@@SaxSpy Looking forward to seeing it! Speaking of vlogging - I need a mirrorless camera Obi-Wan-Sax-Knobi. Do I just yank the mirror out of my dslr? does that work?
Dr. Wally thanks so much for touching on efficient fingering. This has plagued my playing since I picked up playing saxophone. I am really looking forward to incorporating this knowledge into my practice so it becomes second nature. You are a champion of efficiency, peace of mind and happiness Dr. Wally. Thanks again :)
Good morning, Dr. Wally, I’ve just finished my Monday morning cup of coffee and I’m looking forward to diving into this month’s lessons. I am also continuing with the January exercises by offsetting them every other day. I want to thank you Dr. Wally for what you are doing for folks like myself who have never had a private instructor who really cared about people as you do. The Bible says “ try the spirit by the spirit “ and though I do not know you personally. I feel a spiritual connection to you every time I listen to your videos. My God continue to bless you and your family? You are truly an inspiration to so many. Respectfully, Lester
When I was in college Kenny Werner’s book “Effortless Mastery” was studied more so than assigned textbooks. He expounds relaxation as an absolute necessity.
Great! Can't wait to start on the new stuff. And thanks for the great listening assignments! I just recently discovered Elgar's cello concerto and loved it! 🙏🙏🙏👏👏👏👍👍👍
Fantastic! Elgar is so gorgeous isn't it? On the subject of Elgar (not to give any spoilers) I miiiiiight have some BIG announcements coming up regarding Elgar and some other classical giants. Almost like there's a method to my madness....almost. Happy practicing, Kurt!!!
Wow! You make learning sax fun. I’m sure you’ve heard it before. I’ve been getting back into playing but older and less enthusiastic to learn it differently. Your the best instructor for my mentally on RU-vid or anywhere I’ve see. Thank you!!!!
btw! Bought the 56' mouthpiece from Windy city woodwinds a year ago, and gotta say its my favorite of all time. Gamechanger. Helped me find my sound (im 20 years old)
Hey, Slow and Steady wins the race (and avoids tendonitis)! Keep up the good work, and have fun, Francis! There's no prize for the practice olympics, just enjoyment my friend!
Great informational video! It’s amazing to have a thorough resource on fundamentals to refresh on, I haven’t directly covered a lot of this since my freshman year of college and even though a lot of it is now in my routine it’s great to have a way to bring it back to the conscious level. The only thing I would add/stress that isn’t here is when working in small chunks as demonstrated, it’s really good to add a half way step of playing the last 2 notes of the first set with the first two of the second so the transition between the two isn’t jarring when combining them into the slightly larger chunk. I really appreciate the work done on this channel, and hope to continue to use it as a resource for both myself and my studio in the future!
Greatest saxophone channel on RU-vid. Dr. Walley Wallace you make great saxophone videos that I show my students just how much fun playing saxophone is compared to the trumpet, trombone, or tuba is. Saxophone is my choice for music.
Thank you! I play saxophone for only 14months now, and explored lots of saxophone technique and sax learning channels on youtube since then. In my opinion you are teaching the very best way to learn to handle this instrument. Thank you for all the advice on hardware, too! And you were completely right with the humourous sidekick comment on reasons (not) to buy silver plated saxophones, Idid not listen and now have to suffer :) Best wishes! Frank ( from Germany)
Thanks Frank! I adore the way silver plating looks! But keeping it cleaned and polished drives me crazy. If they made a silver plated horn that never tarnished, I'd buy it in a heartbeat!
I like breaking down the whole phrase. What I also do is learn the last part of the phrase really well. Then when I come to that bit when I am putting it all together, it feels so much more comfortable, I call it landing. Sometimes I even practice the piece backwards; ie break it down, but learn each part from the end of the song back to the begining. (especially with really difficult parts). Or learn the really hard parts early on in the process
Thanks GS, when someone takes the time to ask a question, I do my best to answer! This platform is a great way to get to know the students, pity more teachers don't use it to build community! You a saxophonist?
Feldenkrais Method help learn to use body better while playing. It’s not just fingers that affect playing, whole body affects it. Stiffness anywhere in the body will make hands tense.
I never knew that fingerings for c#! Thank you for showing me. Now I have to get used to it! It makes me wonder how many other alternative fingerings there are out there that I didn't know about! Thank again!
The great thing about your year long free program is that so far you are only assigning a single "new" scale a month. That means you have the time to even just go up a single metronome click a day and by the end of the month you'll be going way faster than you thought. The best part is that the more scales you get down like this the faster you'll learn the others (especially with how you snuck the scales into the tone exercises in a way that forces you to practice them slowly regardless). There really is a nice method to the madness
Right on, Tristan! I was PERPETUALLY annoyed by a professor who was constantly on the "learn more faster" rampage. He actually threatened to kick me out to his studio because I wasn't learning enough "new material" fast enough. But his other students played with horribly sloppy technique and performed with a complete lack of confidence. Man, grad-school sucked! Now I can take my time and let my students actually MASTER the material. Glad it's helping my friend!
