You’ve joined the School band, and decided to learn to play saxophone. No problem. While the best saxophonists use professional horns, such instruments can be expensive for a new player, expecially if you’re not sure if it’s what you want to do. Beginners usually start on student horns and practice their fundamentals before moving on to higher-quality saxophones.
As you learn, your tone quality is less important than your ability to play your scales, stay in tune and practice reading music. Once these factors become second nature, it may be time to move to a nicer instrument and begin working on your tone and developing your own style of playing.
There are various techniques that you may practice or teach yourself, for example Circular breathing, Altissimo, Multiphonics. However, for most players who learn to play saxophone, finding an experienced saxophone teacher is highly recommended. Alternatives such as books and instructional videos are more accessible than ever because of the Internet, but they lack the hands on instruction you can only receive through private lessons. Playing without an expert to critique your breathing, embouchure and even the way you hold the horn, can cause you to develop bad habits that will be difficult to shake. Even if they are not immediately apparent, such habits can become serious stumbling blocks as you become a more advanced player.
In addition to helping you with your tone and technique, a qualified saxophone teacher can help you better understand how to adjust your ligature and mouth piece, take care of your reeds and properly tune and care for your instrument. When you are finally ready to purchase an intermediate or professional level saxophone, a teacher can also recommend brands or models and help you find a horn that accommodates your needs as a player.
As you progress in skill, you should search for a teacher with a sound that you would like to emulate. If you are interested in playing jazz music, avoid teachers that play primarily classical pieces. Likewise, a saxophone tone that is considered desirable in jazz is likely to be unsuitable for classical music. Finding a teacher with similar tastes as your own will help you to craft your own distinctive sound and style, as well as the Saxophone Techniques that are go along with each style.
Above all, you must be ready to begin a lifetime of learning if you wish to play the saxophone well. There will always be areas in which you can get better and problems you must address. To become a great saxophonist, you need to be willing to constantly practice and strive for improvement.
Here you will find a great course aimed at both beginner and intermediate level players. It makes learning the saxophone very simple and will help you to progress rather quickly to the next level.Highly recommended!.
From Learn to Play Saxophone to Saxophone Players Guide
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