Saxophone Challenge
Day 01 – Saxophone Challenge!
Over the next thirty days, commit to practicing your saxophone at least ten minutes per day.
The combination of musical dimensions that you should use and practice include:
Tone, technique (including finger touch and embouchure, Feel/Emotion, Dynamics, Rhythm, Phrasing, Space/Rest, Notes, Articulation, Vibrato, and Listening.
Understanding how the dimensions of music work together is crucial to understand, so take the time to make sure you ‘get’ the idea.
Tip – Set a time each day to practice and build the habit of practicing saxophone.
Mindset Lesson– Procrastination can keep you from playing your saxophone. Some of it has to do with thinking that getting better is a huge task that you can’t handle. It also has to do with fear of how you will sound.
You just need to break it down. Ten minutes isn’t a long time! If you focus on what is important, those ten minutes can help a lot.
Use some time that you usually spend doing something unimportant like watching TV.
And pick up your saxophone!
Keep Track:
Keep track of what you practice each day. Shoot me an email at the end of the week and let me know how it’s going for you! There will be a prize for people who keep track of what they practice every day and send it to me each week.
And Sign up, if you have not already.
i play 2 to 4 hours a day! then i usually get tired. i’m no sonny rollins or coltrane or even bird who practice 11 to 15 hours a day for 3 or 4 years.
Hey Wen,
Thanks for stopping by. When I heard a clinic by Brecker he talked about practicing ~6-8 hours a day. 2-4 hours seems like a good bit. Do you take breaks in between?
i just begin playing the saxophone and i don’t know what i should lern for a day plase teach me what i should do for a day
You probably want a beginning method book. You’ll learn the fingerings for the different notes at first and put them into context with music. Also, spend time playing long notes or ‘long tones’ and listen to what you are doing, that will develop your sound. Other parts of practice can include playing scales and harmonic exercises, working on songs, learning things by ear, etc.
i don’t know any sceles that i can pratice on
Hey Bernard,
Start with the major scales, once you know them the other scales will make more sense.
https://saxstation.com/beginning-saxophone-major-scales-question.htm
-Neal
I used to practice between 5 and 7 hours per day. I stopped playing for a year and am just getting back into it yesterday.
Scales and long tones… so frustratingly boring, but the basic building blocks of restoring technique.
Any advice for getting back into the swing of things?
Hey Will,
Sounds like you had a monster practice routine. Spend part of your time on the long tones/scales, but it sounds like you might be getting burned out on them. Play music that you enjoy. Learn some things by ear. Work on transcribing a little if you can.
-Neal
Hi, Neal. Well I just signed up for Saxophone Challenge. I will keep you posted how things are progressing. Please keep this site going. I still want to learn the Work Song on your other class but for for now, I will give a shot. Thanks.
Joseph
Hey Joseph,
Cool, I think it will be good for you. Let me know. Sax Station should keep running for the foreseeable future, haha. I like running it.
-Neal
Hi Neal,
Just joined the Sax Tribe, I’m an ex-trumpet player, had to give it up because of pressure build up behind my eyes.
Could dream of not playing an instrument and the sax was the best alternative for me. Been playing Alto for almost a year now and just added a soprano.
Practice for me is laid down by my Tutor and I am trying to remember tunes without sheet music. The strange thing is although as a youth I played in a bugle band and learned everything by ear I find it difficult to do at my advanced years.
Reading is not perfect but if the tune gets into my head I can usually make a good stab at it.
As has been stated with all wind and brass practising scales and long notes are crucial for beginners.
I am going to try and look at the day 01 thru day 10 lessons and see how that goes. Read your post about Embrochure, and it makes sense…
Hey Bob, a few days are free as a sample, but you have to pay for it if you would like to see more. How long have you been playing for? Thanks.
Hey Neal,
I’ve been playing the Tenor since January 2012 and I’m still working on the major scales. When I’m not playing, write out the entire circle of fifths/fourths just to keep it fresh in my mind. It still gets a little boring playing them so i try to switch it up and play a few things that i picked up recently.
I guess what Im trying to ask is how exactly do i solo on a basic C major? Correct me if im wrong but would it be something where i would start on C major and by the time I hit, say for example-D, should I roll to E then F# and run straight into the F#/Gb scale? would this help me understand improvisation better?
I’m not sure how much more major scales I can take lol. Also, how do i sign up for the Sax challenges that are locked?
Hello Che,
It depends on the music. If it stays on a C major chord, you can play the C major scale. If you see a G7 chord, you can play the same notes as C major. I’m not quite understanding why you would go from E to F#, unless it fit in the chords, but that sounds like an unusual progression.
I would recommend playing music as well as practicing scales.
You can take the rest of the challenge after signing up, from this page https://saxstation.com/saxophone-practice-challenge.htm
Thanks
Hay Neal. do you think if am joining practice challenge 10 days, i have to sign at saxophone tribe or what ?? please let me know..ta
Hey Vicky,
Both the practice challenge and Saxophone Tribe are things you need to pay for to join. Let me know if you have questions about them. Thanks
-Neal