I had my sixth sax lesson. We are now almost all the way through the book! One more lesson and we should be all the way through it. When we got to the lesson all the rooms were taken so we spent five minutes looking for a room. Then we finally went out side to do the lesson.
We went through the songs pretty easily. I squeaked on a few G's, but we fixed that up pretty well. He was amazed at the amount of practice again (about as much as last week).
Me and Dad went out today to buy the second book. When we got there we bought a Drag'n Swab. The person there said it was their best sax cleaning product. You put it through the sax and pull it back and forth through it. We also bought a stand.
Not writing much because nothing is happening. We have been approved by the apartments, but we still can't move in.
Showing posts with label lessons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lessons. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Fifth Sax Lesson
I haven't been writing much lately. In fact I don't think I wrote anything last week. Now I have something to write about. My fifth sax lesson.
When we got there my teacher was waiting inside the doorway. We went inside to start the lesson and when he saw how much I practiced, this is what he said "....................."
I practiced forty minutes one day, one hundred and forty the next, then one hundred, then twenty five. Can you believe that last day?
The practice went really well. The first few songs that I played had little or no error. Then a song with mostly G's. My bad note. He gave me the next level of reed and that cleared up the errors. He said he told a lot of other teachers about me and they were jealous.
My teacher finally got a tenor sax. He said his was in the shop and that he couldn't get it until they fixed it. So yesterday he finally got it. He said he hadn't played it for about ten years, but all saxes are the same, just in a different key.
When we got there my teacher was waiting inside the doorway. We went inside to start the lesson and when he saw how much I practiced, this is what he said "....................."
I practiced forty minutes one day, one hundred and forty the next, then one hundred, then twenty five. Can you believe that last day?
The practice went really well. The first few songs that I played had little or no error. Then a song with mostly G's. My bad note. He gave me the next level of reed and that cleared up the errors. He said he told a lot of other teachers about me and they were jealous.
My teacher finally got a tenor sax. He said his was in the shop and that he couldn't get it until they fixed it. So yesterday he finally got it. He said he hadn't played it for about ten years, but all saxes are the same, just in a different key.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Fourth Sax Lesson
I had my fourth sax lesson. It went really well We started out by trying to find out where the back round squeaks were coming from. We adjusted my mouthpiece and the squeaks were gone. I played out of the assigned pages from the book and we worked on dynamics. That is how loud or soft you play.
We finished the first half of the book and at the middle is three songs. I asked if he wanted me to play them (I will try to post one of them tomorrow) and I played along with the computer. What the computer does is take in your notes then with a red or green color says if you made the notes right. I got most and I played a second one and got most again.
My teacher was going through the book and I said that I didn't know how to play the higher notes at first so I practiced out of the back where lower notes were. He said he wanted to hear it and I played him Grant Us Peace which my band teacher said was the hardest song in the book. I will try to bring that one up tomorrow on a post. When I was done he said "This is what happens when you practice forty minutes a day four days a week!"
I don't mean to brag, but he was very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very impressed with my playing. He said "If only some of me other student could hear you play!" Then I said "Well, you could record it." Then we started to laugh (I don't know why).
This practice went very well. I can tell (and so can my parents) that my teacher is very impressed. He said after I played the song from the back "I don't know what to say!"
My teacher went to one of the stores that sells music and he bought the Pink Panther which is from a movie we really like. We paid him $5 for it and today I am going to try and play it. We watched one of the movies last night so I could get a feel for the song.
We finished the first half of the book and at the middle is three songs. I asked if he wanted me to play them (I will try to post one of them tomorrow) and I played along with the computer. What the computer does is take in your notes then with a red or green color says if you made the notes right. I got most and I played a second one and got most again.
My teacher was going through the book and I said that I didn't know how to play the higher notes at first so I practiced out of the back where lower notes were. He said he wanted to hear it and I played him Grant Us Peace which my band teacher said was the hardest song in the book. I will try to bring that one up tomorrow on a post. When I was done he said "This is what happens when you practice forty minutes a day four days a week!"