@@drwallysax That guy sounds like the opposite of my professor. I definitely owe you a coffee though, this stuff is great even though you calling that one exercise Exercise 0 is a bit confusing to me at times. My professor has an articulation exercise he calls Exercise 0 that focuses on the air and tongue position
Great stuff, Wally; thanks! One thing to note is that a good strap or harness (and its positioning) will greatly influence relaxation and encourage good technique. The JazzLab SAXHOLDER has been a game changer for me. The horn seems to float, and my technique has improved significantly because I'm more relaxed than I am with a traditional neck strap (even a quality strap like a Just Joe's gel strap). I now like it as much for alto as I do for tenor. If you have back or neck pain, it's an absolute no-brainer. It's not the greatest when used while sitting (especially for tenor), and it's too large to store in the bell of an alto, but other than those two weak points, I can't see myself ever going back to an old-school strap. I love all of the recent videos and the etudes! Thank you!
Hey Aaron - I've heard great things about the exoskeleton thingy. I have a neck like a tree trunk, so I don't mind neck straps. But tons of my colleague love it (and the "breathtaking strap". Hope you're well and getting some practice time these days!
I am an old dog, but I would love to have you as my one to one teacher. I got rid of my tutor and he was a sax player for a group who had No1 hit around the world
Well I thought I was an intermediate player until I started this course. I may be waiting for the beginner course. In the meantime, I'll go back to my bad habits and take my college class on beginning jazz ensemble improvisation. I'm committed to trying to master exercise zero at the same time but I can see that the January assignment will be my groundhog day well past February 2nd. Thank you, I think.... :)
Dr. Wallace. You're a saxophone genius. And I have a dumb question.. but maybe you can give me some hope. So i graduated high school back in'86, was in all the different high school bands.. loved jazz the most. But then i let life kinda get in the way and haven't touched my Mark VI (which my parents found in a pawn shop for $50 for me back in'78) in about 34 years. Anyway... through the magic of RU-vid and talented geniuses like yourself...i feel my poor neglected saxophone calling out to me...Daily.! Seriously calling.! So i think I'm gonna pick it up again. Maybe get a repad. And see what i can do. And i can't stop listening to those mid century sax guys like Zoot Simms. And I'm constantly watching all the saxophone stuff i can find on RU-vid......it's an illness.! I'm sick.! But here's my dumb question: is 52 years old too old? Do you ever see old guys like me make much progress? Or are we maybe in the "old dog" category now😕 I don't even know why I'm thinking about playing music after all these years.. am i alone in this? Or is this some kind of phenomenon that happens to other people too?? Help.
Michael - when the student is ready, the teacher appears. In this case, the teacher appears making silly videos on RU-vid. I LIVE and BREATHE Zoot Sims, Bud Shank, Art Pepper, Al Cohn, Stan Getz, Paul Desmond and the mid-century giants. Are you too old? Oh hell no. If you have the desire, you can get swinging with best of them. Step one - start listening, constantly. RIGHT NOW. Send your horn for an "overhaul" (not a repad) and start working up your technique and sound again. My free course is EXACTLY for people like you. Then, we'll get you transcribing. I will personally assign your first transcription. When you've mastered my instructions, I'll send you another. There is no charge, other than your trust and hard work. Now, put on "That Old Feeling" by the Zoot Sims quartet and find a reputable saxophone technician. I can give recommendations if necessary. Go.
I am in your exact situation. I last played in 1986 after one year of playing at LSU. Although I tried out on sax, they put me on French Horn. I didn't have time to practice both, and before I knew it my sax days were over. My French Horn days were over too, as I really sucked at Horn. So two years ago I dragged the King Super 20 out of the closet and started playing again. How hard could it be? First, my intonation was horrible. My fingers were sloppy. My tone was garbage. I got the Super 20 an overhaul, because something must be wrong with my sax. After all, I was pretty decent before. After the overhaul my intonation was horrible, my fingers were sloppy, and my tone was garbage. To make matters worse, I have partial paralysis in my hands from some disease the doctor's can figure out. Playing actually helps with the paralysis. But for the last two years I made a serious effort. With all of the information available online, it is so much better than back in the 80s. Just pepper your expectations. After 35 years of not playing, be prepared to use vocabulary not appropriate for civilized company. If you are willing to make the effort, it can still be enjoyable. Just be prepared for frustration as well. Oh, and get yourself a tuner app on your phone.
