FRUSTATION in practising

[MrZ]

I have been playing/ practising for about ten months. I play tenor yts 475. I don't have a teacher as i can't afford. My tone & embocure is OK. It is getting a little frustated at this moment for my progress. Practice average about 1 1/2 -2 hrs a day. My practise regime consist of longtones & exercises from Eric marienthal Jazz exercise, learning arpegios, memorising cromatic & major scales ascending & descending for entire range in 12 keys. I always feel that I can't progress to other mode as I have't master major mode. sight read from any exercise well but slow. My main concern is, no matter how much effort in practising the exercises, when come to the real thing, playing along with program music, my improvisation sucks! I can't memorise any pattern from the exercise. I just can't digest what I practise.

I hope someone from here will help me in my practising. Is there anythig wrong with my mentality, practise regime? Or can someteachers out there customise my practise regime. Sorry for my bad english.

Thanks in advance.

[Ian]

I wish I could find 1 1/2 hours a day to practice....
Don't be too hard on yourself. I've been playing for around 7 years, and am a reasonable pianist, and still often feel that my improvisation sucks.
A few months is a very short time towards mastery of an instrument, or even beginning to get to grips with improvisation.

Listen, listen and listen some more to the sort of music you like. Continue practicing the basics: scales, long tones, arpeggios etc through the different scale groups. Sounds like you read music, so play lots of pieces, including classical repertoire. Eventually pick up your horn while you are listening to your kind of music. Keep things real simple to start. Not too many notes. You'll find that you are making your own licks, not trying to squeeze a pattern you may have practiced into a place it doesn't fit.

And if it takes you many years to get where you want to be, just enjoy the ride!!

DIsclaimer: not a professional musician or teacher, just someone else who is walking the same road!!

[gary]

MrZ, welcome to the club. a VERY BIG club LOL. I've had monster players tell me that they're never satisfied with their solos. I think it's a mtter of degree, of course, but it's something we all share.

I've had moments improvising, when I thought I did a really good job, but I also know that's in reltionship with what I can and can't do. Don't get discouraged. It's all part of the game.

Also, plateaus are common when learning an instrument. One just has to be patient and trust that eventually a breakthrough will come...until the next plateau LOL.

Don't worry about it :wink:

[isjazzjazzis]

You've only been playing 10 months!!! Good determination, but be realistic, you've got a lot of work ahead of you, it doesn't just happen overnight. You're probably making great progress, just not as fast as you would like. Keep at it, and remember it's only music. Can't take this **** too seriously.

[Claus]

Put some fun into your practise regime!

Long tones and scales are very important, but take some of your time to play around a bit. Take some melodies you know and like and try to learn them by heart. Start to alter them slightly by adding some grace notes or changing the rhythm. Then start to replace certain parts of the melody-line with your own ideas.

Don't be too harsh with yourself. You have come very far for the short time you are playing.

[MattC]

You are experiencing what all good students experience - that you aren't ready to move on because you haven't "perfected" what you are currently working on.

But here's the rub. After 10 months of study, you are most probably incapable of "perfecting" it. Let me put it another way, it may be "perfect" for you current level of playing. This is part of what a good teacher does - they tell you when to move on. Even though you may think you're not ready to, they see your progress on a level that you may not, and they also see how future excersizes might enable you to play current material better. Does this make any sense?

Now this isn't to say that you should sluff off, you shouldn't - strive for perfection everytime you pick up your horn, but keep your progress in perspective. This is very difficult to do on your own, if this is your first instrument (heck, even if it isn't it's hard to do!)

I serioulsy can't believe that anyone can't get lessons - but maybe I'm being naive. If you truly can't afford it, approach a local pro anyway and beg and or barter. If you're an older player maybe you can barter professional services, if you're a kid, maybe you can barter household/yard chores. Whatever, if you're determined I am certain that there is a sax player near you that would AT LEAST be willing to provide some guidence.

MattC