I've been playing the harp for 45 - forty five - years. Doing 'modern', the Howard Levy shtick, for about eight. Then I thought, "I don't want to be on my deathbed never having tried the tenor sax'.
I absolutely LOVE it. Remember when you got your first harp, you must have played it 16 hours a day. That's what the sax is like for me now. And it uses the SAME MUSCLES as the harp.
Ten fingers, ten holes. Anybody else play both want to share?
I am sitting here listening to my son go through scales on his alto sax. It is nice to be able to change keys without changing instruments. I suspect draw notes are a bit difficult on the sax though :-)
I don't play sax but I do play brass. Before I started on the harmonica, I could not play a tune on the trombone without the music in front of me. After a few years of improvising on the harp, I can now pick up a trombone or trumpet and play any tune I know well enough to sing.
I used to play sax, I enjoyed it but stopped playing when I went to university and then never took it up again. I guess it can generate a similar sound in many ways, just a but bigger! And yes, draw notes are very tricky. The harp takes its place now.
I bought an alto. Then I had it souped up to play well. I bought a couple of books. I took a lesson. I played it for around 4 sessions of 30 minutes each. Then it sat in the corner for 6 months.
Driving, I saw a homeless guy with a sign that said "Sax player. Need horn." I went home, got it and gave it to him. He could really play. He said he had a gig that night and invited me.
He didn't have a gig. A band had a gig and he had a sax in the audience and took a solo on every tune. The band was very gracious about it. He was a great player.
I suppose the sax has been stolen or sold. But for one day, I gave him the music again.
Now I am in love with jazz sax and learn solos on both diatonic and chrome in all 12 keys on each. I almost wish I'd kept it.
As I recall, there are roughly double 10 holes on a sax, flute and clarinet but 10 fingers will do the trick. Winds are also capable of overblows. It is so nice to have all the keys and notes in hand and winds are much easier to carry around than a piano.
I played flute almost exclusively when harp quality went down and prices went up. This was roughly the same time I began doing gigs. Being self taught I had a stubborn, misinformed teacher. The simple science I employed was covering all holes above the note I was playing. From the start I had many former high school band members point out the errors of my way. After finally consulting a fingering chart, many years later, I continue to pay the price. I now know the correct fingering but it's awkward. Less than fluidly, I will employ proper technique only when reaching for the purity of high notes in the upper registers. I do this on a song by song basis but continue to improvise using my caveman approach unless particularly inspired.
I made the same mistake on sax & clarinet tho I play neither at his time. My recommendation would be to at least use a fingering chart after you are able to produce a sound that does not raise the hair or ire of those within earshot. A teacher would be best, of course.
At this time I am learning sax songs on the harp (ie Ace Cannon). In an earlier thread BBQ Bob pointed out that Charlie Musselwhite does a harp version of Cannon's 'Tuff'. I could not find any other harp versions via Google because the results got mucked up by using the word "tuff". There are several versions recorded by Cannon with variation in speed and key. It's a relatively simple song with a lot of room to add your own personality.
Tuff by Ace Cannon on sax:
Tuff by Michael Spray on harp (one of my favorite unknown harp players):
I bought an alto and Tenor 1 year ago...practiced hard for about 2 months and developed "trigger thumb" go figure...Thumb would lock up with alot of pain. Went back to playing Harp...Took 8 months for the trigger thumb to go away without therapy... I did like it but I stood for 2 or 3 hours and took a toll on my back. Dont over due the practice to quickly.
Posture is one of the things most youth band leaders are constantly harping on. I have been leading some middle school Boy Scouts in something that is in between group music lesson and a band. When I point out that they are slouching and ask if their band directors have told them about posture, they all say yes and sit up straight , for a while.
Another interesting option to lighten the load, literally, is the Vibram poly-carbonate saxophone. Reviews are mixed on it sound and play ability, but it is definately a lot lighter. I have two plastic trombones and a plastic trumpet. Two of the three are quite playable. The third, a Tromba Jazzbone tenor, has intonation problems but it is OK as long as you don't try to play high notes in first position. With slide trombone, you really have no excuse for being out of tune! (doesn't stop me though :-))
Last Edited by STME58 on Oct 23, 2015 9:44 PM
@JustFuya: I read an interview once with Ian Anderson, of Jethro Tull fame. He said that he started playing flute back in the 60's when he realized he'd never be able to play like Clapton and his other contemporaries. So he just started playing flute, without having any idea how. Just like you did. Decades later he actually took some lessons, and found out his fingerings were all wrong. He learned the right way, and plays a mix of right and wrong fingerings. Pretty cool.
