I studied with Eric Marienthal years ago, and he really emphasized playing slow, just like you do. Eric was in Chick Corea's Elektric Band at the time, a band known for their speed and complex music. He told me that people would be surprised to hear how slow Chick practices at times, and that that is one of the main reasons he can play fast so precisely and cleanly. Eric told me that another famous keyboard player (who I won't name here) that he has recorded a few albums with is very proud of his speed and always practices as fast as he can. But if you listen very carefully to his albums (especially if you slow them down) you can hear that his playing is actually quite sloppy. In fact, I can't listen to his playing any more without noticing this sloppiness. Chick, and Eric, both continue to amaze me. I really became sold on this idea when Eric made me play nothing but slow scales (no songs, no play-alongs, just scales) for a couple of weeks, carefully listening to each transition for any fingering glitches, minimizing finger motion, matching tonality of each note, noticing the timing and quality of my tonguing, etc. I did this for two hours a day for two weeks, and was a bit skeptical of whether it was worth it. But when I played a song at the end of the two weeks, my wife came running in the room to see if it was really me. We both couldn't believe the improvement. So I am really sold on how playing slow helps you play fast, and much better.
In the classical piano world, it is exactly the same. We must practice slowly, otherwise, we won't have the preciness and clarity! Practice slow is the key. To my surprise, my classical sax teacher always hurries me up all the time. I need to practice slowly to get the correct tounging etc.
@George Jones Interesting. How does dyslexia manifest itself in playing music? Sight reading is a skill like any other. You have to practice it to improve at it. There are sight reading books that will help if you put the time in. When I do, I get better at reading new music.
This is what happens when you make very good and useful videos. He has the quality nailed down, the length of videos, and also the content is RELEVANT to sax players, some of the videos even professional players. I personally love the fact that so many of his videos help me in my saxophone progression for both alto and tenor. honestly its a gem of a channel, glad hes doing what he does.
starting at about 7:30 is the real gem of advice that mirrors or follows what I teach. I phrase it this way, "if you learn mistakes it will take you 30 to 40 times longer to erase those mistakes and build a clean recall of the correct way to perform. So get it right at half speed, then full speed will follow. Make a mistake at full speed, go back to half speed until solid in your muscles and mind. Then full speed will feel like half speed, since you now engaged auto pilot. Remember, amateurs practice until they get it right once, pros practice until they can't get it wrong!" Thanks for sharing your ideas!
It absolutely works. Same fr any instrument. Learn slow. Speed is a function of accuracy. Playing slowly also shows up any errors. It is actually harder to play very slowly than quickly. Besides being a good musician is not about how fast you can play.
Even though this video was posted almost 2 years ago, it has been extremely useful for me as many a times I think i can go into the technical rhythms straight away but end up with lots of mistakes. I have been playing sax for close to 4 years now and this has been one of the most useful advice I have ever gotten. Thanks Jay!
I understand why he made this video but to play faster with fewer mistakes there is one key essential practice technique and here it is "Practice everything slow and then speed it up gradually" Tah dah!!!
Hey I really enjoyed your video. I played my horn for about 8 or 9 years without thinking about the importance of holding my fingers on the keys instead of flopping them chaotically. I didn't learn this until I started playing the clarinet which doesn't allow you to flop your fingers on notes due to the make of the instrument. Very good tip.
I agree with Jay. I'm still a beginner on the sax but starting slow is how I learned to type in school and by the end of the class I was the fastest student at 70 wpm (with accuracy). Mostly we typed slow but spent about 20% of the time doing speed tests. It's about training your mind and body to the point where the motions are second-nature and you no longer have to think about them consciously.
@@bettersax But isn't speeding it up gradually another way of saying "find your new Goldilocks speed" as you find your muscle memory settling in over time? Thanks to your recommendation, I got the Anytune Pro+ app and it has revolutionized my practice time. For a really fast lick I want to learn I may need to put just a tiny segment of it on a loop and start at 50% of full speed, playing it perfectly possibly a 100 times or more. Then, using the Step-It-Up Trainer I can set the loop to speed up by increments till I hit my speed limit for the day. The next day I may find I can play the segment perfectly at 52% and so I set the loop for that tempo and hope I don't drive my wife crazy repeating the same phrase a 100 times or more again. The next day I may be able to start at 54%. I'm not quite sure how playing at 70% speed for a month without ever trying it at 80% would translate into being able to play it suddenly at 100% tempo.
Thank you so much Sr, I was struggling on how to play faster and cleaner but anything could help me till I found your video and, I was proving if it was true to practice slow in order to play fast and thanks to your advice now I am playing FASTER AND CLEANER. Thanks
I am ski instructor. I am also a trainer in our ski school of 800. What you explained as to the benefit of training slow to play fast, is incredibly important in any learning of technique. In our case, I may have a client that want to ski black runs (ie play fast beautifully) - we are not going to learn that on a black run. We are going to go on blue run (play slow) so that she can learn and focus on the technical elements she will need later on a black run - That way she can really focus on what she needs to learn, as her brain power is not used up to just calculate how to survive the terrain - the way it would if we tried to practice on a black run. And then, after intense focused practice on blue terrain - playing slow - we go back on black terrain - playing fast - boum everything is still there that she learned on blue terrain, in a cmnfortable environment.
There are so many parallels between sports and music. There are some that think of performing music the same way as dancing or playing sports at a high level. It's all about mastering movement.
