[Loverboy3000]

Hey guys, I'm trying to be consistent with my practicing and would like to know a few different routines to get a good idea of what exactly to practice. Thanks!

 

[Ambaryerno]

This is what I've been doing lately:

1) 5 minutes of just blowing one note. Hold it for as long as you can while keeping a steady, consistent sound. Do this with a tuner. Keep track of what your embouchure is doing when you're in tune. Also use this time to develop the core sound you're looking for. Breathe when you need to. Do it again. All on the same note. Do a different note every day.
2) Overtone practice. IE fingering Bb1 - C1 - D1 - Eb1 - Bb1 and playing Bb2 - C2 - D2 - Eb2 - F2. Alternating between Bb and B as the base all the way up the horn until you can blow F3 and F#3 while fingering Bb1 and B1, respectively.
3) Vibrato practice. Start with the metronome at 60bpm. Beginning on B2, take 4 beats to bend the pitch down, then 4 beats back up. Work my way down the horn to Bb1, then go from C2 back up the horn. The next day, increase the speed by by one notch on the metronome. When you you've done it at 120bpm, return to 60 on the next day and now do 2 beats down and 2 beats up. Then 1 beat down, 1 beat up, etc. Continue this process until your vibrato is up to speed you want
4) Short patterns/language. I find a sequence of maybe 4-5 notes, whether it's transcribed from a solo, or something I've come up with playing on my own. I then work that pattern in all 12 keys. I've been doubling this exercise with internalizing the Circle of Fourths by starting in C, and working my way around and back again, C - F - Bb -Eb etc.
5) Miscellaneous mechanical practice. Scales, chords, etc. Right now I've been working on bracketing chord tones on all 12 dominant chords.

 

[sax111sax111]

I completely agree

 

[DanPerezSax]

Physical (instrumental) skills
1 Tone - Some variation of overtone/long-tones drill
2 Fingering - dexterity drills
3 Tonguing - tonguing etudes or drills

Musical (conceptual) skills
4 Vocabulary - scales, patterns, licks, etc.
5 Rhythm - counting/subdivision/polyrhythm drills
6 Sight-reading - sightread a tune every day, fast enough to nail about 75% of it, making sure to stay in time until the end
7 Repertoire/Interpretation - Theory, Ear Training, Improv, memorizing tunes, etc. - work on whatever tune(s) need it, apply scales/patterns/licks from vocab practice to changes, work on harmonic patterns, etc. Also burn one tune a day for a few minutes cuz fast tempos need to be practiced to stay viable.

 

[adamk]

All that's very good.
In lieu of jamming/gigging with a group play along with I Real Book tunes to use all those skills you've been working on.

 

[jgreiner]

1. Try to sound like a saxophone
2. Play as many correct notes and rhythms as possible.
3. Repeat #1 and 2 without throwing my horn out the window into a snow bank.

I'm not joking!

 

[Fader]

I mostly do one or more of the following things: I work on specific music for upcoming gigs, play along with backing tracks - stopping them and working out new ideas (or polishing old ones) as I have them, or practice altissimo. I'm ina corporate band that has a couple of hundred songs on the list, and I take the occasional pickup gig so there's always plenty of stuff to work on.

I also have a CD's worth of original sound beds that I'm hoping to one day release as a sax based collection. I endlessly track sax on that but am never satisfied with the results so that counts as practice too...

Practice sessions are not timed but happen most days. Often two or three times a day. I stop when I get bored or tired. I've been really pleased with my results in the past couple of years.

I think the important thing is to play / practice stuff that keeps you engaged.