I don't mean to brag, but he was very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very impressed with my playing. He said "If only some of me other student could hear you play!" Then I said "Well, you could record it." Then we started to laugh (I don't know why).
This practice went very well. I can tell (and so can my parents) that my teacher is very impressed. He said after I played the song from the back "I don't know what to say!"
My teacher went to one of the stores that sells music and he bought the Pink Panther which is from a movie we really like. We paid him $5 for it and today I am going to try and play it. We watched one of the movies last night so I could get a feel for the song.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Third Sax Lesson
I had my third sax lesson. We got there today about the time it was supposed to start (we left late). The room we were supposed to have the lesson in was under construction so it took us a few minutes to find a room. When we did we talked for about two minutes and my mom said I had got up and started walking around the house a little one day playing (which I did). The teacher said maybe we could play standing up so I had my lesson standing up.
I played flawless until the G's came around. The G is the only note I have trouble with. We did a little bit of tightening stuff and some trial and error. We finally got so I don't make as may mistakes.
My dad said that we wanted to buy sheet music and he said that he got a teacher discount so we could ask him to get our music.
I played flawless until the G's came around. The G is the only note I have trouble with. We did a little bit of tightening stuff and some trial and error. We finally got so I don't make as may mistakes.
My dad said that we wanted to buy sheet music and he said that he got a teacher discount so we could ask him to get our music.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Second Sax Lesson
I had my second saxophone lesson. As I said, I am writing about it right after we got home from it. It's a little late because the internet was running slow, but it is still up the same day.
We got there once again about twenty minutes early. The teacher had just finished his other lesson so we got to go in early. I started to play and after a while of trial and error, we got most if not all the squeaks out. He had me sit up straight. Position my mouth not so far on the reed, and tighten my mouth more. He also said that I could put electrical tape on the mouth piece, that would put less pain on my teeth.
After that it sounded beautiful. I didn't want to stop when the songs or lesson was over. I think tomorrow, or later, I will be putting up more of my songs from the book. At the lessons we're getting pretty far. Some of the songs I'm playing sound really cool.
He I don't think knows though that I have been playing the advanced songs with exceptional sound.
My dad says (my mom wasn't there, at work) that it sounds beautiful when I play.
We finished my play room today in packing. We finally got everything out. Now all we have to do is the ten other rooms. I think we're doing well. We have a few rooms with boxes all around. It looks like we have done a lot.
We got there once again about twenty minutes early. The teacher had just finished his other lesson so we got to go in early. I started to play and after a while of trial and error, we got most if not all the squeaks out. He had me sit up straight. Position my mouth not so far on the reed, and tighten my mouth more. He also said that I could put electrical tape on the mouth piece, that would put less pain on my teeth.
After that it sounded beautiful. I didn't want to stop when the songs or lesson was over. I think tomorrow, or later, I will be putting up more of my songs from the book. At the lessons we're getting pretty far. Some of the songs I'm playing sound really cool.
He I don't think knows though that I have been playing the advanced songs with exceptional sound.
My dad says (my mom wasn't there, at work) that it sounds beautiful when I play.
We finished my play room today in packing. We finally got everything out. Now all we have to do is the ten other rooms. I think we're doing well. We have a few rooms with boxes all around. It looks like we have done a lot.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
First Sax Lesson
I had my first saxophone lesson last night at 6:30. We arrived early because the traffic wasn't as bad as we thought it would be. I got to ask the teacher how to play the higher notes. It turned out it was what I thought it was, I was just doing it wrong.
We were able to change the lessons to 3:00 so now I will be able to write about them when I get home (unless Dad won't let me).
He asked me first what i could do, and because I couldn't play the higher notes I told him I couldn't play the beginning pages. That was soon resolved. He told me what the button was I had to push, and it turns out I was sitting wrong. He told me that I had to practice tonging.