I greatly appreciate all that you are doing here. You don't have to give us this quality help for free, but you are! You're teaching me things I'm not being taught by the instructor. I totally understand the value of starting slow to build speed. In my mind it's the same thing as typing. I'm surprised by how fast I can type, but I understand that since my mind has a basic understanding of where each key is located, my fingers can move faster because my mind no longer has to process the location of each key. I figure the same will happen with the sax over time. Lastly, I really appreciate your teaching style in that you're realistic and blunt about what it takes to see progress. You don't feed us a bunch of feel good crap. You just let us know, we're gonna have to put in the work if we want results. Thank you so much for giving us this opportunity!
Great teaching job as usual Jay. I ain't closer to those 1/16th but increasingly closer to mastering those 1/8th. Still need a lot of concentration to keep my fingers close to the keys though. Thanks a million.
Let me begin by saying that I have enjoyed your series of videos. I agree with the concept of keeping a relaxed grip and consistent finger position. I also agree with 80/20 practice theory. I’ve passed the ideas on to younger players that I’ve observed at jam sessions way before seeing your video tonight. I’m looking at almost 50 years of playing sax and wish there was TH-cam when I was coming up. Thanks for your lessons and reviews of products. A side note, check this video with an eye on your B key finger. Keep up the good work. ✌🏽❤️🎷
I went through that too, discovering in my thirties that my fingers were flying. "Feel the pearls ". I did exactly as Jay described! And it's tough but worth it. Also: practicing slow isn't the best way to get fast-- it's the only way. And to show that u can always learn, even though my finger position is good, I never really thought about concentrating on downward pressure as opposed to angular. Keeps u from "pulling" on the keys and wasting finger energy. Thanks again Jay!
Please could you show me how do you play smoothly and slowly C and B keys, because when I play this two keys, it is very hard to play clearly between of them:(
This is so true my friend. I am a Personal Trainer and tenor sax enthusiast. I am big on form and technique and insist on going slow in physical fitness until you don't have to think about your form and technique anymore, then you can go faster without thinking about whether you're doing it right. It's how many you can do right. My clients think I'm s magician and make it all look so easy. I'm not a magician, I have just practiced so long with correct form and technique that I can't get it wrong. "Amateurs practice until they can get it right, Professionals practice until they just can't get it wrong". Great advice and 100% CORRECT. Thanks mate...your great, and RIGHT!
I have started with sax using Jay’s system since January 2018. I have not at all been focused on speed but when I have a moment in my practice where I do push speed I am often surprised that I have it in my hands. It is just there after spending lots of time on slow attention to my tone and pentatonic scales.
I've been playing the sax for several years and always struggled playing fast. I never understood why no matter how much I practiced. Now I understand it's poor finger positioning that I am currently undoing. This video is a gem!! 🎶🎷
I love ballads as all the greats played I E Coleman Hawkins , Stan Getz even Coltrane and Dexter recorded some beautiful ballads which I love to play with my little jazz ensemble .. Most people love the sound of the saxophones if your sound has good quality . .. Flip Fillips said as he got older he the more he appreciated playing ballads .. read it somewhere... bobby g..
So true. My belief is for every mistake you make you have to play the correct thing ten times to wipe it out. What good is playing fast if it’s bad? Also the “don’t practice stuff you know.” Gold jerry! Gold! It took me years to figure that out. I break phrases down into the smallest part that I really need to work on and practice it slowly with a metronome, looping it over and over. I do this with piano which I recently started learning and it works! I just started on sax too and I’m looking forward to applying the same method.
Christian Blues Artist do start. The saxophone is such an amazing instrument! It takes some time to improve but it’s absolutely worth it. I’ve been practicing the sax for 4 years and don’t regret it🎷❤️
Hey Jay, I've played guitar for 30 years and taught guitar for 14 years. This is exactly how I taught my students on guitar! You couldn't be any more correct. I just picked up my first tenor sax March 9th. I'm loving it! Everybody here....listen to the man. He knows what he's talking about. This applies to all instruments. You a cool cat Jay! Great lesson!
Thanks Jay. I really find this is very important and helpful to me, especially I am preparing for my exam and as an adult learner, I know that practise makes perfect, and not all good musicians are born genius
This should be considered a 'golden rule'. Practicing slow allows you to accurately program what you're learning into muscle memory. As Jay says, the result is that when you go to execute at full speed, the lick (or whatever) is there, with no thought required. Of course, the slowest thing you can practice is long tones. I treat scale warm-ups as long tone exercises. Your scales should sound sweet and consistent through the full range of your horn - right up into the altissimo.
Great advice. I would definitely recommend playing super slow most of the time and always with a metronome (even for long tones). I personally don't use the 80/20 rule but something like 70% slow 20% medium and 10% fast. Playing fast should only be the tip of the iceberg i.e. what people hear when you perform.
Thank's Jay for speaking very clearly (I'm not native for english language). This is true ! I spent at least 6 years before I really undestood that working slowly is the first key, the second to keep fingers in contact with the keys, and third is to press them as lightly as posible. This allows to play relaxed, and get fast regular and smooth music, and fast progresses. By the way, I have been learning to play... accordeon, about forty years yago, and it is exactly the same. Now I restart playing music, on an alto saxophone (my hart instrument), and I'm descovering the embouchure and breath problems,... hence : Thank very much Jay for all your vidéos, very helpfull.
i am waiting for my first ever saxophone to arrive and i am so excited but scared lol. But your vidoes are very helpful thank you. This tech. is so true for any instrument, when i was learning the piano it was the same thing..slowly little by little and then all of a sudden one day you can play. lol. But as for the saxophone i do not know much yet, i am using youtube to learn the keys and such tech. so thank you for your great videos. I highly appreciate it!