@@ldever3 king super 20..?!! That's awesome. And I'm glad I'm not the only one out there who wants to get back into it after a decades-long break. And for what reason? I have no idea. I doubt I'll ever play in a group again.. but who knows. It's just fun. Maybe a midlife crisis.?
Lowell... one more thought... on your hands. Have you ever heard of, or looked into "focal dystonia"? Lots of musicians deal with it. My dad also has it and it acts up when he plays his banjo. There's therapy for it. Just a thought, although I'm sure you're Dr knows a heck of a lot more than i do...good luck.
Hello. Thank you for your classes. You're a very good comunicator above the good you are as a musicien & teacther! THanks for your help. I can't find the pdf with these exercises you're playing here!!
Good presentation as always, and the jokes. Really hits me. Well Dr. Wally, i think it's too much for asking but the lesson will be more elaborate if you make a video too, about the assignment. Since hard for many of us reading the music score. Thanks, great content as always.
Hi Satria, happy Monday! The course is really intended (as described) for intermediate to advanced saxophonists. It's designed for people who've had several years experience reading music. For my students - that's usually 8th grade to early high school band - having 2-3 years playing a few days a week. Make sense?
Thanks for this, its really going to help my practising. I never knew about that alternate C# fingering but it does help. Although my only issue is that on my alto sax, I can play C# normally without fingers and play it tune but with the alt fingering, its just under 25 cents flat.
I'm doing a fingering or two each month - one big video would test my own patience. But I'll be introducing more in context of the monthly etudes! Happy practicing RGP!
Hey Doc, I started the lessons late and I sure would like a link to access all the videos that supplement and enhance the lessons. Next week I will begin lesson three and am enjoying the daily practise. I also think all the students in the Academy should wear blazers with the schools emblem stitched on.
I am only at 5:38 and tears of laughter are rolling! This is the best you have come up with Doctor. Also content wise. But please tell your students to only write the fingerings on their own music. Please never on a big band part that others might play. And the worst-write the fingerings on their part on a Musical or a big production show that a substitute might have to come in and sight read. That is a recipe for real trouble for the sub. Especially because the reason he/she was called in at the last minute is because of their reputation as the best sight readers around! It is visually a whole bunch of useless information popping up in front trained professional eyes and will slow the flow of ones eyes trained to read at least 2 bars ahead.
Oh! you unlocked a new alt fingering! Cool, that was videogame-y. Now as for the February assignment...who would have expected it for February! :p I´m still half way through January Blues etude so I might be a bit late on this month´s exercises....maybe it´s February 2022? :D
You made me laugh out loud, woderful video and valuable advice. Thanks, Dr Wally! :) P.S. Seriously, I really need to work on my front F fingering, how did you know?!
I'm still busy with my embouchoure. I get tired already after a few Minuten already. This ist creating most of my tense. Will try a different mouthpiece now ( i have a 6, will check of a 5 or 4 fits me better
@@drwallysax i use Hemke strength 2 and La Voz MS. i have talked to a sax shop and they also recommended me to use a softer reed. i try now 1,5. i have ordered a pair of Rico, La Voz, and Vandoren. And it's also cheaper than a new mouthpiece. And a friend of mine owns a reedgeek. Had a look on youtube and it seems it can do magic to any reed. Let's see.....
@@drwallysax Got now 1,5 Reeds and i also borrowed Yamaha TS-4C mouthpiece. Things are much better now. i was able to play the Etude from the January assignment in one go without any embouchure (lovely word but hard to pronounce) issues. Will try now different combinations of my Reeds and mouthpieces. One more thing to tick off my problem list. So i can RELAX!!!! a little more now.
Hi dr. Wally, I am happy to find this video, very informative and useful on my yet very short saxo journey, thank you!! I have a question about fingering, if you could answer I would appreciate it. When I try to go from low C# to low B, or from low C# to low Bb, or from low B to low Bb, my pinky can’t do it fast enough to make a smooth sound, it seems like always pass by C. How can I improve that?
Hey Wally, nice vid again! As well as for the reasons you suggest I use the side keys as intonation correctives. Playing a Selmer SA80 (on both alto and tenor) there is simply no way I’m getting mid Bb,B,C, C# and D in tune without them. My Bb is so flat I have to use Bis with G# which pretty much means sliding off the bis, at least in slow passages. That’s why I’m eyeing off the Supreme!
Thanks for another terrific lesson Dr W! I have a "faulty fingers" question - my fingers work much more quickly pressing the keys than releasing them. Any specific exercises to help this? If it matters, I'll be 78 in a couple of months. Thanks!
