Hello Nigel, just started a couple of months ago learning to play the alto sax. I have not played my clarinet for 50+ yrs, and took that off the shelf, cleaned it up and started playing that, and wanted to move onto the sax. Wow, these warm up exercises are the best that I have found to help me with learning the fingering and to help strengthen my embouchure, which has been a challenge, along with some painful fingers & hands. But I have been enjoying the sounds and the challenge.....getting to where I am no longer sounding like I am killing a cat....................thanks for your locker..............
Thanks for the great warm up lesson. I'm a 64+ retiree returning to music, tenor saxophone player. I have the luxury/ privilege of practicing 2 hours a day....your video has helped me improve the quality of how I spend the time.
I have not played my sax in many many years, I thought I could try stringed instruments and go back to my sax, but I did not know that I would lose it. I am trying to get my breath and mouth in shape again, I miss playing my sax. Thank you for posting this.
❤🎷❤ awesome NIGEL awesome ❤🎷❤ what great adices you are giving. CHEERS. Focus on BREATHING, TONE CONTROL, INTONATION, AIRFLOW, TIMING, SOUND CONTROL. 🙏 the KEYS 🙏 & always using METRONOME, TUNER and MIRROR. Thank you so much. Full of INSPIRATION and MOTIVATION mixed with skilled recommendations. Thanks. Greetings from Spain. Take care. ❤🎷❤
It's amazing how effective these kinds of exercises are; they really, really help :) I was thinking how we could do it with different intervals too, 1st to the 3rd, 3rd to the 7th, etc. Thanks for the great lesson Nigel!
Thank you for that. I'm a total beginner at age 80. Do you recommend tonguing and at each note? Can I learn to have that much breath? I seem to run out sooner. Thank you
Sorry this is a little late, but always tongue your notes unless they are slurred (have a line over or under them). For breath support, breathing exercises are a good resource. One my teacher taught me was breathe in for 15 seconds and breathe out for 30. If you can’t do that, go at a pace you can and scale up until you can do the full exercise repeatedly.
@@logicalgamer2875 Thank you. You are the third reply to say tongue on every note. As a beginner, I still find it more pleasing to go from one note to another smoothly by not tonguing on each note and to only tongue like you would put a comma or period for good writing? Anyway, I did talk with a sax player in a big band and he said it wasn't necessary to tongue on each note. Just play like you feel. So, thank you once again. I'm sure the 'official way is to tongue.' After that, I guess it's up to the individual. After nine months, I'm happy to report I'm still enjoying my sax at 80.
Hi Nigel, very good tuto ! Could you tell me what for ligature you have on your tenor saxophone in this video. Thanks a lot Nigel. Best regards, Pascal.
I think descriptions like open throat and round mouth can be counterproductive if not explained properly. Some might interpret this as trying to somehow open the throat more than natural, when what your really want is a relaxed throat that is not constricting the air. And round mouth is simply incorrect. Neither the beak of the mouthpiece nor the mouthpiece opening are round. Neither your lips nor your tongue should be rounded. Even oval might be misleading, since it might lead one to try to round the lips around the mouthpiece, when the bottom lip should really just be a a kind of flat platform and the upper lip should be totally limp, without any tension whatsoever.You do not want to curl the lips around the edges of the mouthpiece, since this will limit your flexibility and tend to constrict the sound. I recommend learning about Joe Allard's embouchure method, preferably from a teacher who actually studied with Allard.
Hey Nigel. When i play higher notes (not altissimo), i start to bite, and lose control after just a few minutes. What are some exercises i can do to eliminate this problem? I have been playing for just 7 weeks, so i know i'm a rookie, but it's frustrating because i play flute, and never had this issue. =D Thank you! Hope you and your family are well!!
Thanks Nigel. Good exercise! Just wondering if any of your tutorials covers touching the reed with ones tongue to create that break between notes? I still don't have the hang of it, seems to take too much time and sounds pretty crap! Any info appreciated! Thanks again!
