Embelishments

[RockinRobin]

I used the “Mordent” with Johnny’s sheet music “Always On My Mind”
William

[Wayne Galtier]

I have used most of these embellishments over the years and believe it or not I did not know the names of them. I grew up playing the sax and trying to emulate my favorite sax players. I guess I just fell into it trying to play like the professional players of my time. I am 77 years old and still love the sax. When I was a young player I just listened to a riff or lead on my favorite songs and learned them by memory. I grew into being able to adlib fairly well on jobs. But I have “newly” learned some surprisingly new things from Johnny. I never advanced to the professional level like Johnny but was adequate. Johnny has been an inspiration to me at my age to realize that,,,,yes,,,,I can still play the horn but at the same time there are so many opportunities available to improve and become better.

Thanks to Johnny for all he does for us players.

Wayne

[Leo Salu]

Hey Wayne, nice to know another 77 yr old is still playing sax, I was starting to think I was the elder on the site ( 78 in a month ), i don’t know about you but i went 55 yrs without touching a sax, now in my fifth year of playing and loving every minute of it. I remembering playing in the fifties and sixties using a fake book, kind of like your ad libbing, very scary hooking up with a band for the night that never played together and putting on a show. I even backed up “Freddy Cannon” (we played the song Palisades Park 1963) Wow never forgot that. BTW would never have improved so much with out our guy Johnny providing all the guidance and support. Rock On!

[RockinRobin]

I’m 81
William

[sxpoet]

you guys are over 10 years older than me. I started playing 10 years ago, and at my age now, i keep thinking how many more years i will be able to carry on playing the sax? and it seems pointless to me to upgrade my sax to a better model at my age. But you’ve all inspired me to carry on playing the sax.

One tip i can give you, if it’s too much effort to blow the sax, try switching to a Bb clarinet – less blowing power, all clarinet keys play in tune unlike the sax, also upper Bb (treble clef) up to the next Bb (above treble clef) has nearly the same finger positions as the sax. The Bb clarinet starts on E (in the bass clef) and going up to Lower F (in the treble clef) similar to the sax fingering keys when you play Low Bb up to middle Bb. The sax only has one key for the left thumb, whereas the clarinet has two (a thumb hole and as well as a thumb key).

[Leo Salu]

Hey William good for you, you inspires me like, we do for sxpoet, maybe playing sax will help keep us young……….

[RockinRobin]

1979 I bought a used Conn tenor in a going out of business store. I knew nothing about saxophones. There was a key for every note. Good idea.10 years later i bought a Selmer Paris. I learned to read music in Jazz camp and here we are blowing “Always on my Mind’ with Mordents
William

[saxomonica]

Good article here guys ~

Improving Your Sax Playing the Fast Way

[Pete]

Good on you William. I did something like you, could’nt do music at school was not interested at all, got regular caning off teacher for being useless. Forward many many years taught myself to read music, bought my first sax a Yamaha 62 alto brand new. Five years on a got a tenor had a few lessons but mainly self taught plus help from people like Johnny. I love the sax from the first time i looked in the window of Johnny Roadhouse sax shop in Manchester UK and said to my pal one day i am going to get a sax, many years later i did after years of listening to great sax players. By the way Johnny Roadhouse was a great sax player, google him.
Keep blowing William.

[Pete]

[Author]

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