The saxophone is such a wonderful instrument. It is the ONE instrument I found myself wanting
to learn more than any of the others in high school. I’m not sure if these feelings were before the Kenny G phenomenon, or after, but I remember the feelings very well. The saxophone was “cool.” The straining sounds coming from it were not matched in other instruments-at least not in my opinion. There is just something that calls to you when you hear a great sax player. Kenny G made a whole album-successfully-of sax music. I owned it, and I’m proud to say it! It was great music that evoked all the emotions you want to get out of music; happy, melancholy,bluesy, jazzy. The sax really does have it all!
Some things to note when learning to play at in home saxophone lessons: Get a good teacher!! In home saxophone lessons become invaluable in staring off with good habits, and breaking any bad ones thatmight have developed while messing with the sax yourself. Be patient with yourself. This is not a race, it is a journey. It takes time to develop the sounds you hear from your radio and albums. Learning to play a reed instrument has some tricky elements, but a great in home saxophone teacher can help you get over that first learning hump so you can start to make music!
Six Steps to Help Get You Started
- Get a decent mouthpiece. A Rico Graftonite or
Yamaha is a good start - Get some decent 2 or 2.5 reeds. Rico orange box
are OK for the job - Have your horn checked over to make sure that it
isn’t leaking or doesn’t need anything else. Even new horns need to be set up when you first get them. This is especially tru if you get it through an online source. Get if fixed up if necessary after your tech tells you what it needs. Nothing is harder t learn on that a horn that is leaking or needs some other small work. That small thing can lead to hours of frustration. - Take some in home saxophone lessons. A great teacher will make all the difference, and as I stated above, they can develop good habits, and also break any bad ones they see forming. In the long run,
again, this will save you much aggravation.
- Recognize that sometimes what you hear on recordings is also added in the studio, and player’s real sound is different than what you hear. Processing and effects can do a lot to alter a saxophone’s sound.
- Remember this is fun and enjoy the process. Fun doesn’t always mean easy, but parts of it can be easy. Rewarding, definitely!
Finding a Saxophone
There are some great music stores in the Denver area that sell saxophones. Music and Arts in Englewood has a nice selection of instruments. Kolachny music of Denver is one of my favorite music stores. They also do a great job of getting instruments out to the schools at the beginning of the year so kids can try them out and see what they might like to play. This store offers rentals as well. Salespeople in these stores are there to answer your questions and help pick out an instrument for you and the different things that you need, i.e. reeds, wax-that will help you be successful in playing. Craigslist is always a good resource for instruments. Use common sense, of course, when buying anything online or from an individual, but the trombone I have in my house now came from a nice gentleman who listed it on craigslist. We
met at the post office, and now I have an instrument!
So many possibilities. If saxophone playing was on your list like it was mine, than now is the time to pursue. There are some great teachers for music lessons in the home near the Denver area who can help you get started and music a part of your life!
Are you ready to get started?
Image #2 sourced from (saxproonthego.com)
Image #3 sourced from (zacharymusic.com)