We went through the first few pages of the book I brought to help start out and he said "It's amazing how much you are ahead of the average student!" or something to that meaning. Then he said I should practice some of the pages with articulation over the week. I said "I try to practice twenty minutes a day." He laughed then said "It's like pulling teeth to get some of my other students to practice." We took the CD out of the book and out it into the CD player and I could play along to the song. The song was played very fast and I messed up and had to stop playing. He said "That's O.K. You shouldn't be able to play that fast yet. If you could, that would be great!" I found out what I did wrong though, I have a tendency to not arc my left hand. That pushes down on some buttons making it sound bad.
He left to get a practice sheet and I played the song again , but with no mistakes and as fast as the CD. It turns out I have to use a different reed because the one I'm using got chipped. He told me that I had my reed positioned wrong, well I got that from him. Because he told me the way to position the reed and I had it wrong.
There is a possibility that I will be going to that collage when I get old enough.
Very soon I think I will ask my dad if I can record my playing and put it on my blog.
We are still doing a lot of packing. We ran out of boxes so Dad had to go to the store to get more. My mom's a little angry and confused about why he has to spend $100 on boxes, but I told her we need all the boxes we can get. We have alot of stuff. So far we don't even have one room totally finished.
We're doing the family room now, but it's taking a while. One reason because nobody wants to do it. My dad says we have to do it, then everyso often he goes to his blog. My mom says we have to do it and when we do sometimes she does the laundry. Even I do it sometimes. I say "We have to do it! You guys keep saying we have to do it, now let's pack!" Then I go off and play war or watch T.V. Even bother the cat sometimes.
It's not fun, even depressing at times, but we have to get this packing done. My mom says "Well we have a month" It was two months not to long ago. Soon it will be time to move.
We were able to change the lessons to 3:00 so now I will be able to write about them when I get home (unless Dad won't let me).
He asked me first what i could do, and because I couldn't play the higher notes I told him I couldn't play the beginning pages. That was soon resolved. He told me what the button was I had to push, and it turns out I was sitting wrong. He told me that I had to practice tonging.
We went through the first few pages of the book I brought to help start out and he said "It's amazing how much you are ahead of the average student!" or something to that meaning. Then he said I should practice some of the pages with articulation over the week. I said "I try to practice twenty minutes a day." He laughed then said "It's like pulling teeth to get some of my other students to practice." We took the CD out of the book and out it into the CD player and I could play along to the song. The song was played very fast and I messed up and had to stop playing. He said "That's O.K. You shouldn't be able to play that fast yet. If you could, that would be great!" I found out what I did wrong though, I have a tendency to not arc my left hand. That pushes down on some buttons making it sound bad.
He left to get a practice sheet and I played the song again , but with no mistakes and as fast as the CD. It turns out I have to use a different reed because the one I'm using got chipped. He told me that I had my reed positioned wrong, well I got that from him. Because he told me the way to position the reed and I had it wrong.
There is a possibility that I will be going to that collage when I get old enough.
Very soon I think I will ask my dad if I can record my playing and put it on my blog.
We are still doing a lot of packing. We ran out of boxes so Dad had to go to the store to get more. My mom's a little angry and confused about why he has to spend $100 on boxes, but I told her we need all the boxes we can get. We have alot of stuff. So far we don't even have one room totally finished.
We're doing the family room now, but it's taking a while. One reason because nobody wants to do it. My dad says we have to do it, then everyso often he goes to his blog. My mom says we have to do it and when we do sometimes she does the laundry. Even I do it sometimes. I say "We have to do it! You guys keep saying we have to do it, now let's pack!" Then I go off and play war or watch T.V. Even bother the cat sometimes.
It's not fun, even depressing at times, but we have to get this packing done. My mom says "Well we have a month" It was two months not to long ago. Soon it will be time to move.
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