Do you think learning saxophone would be too difficult, or take too long? Read on….
Greg had owned a saxophone for less than three weeks when he had the confidence to share his first video with our Sax School Facebook Community!
First Saxophone
“Buying my saxophone was a spontaneous decision,” says Greg. “Up till now I’ve kept it a secret!”
Buying my saxophone was a spontaneous decision…
Greg has always been a music lover, though he hasn’t really played an instrument before. “I tried saxophone in 5th grade, over 40 years ago, but I never practised so I soon quit,” he explains. “I’ve always loved listening to smooth jazz, but I don’t have a musical background, though my brother and sister are both great musicians.”
Finding Sax School
Greg bought his saxophone on 7th October, and soon found Sax School. “I did what I always do when I want to learn about something – I looked on YouTube!” says Greg. “I watched lots of different videos, but then I found Nigel’s Sax School channel.“
Initially, Greg started learning to play sax with the free beginner course on the McGill Music website. “However, I soon decided to for it, and dive into full membership of Sax School.“
Practice Challenge
Although he decided to buy his sax on the spur of the moment, Greg is taking learning to play sax very seriously. “I decided to start the 30-Day Practice Challenge,” explains Greg. “There were lots of squeaks to begin with!”
Then Greg saw the October Mouthpiece Challenge – learning how to play just your mouthpiece using Carl Raven’s techniques. “I decided to try that, too! I’m spending 5-10 minutes a day playing just my mouthpiece, and I’m improving!”
Sport Connection
Greg’s approach to learning to play sax comes from his experience as a golfer. “I was once taking a lesson from a great golfer and he asked me how much time I spent practising my grip. I thought he was crazy!” explains Greg. “But your grip is your connection with your golf club – just like your mouthpiece is your connection with your sax. So it makes sense to practice that connection.”
Saxophone Goals
It’s early days for Greg but he’s determined to rise to the challenge with his sax. “I want to get a consistent tone, especially when I’m playing octaves,” he says. “I’m sticking with learning to read music too, because I think it will help when I want to learn new songs.”
Greg has a clear idea of what he wants to achieve on his sax. “I want to be able to play my favourite tunes, especially smooth jazz,” he says. “I love that style of music – it’s great for relaxing to. I’d love to be able to play ‘This Masquerade'”.
Like most sax players, Greg wants to get out and play live. “There are some bars locally with open mic nights, so I plan to go down and check them out. Then when I’ve more confident, I can take my sax and join in – it would be great to play with other musicians.”
I’m having a lot of fun!
Saxophone Community
For Greg, a big part of Sax School is the Facebook Community. “It’s great to get to know other sax players and join in the conversations,” he says. “At the end of the 30 Day Challenge I’ll post another video so I can see how I’ve improved.”
” I’m enjoying the sound I’m making,” says Greg – “and I’m having a lot of fun!”
We’re so inspired by Greg’s confidence – Congratulations to Greg on being our Student of the Week!
Get started with Sax School membership today and see how our Student Pathways, Mini Courses, and huge lesson library will help you make massive progress on your sax, wherever you live! Click Here to Get Started!