Love you sport analogy! I appreciate your videos. Do you have a recommendation for a tenor wireless bell microphone ? I know it has nothing to do with your video so thank you!
Jay, great stuff! I've seen people play over the keys, which they claim it makes them faster! hmmmmm.....there's a reason why the pearls are located on the keys at the position they're in!
I like the 80 20 idea. Sometimes I get perfectionistic about how slow I have to go in order to get things right, and I start thinking I'm never going to be able to speed up. So it's nice to have a number to aim for. I play a lot of instruments, and I recently wanted to play a bass guitar part that had 16th note triplets at 60 bpm. And I wanted to play it with one-finger picking. I wasn't sure I'd be able to do it at all. But I went down to 20 bpm and worked my way up. It took about a month, but I finally got it!
I was blessed as a beginner saxophone player in Fourth Grade with both an above par Tenor Saxophone (Buffet Crampon Super Dynaction passed down by my Dad), and with a band instructor who was an Alto Saxophone player, who became my Assistant Band Director in High School. Unfortunately my Sophomore year I was goofing off waiting for my parents to pick me up after a football game (Pep Band) and had my saxophone in a soft case and used it as a step stool. Resulting in a bent vertical shaft and unplayable saxophone. Ended up buying a $400 EBay saxophone and the quality difference showed, but it got me through college. I still have my Dad’s Buffet, waiting to have the money and to find the perfect shop to bring this saxophone back to its full glory.
So I started studying music this year. Finished my third week recently. I've been a subscriber of yours for a while now, but high school with all the extra subjects left me with little time to diligently watch through your videos and apply your advice. But now that I can focus on my music 100%, I'm going to make a point of doing that. Thanks for all your help, Jay!
Understanding the value of practicing slow can be even further understood by getting up to speed with the science of neural plasticity. If you have doubts after that then, you are your worst enemy!
It's just like typing or playing a new computer game. You start fast, messing up constantly but by typing slowly learning your hotkeys slowly you can then become very fast because your brain gives the keys muscle memory. Sax is no different. Start slow and you will be fast.
What a surperb video which being a keyboard player I have applied this slow practice for years of benefit to piano so i am now applying it to my sax playing . Jay 3 questions I would love your advice on. I'm learning soloing lily was here and once I learnt the notes I played part of the solo at 50% and now up to 60% . Q1 how long should you stay and consolidate a learned phrase or piece before stepping up the tempo and Q2 what do you recommend you increase BPM tempo each time lastly 3. would you concentrate on learning entire solo slowly then moving up the tempo or getting a part of solo at 100% then learning a new line of it? Kind regards
Drum-wise, Bernard Purdie said 40bpm. Which kills me, but it sure does make a slow blues easier. Normally, i bypass boring slow songs. Slowing down your songs with TH-cam and an IN PERSON coach will really get your money's worth in short order. I find i have a hard time imagining it slow enough and it can be unlistenable very slowly on TH-cam
Good stuff. But notice at 9:30 in the video demonstration, Jay does the opposite of what he was talking about as far as hand position over the pearls--his right hand fingers are about an an inch away LATERALLY from each of the pearls, while his left hand fingers do play on the pearls. Brecker did this on his right hand , and so does Sanborn, but it would be good if Jay had mentioned this contradiction, since it conflicts from the total technique he was advocating in this video. I'm sure those pearls on the right hand side of the sax are there for a reason, just like they are there for a reason on the left hand of the sax. Eric Marienthal does this perfectly.
I wonder if it's time for a new teacher? We spend about 95% of one hour lessons sight reading. As soon as I gain slightest degree of proficiency in one exercise, he immediately ups the metronome to a speed where my fingers thrash about the keys. He's always pushing me at high speeds (150 bpm +) where my mind cannot keep up with regard to coordination and cognitively. I become frustrated to the point where I make stupid mistakes. After three years perhaps it's time to switch it.w a new teacher?
Oh yeah you have to play slow before you play fast; it stands to reason. You have to crawl before you can walk and walk before you can run. Same thing.
Hi Jay, I got the Worksheet, what chords are you playing the Bebop lick over, I would like to learn how to play it in other keys, knowing the chords and key you are playing in would help me transpose it.
You must play Ballard's, this is when you learn to hear song form. Incubation periods aside, do heaps of speed work, all scales and arpeggios until you are sick to death of them, iron out all the kinks, relaxed hand position, good posture, all that will be left to work on will be your diaphragm, uvula and embouchure, in that order with no distractions. There is a connection between your diaphragm and the sounding note always. Iron out the distractions and feel the note from your gut.
The truth is, and I'll put it as simple as possible. Slow = Progress Fast = Fun You need the progress to get the fun. Messing up is no fun it's frustrating.
Absolutely true! Ask any martial artist, they'll tell you the same. I took half a year, slowed down and unlearned the finger-waving and WOW! What an improvement. I'm working on teaching this to my kids now - it applies to any instrument!
For my Band class, I always like to refer to it as playing a video game, to react faster, your keys must be on the keyboard or controller so your not waiting for the time it takes to send your fingers on to the keyboard or controller to then press the buttons.
