StableMess

It’s fascinating how consistently the saxophone enriches the music scene. More than 170 years ago, Adolphe Sax wanted to build a warm sounding instrument because he lacked a strong sounding woodwind instrument in the low register. In 1929 a certain Henri Selmer took over the patents, including the workshop, made some adjustments and perfected the saxophone as we know it today. The saxophone’s worldwide triumphal march began with jazz at the forefront. The instrument got into some very good hands and the rest is history. Here are 7 reasons why the saxophone is such a timeless fascination and an undeniably cool piece of brass…

The sax is and remains a piece of soul

Anyone who listens to the sax player automatically has the feeling that what they hear is not only a nicely-shaped piece of sheet metal, that it MUST be an outward extension of the player’s soul. The melodies, phrases and tones it produces seem to come from deep within. When the saxophonist starts, first very gently and then – in the truest sense of the word – “full throttle“, he pulls everyone into his spell, even if the notes do not come with one hundred percent virtuosity. A subtle squeak, a touch too much air in the tube, a slightly overdrawn timbre? Not the slightest problem: This instrument is simply honest, perhaps even the wordless translation of the human voice.

Multi-talented, in all musical styles

The good old “plumbing horn” is incomparably versatile; there is hardly a style of music it would not add brilliant moments to. From folk music to blues to rock’n’roll, funk and soul; from hard rock to punk, rap to nu-metal – not to mention jazz and swing. No single instrument is more present in all the genres mentioned. Not to mention it’s role in the songs: it’s rarely a sound that is ignored in a mix, it is simply unique and pleasantly characteristic.

There are several types of saxophones. Since its original development and subsequent production, there have been numerous changes made to the saxophone. Because of this, many saxophones have been phased out or have become obsolete.

The modern versions of the saxophone are either Bb or Eb transposing instruments. This means that, on a Bb instrument, when you play C, the note sounding is a concert Bb. Likewise, on an Eb instrument, when you play C, the note sounding is a concert Eb.

All saxophones have the same fingerings, so it’s easy to switch between them.

The four most common saxophones are the soprano sax, the alto sax, the tenor sax, and the baritone sax. By “most common”, I mean that they are utilized the most in contemporary music.

During the 1940s, the Bebop Era in jazz history, virtuosity became an important and necessary part of being a jazz musician. Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and their contemporaries started the trend of learning tunes such as the blues, rhythm changes, and “Cherokee” in all 12 keys. This has become ingrained in the tradition of jazz. Today, it can be a rite of passage for a young jazz musician. Consider the following scenario, a very common scenario: a young jazz musician walks up to the bandstand during a jam session and calls a tune he or she is extremely familiar with, and has been practicing hard. The veteran jazz musician behind him or her calmly says something along the lines of, “okay, let’s play it in the key of __.” The young musician is thrown for a loop, because he only learned the song in one key. It may seem like an unfair rite of passage, but it is a skill that is needed to be a true jazz musician. Singers are constantly singing songs not in their original key. The voice is a personal instrument and each singer’s vocal range varies from person to person. Playing the saxophone, or any instrument that offers more flexibility than the voice, requires us to be more flexible ourselves.

Playing in 12 keys is not only relevant to the jazz musician. I am a jazz musician, but I end up playing many non-jazz gigs. I regularly play Top 40 gigs. These include weddings, private parties, corporate events, etc. I sat in with a wedding band last November. Their song list was mostly pop songs that I had played hundreds of times before. But, they decided for some reason to play everything down a half step. I’m not sure why. Maybe it fit the vocal range of the singers slightly better? Now, the drummer didn’t need to transpose, the guitar players tuned their guitars down a half step, as did the bass player, and the keyboard player could program his keyboard to play down a half step automatically. As the only pitched, acoustic instrument in the band, I was not able to tune my saxophone down a half step. It was the knowledge, ability, and experience I have playing in 12 keys that allowed me to succeed on that gig. Point being: even if you’re not a jazz musician, the information provided in this blog is still useful and relevant.

What are “warm-ups”? “Warm-ups” are simple exercises that you perform in order to prepare yourself for more complex activities. We can think of warming up in a few different contexts.

Athletes, runners, and weightlifters may warm up by jogging, stretching, or lifting light weights. The purpose of doing this is to get the blood flowing, to avoid injury, and to increase performance. 

Actors, radio personalities, and news anchors may warm up by performing vocal exercises or tongue twisters in order to increase articulation and avoid potential stuttering. 