+keith plunkett Hey Keith, yes tonguing is an important part of playing sax. I've made videos about it for my Sax School members area, but not on RUclips. Good idea.
Thanks Nigel. Been checking out your site and some of the comments by other students. One of the nice things is the connection with others learning to play.
![Twenty One Pilots - “The Line” (from Arcane Season 2) [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/E2Rj2gQAyPA/mqdefault.jpg)
Hello Nigel, just started a couple of months ago learning to play the alto sax. I have not played my clarinet for 50+ yrs, and took that off the shelf, cleaned it up and started playing that, and wanted to move onto the sax. Wow, these warm up exercises are the best that I have found to help me with learning the fingering and to help strengthen my embouchure, which has been a challenge, along with some painful fingers & hands. But I have been enjoying the sounds and the challenge.....getting to where I am no longer sounding like I am killing a cat....................thanks for your locker..............
Thanks for the great warm up lesson. I'm a 64+ retiree returning to music, tenor saxophone player. I have the luxury/ privilege of practicing 2 hours a day....your video has helped me improve the quality of how I spend the time.
You're a life saver! I can't thank you enough for those precious information.
Thank you so much!! Love from Indonesia❤
You're welcome 😊. Thanks for watching👍
I have not played my sax in many many years, I thought I could try stringed instruments and go back to my sax, but I did not know that I would lose it. I am trying to get my breath and mouth in shape again, I miss playing my sax. Thank you for posting this.
Nigel you are awesome - thanks for your videos!
Thanks!
Thanks for that Nigel, it is a good reminder to keep working on the right basics.
Am going to practice this right now
Thanks Nigel, great video as always. I don;t have the same excuse for not practicing - my "kid" is 39!!
Still works.lol
Thank you so much
Good evening.
Thank you so much for all your videos.
Very well done, practical and objective.
Thank you for your generosity!
Success and health!
Thanks Nigel. This is a great exercise.
Thanks Nigel - great exercise, really helps
+ArthurGBawler Great to hear that Arthur. Glad it helped you.
❤🎷❤ awesome
NIGEL
awesome ❤🎷❤
what great adices you are giving. CHEERS. Focus on BREATHING, TONE CONTROL, INTONATION, AIRFLOW, TIMING, SOUND CONTROL. 🙏 the KEYS 🙏 & always using METRONOME, TUNER and MIRROR.
Thank you so much. Full of INSPIRATION and MOTIVATION mixed with skilled recommendations. Thanks. Greetings from Spain. Take care. ❤🎷❤
It's amazing how effective these kinds of exercises are; they really, really help :) I was thinking how we could do it with different intervals too, 1st to the 3rd, 3rd to the 7th, etc. Thanks for the great lesson Nigel!
My first time here just brought my sax yesterday!! This channel will help me thank you !
Awesome. Have fun with your sax. When you’re ready, check out my main Sax School here: www.mcgillmusic.com
Thank you so much !!!
Thanks Nigel, will do.
Thanks Nigel, will do!
Thank you 🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷
Really helpful thanks
Cheers Tina.
Thanks Nigel. Will have a look at school site details and costs etc. As I'm already doing lesson fortnightly.
We have a 30 day trial at the moment so you can check it out and see if it's right for you. Let me know if you need any more info.
Thanks I probably will do. I looked at prices on your website; what's the price in Oz per month?? BTW are you living in Oz or U.K.? Keith.
I can't believe you admitted you haven't picked your sax up for the whole summer! 😃
Naughty boy....
+Ian Sim Well, I might have picked it up a few times, but not as much as normal! Too busy having fun Ian!
glad to se ya back dan Ormond beach
Thankyou so much..this was really useful!
Glad it helped you Kevin.