The best present I ever gave to myself was starting playing saxophone when I was 48. So many comments I got: How is that possible should you not start when you are young?. My answer was almost similar as what Jay said. My lungs work, my hands and fingers move and my ears work. Why would I not be able to play saxophone? And yes, I probably will not become a famous and extremely good saxplayer but most kids also cannot reach that goal. Important for me is that I made it routine. Not questioning when I play, but just play 1 hour every day between 6 and 8 pm. I have played now for 17 - 19 years. And still loving it. Sometimes it was a frustrating love/hate relationship (I hate it, I suck, I will never be a decent player) but that is part of the process. Playing has helped me through tough times. Currently I am a medium/advanced amateur, take my improvisations and met wonderful people to play with. If you are thinking about it, just try it out.
This was supposed to be a reaction at the video about starting as an older person.😄 Funny is that I am currently for about 1 month working on some fast stuff for the first time with the method from the video: a bolero at 88 bpm with several lines of 1/16 notes. I start at 60 bpm with the last 4 notes. If everything is OK then I take the last 8 notes, then add 4 more notes etc. If I have a hard time to stay in sync with the metronome, I play different parts of the theme until I am in sync. Sometimes I change from straight to swing. When things are going well I up the tempo with 5 bpm. But I start every practice session with the lower speed. I am now able to confidently play most lines in 88 bpm and I am integrating the lines now into the song. This is the first time, I am doing it in this way. Before I managed to kind of be able to play at the required speed but it stayed wobbly. But with this approach I can play it now steady and in rythm. I expect to be able to play this piece confidently at a performance in about 1 month. I was never able to reach that level. I am enjoying the whole journey because you notice your improvement. Patience does pay off. I did however "reward" myself every practice at the end with some improvisation on an easy blues. Conclusion: also older people (I am 68 now) can learn new things.
I was impatient all these years getting it together (technical stuff) practicing too fast . Key of B and G running thirds always felt awkward. This video helped me remedy like I can’t believe . Just practiced 45 mins mad slowly in a mirror and I feel such a comfort I didn’t think possible. Thanks 🙏 200%
you cant play faster than your tongue the tongue must be able to keep up with your fingers, but most self thought players slure the notes a bad habit and they play them self out off air before taking a good breath.
Hi Jay Ive been playing daily for 4 years in my 40s. I don’t really know when / how to use bis key. Maybe a goos topic fir a video. I notice some keys are are more prone to using the bis key as a default but then you get to a passage that has a Bb then a B natural. Etc.
Same for middle C. Many sax players don't even know or acknowledge the right-hand side fingering for C. Knowing these alternate fingerings greatly aids in speed & precision!
I studied with Eric Marienthal years ago, and he really emphasized playing slow, just like you do. Eric was in Chick Corea's Elektric Band at the time, a band known for their speed and complex music. He told me that people would be surprised to hear how slow Chick practices at times, and that that is one of the main reasons he can play fast so precisely and cleanly. Eric told me that another famous keyboard player (who I won't name here) that he has recorded a few albums with is very proud of his speed and always practices as fast as he can. But if you listen very carefully to his albums (especially if you slow them down) you can hear that his playing is actually quite sloppy. In fact, I can't listen to his playing any more without noticing this sloppiness. Chick, and Eric, both continue to amaze me.
I really became sold on this idea when Eric made me play nothing but slow scales (no songs, no play-alongs, just scales) for a couple of weeks, carefully listening to each transition for any fingering glitches, minimizing finger motion, matching tonality of each note, noticing the timing and quality of my tonguing, etc. I did this for two hours a day for two weeks, and was a bit skeptical of whether it was worth it. But when I played a song at the end of the two weeks, my wife came running in the room to see if it was really me. We both couldn't believe the improvement. So I am really sold on how playing slow helps you play fast, and much better.
Glen, Thanks for your comment and sharing that insight.
I know you don't want to speak bad about the pianist but I wish you would name him so I have an example of what it sounds like when you practice fast
In the classical piano world, it is exactly the same. We must practice slowly, otherwise, we won't have the preciness and clarity! Practice slow is the key. To my surprise, my classical sax teacher always hurries me up all the time. I need to practice slowly to get the correct tounging etc.
@George Jones Interesting. How does dyslexia manifest itself in playing music? Sight reading is a skill like any other. You have to practice it to improve at it. There are sight reading books that will help if you put the time in. When I do, I get better at reading new music.
Glen thanks - did you do 60bpm as Bob Reynolds always talks about?
"If you can play it slowly, you can play it quickly!"
“If you can dodge traffic, you can dodge a ball!”
Some nice 2Set in there...
Thats best deal
Ling ling insurance
If you a dodge a snail. You can dodge a bullet
Jay:**has 10k subs in 2018**
Also Jay:**is so badass that he jumps to almost 120k subs in less than 2 years**
its funny bc he's at 150k now, he's really coming up
This is what happens when you make very good and useful videos. He has the quality nailed down, the length of videos, and also the content is RELEVANT to sax players, some of the videos even professional players. I personally love the fact that so many of his videos help me in my saxophone progression for both alto and tenor. honestly its a gem of a channel, glad hes doing what he does.
he's at 182k at two years
@@meemmahn2856 in a week it became 184k lol
207K now
starting at about 7:30 is the real gem of advice that mirrors or follows what I teach. I phrase it this way, "if you learn mistakes it will take you 30 to 40 times longer to erase those mistakes and build a clean recall of the correct way to perform. So get it right at half speed, then full speed will follow. Make a mistake at full speed, go back to half speed until solid in your muscles and mind. Then full speed will feel like half speed, since you now engaged auto pilot. Remember, amateurs practice until they get it right once, pros practice until they can't get it wrong!" Thanks for sharing your ideas!
