Because this is very good advice. I play the saxophone and the viola and they taught me the same exercise on both instruments. Congrats, keep up the good work!
_"We tend to overestimate what we can learn in a day, but also tend to underestimate what we can do in a month."_ - some random guy on the internet who happens to play sax.
You are doing something not many people do in the education community! You are showing people what it means to practice slow, and to have purposeful practice, by demonstrating these concepts and making them less theoretical. There are lots of things in this video that would take students a lot of time to figure out, through trial and error and lots of disappointment, such as the different grouping of notes. By providing this guidance you are doing many of us a huge favor bro. Thank you very much for a unique approach
I'm always asked for memory tips for learning music. Dude, some of these techniques are some really clever strategies to help you learn the music you're playing. Thanks for this!
Nelson Dellis Hey man, I actually have a lot of advice when it comes to memorizing and internalizing music if you ever want to meet on campus and talk about it!
We talkin' about practice? Not the saxophone that I love and play so much, but practice? Not the sax that I can't stop playing because I have a passion for it, but practice? We talkin' about practice?!?! PRACTICE?!?!?
you’ve become my go to saxophone channel :) this video was very helpful and I love your way of teaching! ever since I’ve gotten into more advanced stuff, i’ve felt stuck in the same place and feel lost for how to improve. I really want to work on my jazz sound/technique and improv (I don’t even know where to start for improv or jazz) and also some classical technique as well!! Could you do some videos about those??
Worth it!! He’s super hilarious and now i want to read all descriptions of hia videos hahahahah!! Reminds me of my friend’s descriptions to parties... it goes waaay off tooic which makes it even better!!!
@Saxologic we should start a trend to "normalize" sounding bad in the practice room i.e. playing wrong notes or using awkward fingerings, bad tone, taking breaths in wrong places, etc. A lot of people including myself are afraid of practicing because we're afraid to be wrong, so something like a challenge to post a video of the worst sounding (but productive) practice routine would help diminish that fear. It is both humbling and encouraging to see that even the advanced players make mistakes.
The setting goal,he’s right,I took an hour to learn my Lip trills on trumpet,parents got annoyed but didn’t mind,took 10 minutes break,practice another hour,and I today I can do it faster every day
I want to thank you. I am restarting learning the saxophone. Started learning in 4th grade and played till 8th grade. I tried off and on during high school but that was hard. There was no one else to play with and now I am 43 and on dialysis 3 times a week. I need to get back into this so I can play in church
What are your thoughts on practicing technique with a book vs without? For instance, I like to use my ears to figure out fourths instead of reading the notes. Do you think that's detrimental or helpful to technique? Should I start with sheet music and then switch to memory? Also, with full range technique, should I include altissimo? My altissimo is inconsistent and doesn't always come out when I need it to...
Yes, definitely include altissimo if you want to get better at playing that. The only way to make altissimo feel more natural is by treating it as if it is no different from the rest of the range. It helps to set a target highest pitch though, so you know exactly how far to go up during your practice session. So you basically want to replace F# as your highest note with whatever altissimo note you feel should be highest. For me that's C, everything above C is so flexible tuning wise that it doesn't make a lot of sense to practice those notes; I'm basically using just my embouchure at that point to reach notes instead of different fingerings.
altissimo (imo) is not anything you should focus on if you haven't pretty must mastered fundamentals, and if you're asking for how to practice, I'm quite sure you're not ready to start working on altissimo, it's not an important part of playing, at least not anywhere near the fundamentals are
I will add my $0.02. I’m learning everything strictly by ear because I have played piano and bass and guitar. With bass I used to be a great reader and had crappy ears. It took ages for my ears to catch up. I want to avoid that. I do know from guitar that I’m lazy to add in the reading though (never have quite mastered the note naming on the B string). So maybe it depends on your goals and what’s important to you? For me I want a good connection to the horn with my ear without having to think at all so that’s my first focus. If I ever want to become a good reader I know I will have a lot of make-up work to do. As an older student who needs a few years before I’m ready to consider joining a big band that’s not an issue for me. I think the point of saxologic’s method is to ingrain it into muscle memory so that you don’t have to think about it, whichever way you started to learn it.
