How to learn saxophone better in 2024

Welcome to the brand new Sax School Online Podcast. In this very first episode, we're going to be discussing the things that you can do to make the best progress on your saxophone this year.  

Presented by Nigel McGill, Joel Purnell and Fred Vigdor from the Sax School Online tutor team.

 

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Full transcript:

N:  It's not just listening to the big picture, it's all those little details, that's where the magic happens, right? 

 

F: It's educational to work on stuff that's not necessarily your instrument. 

 

J: I just start almost playing it like a record in my head. 

 

N: What do you think is the first point that we could, that we all think about, that we think might benefit other people too? 

 

N: G'day, Nigel here, and welcome to the Sax School Online Podcast. In this very first episode, we're going to be discussing the things that you can do to make the best progress on your saxophone this year. 

 

Plus, we're going to be giving you a little peek behind the curtain at what's coming up on the podcast throughout the rest of this year. It's a brand-new project. We're super excited about it. 

 

And to help move the discussion today from the Sax School Tutor  I've got my two favorite guys. Fred Vigdor and Joel Purnell. How are you doing guys? 

 

F: Good. 

 

J: Very well. How are you? 

 

N: Yeah, I'm doing great. I'm doing great. Hey, just before we do get started, though, if you do love learning about how to play the saxophone better and you enjoy the podcast today, it would just mean the world to us If you could share this podcast, with somebody else, it would help us to reach more friends like you and spread the message about what we're doing with the podcast. 

 

N: So we've got a lot to dig into in this very first episode, and we wanted to choose an important topic because although we're recording at the beginning of the year, I think through the year, we should be thinking about how we can make the best progress in our practice with thinking about it as tutors and I'm sure you guys should be thinking about it, too. 

 

So we've got six points that we all think about that help us with our practice and we also share with our thousands of students inside sax school and we're going to be sharing them with you today as well.  before we dig into that though hey I'm curious to know what you guys have been up to so fred what's been going on with you this past week or so 

 

F: Well, we're gearing up for the 2024 Average White Band final tour: This Is It. it's the The Pack Up The Pieces tour That's what the t-shirts are going to say. 

 

And yeah, we're getting ready to do that. We have a nice three-week tour of the UK, Scotland and England coming up. And of course, the dates for the U. S. are just starting to come in, but it's going to be a  pretty busy year for me, I think. For us, yes. Looking forward to it. 

 

N: Wow, that sounds cool. I'm looking forward to seeing you over here, Fred. I know you've got some dates in the UK. We'll be, we'll be coming along and watching your fingers closely from the from the audience. 

 

F: I'm so nervous! So much pressure. 

 

J: Might do a bit of heckling as well. 

 

N: Yeah, maybe. What about you, Joel? What's been keeping you busy? 

 

J: Oh, I've been working on some new courses for Inside Sax School Online. Lots of stuff on training your ears and oral resources. So we've had some pitch matching courses and this month we've got some interval courses being released and lots of others to come as well.

 

Modes, chords, all sorts of stuff. So I've been working on all that content. I've also been doing some recording sessions with an artist I work with from London called Ashley Reaks, who's a bit out of my comfort zone to be honest, it's not, it's not jazz as I'm used to. It's prog rock.

 

So and very difficult prog rock as well. Lots of odd time signatures and stuff. So it's a real challenge and some are somewhat a bit different, but I've been working with him for about 10 years. He's prolific. We're working on his next six albums. So so yeah lots to do there. Lots to do. 

 

N: Wow. And does he have a written out charts or are you doing it all by ear? What's the process? 

 

J: No, no, nothing's written out. He kind of sings or plays it all. And then I have to go in the studio. He plays it up me. I've got to kind of. Memorise it on the spot and work it out and then put it down and then create all the harmonies for it as well. Because I'm, the horn player for the entire horn section.