Thank you for all your time and effort. I’m really enjoying the structure and challenges of the lessons and etudes. I’m using Anytune to help learn the advanced etudes. How would you suggest advancing in speed? Such as: practice a phrase until it is at 100% speed of demonstration or learn entire etude at 75% and then work up to 100%? Thanks again. I do have one complaint. Your Academy is going to make 2021 blow by.! Happy Valentines Day to you and your family. Peace
I practice slow and I pretend that I could play faster...Are there times you think that you can never reach a certain speed? Thanks again for the amazing Saxophone Fundamentals!
Absolutely know the feeling, John! There's no race, enjoy the journey - practicing is such a pleasure to me that I don't stress. If I get it at tempo, or not, I love this amazing hobby either way. Make sense? Happy practicing, and be patient with yourself!
Sorry, but I'm using the alternate fingering as shown in the video, I'm looking at a tuner while releasing the two fingers and keeping the octave key pressed the tuner shows F# and not C#.
Hi David, not sure what's going on? I've taught this fingering for decades and never experienced that. Just to double check - you're fingering middle D - then just lifting your index and middle fingers on the left hand, correct?
I notice the key signature shows f#, but I notice one of the f notes has a sharp. I thought if they key signature had an f# it wasn't necessary to put sharps on any of the f notes because they were already sharp?
@@drwallysax There's a funny story that Itzhak Pearlman (sp) tells about learning to play pizzicato as a young student. When he was coming to the section in study that had it, his teacher snuck up behind him and screamed "pizzicato!!!". The resulting fear and tremors in his hands led to the proper technique. I guess you have to picture Itzhak demonstrating this with a look of terror on his face as he plays pizzicato. (Kind of a visual joke, but you get the idea) 🙂
I know this is off topic, but I think I learned to tongue wrong. I’m a high school alto sax player, and I’ve been playing for four years ever since 6th grade in middle school to now during late 9th grade year. Instead of touching the reed, I’ve been touching the top of my mouth, sort of like saying the word tu or too. How do I manage to change that?
Great question - long answer. I'll make a video, give me a few weeks (maybe months). There's plenty of good videos around for this I'm sure - search Eugene Rousseau steps to excellence - articulation.
Sorry, but I'm using the alternate fingering as shown in the video, I'm looking at a tuner while releasing the two fingers and keeping the octave key pressed the tuner shows F# and not C#.
It's context dependent. We use both, depending on the passage. It's absolutely not an either/or, but a best fingering for the job. Perhaps your teacher was just suggesting bis for a specific scale/pattern?
I feel guilty that I'm not participating (yet.) I'll have to come back in a couple of weeks and start from the beginning. For some reason when you mentioned the unicorn as a markup symbol, my mind started wondering what custom unicorn engravings on my horn would look like. Oh yeah, one thing NOT to do to foster relaxation is to play on a horn that leaks. I developed a really good grip playing a student Bundy back in my developmental years. A horn tech? What's that?
The gorilla grip used to be a problem for me as well! Obviously we need more unicorn engravings, I'll get us some price quotes. Good to see you, JoAnn! It's been a while, things going well?
On a free day, when you have no prior commitments, even if this is a fantasy day that never exists! How many hours would you practice in that day Mr Wally Wally??
Hey Tom, maybe three hours? When my kids are back in school, that might be a reality. Right now, I get maybe a half hour a few days a week. What about you? How many hours?
@@drwallysax I would say, since I'm not very talented and don't have any kids, if I don't have any other obligations, I'll put in anywhere from 8 to 14 hours. I obviously love to play!😆😆😆
Great video, I wasn’t aware of the C# alternate fingering. I do current write in the Bb alternate fingering to be used in my pieces. It’s good to end the practice with a correct, comfortable run, does this also allow the subconscious to work on the correct, relaxed version instead of the stressed version with mistakes etc.?
I am learning the Ferling Etude No. 30 and I realised that there are a couple of great spots for the alternate C# fingering and, watching a video (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Oc1e55UVmHo.html) I realised Wonki was using this fingering- great stuff 👍
Thanks for the lesson, I didn’t know about the C# fingering or maybe I forgot it. What reed are you playing on? It doesn’t look like cane. Just curious.
Hey Brian! The alto is an older Yamaha 875EX (I had the lacquer removed). The MOUTHPIECE (which I'm in love with) - is a prototype we're about ready to release! I'm beyond excited - it's my favorite mouthpiece (and I have an embarrassingly huge collection) and we're going to offer it at an amazing price...seriously. I'll have a big announcement in a couple of weeks! (and thanks for the compliment, you made my afternoon). :)
@@drwallysax Special offer for all your favourite Academy members, right? ;) Speaking of Windy City mouthpieces, I'd love to hear a comparison between your protoype, their classic and bright models.