+Bob Premecz Yes! that is how we should practice technical passages. It takes discipline though!
Amen dude! It's like 25% your mind playing any instrument, and like 75% your muscle memory
I practice until I’ve done it so much that the mistakes I was making in the beginning come back.
It absolutely works. Same fr any instrument. Learn slow. Speed is a function of accuracy. Playing slowly also shows up any errors. It is actually harder to play very slowly than quickly. Besides being a good musician is not about how fast you can play.
*watches a video about getting in the habit of being more slow and meticulous in practice at 1.25x speed*
Even though this video was posted almost 2 years ago, it has been extremely useful for me as many a times I think i can go into the technical rhythms straight away but end up with lots of mistakes. I have been playing sax for close to 4 years now and this has been one of the most useful advice I have ever gotten. Thanks Jay!
Good advice ages well.
Any materials and advice for a someone who is just delving into saxophone learning.
This video is ON POINT! In order to play fast you MUST play slow, speed and articulation come later. Thanks for this.
I understand why he made this video but to play faster with fewer mistakes there is one key essential practice technique and here it is "Practice everything slow and then speed it up gradually" Tah dah!!!
Thanks for the comment James. I used to teach students to do that, since that was how I was taught. I get much better results with this method though.
Hey I really enjoyed your video. I played my horn for about 8 or 9 years without thinking about the importance of holding my fingers on the keys instead of flopping them chaotically. I didn't learn this until I started playing the clarinet which doesn't allow you to flop your fingers on notes due to the make of the instrument. Very good tip.
I agree with Jay. I'm still a beginner on the sax but starting slow is how I learned to type in school and by the end of the class I was the fastest student at 70 wpm (with accuracy). Mostly we typed slow but spent about 20% of the time doing speed tests. It's about training your mind and body to the point where the motions are second-nature and you no longer have to think about them consciously.
@@bettersax But isn't speeding it up gradually another way of saying "find your new Goldilocks speed" as you find your muscle memory settling in over time? Thanks to your recommendation, I got the Anytune Pro+ app and it has revolutionized my practice time. For a really fast lick I want to learn I may need to put just a tiny segment of it on a loop and start at 50% of full speed, playing it perfectly possibly a 100 times or more. Then, using the Step-It-Up Trainer I can set the loop to speed up by increments till I hit my speed limit for the day. The next day I may find I can play the segment perfectly at 52% and so I set the loop for that tempo and hope I don't drive my wife crazy repeating the same phrase a 100 times or more again. The next day I may be able to start at 54%. I'm not quite sure how playing at 70% speed for a month without ever trying it at 80% would translate into being able to play it suddenly at 100% tempo.
Thank you so much Sr, I was struggling on how to play faster and cleaner but anything could help me till I found your video and, I was proving if it was true to practice slow in order to play fast and thanks to your advice now I am playing FASTER AND CLEANER. Thanks
I am ski instructor. I am also a trainer in our ski school of 800. What you explained as to the benefit of training slow to play fast, is incredibly important in any learning of technique. In our case, I may have a client that want to ski black runs (ie play fast beautifully) - we are not going to learn that on a black run. We are going to go on blue run (play slow) so that she can learn and focus on the technical elements she will need later on a black run - That way she can really focus on what she needs to learn, as her brain power is not used up to just calculate how to survive the terrain - the way it would if we tried to practice on a black run.
And then, after intense focused practice on blue terrain - playing slow - we go back on black terrain - playing fast - boum everything is still there that she learned on blue terrain, in a cmnfortable environment.
There are so many parallels between sports and music. There are some that think of performing music the same way as dancing or playing sports at a high level. It's all about mastering movement.
I greatly appreciate all that you are doing here. You don't have to give us this quality help for free, but you are! You're teaching me things I'm not being taught by the instructor. I totally understand the value of starting slow to build speed. In my mind it's the same thing as typing. I'm surprised by how fast I can type, but I understand that since my mind has a basic understanding of where each key is located, my fingers can move faster because my mind no longer has to process the location of each key. I figure the same will happen with the sax over time. Lastly, I really appreciate your teaching style in that you're realistic and blunt about what it takes to see progress. You don't feed us a bunch of feel good crap. You just let us know, we're gonna have to put in the work if we want results. Thank you so much for giving us this opportunity!
You’re welcome
It's really true listen to Him
Great teaching job as usual Jay. I ain't closer to those 1/16th but increasingly closer to mastering those 1/8th. Still need a lot of concentration to keep my fingers close to the keys though. Thanks a million.
Let me begin by saying that I have enjoyed your series of videos. I agree with the concept of keeping a relaxed grip and consistent finger position. I also agree with 80/20 practice theory. I’ve passed the ideas on to younger players that I’ve observed at jam sessions way before seeing your video tonight. I’m looking at almost 50 years of playing sax and wish there was TH-cam when I was coming up. Thanks for your lessons and reviews of products. A side note, check this video with an eye on your B key finger. Keep up the good work.
✌🏽❤️🎷
This practice tip should be “GOSPEL” in everyone’s routine!!!
