a number of articles, many on very common problems. These articles, for the most part, began with common questions in clinics. I would be asked the same questions time after time, and some of these require in depth answers, not just a few words, so I wrote a number of "handouts" for students in these clinics and classes. These handouts were later improved, edited, and became the articles you find here on Sax On The Web. Others are from questions from readers who would email, and I felt the question was of such common interest that I expanded my reply into the articles you find here. So, as Gandalfe says, please check the main page of Sax On The Web first.

Also, don't think I am being rude or short with you if I answer a question simply by giving a link to one of my articles. I just don't have time to type the same thing over and over. And it wastes space here in the forum. I won't try to say that my articles are the final word on a subject, but they are the best I can do, and they have helped others.

Also while at the main page of SOTW, please look at Tim Price's great studies. Many ask, where can I get a good book on improvisation, etudes to practice, etc? Tim Price's etudes are enought to keep you busy for the next 10-20 years! You can download these etudes as pdf (Adobe Acrobat Reader) files, print them, punch holes in the edge, and put in a 3 ring binder, a "book" to practice from.

There are other excellent articles by Sweet Sue Terry, Jody Espina, and other fine artists.

Enjoy!

[gary]

Good work, Gandalfe!

I've noticed that many of these redundant questions come not only from beginners, though. Many seem to show up on the Advice on Buying or Selling a Saxophone section as well as the alto and tenor mouthpiece sections. You might consider posting your sticky (ooh, that sounds very bad) in these categories as well.

And to new readers, a suggestion to use smaller paragraphs please. Some of us are visually challenged.

[Gandalfe]

Paul, excellent suggestions all.

Gary, Saxpics and I have gone round and round about this because he has posed some very similar pieces in the General and FAQ parts of this forum. The sticky that I have posted in the forums I moderate (For Beginners, Late Bloomers, Stolen Instruments and Music, and Yamaha Saxes) were designed to address those audiences.

Methinks if management had their way, there would be fewer and smaller stickies and longer FAQs. I like having the guidance at multiple places to help people who kinda get lost in the vastness that is SOTW.

Keep those great suggestions coming.

[kcp]

...As a columnist here on Sax On The Web, I have quite a number of articles, many on very common problems. These articles, for the most part, began with common questions in clinics. I would be asked the same questions time after time, and some of these require in depth answers, not just a few words, so I wrote a number of "handouts" for students in these clinics and classes. These handouts were later improved, edited, and became the articles you find here on Sax On The Web. Others are from questions from readers who would email, and I felt the question was of such common interest that I expanded my reply into the articles you find here...

I thought it would be handy to have links to these articles listed here.

Beginner corner articles by Paul Coats:

1. Key Signatures and Scales
2. Posture and Horn Position
3. Embouchure and Mouthpiece
4. More Embouchure Questions
5. Giving Lessons
6. Starting Again
7. What are those funny letters, numbers and stuff in my music?
8. Improving reading and playing skills
9. Fingering speed
10. Tonguing

Also see a complete list of Paul's articles and other great articles here

[retromom]

Thanks Kim, Very usefull infromation and lot's of it. .
I actually learn as much {probably more}about theory and such here on SOTW than I do from my private lessons. I understand that the Dynamics of playing are better taught in person but one couldn't get all this infromation in years of once weekly lessons.

I also love that some of the things that I read when I first came here seemed so foriegn to me and now I'm really starting to understand some of it

I just want to thank everyone again for all the patience, I realize how frustrating it must be at times to have to take yourselves back to the beginning because I know that all of you experienced players come here to gain knolwledge and information too. I appreciate that most of you take the time to help us "newbies" along.
Vicki

[tophatsax]

Maybe I'm missing something, but I no longer see a SOTW Main button at the top of each page. I think that would be very helpful.

[SAXISMYAXE]

You might want to add to the list the annoying mistake of multiple posting of the same question across the board under every topic header possible. GRRRRR!

[Pete]

Maybe I'm missing something, but I no longer see a SOTW Main button at the top of each page. I think that would be very helpful.

The link to www.saxontheweb.net was in the added menu bar on the old Forum and hasn't been present since January (seriously).

I'm thinking about adding the link to the bar that says "User CP" sometime in the future. Hey, I'm on vacation. Gimme time.

EDIT: Added! It's called "SOTW Links".

