Saxophone Practice Challenge

Mistakes Saxophone Players Make

Being aware is the first step towards changing bad habits on saxophone.

Do you press the keys too hard?

You could be compensating for leaks in the horns.  So try try this: press the keys only far enough to close the pad.  You’ll use less energy and be able to play faster.  Watch a video of Charlie Parker play and notice how little movement and how light his touch is.

Do you put on your reed before your ligature?

If you’ve broken at least one reed by doing that, put on the ligature first.

Do you practice too much material in one session?

If so, don’t cut the time you’re practicing, but play less material so that you really master it.

Do you not use alternative fingerings on your sax, even when they make things easier?

Having options is always good.  It will be less comfortable to use the alternates at first, but as you use them more it will become easier.  A certain fingering isn’t necessarily better, but next to a certain note might be less difficult.

Tip – Watching yourself in the mirror when practicing can help you identify some of the physical issues you might have when playing saxophone.

Mindset Lesson–:

Take it one step at a time.  You won’t solve all your problems immediately, but you can fix them if you are aware and persistently work on it.