If you want to improve your ears and then playing by ear it’s better not to use the scales written on paper. Use the C major scale and really listen to how the pattern sounds then use this to start on any note and listen for the pattern. I spent years trying to learn scales from pieces of paper or books and couldn’t do it, then I tried learning them by just listening to the pattern and now I can play any major scale and it doesn’t matter how many flats or sharps there are. I can now also play many of the songs I know well by ear which I could not do a year ago, I was glued to written music but not now.
It seems like you have a hard time memorizing what you see. When you hear a scale do you know what notes your playing? You say patterns are you learning patterns or scales?There is a difference.
Great stuff, thank you. Do you advocate for tonguing every note when practicing scales as a beginner? I saw a video recently from another tutor who said not to, but the guy didn't explain why. Seems like a good way to reinforce bad habits to me.
Great question, personally I think it's a good idea to tongue every note particularly if you are a newer player. It is a brilliant way to develop your tonguing skills and coordination.
For the Bb scale? It’s definitely a good idea to work up to playing from low Bb but for this lesson we are just covering the basics and starting in the middle range. Hope this lesson helped you.
Thank you for letting us hear how the scale sounds. God bless you for great video teaching gifts and educational wholesome
Teaching
Nice one Nigel. Great lesson for warm up and practice, and certainly gets your fingers working when you speed it up a little.
Yes definitely Roger. Scales are a brilliant way to keep your fingers in good shape.
If you want to improve your ears and then playing by ear it’s better not to use the scales written on paper. Use the C major scale and really listen to how the pattern sounds then use this to start on any note and listen for the pattern.
I spent years trying to learn scales from pieces of paper or books and couldn’t do it, then I tried learning them by just listening to the pattern and now I can play any major scale and it doesn’t matter how many flats or sharps there are.
I can now also play many of the songs I know well by ear which I could not do a year ago, I was glued to written music but not now.
It seems like you have a hard time memorizing what you see. When you hear a scale do you know what notes your playing? You say patterns are you learning patterns or scales?There is a difference.
@@johnruffin3291 scales are a pattern. He learned to be able to play it by ear instead of looking at the music.
Finally! I've been looking for this for the past few weeks
Thanks Nigel
Very Helpful Thx
You’re welcome!
Amazing video Nigel
Glad you enjoyed it Samuel!
Love it!!! Thanks
Thank you for confirming my theory of playing saxophone.
Calvin Herman
thanks
can you do all the minor scales on tenor saxophone?
Thank you so much you have helped me so much.....
Nigel, seems like I can leave my left hand pinky key down al the way through the D flat major scale is that correct
Great stuff, thank you. Do you advocate for tonguing every note when practicing scales as a beginner? I saw a video recently from another tutor who said not to, but the guy didn't explain why. Seems like a good way to reinforce bad habits to me.
Great question, personally I think it's a good idea to tongue every note particularly if you are a newer player. It is a brilliant way to develop your tonguing skills and coordination.
@@McGillMusicSaxSchool Thanks very much, I'll keep at it then!
My question is why didn't you start on low b flat for that scale?
For the Bb scale? It’s definitely a good idea to work up to playing from low Bb but for this lesson we are just covering the basics and starting in the middle range. Hope this lesson helped you.
@@McGillMusicSaxSchool it did especially on the last scale where there is a c flat also known as b. Thanks 👍
For A sharp, you showed the wrong key. You showed the high f sharp key.
Alto saxophone lesson
Is it on purpose that you forgot some scales, those with the more sharps and flats ? That's not complete...
I think I covered them all except C major, which I chat about at the beginning.
Yep I noticed that too... you missed out F# with 6 sharps
I covered this scale as Gb major instead. You could write the scale it as F# too, but the notes are the same. Thanks for noticing though.