I went through that too, discovering in my thirties that my fingers were flying. "Feel the pearls ". I did exactly as Jay described! And it's tough but worth it. Also: practicing slow isn't the best way to get fast-- it's the only way. And to show that u can always learn, even though my finger position is good, I never really thought about concentrating on downward pressure as opposed to angular. Keeps u from "pulling" on the keys and wasting finger energy. Thanks again Jay!
2021, Ive neen playing for 10 years and still couldn’t get things right because of this.
I will start praticing slowly today
Please could you show me how do you play smoothly and slowly C and B keys, because when I play this two keys, it is very hard to play clearly between of them:(
I made a board in my practice room with the slogan: Slower goes Faster !!!
Thank you Jay I Will start this technich tomorrow,
This is so true my friend. I am a Personal Trainer and tenor sax enthusiast. I am big on form and technique and insist on going slow in physical fitness until you don't have to think about your form and technique anymore, then you can go faster without thinking about whether you're doing it right. It's how many you can do right. My clients think I'm s magician and make it all look so easy. I'm not a magician, I have just practiced so long with correct form and technique that I can't get it wrong. "Amateurs practice until they can get it right, Professionals practice until they just can't get it wrong". Great advice and 100% CORRECT. Thanks mate...your great, and RIGHT!
Nice video! I’m excited to try this out! Love the John Coltrane blue train album in the background!
To quote the Mandalorian: "this is the way!"
I have started with sax using Jay’s system since January 2018. I have not at all been focused on speed but when I have a moment in my practice where I do push speed I am often surprised that I have it in my hands. It is just there after spending lots of time on slow attention to my tone and pentatonic scales.
That's great to hear David.
I've been playing the sax for several years and always struggled playing fast. I never understood why no matter how much I practiced. Now I understand it's poor finger positioning that I am currently undoing. This video is a gem!! 🎶🎷
Me too! I’ve been playing just for two years and now I have to unlearn these bad habits 😞
I love ballads as all the greats played I E Coleman Hawkins , Stan Getz even Coltrane and Dexter recorded some beautiful ballads which I love to play with my little jazz ensemble .. Most people love the sound of the saxophones if your sound has good quality . .. Flip Fillips said as he got older he the more he appreciated playing ballads .. read it somewhere... bobby g..
So true. My belief is for every mistake you make you have to play the correct thing ten times to wipe it out. What good is playing fast if it’s bad?
Also the “don’t practice stuff you know.” Gold jerry! Gold! It took me years to figure that out. I break phrases down into the smallest part that I really need to work on and practice it slowly with a metronome, looping it over and over. I do this with piano which I recently started learning and it works! I just started on sax too and I’m looking forward to applying the same method.
Great job Jay, as usual super helpful, keep up,the good work my friend! Onwards and upwards!
Best Regards,
Samuel.
+Pilotguy Thanks!
Im really enjoying your instructional contents. Thank you for making this videos
Thanks!
I appreciate this video I haven't played in years and I want to start playing again so thank you
Hello Jay, what's the faster tempo are you playing this lick?
I dont even play sax... But...your videos are so interesting I am thinking of starting...😎
Christian Blues Artist do start. The saxophone is such an amazing instrument! It takes some time to improve but it’s absolutely worth it. I’ve been practicing the sax for 4 years and don’t regret it🎷❤️
Absolutely!!! Slow=Accurate. Excellent advice!!
Hey Jay, I've played guitar for 30 years and taught guitar for 14 years. This is exactly how I taught my students on guitar! You couldn't be any more correct. I just picked up my first tenor sax March 9th. I'm loving it! Everybody here....listen to the man. He knows what he's talking about. This applies to all instruments. You a cool cat Jay! Great lesson!
Thanks Jay. I really find this is very important and helpful to me, especially I am preparing for my exam and as an adult learner, I know that practise makes perfect, and not all good musicians are born genius
I also play 5 string banjo, known for a machine gun like progression of notes. Practicing slow is indeed the key.
I always say that Bluegrass is just like Bebop...
This should be considered a 'golden rule'. Practicing slow allows you to accurately program what you're learning into muscle memory. As Jay says, the result is that when you go to execute at full speed, the lick (or whatever) is there, with no thought required. Of course, the slowest thing you can practice is long tones. I treat scale warm-ups as long tone exercises. Your scales should sound sweet and consistent through the full range of your horn - right up into the altissimo.
Thanks, Jay. Your site is the bomb. Keep up the good work! Oh, how I'd wished I'd heeded my sax teacher's advice 35 years ago!
feb 18 you hit 10k... August 19 you’re over 85k! Wow but not susprising yo have such a huge following #best teacher ever!
Thanks, but this was 2018. Still, pretty good progress. Soon 100K!
Slow steady & patient. Continuously SLOW creates massive ammounts of muscle memory speed
Great advice. I would definitely recommend playing super slow most of the time and always with a metronome (even for long tones). I personally don't use the 80/20 rule but something like 70% slow 20% medium and 10% fast. Playing fast should only be the tip of the iceberg i.e. what people hear when you perform.
Jay, where the dickens do you teach basic fingering???
Rob I have a lesson on that in my beginner course which can be found here on TH-cam.
So true! Slow enough that you can mentally savour and direct each note without feeling rushed or playing unconsciously.