[rogerb40uk]

I was just a bit surprised that, having read all the posts in THIS thread about what to do before posting a question, you chose to post yours in this thread, rather than, if unable to find the answer elsewhere, starting a new thread, or posting it in another, more relevant one!

For example, why not start a thread titled
"What do symbols & numbers in fingering charts mean?"

Just a suggestion on getting better results from the forum

Didn't mean to be rude!

[Rackety Sax]

Methinks if management had their way, there would be fewer and smaller stickies and longer FAQs. I like having the guidance at multiple places to help people who kinda get lost in the vastness that is SOTW.

Keep those great suggestions coming.

I've been around SOTW for a while now, but I'm confused about this statement regarding "longer FAQ's" and/or have a comment/suggestion for improving them.

First, my question: is it true that there is only a forum-wide FAQ and no topic-specific FAQ's? The "FAQ" link in the menu bar takes me to this forum-wide FAQ which has "Search FAQ", "SOTW-Specific Info", and "vbulletin FAQ". What I don't see is a "For Beginners FAQ". Am I missing something?

If I'm not missing something, then here's my comment/suggestion. Gandalfe has helpfully posted this sticky with suggestions for getting started on the "For Beginner's" topic. However, to me this is not truly an FAQ (frequently asked questions list) - at least it's not a content-related FAQ. I would say Kim's post above about Paul Coats's articles is more what I would consider an FAQ. The idea being: here is a question that is asked "all the time" in the topc area ("What articles has Paul Coats written to help beginning saxophonists?") and here is the answer in the form of a series of links so that you don't need to ask it yet again.

It seems to me that the absence (or obscurity if I'm not alone in being unable to find one that actually exists) of a content-specific FAQ (together with some of the shortcomings of the search facility) must account in large measure for the repeat posts that all of us find so annoying.

My suggestion is that we recruit one or more volunteers for each topic area who are familiar with that topic area to begin compiling content-specific FAQ's. These could be compiled into a sticky for that topic area (assuming we don't have the capability for a topic area-specific FAQ). The format might be, for example, the question itself, a summary answer, and then a series of links to the most helpful previous related threads.

I would envision all of these compiled into a single sticky that only the volunteer(s) (or the topic admin on their behalf if that's preferable) could post to. Then, the next time a post asks one of these FAQ questions, the first person to read it could simply respond "This is question 4 [say] in the FAQ", provide a link to the FAQ, and that would be the end of it.

As new frequently asked questions emerged, they could be added to this FAQ. Unlike our highly-paid forum adminstrators (joke), these volunteers would not be official SOTW staff but would merely be acting out of their interest in the subject area and trying to provide a solution to the repetitive post problem. Their names could be posted in the sticky/FAQ so that if others had suggestions for FAQs to add they would know who to contact.

What do you think? If this is worthwhile I would volunteer to work on the FAQ for either the Buescher or classical topic (along with anyone else who would also be interested). Couldn't wait to tackle the "How do you pronounce 'Buescher'?" question.

[Pete]

* chitownjazz is correct: the link at the top of the page that says "FAQ" is for information on what the SOTWF is and how to use vBulletin, which is what the SOTWF currently runs on.

There is also a forum area called "Forum General Info/FAQ". If I ever get a chance, the entire contents of that area will be moved into the FAQ.

Please note that that option's only been available for about a year. Hey, I've been busy .

* I support the idea of having people as "content experts" for various forum areas. This has been suggested in the past (I'm too lazy to use the search button), but it always ends up with, "Hey, 150 people posted that this would be a good idea. We got, ummm, no volunteers."

My specialty is vintage saxophones. I'd be able to serve the community well in that area, so that's where I should hang out. I've got other responsibilities, tho.

* I do support the idea of turning threads into knowledge bases, to a certain extent (points to the person who can tell me where that phrase came from). One of our other admins has mentioned that that can become a little "dry" for conversation, but heck, I've seen numerous conversations debating, say, why Selmer saxophone serial numbers sometimes have an N or M in front of them. I'm all for merging them all into one megathread.

This is easier, now, because we've got a search engine that works. And works well. I've asked input on turning on the "even better" search engine amongst the SOTWF staff, but it will require the Forum being down for several hours

I'm also all for putting FAQ's into a FAQ: I've kinda haphazardly done that in the Sax Makes and Models area, but I could use a couple dozen folks to assist me.

