Starting out on the Sax

When students come to me I really only ever make one suggestion. Come with a song that you want to learn. It can be daunting, when first starting out, to see how you're ever going to make this complicated piece of plumbing ever make a sound, let alone one that sounds musical.

Having a goal is the best way of measuring how well you're doing. And it can be a real confidence booster!

One other thing that you need to know from day one; it's not going to be easy. I'm afraid there are no easy shortcuts, no quick solutions. There is only one way to get better; practise. Then practise more. And then practise some more. Sorry.

And let's be honest. Practising is boring. Sometimes very boring. However, get the balance right between doing your scales, your long notes and your exercises and just having some fun and things can go a bit better. That's why I always start working on a tune with the student as soon as possible. Having something to work on alongside all the more technical practising makes it much more likely that a student will stay the course.