Super helpful!!! Now I can play better at my school band. 10/10
Thank's Jay for speaking very clearly (I'm not native for english language). This is true ! I spent at least 6 years before I really undestood that working slowly is the first key, the second to keep fingers in contact with the keys, and third is to press them as lightly as posible. This allows to play relaxed, and get fast regular and smooth music, and fast progresses. By the way, I have been learning to play... accordeon, about forty years yago, and it is exactly the same. Now I restart playing music, on an alto saxophone (my hart instrument), and I'm descovering the embouchure and breath problems,... hence : Thank very much Jay for all your vidéos, very helpfull.
i am waiting for my first ever saxophone to arrive and i am so excited but scared lol. But your vidoes are very helpful thank you. This tech. is so true for any instrument, when i was learning the piano it was the same thing..slowly little by little and then all of a sudden one day you can play. lol. But as for the saxophone i do not know much yet, i am using youtube to learn the keys and such tech. so thank you for your great videos. I highly appreciate it!
This is the first video I've watched of yours and it earned a subscription from me. Looking forward to watching more. Great advice!
Thanks! More on the way...
You're doing a great job Jay. Thanks for all the useful videos!
Love you sport analogy! I appreciate your videos. Do you have a recommendation for a tenor wireless bell microphone ? I know it has nothing to do with your video so thank you!
I haven’t even bought my saxophone yet, and I know that this methodology works. It just makes sense.
I am watching this again in 2022. Still relevant. Thank you, Jay.
I just revisited this. It's the same on any instrument. It's a big thing if you're having fun. That helps a ton.
Thank you for this lesson. It is helpfull !
Jay, great stuff! I've seen people play over the keys, which they claim it makes them faster! hmmmmm.....there's a reason why the pearls are located on the keys at the position they're in!
I like the 80 20 idea. Sometimes I get perfectionistic about how slow I have to go in order to get things right, and I start thinking I'm never going to be able to speed up. So it's nice to have a number to aim for.
I play a lot of instruments, and I recently wanted to play a bass guitar part that had 16th note triplets at 60 bpm. And I wanted to play it with one-finger picking. I wasn't sure I'd be able to do it at all. But I went down to 20 bpm and worked my way up. It took about a month, but I finally got it!
I was blessed as a beginner saxophone player in Fourth Grade with both an above par Tenor Saxophone (Buffet Crampon Super Dynaction passed down by my Dad), and with a band instructor who was an Alto Saxophone player, who became my Assistant Band Director in High School.
Unfortunately my Sophomore year I was goofing off waiting for my parents to pick me up after a football game (Pep Band) and had my saxophone in a soft case and used it as a step stool. Resulting in a bent vertical shaft and unplayable saxophone. Ended up buying a $400 EBay saxophone and the quality difference showed, but it got me through college.
I still have my Dad’s Buffet, waiting to have the money and to find the perfect shop to bring this saxophone back to its full glory.
So I started studying music this year. Finished my third week recently. I've been a subscriber of yours for a while now, but high school with all the extra subjects left me with little time to diligently watch through your videos and apply your advice. But now that I can focus on my music 100%, I'm going to make a point of doing that. Thanks for all your help, Jay!
Respect. Some really great advice. Thank you sir.
Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.
Hello Jay. Im Hernan from Colombia I don’t speak Inglish very well, my ask you ha ve your videos in spanish?. Very good videos, congratulación.
I'm really impressed for learning from here...this has really improved my skills a lot...I really appreciate you better sax
By the way, Jay, your sound is great on that sax!
Thanks!
Unfortunately you are correct 🎷🎶👍
Where is the download referenced in the
How to Play Faster and Make Fewer Mistakes - Saxophone Fingering Tutorial???
I just simply love you! You're teching me so meny things. Greetings from Mexico!
Could you do a video on getting a fuller sound without squeaking?
Understanding the value of practicing slow can be even further understood by getting up to speed with the science of neural plasticity. If you have doubts after that then, you are your worst enemy!
i like dat
It's just like typing or playing a new computer game. You start fast, messing up constantly but by typing slowly learning your hotkeys slowly you can then become very fast because your brain gives the keys muscle memory. Sax is no different. Start slow and you will be fast.
What a surperb video which being a keyboard player I have applied this slow practice for years of benefit to piano so i am now applying it to my sax playing .
Jay 3 questions I would love your advice on. I'm learning soloing lily was here and once I learnt the notes I played part of the solo at 50% and now up to 60% . Q1 how long should you stay and consolidate a learned phrase or piece before stepping up the tempo and Q2 what do you recommend you increase BPM tempo each time lastly 3. would you concentrate on learning entire solo slowly then moving up the tempo or getting a part of solo at 100% then learning a new line of it? Kind regards
Excellent sir
Spot on, similar to Bob Reynolds philosophy of practicing everything at 60bpm
Thanks AJ. Bob is right!
Drum-wise, Bernard Purdie said 40bpm. Which kills me, but it sure does make a slow blues easier. Normally, i bypass boring slow songs.
Slowing down your songs with TH-cam and an IN PERSON coach will really get your money's worth in short order. I find i have a hard time imagining it slow enough and it can be unlistenable very slowly on TH-cam
Good stuff. But notice at 9:30 in the video demonstration, Jay does the opposite of what he was talking about as far as hand position over the pearls--his right hand fingers are about an an inch away LATERALLY from each of the pearls, while his left hand fingers do play on the pearls. Brecker did this on his right hand , and so does Sanborn, but it would be good if Jay had mentioned this contradiction, since it conflicts from the total technique he was advocating in this video. I'm sure those pearls on the right hand side of the sax are there for a reason, just like they are there for a reason on the left hand of the sax. Eric Marienthal does this perfectly.
