[motteatoj]

I know it comes with the territory, and happens to all of us (I think), but man o man I had one of those days where nothing sounded right yesterday.

You know, where you stare at the horn in disbelief, look for parts that have fallen off to blame, then curse your tech, then stare at the reed, then throw it out and replace it, then try another brand of reed, then go back to original reed, adjust it 4 times, then stare at the mouthpiece for a while, then adjust your sax strap, then try playing something else, then want to scream and consider throwing horn out the window.

Thank goodness I had to go away for 2 days for work.
But that horn and reed better behave right when I get back!

 

[AddictedToSax]

Happens to everyone. It's just part of the game. I don't know how others deal with it but I figure there's no reason to keep banging my head against the wall if it's one of those days. Better to find something else to do. But then, if I were a gigging player and had to learn several songs for the next gig or if I was a student with an exam deadline I'd press on and make the best of it. Even on a crappy day you can work on technical stuff like scales and arpeggios. edit - Even if you can't get a decent sound you can work on smooth fingerings etc.

 

[lostcircuits]

Take the key leaves out and it'll be fine

 

[AddictedToSax]

Take the key leaves out and it'll be fine

Oh yeah, that would help.

 

[jgreiner]

Been there, done that and had the bag of chips. ;-)
It's been almost 30 yrs since I graduated college (egads), but I'm still waiting for Berklee to bill me for the music stands I destroyed in the practice rooms when I was there. If memory serves me correctly, I think I pretty much trashed two of 'em. In hindsight, that was pretty colossally stupid, but I'm glad I took my frustrations out on the music stands instead of my horn!
Welcome to the club!

 

[10mfan]

This is why I always practice in a room that has no windows. 😀

Hang in there. Step away from the horn and come back fresh after your break.

 

[motteatoj]

Oh yeah, that would help.

Has happened! But hard to blame them from 3 feet away!

 

[Dr G]

Time for a walk and a cookie

 

[ZootTheSim]

Switch to alto or clarinet for a while. Usually does the trick for me. If that fails, grab a drink, put an LP on the platter, and contemplate the changes.

 

[B Flat]

Lucky they keep me locked up in this padded room.
No Windows and they won’t let me have a neck strap.

 

[craigmultireedguy]

It's funny, the days I want to throw my horn out the window are the days I struggle with stupid, abnormal technique issues, and almost never does tone become a problem. Regardless, I feel your pain. I'd just take the day off, do something enjoyable and get right back on the horse the next day.

 

[JL]

It all goes with the territory, so to speak. Just persevere. There's a reason many (most?) people who start learning a musical instrument never get far before they quit.

 

[Keith Ridenhour]

I mostly am good with my progresss but sometimes Ill make a jump in my hearing and recognise how much I cant do. Then I'll get depressed and realize that theres a reason my heros put in days and days of many hours of practice to get where they are and you can't imitate 8 hours a day as a kid with 90 minutes a day as an adult. That and my 65 year old mind will wander more that it used to. So I'll be in a solo and forget the song or wonder why the room is a certain color. Then grab my a"" and get back to the solo. Id say physical stuff makes playing more of a chore but you don't see older people in sports so music seems to be a place we can still contributeK

 

[motteatoj]

A nice, short 2-day business trip cured me!
Just as in soloing, sometimes silence is best I guess.

 

[Grumps]

This is why I always practice in a room that has no windows.

Funny, I just realized that I too practice in a windowless room. But I have reached the point of frustration where I wanted to slam the horn on the ground and stomp it into the floor. That was with a quirky 10M though. Got rid of it and life's been sweet since.

 

[DarrellMass]

When I would have one of those days, in the past, I would put the horn away and not touch it for several days. Then, when I did finally pick it up again, I was always convinced that I was playing much better, after spending the time away from it. Obviously, you can't keep doing that for very long, without totally losing it.
I've since stopped doing that, mainly because I don't have many of those days, and if I do start to, I play my way out of it.
That's funny Grumps, I was attributing my better days to my more recently arrived 10M! With the NV 5* Tone Edge, I'm wailing on that thing, now! (Relatively speaking, for a rookie)

 

[Grumps]

That's funny Grumps, I was attributing my better days to my more recently arrived 10M!

Well, that horn just wasn't right for me. And that's where the frustration set in. I REALLY wanted that horn to be for me. So badly that I went out of my way to make it work for me. And when I put it aside for a while in favor of another tenor, going back to it brought back all that previous frustration. So rather than throw it out the window... I threw it on Ebay.

 

[DarrellMass]

I guess that's why there are so many professional models that are considered for purchase when trying to find a horn that suits you? Could I find something better than a 10M? Maybe, but I'm comfortable and happy with it, for now, and I can't see spending more money to find something that 'might' be better. So far, the 10M doesn't hold me back in any way I can discern. It probably won't, for as long as I own it.

 

[area51recording]

With all due respect, you guys have no idea! I played trumpet for 20+ years before I ever picked up a sax. Did the whole drill: All State Band, studied at university, played lots of gigs. On the days that THAT thing abandoned me (about once a week or so) I barely could figure out what end of the damn horn I should be blowing into....I've never experienced that kind of frustration playing sax, not once in 32 years.....

 

[motteatoj]

With all due respect, you guys have no idea! I played trumpet for 20+ years before I ever picked up a sax. Did the whole drill: All State Band, studied at university, played lots of gigs. On the days that THAT thing abandoned me (about once a week or so) I barely could figure out what end of the damn horn I should be blowing into....I've never experienced that kind of frustration playing sax, not once in 32 years.....

I used to play trumpet too, and, you are correct, I do remember looking at my horn in utter disbelief a LOT more than the sax.