Musicians benefit greatly from warming up as well. Warming up can help musicians avoid stress and injury, as well as help them achieve peak performance. 

The point of warming up, in the context of being a musician, is to get your brain and fingers in alignment (mind/body connection), as well as to simply to make you feel as comfortable as possible when performing.

Have you ever heard a song on the radio and thought, “Hey, it’d be really cool to know how to play that.”? Do you have friends who play musical instruments, and you want to get in on the fun? Do you just want to expand your general artistic knowledge? Well, learning the basics of how to read sheet music can help you achieve all of these, and in a shorter amount of time than you might have thought!

At its very simplest, music is a language just like you’d read aloud from a book. The symbols you’ll see on pages of sheet music have been used for hundreds of years. And they represent the pitch, speed and rhythm of the song they convey, as well as expression and techniques used by a musician to play the piece. Think of the notes as the letters, the measures as the words, the phrases as the sentences and so forth. Learning to read music really does open up a whole new world to explore!

How you hold your sax is important, of course. Posture is a key component for any musician when it comes down to it. But there’s another important technique saxophone players need to practice: proper breathing. Also known as air support, no sax player should underestimate the need for proper breathing and abdominal support when playing.

Plainly put, if you don’t have the correct air support, your playing will suffer and who wants that? Nobody, that’s who.

Why is that?

First, incorrect air support and breathing means you will have trouble reaching higher notes, or if you do reach them, they will sound weak and thin. Next, proper breathing lets you slowly build up to longer practices. Finally, it ensures that you have control over every note you play so that you can create the right feeling for each song, bar, and note. And who doesn’t want that?

So how can you increase your air support? Here are five tips to make your playing both easier and better.

1. Expressing your creativity

Saxophones are probably most recognised as a Jazz instrument, but this is not the only genre that they are featured in. Saxes are also very popular in other genres such as classical, contemporary, marching bands and soul to name a few, meaning the saxophone suits almost every creative taste! Playing any musical instrument allows you express your creative side, but the saxophone is particularly good for this due to its wide range of dynamics and flexible sound, allowing you to convey many emotions and styles.

2. There’s a Saxophone to suit everyone!

In total there are 9 different types of saxophone, but the most popular 4 are the Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Baritone saxes. With the Soprano being the smallest and highest in pitch, and the Baritone being the biggest and lowest in pitch of the 4, this means there is a saxophone suitable for everyone! So whether you are tall or short, or enjoy playing the melody or bassline parts in bands there is a saxophone for you.

A Belgian born instrument maker / inventor by the name of Adolphe Sax developed and patented the saxophone in 1846. Adolphe was a clarinetist and flautist working in his father’s music shop in Brussels. He wanted to design a new instrument that had the sound projection associated with a brass instrument but with the agility of a woodwind one.

His invention combined the fingering pattern of an oboe with the single reed found on a clarinet, the result was an instrument with a very unique and fascinating sound. It is often miscategorised as a brass instrument, due to the material it is manufactured from, but it is actually a member of the woodwind family as the sound is produced using the vibrations of a reed, rather than your lips.

The water goddess Benzaiten is one of Japan's most complex syncretic deities, having long ago been conflated and associated with other divinities from the Hindu, Buddhist, and Japanese pantheons.

Her worship in Japan is widespread in esoteric Buddhist camps, Shintō circles, and Shugendō enclaves. Her many forms range from a two-armed beauty playing music to an eight-armed martial deity holding weapons to a monstrous three-headed snake to a divine representation of Amaterasu (the supreme Shintō sun goddess).

Several myths exist concerning Oshun and her significance as a Yoruba deity. In most Yoruba stories, Oshun is generally depicted as the protector, saviour, or nurturer of humanity. Oshun has also been described as the maintainer of spiritual balance or mother of sweet things. 

One myth highlights Oshun as the central figure in the creation of human beings. The Yoruba people believe that the orishas (deities) were sent by Olodumare, who is considered the Supreme God, to populate the Earth. Oshun, being one of the original 17 sent to Earth, was the only female deity. The other gods, all male, failed at their attempts to revive and populate the Earth. When they realized they were unable to complete the task given to them by Olodumare, they tried to persuade Oshun to help them. Oshun agreed and brought forth her sweet and powerful waters, bringing life back to Earth and humanity and other species into existence. As that Yoruba myth suggests, humanity would not exist if Oshun, the goddess of life and fertility, had not acted.