I joined the list by clicking the subscribe button above.
I wonder if it's time for a new teacher? We spend about 95% of one hour lessons sight reading. As soon as I gain slightest degree of proficiency in one exercise, he immediately ups the metronome to a speed where my fingers thrash about the keys. He's always pushing me at high speeds (150 bpm +) where my mind cannot keep up with regard to coordination and cognitively. I become frustrated to the point where I make stupid mistakes. After three years perhaps it's time to switch it.w a new teacher?
Oh yeah you have to play slow before you play fast; it stands to reason.
You have to crawl before you can walk and walk before you can run.
Same thing.
Hi Jay, I got the Worksheet, what chords are you playing the Bebop lick over, I would like to learn how to play it in other keys, knowing the chords and key you are playing in would help me transpose it.
You must play Ballard's, this is when you learn to hear song form.
Incubation periods aside, do heaps of speed work, all scales and arpeggios until you are sick to death of them, iron out all the kinks, relaxed hand position, good posture, all that will be left to work on will be your diaphragm, uvula and embouchure, in that order with no distractions.
There is a connection between your diaphragm and the sounding note always. Iron out the distractions and feel the note from your gut.
The truth is, and I'll put it as simple as possible.
Slow = Progress
Fast = Fun
You need the progress to get the fun. Messing up is no fun it's frustrating.
Squeezing with the grip of death 😂 that was funny
5:17
ME: lajdhhfjskahshd IS THAT SPOCK
Some of the best advice I have seen yet, as a beginner
I sent you a message through your homepage.... but you don't answer. Is somebody there taking care of customers?
it works
OKAY..... Tak.. ;-)
good to be here , hope to learn as much as i can from better sax
Absolutely true! Ask any martial artist, they'll tell you the same. I took half a year, slowed down and unlearned the finger-waving and WOW! What an improvement. I'm working on teaching this to my kids now - it applies to any instrument!
William, yes it takes some discipline but is well worth the extra effort. Really helps the time feel.
Can't find the worksheet....? Just routed to the Beginner course or the By ear course.
For my Band class, I always like to refer to it as playing a video game, to react faster, your keys must be on the keyboard or controller so your not waiting for the time it takes to send your fingers on to the keyboard or controller to then press the buttons.
First you crawl, then you walk and then you run. Some even fly.
"you've got to go slow to go fast" in anything you do. Sound advice ……...
Thanks!
Finger hang up is the problem i have. Whats the scale you are playing at 9.46
I hope this works for clarinet
It will.
I mean if you don't believe playing slow is the key to playing quickly then idek what to say lol
The best present I ever gave to myself was starting playing saxophone when I was 48. So many comments I got: How is that possible should you not start when you are young?. My answer was almost similar as what Jay said. My lungs work, my hands and fingers move and my ears work. Why would I not be able to play saxophone? And yes, I probably will not become a famous and extremely good saxplayer but most kids also cannot reach that goal. Important for me is that I made it routine. Not questioning when I play, but just play 1 hour every day between 6 and 8 pm.
I have played now for 17 - 19 years. And still loving it. Sometimes it was a frustrating love/hate relationship (I hate it, I suck, I will never be a decent player) but that is part of the process. Playing has helped me through tough times.
Currently I am a medium/advanced amateur, take my improvisations and met wonderful people to play with.
If you are thinking about it, just try it out.
This was supposed to be a reaction at the video about starting as an older person.😄
Funny is that I am currently for about 1 month working on some fast stuff for the first time with the method from the video: a bolero at 88 bpm with several lines of 1/16 notes. I start at 60 bpm with the last 4 notes. If everything is OK then I take the last 8 notes, then add 4 more notes etc. If I have a hard time to stay in sync with the metronome, I play different parts of the theme until I am in sync. Sometimes I change from straight to swing. When things are going well I up the tempo with 5 bpm. But I start every practice session with the lower speed. I am now able to confidently play most lines in 88 bpm and I am integrating the lines now into the song.
This is the first time, I am doing it in this way. Before I managed to kind of be able to play at the required speed but it stayed wobbly. But with this approach I can play it now steady and in rythm. I expect to be able to play this piece confidently at a performance in about 1 month. I was never able to reach that level.
I am enjoying the whole journey because you notice your improvement. Patience does pay off.
I did however "reward" myself every practice at the end with some improvisation on an easy blues.
Conclusion: also older people (I am 68 now) can learn new things.
I was impatient all these years getting it together (technical stuff) practicing too fast . Key of B and G running thirds always felt awkward. This video helped me remedy like I can’t believe . Just practiced 45 mins mad slowly in a mirror and I feel such a comfort I didn’t think possible. Thanks 🙏 200%
William, glad you found the joy of practicing slow. So many of us are impatient to get it all together, that we rush ourselves and get sloppy results.
Love your videos but I've done everything and I cannot find this free download.
you cant play faster than your tongue the tongue must be able to keep up with your fingers, but most self thought players slure the notes a bad habit and they play them self out off air before taking a good breath.
Hi Jay Ive been playing daily for 4 years in my 40s. I don’t really know when / how to use bis key. Maybe a goos topic fir a video. I notice some keys are are more prone to using the bis key as a default but then you get to a passage that has a Bb then a B natural. Etc.
Same for middle C. Many sax players don't even know or acknowledge the right-hand side fingering for C. Knowing these alternate fingerings greatly aids in speed & precision!
Yup so true, have been putting this into practice : - )