[themacintrasher]

Here is a good recording of me playing in a quartet. We're playing Steve Swallow's "Falling Grace." Not my absolute best playing, but not too bad. Let me know what you guys think. I just graduated high school and am going on to pursue a degree in music at Loyola New Orleans. Thanks!
https://soundcloud.com/johnbouwsma%2Ffalling-grace

 

[Wade Cornell]

Wish I played that well out of HS. You've got a fairly solid tone and know your way around the sax. You don't sound too tentative which generally equates to confidence. These are all good qualities that will be the foundation on which you can build.

What needs work (IMHO) is to be communicating something more personal through your horn. It's not just about tone and playing the right notes. The sax has the greatest potential to communicate of any instrument other than the human voice. This comes through subtleties of dynamics, phrasing, and variations in tonal qualities, like a human voice. Only wind instrument players can do this easily and effectively.

Your playing (although technically correct) wasn't much different than the guitarist (who also lacked feeling). By contrast the bass player communicated much more in his playing. This is like being out-run by a guy with one leg. Try singing what you have played, but NOT trying to sing AS YOU HAVE PLAYED IT. Listen to how different your phrasing, slurs, attacks etc. are. When intensively learning and practicing an instrument, being technically correct/accurate becomes the emphasis at the expense of personal expression. No need to unlearn anything though, just time to add to what you have learned and express yourself.

What you have plus some feeling and expression will make you a killer.

 

[GT]

Sounds good, John. I would guess you've been in the shed! Nice job. BTW, as bright as it is, I'm still liking the Custom Z.

 

[themacintrasher]

Sounds good, John. I would guess you've been in the shed! Nice job. BTW, as bright as it is, I'm still liking the Custom Z.

I'm glad it's working for you! Wasn't my cup of tea so I'm glad I passed it on to someone who's playing it!

 

[themacintrasher]

Wish I played that well out of HS. You've got a fairly solid tone and know your way around the sax. You don't sound too tentative which generally equates to confidence. These are all good qualities that will be the foundation on which you can build.

What needs work (IMHO) is to be communicating something more personal through your horn. It's not just about tone and playing the right notes. The sax has the greatest potential to communicate of any instrument other than the human voice. This comes through subtleties of dynamics, phrasing, and variations in tonal qualities, like a human voice. Only wind instrument players can do this easily and effectively.

Your playing (although technically correct) wasn't much different than the guitarist (who also lacked feeling). By contrast the bass player communicated much more in his playing. This is like being out-run by a guy with one leg. Try singing what you have played, but NOT trying to sing AS YOU HAVE PLAYED IT. Listen to how different your phrasing, slurs, attacks etc. are. When intensively learning and practicing an instrument, being technically correct/accurate becomes the emphasis at the expense of personal expression. No need to unlearn anything though, just time to add to what you have learned and express yourself.

What you have plus some feeling and expression will make you a killer.

That's exactly what I've been trying to work on. I feel like my ears aren't very strong and I play based more off theory than actual musicality.

 

[Wade Cornell]

I don't know who you can work with on this as it's a personal journey. Sounds very simple (and too often said on this forum) but trying to match what you sing with your playing is where you want to go. Maybe give standards a rest and play with people who are doing their own thing. This may take you away from the routine of chord changes and what you have practiced. Ask yourself how you feel about a piece of music and try to convey that in your playing. Tell the story. Also somewhat mechanical is learning how to build climaxes, using dynamics, tone variation, growl, etc. Play with these and see how they FEEL. It's another aspect of vocabulary that can bring your personality together with the horn.

 

[themacintrasher]

I don't know who you can work with on this as it's a personal journey. Sounds very simple (and too often said on this forum) but trying to match what you sing with your playing is where you want to go. Maybe give standards a rest and play with people who are doing their own thing. This may take you away from the routine of chord changes and what you have practiced. Ask yourself how you feel about a piece of music and try to convey that in your playing. Tell the story. Also somewhat mechanical is learning how to build climaxes, using dynamics, tone variation, growl, etc. Play with these and see how they FEEL. It's another aspect of vocabulary that can bring your personality together with the horn.

I feel like it's something that just takes time and musical maturity. I've been trying to build solos more lately, and that solo is even a better example than many solos I have taken. I had a teacher that made me very aware of it, but I'm still on a quest to try to really master building solos and play with a band, not over them.

 

[toughtenor]

I feel like it's something that just takes time and musical maturity. I've been trying to build solos more lately, and that solo is even a better example than many solos I have taken. I had a teacher that made me very aware of it, but I'm still on a quest to try to really master building solos and play with a band, not over them.

I'd say you are well on your way then, if you keep that in mind you WILL improve.
and yes , it does take time and effort. and listening a lot.
just keep pushing forward and don't forget to enjoy the ride.
I liked the track, at some moments your intonation was a tiny little off but not to the extend it really bothered me. It reminded me of some Dexter notes in fact.
(been listening to him lately ?)
In some eight note lines your tongue gets in the way sometimes. Maybe using a little less tongue an play more legato would give you better results.Practicing REALLY slowly
and legato and let your fingers do the timing instead of your tongue might be worthwhile at this stage.
But overall I really liked the track, I can hear you are working in the shed. It pays of.

 

[themacintrasher]

I'd say you are well on your way then, if you keep that in mind you WILL improve.
and yes , it does take time and effort. and listening a lot.
just keep pushing forward and don't forget to enjoy the ride.
I liked the track, at some moments your intonation was a tiny little off but not to the extend it really bothered me. It reminded me of some Dexter notes in fact.
(been listening to him lately ?)
In some eight note lines your tongue gets in the way sometimes. Maybe using a little less tongue an play more legato would give you better results.Practicing REALLY slowly
and legato and let your fingers do the timing instead of your tongue might be worthwhile at this stage.
But overall I really liked the track, I can hear you are working in the shed. It pays of.

My sound is based mostly of Dex than anyone else, no matter who I've been listening to, and I listen to a lot of sax players. I try to bring across a lot of Coltrane in my sound but the Dex is always the main thing.