Our new Moderator In Training, saxismyaxe is a tad different from those who have come before him because he's here mainly to do some clean up: move threads into the correct forum areas.

It would be nice if ANY folks that wish to be "content expert" contact us. You might not want to or have to moderate, but it'd be nice if we know your specialty and give you a title so others know who to ask about stuff.

I constantly get questions about which I think is better: a metal Berg or a metal C* (for instance). I say, "Neither. Get hard rubber. BTB, I don't specialize in mouthpieces. Theo Wanne at www.mouthpieceheaven.com might be of assistance, or check the threads in the SOTWF Mouthpiece area."

============

BTB, there HAVE been threads on how to pronounce "Buescher" (answer: close to "Bisher") and "Keilwerth" (answer: close to "Kyle-vurt"), as well as many others. It's only funny because it's true.

[Rackety Sax]

BTB, there HAVE been threads on how to pronounce "Buescher" (answer: close to "Bisher") and "Keilwerth" (answer: close to "Kyle-vurt"), as well as many others. It's only funny because it's true.

Have there ever. That was my point - a lot of the basic information is there but people can't find it or don't look and just post again. I think there were two long threads a couple of weeks apart in the Buescher topic on the pronunciation question, and I think there's at least one that's maybe been lost where someone recounted asking Carina Rascher (and she insisted it's "BUSH-er", so there ). There are probably more if I looked. So I wasn't so much suggesting "content experts" per se, just people who are dogged enough to dig through the threads in a topic area, find the common subjects that have come up, and summarize them (with links to the best threads) in an "FAQ" for that topic area.

[Pete]

Have there ever. That was my point - a lot of the basic information is there but people can't find it or don't look and just post again. I think there were two long threads a couple of weeks apart in the Buescher topic on the pronunciation question, and I think there's at least one that's maybe been lost where someone recounted asking Carina Rascher (and she insisted it's "BUSH-er", so there ). There are probably more if I looked. So I wasn't so much suggesting "content experts" per se, just people who are dogged enough to dig through the threads in a topic area, find the common subjects that have come up, and summarize them (with links to the best threads) in an "FAQ" for that topic area.

You could also say, "SOTWF Librarian". All that person would need is a topic and we could send him on his merry way ....

In the distant past, I tried to get some folks to help me with my website. The unfortunate thing was I realized that I'd have to supervise a bit. Now, my requirements are probably a lot more harsh than here ("Mmmkay. I want you to compare all the Selmer Modele 26 photos and get me the serial numbers of all the ones that don't have 'Modele 26' stamped on the bell"), but still, $person would have to have more than just a clue about the topic, IMHO.

Maybe it's two seperate things: we need "thread librarians" and "thread content experts". That'd be nice.

The "Beginner's" area is sorta Gandalfe's baby: this is the area he was originally signed on for, just like Kim's main focus is the French area (you don't WANT me to try to use middle-school-level French). I came on as the multi-purpose Mod and eventually became an Admin and then the Techie Guy, because that's more than enough job for one. Hurling also came on as multi-purpose, but he's semi-retired. saxismyaxe is also, currently, relatively single purpose: move the posts into the right places. I still think we should give Harri a Finnish area again. I just like seeing all those symbols and extra 'K's' in each sentence.

Again, your idea has a lot of merit. Just need a lot of help to implement.

[rogerb40uk]

If you want the search function to work, you must watch your spelling

For example, putting in "embrochure" isn't going to yield many useful results.

[Pete]

Try "B&S" (no, not "BS", I'm talking about the sax manufacturer).

Search engine will never be perfect, but it can be better. I'd very much like hose librarian types.

[ruebenase]

hallo,
ok i have seen the rules,

You may not post new threads
You may post replies
You may not post attachments
You may edit your posts

ife ther is not possible to post new treads how the forum works
i

[Jazz House]

I have compiled a collection of frequently asked questions and their answers as links to threads with useful posts.

It's in my sig.


Ruebenase:

You cannot post new threads in this section. It's restricted.

[nikjm77]

hi, im nikki, im really new and cant seem to post any messages. do i have to do something else as well as register? i have managed to reply to already exixsting threads and have really enjoyed reading some of the conversations but i would like to post my own threads but dont have permission. How do you get permission? thanks.

[drsaniger]

I also have been having trouble figuring out how to post a thread. I wish someone would have answered your question so that I could have learned from their answer.