I have been playing alto sax for almost 1 year. I was having weekly tuition and studied for a grade 2 exam (which I passed a few weeks ago).
My teacher and I are taking a break for the summer and I had a week without the sax, last week while away from home. I'm losing the pratice structure I had with the lessons, but especially in relation to building my tone and moving my fingers faster. In some ways, it's given me a chance to try and re-evaluate what I was doing in that regard - and I think I need to re-double my efforts.
Now, I know that there are dozens of books available that could help one or both of these, and I have several of them. These include "Daily Warm Up Exercises for Saxophone" by Jackie Mclean. I'd love to get more into this book (and more out of it) but, as with other books of this type, with very little instructional material (in terms of how to use it) I'm lost.
The only page that makes any sense to me are the long tone warm up exercises on page 8. After that, I'm lost. I can see the headings (such as "major scales", minor scales, major chords etc) but even though I can read music (to some extent) I have no idea what I'm playing, how I should be playing it or why? As a teacher myself, I know that students like some basic guidance as to what they do with the material, and to give them something to work towards, even if it's just "play this exerercise twice, a day, starting at 60 beats and working up to 120.
So, what I'm asking is is there a book (or a website or whatever) out there that will offer a series of guided exercises that are good for an improving beginner and which will help to improve tone and finger speeds.
Or do I have it already and I just need to know what to do with it?
Stephen
My teacher and I are taking a break for the summer and I had a week without the sax, last week while away from home. I'm losing the pratice structure I had with the lessons, but especially in relation to building my tone and moving my fingers faster. In some ways, it's given me a chance to try and re-evaluate what I was doing in that regard - and I think I need to re-double my efforts.
Now, I know that there are dozens of books available that could help one or both of these, and I have several of them. These include "Daily Warm Up Exercises for Saxophone" by Jackie Mclean. I'd love to get more into this book (and more out of it) but, as with other books of this type, with very little instructional material (in terms of how to use it) I'm lost.
The only page that makes any sense to me are the long tone warm up exercises on page 8. After that, I'm lost. I can see the headings (such as "major scales", minor scales, major chords etc) but even though I can read music (to some extent) I have no idea what I'm playing, how I should be playing it or why? As a teacher myself, I know that students like some basic guidance as to what they do with the material, and to give them something to work towards, even if it's just "play this exerercise twice, a day, starting at 60 beats and working up to 120.
So, what I'm asking is is there a book (or a website or whatever) out there that will offer a series of guided exercises that are good for an improving beginner and which will help to improve tone and finger speeds.
Or do I have it already and I just need to know what to do with it?
Stephen