Maf
12-16-2003, 06:25 PM
I'm totally new to the sax but I'm not new to music. I play drums and played piano (which I'd love to start again). The sax always intrigued me a bit but I never tried it. It looks and sounds so sexy... :-)
Drums & piano are such omnipresent and big instruments. You've got all harmonic possibilities on the piano and there's no better instrument for rhythms than drums. I'm looking for a third one which would saturate my musical thirst. I'm thinking of a smaller, more specialist solo-instr.
I always liked violins but these are more classic (I've had both classic and some jazz lessons though) and have a perfectionist aura to them. They exude a melancholic atmosphere which I like, but sax is more modern. If I had a great voice I'd love to sing, but I never tried. Oh maybe someday when I won't be soloing on sax... :-D
Tell me everything I should know. How is it played, how flexible is it, is it mostly used for solos since you can't take chords on it I guess, can you only use it in jazz, reggae/ska and some rock, what's needed to become a good sax player (nonsmoker and big longs?), what's to be avoided, should I start with an alt sax, is it useful to play a clarinet first, is it difficult to learn/master, do you use sheet music often or is it "easy" to play by hearth or improvise, what's difficult/easy on a sax...?
It's not an idea I take light-hearted. I'm not gonnan start a new instr. just like that; I should be well informed first. OTOH the sax always had this mystical aura to me. I'm finding out now how much it's worth and if it would fit me. Plus I'm a Belgian, like it's inventor ;-)
Drums & piano are such omnipresent and big instruments. You've got all harmonic possibilities on the piano and there's no better instrument for rhythms than drums. I'm looking for a third one which would saturate my musical thirst. I'm thinking of a smaller, more specialist solo-instr.
I always liked violins but these are more classic (I've had both classic and some jazz lessons though) and have a perfectionist aura to them. They exude a melancholic atmosphere which I like, but sax is more modern. If I had a great voice I'd love to sing, but I never tried. Oh maybe someday when I won't be soloing on sax... :-D
Tell me everything I should know. How is it played, how flexible is it, is it mostly used for solos since you can't take chords on it I guess, can you only use it in jazz, reggae/ska and some rock, what's needed to become a good sax player (nonsmoker and big longs?), what's to be avoided, should I start with an alt sax, is it useful to play a clarinet first, is it difficult to learn/master, do you use sheet music often or is it "easy" to play by hearth or improvise, what's difficult/easy on a sax...?
It's not an idea I take light-hearted. I'm not gonnan start a new instr. just like that; I should be well informed first. OTOH the sax always had this mystical aura to me. I'm finding out now how much it's worth and if it would fit me. Plus I'm a Belgian, like it's inventor ;-)