Question:
How long from absolute beginner to non frustrated player?

-Manny

My Response:

Frustration really depends more on your attitude than your level of playing.

You can view practicing as part of a journey and a set of challenges that are fun. Or you can think of yourself as sounding terrible and needing tons of work.

I would say you want to always challenge yourself, that is how you get better. But some may view challenges as frustrations. If so, the challenges/frustrations never end if you want to continue to improve.

The greatest saxophone players always keep pushing themselves and challenging themselves. Sometimes it is likely that things will be a little frustrating.  Most of the time, if you enjoy music, the challenges will be something that you can have fun with.

If your question is more about skill level, that depends on what your goals are. To play a few songs decently well could take 20 hours of practice. To become one of the best in the world would very likely take a lifetime. Most people will probably have a goal somewhere in that range.

Think about what you want to do and work to get there. Enjoy the process, otherwise, maybe it’s not worth the time.

What are your goals with playing the saxophone?