Yes, saxologic, i wanna play Smash Bros. Man, how can i subtitle your videos to Portuguese Brazil? I saw a guy asking for it and i'm brazilian, i can do it
Help, I saw a utube visit with you and a sax student friend traveling to the Jean Paul sax shop in Miami, and also playing a tenor and you on an Alto. Do you know, does the staff at Jean Paul allow a buyer like me living in Palm Bay Fl to drive down and play a couple of horns before buying? Thanks. Please tell me your name as well.
Youre an amazing divine soul for posting these to help is beginners out. Thank you for your presence and energy, Essssspecially your comedic inserts, facials, and how you create such an ease to watch video from beg-end. The fact that you post the mess ups gives me hope to continue to better myself.
Is that my impression, or every time you finish the phrase I hear "I will always love you" of Whitney Houston? Thank you for this video, I will use these tricks in my studies for saxophone. This reminds me to be patient and don't be anxious to finish fast a music book. Un grande saluto by Italy
Wait!epiphany! You said “let’s find a workout” and it dawned on me that practicing an instrument daily is like a physical workout..what’s the WOD? Those music excerpts are like “let’s do 5 sets of 5 reps bicep curls followed by..”.You know it’s arm day but can choose what workouts will help with the big goal! Just like the small music workouts that get you to chiseling out the music piece!
Hey I bought your book I've been watching you for a while so I decided to take a look I wouldn't mind fighting you in smash btw my name is Kyle I can't wait to steel your cash. Pay
Practicing slow is the first thing we are told in music school. But yeah, this video is basically free lessons. And the method is basically the same with any other instrument. I could do the same thing with a piano.
Holy crap this is one of the clearest and most honest practice aid video ever. As I Clarinet player shredding through baermann exercises (college freshman woo) this is an EXTREMELY helpful video. Thank you
So something I feel like we as players don’t hear enough about it proper hand technique. You did mention it in the video, but I think many people don’t care nearly as much about it as they should. If you truly want to improve your technique, you need to start playing at a tempo slow enough not that you can just play it, but you can reduce finger movement as much as possible, keeping your fingers on the keys, inside the cup of the pearl, and making sure your pinkies stay on the pancake keys, as well as keeping your palm touching the palm keys. And something I learned recently from mpulse is to make sure your fingers are moving only from the second joint, if that makes sense. Making sure that doing all of this is a priority in your playing can seriously benefit your technique.
Fair enough! Though, I’ve seen some really weird technique that works for some people. Like, Melissa Aldana. Her fingers look awful when she plays, but when you close your eyes and listen, her lines are incredible fluid and even. But of course, I still do agree with you. My left hand pinkie needs a lot of work. It’s double jointed and it twitches when I move it in a certain way. I’m still gradually working on it.
Please never stop making you try be videos man, you are gonna get big you just have to wait a bit, you’ll probably be close to 100k by the end of the school year maybe more
you are so talented it’s untrue!! im jealous 😊 i’m a grade 8 classical saxophonist and i was looking to get into jazz, any mouthpieces you recommend that are affordable? 🎷🎼x
Nathan, I know I’m 3 years late on this, but this is so valuable. I have a piece in a concert band currently and the composer writes the saxes like we are flutes and clarinets! Pages of flying sixteenth notes going at 160. Holy crap, DUDE. Needless to say, I’m struggling. Speed is my kryptonite. So this will come in real handy…albeit tedious….but I understand the gains to be had. As to the point you make in this video, practice is usually not glamorous. Ah, but this is life. With greater work comes the greater gains. 😊 Btw loving you over at JLV! Just bought your standards course. Looking forward to taking it on!
