“Ignorance is bliss.” – Cypher in the Matrix
Musically, some people seem unaware of how they sound and how they interact with other musicians on stage….. They might stand out because their rhythm is off, they’re out of tune, or they’re just not listening to what’s going on.
You’ve probably laughed at the misfits on American Idol who think they can sing and/or play an instrument.
But in their own minds, they could be rock stars!
The reverse problem would be oversensitivity to your own shortcomings which would lead to fear that stops you from playing your saxophone. Don’t do that either. However, most players could probably raise their awareness in order to improve their playing.
If you take one step towards awareness, you start to recognize issues, but it IS easy to ignore problems and/or blame them on external factors.
You’ve heard it from other musicians…. and it may have come out of your mouth too- you’re thinking about other things, the microphone has issues, the acoustics of the room aren’t right, etc.
Being honest with yourself can be difficult, but recognition is an early step.
Recognition leads to awareness and correction.
It’s what the best saxophone players do. You may have heard what you think sounds great and then afterward, the player talks about how it wasn’t up to their standards.
Few great players are overconfident.
You can always improve, and the best players know that.
So start recognizing areas you want to work on and then begin putting in the time. If you spend 100 hours fixing something, it almost definitely will get better (if you practice effectively).
GREAT article, Neal! The last seven sentences are worth money. The pursuit of excellence requires honest self-critique, humility, and the drive to keep growing.
.-= Bob Hartig´s last blog ..Lightning over Lake Michigan =-.
Help!!!
I am a classically trained alto player, turned tenor jazz player later in life (after 35). I am having difficulty with control, chirping and general inconsistency in sound on my tenor. This is it:
Selmer Ref. 54, Dukoff 8S piece, stock lig, LaVoz Med reeds.
Have tried different reeds, no luck. Have had the same problem on other pieces as well.
I like the sound of the dukoff, when everything is on. I do not like the inconsistency.
Any recommendations?
L
Hey Lynn,
Sounds like you have a pretty solid setup. I haven’t played Dukoffs much myself though. The V16 tenor piece I’m using now is working well for me.
Long tones should help any issues with your sound. I’ve started doing them on my alto now, since I got it not too long ago. You can do ballads if you want instead. When I do long tones I play against a wall or in a corner and really listen.
-Neal
I like the recognition comment at the end of “Never Stop Getting Better……” I recently played with, and got advice from a world class clarinet player. He was kind, and framed his comments with compliments. The kindness was also in his eyes and body language. At home later that night I reviewed video from the gig, and could really understand where he was coming from. Really got me to hear where the next level has to go – He was very inspirational in steering me to the next level of playing.