I’m 75 and about to learn how to play the sax. Life long dream. My mother made me learn the piano for 7 years and would tell me that young ladies don’t play the saxophone!!!!! Now I’m old it doesn’t matter. Have a lovely alto. I enjoyed listening to u. Thank you.
Thanks for the great video! I'd like to support what you are saying here and maybe share a technique that has helped me tremendously! It's so important and overlooked by newer players. For those who have until now mostly practiced without a metronome, please understand that using it regularly in your practice can make the difference between sounding amature vs professional, and understand that doing so will reduce the amount of time it takes to learn something right. Here's the deal: Most beginning players learn things the hard way because they build into their muscle memory all the mistakes, forcing them to relearn the muscle memory later the correct way. If you slow down what you are learning and play it perfectly (rhythm and notes) from the very beginning, you build the correct muscle memory from the start and don't have to unlearn anything. This cuts down the time to get something sounding professional verses the normal way you may have been practicing. For example: Student 1: 1. Doesn't use metronome much. 2. Tries to play his scales, licks, whatever, at a speed beyond his ability to play perfect (this is how most people start). 3. He builds into his muscle memory all the problems of not playing it perfectly (imprecise rhythms on difficult intervals, etc). 4. He eventually realizes there are some rhythmic problems in certain difficult parts that make him sound amateurish. 5. Finally slows down and wood sheds the more difficult parts, but unlearning the existing muscle memory takes significant time and repetition. 6. Finally replaces existing muscle memory with more precise muscle memory, and works it up to speed. 7. He may actually not recognize some problem areas because he has never played them right. (record yourself and listen back to discover) So this student may sound a bit amateurish anyway and doesn't know it or doesn't understand exactly why. Student 2 (using the incremental metronome technique): 1. Uses the metronome every day while practicing. 2. Starts whatever he is practicing with the metronome very slowly as long as it's slow enough he can play it perfectly (even if it sounds tedious that way). 3. Boosts the metronome up faster a little at a time (a few bps) but doesn't go faster until he can play it perfectly 3 times in a row at the slow speed. Any single failure to play it perfectly he immediately drops the metronome slightly slower and starts over. The point is to avoid building bad muscle memory while identifying the problems. He also records himself and periodically listens back to double check he is playing it perfectly and not missing anything. 4. As he plays it perfectly repeatedly faster and faster, certain problem intervals or more difficult parts make themselves known. He may choose to woodshed those specific parts independently using the same technique. 5. Because student 2 doesn't have to unlearn existing bad muscle memory, he gets it perfect faster, is more aware of his existing technical issues, and is more likely to sound professional. Hope this helps someone! :)
I just bought a Sondery ProBeat and am using it for the first time as a beginner saxophone student. I am learning how to play from videos by Jay Metcalf. His lessons are great, but your intro to the metronome was better than his, so thanks for a great video. I look forward to learning from you as well.
Yup, only thing he said during the whole video to illustrate the how was "Long tones 8 counts on each note"... Video cuts out... "You get the idea"... Lol.. No Nigel, I do not. Didn't even illustrate what he meant by long tones or the count... At least we know that we can understand if we sign up for his classes, ya? Lol..
Absolutely wonderful advice, something no teacher had ever suggested to me and it seems SO OBVIOUS!!!!! When I've gone into lessons or solos I've rushed on occassion due to time pressure or performance pressure changing my internal metronome. I hadn't internalized the rhythm as well as I had thought. Thank you.
Yes, two years ago I really launch my metronome against the wall! It was very frustrating. Now I can't tell you that I'm loving it (a new one, of course!), but I can bear it...not too much, but I can do it.
I use ProMetronome. It's like having a musical traffic cop monitoring my practice session. I try to play scales and exercises in rhythm but also on a particular beat. The metronome lets me know if I'm able to remain on the right beat (count) after a breath, when changing keys, etc. I find that I can play in rhythm but unfortunately I have a tendency to get ahead, or fall behind in count. As James Brown might say, "You're not hitting it on the one." I'm getting better but have a long way to go.
Good to hear you’re making progress. I think the fact that you know you are ahead or behind means you are getting more aware of your timing. It’s a gradual process - stick at it!
I have a metronome but sometimes the clicking of the metronome is distracting so I turn it off. I first tried having it on but my horn drowns out the sound. I then tried it within my headset is was distracting when playing notes that are played more than once between clocks such as 1/8 notes. I really need to start using it whenever I practice because now I play notes that are familiar to me faster than those that are not. Thanks for this tip.
Hi Nigel, I am still wondering to use.. I know, everywhere written, must.. Still just thinking about it - my mistakes I much more visible.. :-)). What is your idea to use drum beats instead (or substitute) standard metronom? or some simple play along? Another question: should you please make video about play along devices? especially iReal Pro - Music Book & Backing Tracks - application for android for example. How to use it - best practices.. many thanks, for video as well. Alex.
Have you tried the ReedGeek Klangbogen yet? I've only heard good things about it, but actual testimonials online are pretty scarce and none are really from people I know or trust. It would be nice if somebody I'm more familiar with could offer an opinion on it.
