Older beginner, where to begin

[TommyW]

I am 38 yrs old (39 in 2 weeks) and am just beginning to learn the alto sax. I rented a yamaha 23 from the "not so local" music store and have sent inquiries to my local school band directors looking for a teacher in my area. The last instrument that I "played" was acoustic guitar at about age 10, so have forgotten a lot more than I ever knew about music theory. My question is where do I begin ? What are the best books / videos / web sites for sax instructions. I want to learn, but want to do it right the first time, not have to go back and "un-learn" bad habits. I have read a lot on embrochure and tone production and sax in general, but just because you can read how to do something and have the knowledge to do so, does not mean that you can do it properly. Any help / suggestions / comments would be appreciated.

[Dave Dolson]

TommyW: Welcome to SOTW and the saxophone. Many will recommend Larry Teal's book titled (I think) THE ART OF SAXOPHONE PLAYING (maybe that isn't correct, but you'll be able to find it from that).

You don't say where you are located, but a good teacher will help you immensely. Maybe someone here knows of a teacher for you.

I've become friends with another SOTW poster who recently did just the same thing as you are doing. He is progressing nicely and still enjoys the learning experience. He bought a new Selmer Ref 54 alto to replace his rented YAS23.

You may also want to query the local colleges/universities - maybe a graduate student will give lessons. Keep us posted on your progress. DAVE

[TommyW]

Oh, I am located in a small town called Tamaqua, PA. It is about 15 minutes south of a slightly larger town called Hazleton, an hour south of WilkesBarre / Scranton and about an hour north of Allentown PA. I work till 5 pm and have 3 kids, so I cant travel more than 1/2 hr for an hour lesson.

[Alpina]

Tommy.. You aint old ... Well done on starting to have the most fun ever...

Have a look at this..http://www.saxlessons.com/lessons.htm

Really helped me to start with. There is a load of stuff on the web. If you want real inspiration look up Bayviewsax, he is the MAN :D

[goodsax]

Congratulations on getting into music. I agree with Alpina that you ain't old. I'm 63 and just a serious hobbyist playing in a community concert band and doing my bit in a church orchestra, but it's a lot of fun.

There's no real substitute for a good teacher, but in the meantime, to add to Dave Dolson's Larry Teal recommendation, I like the Rubank Method series for saxophone published by the Hal Leonard corporation and you should be able to find it at any music store, or check on Amazon.com for it. The series goes from Beginning to Intermediate to Advanced and covers a lot of ground including music theory, fingerings and exercises. They are very reasonably priced at about $5.50 per book.

Hooking up with SOTW was another excellent decision. You will find a lot of help here from highly qualified professionals.

[bass]

Welcome to the club!

If you're aiming to play jazz, one method book that will help with rhythm and articulation is Lenny Niehaus' Jazz Conception series. An optional CD is available, but unfortunately it uses a MIDI keyboard rather than a sax.

I also like John O'Neill: The Jazz Method For Alto Saxophone.

Bass

[Joe Linux]

I would go with Hal Leonard's "Play Alto Sax Today" which comes with a DVD and a play-a-long CD. There is a Book II and a Song Book with CD accompaniment. Book I is about $20.00. WIth these materials you probably wouldn't need private lessons as they are private lessons on DVD / CD.

[dpwadw]

TommyW, welcome my friend.

Most of the elementary method books adopt the approach:
1) learn 2-3 fingerings, where the notes go on the staff, and a simple rhythm. Then play them in very short songs.
2) Add another couple notes and vary the rhythm a bit. Then play more intricate songs. And so on. In the course of a school year, you'll gain the basic building blocks to play many, many songs.

With most students this is an excellent approach to learning theory and mechanics at the same time.

But I urge you to balance your learning with ear training. So many classically trained players are unable to "get out of the box" and do things like ear-playing and improvisation. While your hitting the books, listen to alot of different music. Literally disect the music and imagine trying to do some of the things on the recording. As you mature in technique & theory, you'll sometimes say, "Ah-ha, that's how he does that!"

A mature player can read well, play by ear, improvise, add harmonies, figure in transpositions rapidly etc. Of course you won't get there overnight. But, a balanced attack to ear and theory skills will help tie it all together in a more elegant manner.

[Gandalfe]

Most of my beginning students agonize over their embouchure more than the fingering the notes. One fast road to a better sound is to work with long tones, varying the volume and hold the note for as long as you can. The beginner instruction at SOTW (http://www.siteground.info/~saxont2/phpbb/Beginners.html) should be read before you start your adventure.

Another good source of information for an adult beginner (aka late bloomer) can be found in our Late Bloomer (http://www.siteground.info/~saxont2/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=27) forum.

The most important advice I can give is that you start with a qualified instructor as soon as possible so that you can avoid the common errors that will haunt you the rest of your music life. Find one you like and respect; it may take you a number of attempts to find the one that will work for you.

Enjoy!

[TommyW]

Well, I managed to find an instructor in my area, and he seems to be pretty good. Name is Tony Kurdilla, was referred to me by a few ppl who play sax. Seems he has had a long career with both playing and teaching and seems to know his stuff and wants me to learn the right way. Only had one lesson so far, have a lesson per week scheduled, which gives me 6 days between to practice the lesson and some time daily to just screw around and see what sounds I can make and just play and have fun.
Getting a few books which were recommended by the forum as well, so hopefully I will be able to make some nice progress.
Renting a sax now, but have one for him to look at (since he repairs them as well) which if it is in good condition (needs a cork on the octave key)and can be made playworthy for a reasonable price, I will be buying it. Have tried it, seems harder to blow than the Yamaha I am renting, but not sure if it is me or the sax, thats why I want him to look at it.
Anyway, after that rambling, I just wanted to say thanks for the suggestions, and will keep you updated with my progress.

[Gandalfe]

Tommy, before you buy, may I ask what kind of sax you are considering? You are moving from a Yamaha rental to what and how much will this sax cost you? Also what mouthpiece were you using to try out the instrument? Purchasing a sax can be a lifelong decision if you select carefully, wisely, taking into consideration other saxes you have tried. Many of us have bought more saxes that we would like to admit, trying to find the perfect sax.

[TommyW]

A friend of mine has an older Vito student model sax which has been sitting around for several years, and told me I could have it for $100 if I wanted it.Which is why I want to have my teacher look at it to determine if it is worth it, as an alternative to paying 35 a month for rental fees.

[Gandalfe]

And the mouthpiece maker and size?