Dude. You are extremely talented. Just got a sax alto, Im currently looking for people like you to get inspired and learn all I can. Cheers from Brasil!
I really appreciate the video and how you show your mistakes. A lot of times I feel really bad about my sound and intonation, and just everything about playing in general, even though I practice about more than an hour a day. Thanks for the motivation.
Hey Kat you cleared the path for learning technique on the horn for so many of us newbies… including myself… rock on… Your illustrations make it all much more approachable Andy Sr./pops
I haven't played flute seriously since 10th grade. I picked it up again last year after... but I reeeeeaaaalllllllyyyyyy want to learn how to play jazz flute !!! I've found a brilliant jazz flute professor youtube.. But my playing just isn't ready for his level of teaching. (I only know major and minor scales and my articulation and music fundamentals are lacking.. and I suuucckkk at reading rhythms, but I'm no where near a beginner either.... But your videos are the perfect level for me!!! I'm not lost when your discussing musical concepts and I'm learning new things too!! Keep going brother !!!!
Hi their, Being a drummer I wanted to play a second instrument and since a second drum wasn't an option I've learned to play the saxophone but all together that must have been more than 20 years ago. I'm looking to purchase an alto-saxophone but I wonder, will I be able to regain the skill's I had back than? Question, your book 'Comprehensive exercises for all 12 major scales, where can it be purchased from? Like your instruction method very much so will certainly be subscriber. Thank you.
Dude You’re a groovy trip. You’re as serious and goofy as a classic looney toon cartoon character. Which yes, It’s how life should be, animated with happiness. You stay the way you are and I’ll continue to follow your sax tip leads. ✌️🙏😳🕉😉😉
Hello, great that you have your instrument back, and fully ! I ll try to take your advices in a general way (cause not saxplayer); thanks for this informativ and cool video! Have a nice day
I know we’re probably the same age or you’re a little younger, but I would love to take a zoom lesson with you just to pick your brain about how you approach saxophone practice. I’m conquering scales every day using this strategy! Again, thanks!
They need this book for clarinet because I am too lazy to transpose and transcribe these exercises. LOL. I can play them without the music but I LIVE for an organized book with sections.
It looks like you're reading this, but I'm guessing you know your F# major scale, so what's the advantage of reading rather than thinking though the exercise?
Very interesting,but are you saying we should learn all our major scales first,before doing this sort of practicing? ive been playing for 3 years now Tenor,,also interested in buying your book,,Thanks!
Damn bro, thanku so much for showing ur soul, and i mean the video, not only the description haha. Now i know im not alone. PS. I do want to play smash, saludos de México!
hey man thank you for your video. really helpful!! I was wondering how would apply your method when there is a mixture of eighth notes, triplets, sixteenth... ?
I legit returned to this video so I could use this for a homework assignment for my Literature and Pedagogy class. Thanks. PS your subscriber count nearly doubled in the 6 months since this video was made
Hi man, I just found your channel, very interesting and cool guy. I start jazz 4 years ago and still don't really know where to start, thanks for the vids, oh and I'm a guitarist
What would you use for practicing extended scales above 16ths at 176 or so I feel like everything I do until that speed is not perfect be pretty clean I would say and I’m having a lot of trouble passing the barrier?
You cant run the walk. Think about that ... To learn to run, play in your goal tempo just as many notes as its comfortable at that moment. If its two notes? Play that at your goals tempo. Then loop a new part with note 3rd & 4th note looping. After that combine the first two notes with the 3rd & 4th. Do this for the rest. After a while you can train in larger note groups :-)
hey saxologic, sometimes when i heard you play long tones I think the notes sound weird, and the reason im pointing this out is because when i play high octave long tones, they sound weird like yours. But when you play a jazz lick with those same notes. It sounds more beautiful and full, how is it that the same note can sound bad by itself, but good on a eight note line? I always doubt my tone when playing those high long tones.