Thank you for that. I'm a total beginner at age 80. Do you recommend tonguing and at each note? Can I learn to have that much breath? I seem to run out sooner. Thank you
Yes always
Sorry this is a little late, but always tongue your notes unless they are slurred (have a line over or under them). For breath support, breathing exercises are a good resource. One my teacher taught me was breathe in for 15 seconds and breathe out for 30. If you can’t do that, go at a pace you can and scale up until you can do the full exercise repeatedly.
Yes tongue all the time
@@logicalgamer2875 Thank you. You are the third reply to say tongue on every note. As a beginner, I still find it more pleasing to go from one note to another smoothly by not tonguing on each note and to only tongue like you would put a comma or period for good writing? Anyway, I did talk with a sax player in a big band and he said it wasn't necessary to tongue on each note. Just play like you feel. So, thank you once again. I'm sure the 'official way is to tongue.' After that, I guess it's up to the individual. After nine months, I'm happy to report I'm still enjoying my sax at 80.
@@frankrossiter Thanks for the input I had the same doubts about the "tonguering". Best wishes!
Hi Nigel, very good tuto ! Could you tell me what for ligature you have on your tenor saxophone in this video. Thanks a lot Nigel. Best regards, Pascal.
Thank youuuuu
You are welcome!😀
I have a question; how far do i need the mouthpiece to shove onto the cork ?
Half , 75% or more ?
I think descriptions like open throat and round mouth can be counterproductive if not explained properly. Some might interpret this as trying to somehow open the throat more than natural, when what your really want is a relaxed throat that is not constricting the air. And round mouth is simply incorrect. Neither the beak of the mouthpiece nor the mouthpiece opening are round. Neither your lips nor your tongue should be rounded. Even oval might be misleading, since it might lead one to try to round the lips around the mouthpiece, when the bottom lip should really just be a a kind of flat platform and the upper lip should be totally limp, without any tension whatsoever.You do not want to curl the lips around the edges of the mouthpiece, since this will limit your flexibility and tend to constrict the sound. I recommend learning about Joe Allard's embouchure method, preferably from a teacher who actually studied with Allard.
Hi Niel, I bought a Meyer 5 and can't get it to hold air with the reed. Is this a character of a bad mouthpiece?
Y
Hey Nigel. When i play higher notes (not altissimo), i start to bite, and lose control after just a few minutes. What are some exercises i can do to eliminate this problem? I have been playing for just 7 weeks, so i know i'm a rookie, but it's frustrating because i play flute, and never had this issue. =D Thank you!
Hope you and your family are well!!
DC Langer I had the same problem. Try to relax your embouchure.
@@kapjoteh Thank you. And now, 2 months later, *4 months total*, i have strengthened my embouchure. I will try to relax it as well. Thank you.
Hi Nigel, thought I sent msg to you yesterday, maybe didn't go through. What's the monthly cost for membership in Oz?
Hey Keith. We bill in either UK pounds or USD. Check out XE.com for an idea of the current exchange rate, and get in touch if you need any more help.
Thanks Nigel. Good exercise! Just wondering if any of your tutorials covers touching the reed with ones tongue to create that break between notes? I still don't have the hang of it, seems to take too much time and sounds pretty crap! Any info appreciated! Thanks again!
+keith plunkett Hey Keith, yes tonguing is an important part of playing sax. I've made videos about it for my Sax School members area, but not on RUclips. Good idea.
Thanks Nigel. Been checking out your site and some of the comments by other students. One of the nice things is the connection with others learning to play.
Niel: What MP are you using, and, what is your tip opening? Thanks. Tim
+Tim Tuthill Hi Tim, I’m playing on a Theo Wanne Slant Sig size 8.
notes are different for alto
Juventus vs olimpyakos livetoday
2:52 "the third thing I'm going to think about is my ay a" Is that how you spell that?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_English_phonology
+Paul Huffman Cheers Mate!
Hello ?
it's DADA
Its a G or an A?
Hi Devon. I start on a “G” for tenor sax.
Brit instructors talk way too much. 4min. before blowing a single note??
How about less talking and more playing, yo !