Not what you think

[Anonymous]

Hi Jeff, i did this recording some weeks ago using a la voz reed,
this time i recorded it using a vandoren (size med/hard) v21 (size 2& 1/2)
this reed sounds more classical than the la voz that sounded more jazzy on the
same recording. The only difference with this recording, the timing is a lot better,
although the iPad recording is a bit naff sounding. This songs easy to play now,
so i don’t bother practicing it anymore.

looking forward to hearing your next upload.
I need to make an effort to do more.

[Anonymous]

Hi Jeff,
this is the old recording i did on a la voz (med/hard reed).
This was recorded before i started doing the same tuning exercise over the last 3 weeks,
so you can hear how out of tune some notes are compared to the new recording.
Also the timing on this old recording is crap
https://soundcloud.com/user-365177524/not-what-you-think-old-recording

[Anonymous]

https://soundcloud.com/user-365177524/not-what-you-think-old-recording

[Anonymous]

had a problem with soundcloud, so this time the old recording should work

[Pete]

[Anonymous]

Hi jeff, if you listen to both recordings, at about 0:44 to 0:47 you can hear how the old recording is more out of tune.
So hopefully, the tuning exercise is starting to pay off.
Still got another 8 more tuning exercises to do, which will probably take the best part of a year, but i have a feeling,
that as the tuning exercises progress, i might find the amount of time needed to do them decreases (hopefully).
As Paul said, if i can put the time in to do these properly, it will pay dividends pitch wise, especially if want to go the
grade 8 route.

[Anonymous]

Hi sxpoet, yes I agree the tuning is much better. Your notes are sounding more positive too. Nice job, keep doing those helpful exercises.

[Anonymous]

thanks Jeff, it’s faster for people to access my uploads on Soundcloud than slowly download them if i e-mail them, saves on their space. Also in my lesson if i want to, i can get Paul to look at anyone in particular straight away.

I might just go back to e-mailing you the soundcloud links instead, rather than uploading on here, as i don’t think most people on here don’t want to hear or read my junk. lol

[Mel]

Sxpoet – I enjoy all your input. I have been doing your fifths exercise.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Mel, has the exercise helped? have you noticed any improvements, even slight improvements are big difference over a few weeks.

Jeff, doesn’t have a sax teacher, so i often communicate some stuff i pick up from my weekly sax lessons, which could be useful (more often not).
I’ve only been playing nearly 4 yrs, with lessons from day one, but i still have timing issues and playing in tune issues, so anything i can pick up in my lessons, i’m willing to test out.

When i started out playing the 1st exercise (playing 5ths) working with a tuner, i could see on the tuner how badly out the second notes were, resulting on me working on my embouchure more.

I find it a lot easier to focus on getting certain keys more in tune using this exercise, than any other exercise i’ve come across. Long tones are a good exercise, but i stopped doing them about a year ago, i found them more useful for strenghting the lip muscles and getting better control of the diaphragm – but not very helpful for improving tuning issues, mainly helpful for improving the tone, as the notes are too random.

With playing the 5ths, as you move up the keys, you get to feel a similar sound which helps in guessing what the next sound will sound like, then in the long run, you get used to what a 5th will sound like before you play it.
So when you play a music sheet and see a 5th coming up, you stand a better chance of playing it in tune than if you just focus on trying to play a bunch of random notes in tune.

In terms of sheet reading long term, its also worth getting to recognise a 5th is always 2 lines or 2 spaces away! vital if you want to go down the sheet reading route and play fast.

enjoy

[Author]

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