[Hernan123]

Hi, I am a beginner sax player (late bloomer ) and was thinking of picking up a recorder to help with my sight reading.

Right now, my sax practice is mostly technical stuff, exercises that I read once and then practice many times, so most of the time I am not reading.

I was thinking of getting a the recorder so I can practice reading some easy pieces when away from the sax. Since it's quieter and easier to carry around, that may help me getting more reading done.

I am aware that the fingerings on recorder are different from the sax, I hope that wouldn't be too much of a problem. What do you think?

Also, can you recommend any beginner level reading material to help me improve my sight-reading?

 

[bpimentel]

The recorder is a great instrument with a rich history and repertoire--not just a plastic thing for elementary school kids, like many people seem to think.

I don't discourage you from picking up the recorder, but at a beginning level I can't see that it will do much to help your sightreading on saxophone. My advice would be to improve your reading by playing more saxophone!

The Rubank saxophone methods (beginning, intermediate, advanced) are a good source of useful (though sometimes dull) sight reading material, and you can get them just about anywhere.

Some recorder info:
http://bretpimentel.com/articles/recorder.htm

Best,
Bret

 

[hakukani]

I think playing any instrument is a wonderful idea. Recorder fingerings are very similar to sax fingerings, and reading recorder music can be very satisfying.

However, I would caution against getting an alto recorder. Recorders don't transpose, so, although they use the same 'fingerings' the notes produced by an alto recorder are more similar to the lower register of the clarinet.

Get a soprano or tenor recorder (I would recommend the sop, as it is easier to carry).

Have fun!

 

[Hernan123]

Thanks for the replies. It may not be a good idea to pick up the recorder, if learning the technique is going to be too much of a hassle.

Actually, I am currently using the Rubank elementary book. Any recommendation on some other materials to practice sight-reading?

 

[claxton]

From a very new beginner-- You might try the "Standard of Excellence" series. It is old school band stuff, but does the job. The CDs that go along with it are useful to make sure what you are sight reading really is what is written. I try to do the scales and long tones my teacher has assigned to me, then play the exercises in the Standard of Excellence" book. Some times I use a tuner and metronome, sometimes I use the CD, and sometimes its just me and my Martin.

Sight reading kind of comes and goes for me. It seems to be more a function of my mental alertness and relaxed-ness than anything. But I'm guessing that just simply reading more and more music will improve sight readng, just as more and more reading of letters on a page improves language reading.

Dessert, for right now, is "Cry Me A River" from a the Hal Leonard Jazz and Blues book. I just love playing it, and I still have a way to go before I get the counting just right. But man, is it nice. There are lots of other really good tunes in that book and the backing CD is really good.

 

[Hernan123]

Thanks for the recommendation, I will take a look at the Excellence book.

 

[Ol Danl]

Why not? Plastic soprano recorders are less than $10, they're pretty much impervious to car heat, don't require reeds, have fingerings that are fairly similar to saxophone, and if you break one, you haven't lost anything. Buy several, keep at least one in your car, and pull it out and practice at long red lights.