Tonguing

     It feels so wonderful that Dave, my teacher said I can start to play some songs for the coming week. However, to achieve that, tonguing technique has to be mastered. where this skill can to block the air flow into the mouthpiece to separate the sound and make beats.

Chapter3, Tonguing

     The first thing to done is to capture the beats. As we release the air into the mouthpiece, tongue can stop the continuous sound from the saxophone by pushing up the reed. Hence, when the tongue is removed, the Sound usually will start with a sound like Tsk.

     Simple practice can start from tonguing for 4 beats and rest 4 beats,
Then,  tongue for every 2 beats for a set of 8 beats  and rest 4 beats
Finally, tonguing for each 8 beats and rest 4 beats and practice with a faster beat.

    
     Too bad I don't have quite enough time to make these practices in this week. Hopefully I am able to catchup the syllabus very soon.

My First Class

              So, I attended my first saxophone class. And now, I am a saxophonee, Aha! Yup, I created this term; Saxophonist + Trainee = Saxophonee : ) I met my teacher, Dave Chuah who made his house as a small studio which located in Cheras. The fee is RM130, it was a bit higher compared to Chamber Music in Sg Wang which is RM100. However, the location might be more convenient for me after I changed my job to Cheras in August.

              And in the first class, I was taught to inhale, hold and exhale by using the strength of my abs.

It is quite easy for me to pick up the skill as I was practicing to walk straight and avoid my back from hunching along the time.

              So, upon inhaling, the abs will bulged as the shoulder should be remain relaxing.

Holding the breath and released it by pushing out by the abs muscle where the abs will shrink.

The Duration of inhaling, holding and exhaling should be controlled well as required by different tempo.


Practicing by using the tempo as below:-

                  Tempo
Inhale    |  4  |   4 |  4  |
Hold     |  4  |  8  |  4  |
Exhale   | 8   | 8   | 8  |


 *~*`*~*`*~*`*~*`*~*`*~*`*~*`*~*`*~*`*~*`*~*`*~*`*~*`*~*`*~*`*~*`*~*`*~*`*~*`*~*`*~*


The Second chapter is to blow to a right sound by using the mouthpiece.
              As I already know how to set up the reed to the mouthpiece, the class forwarded to the blowing part. The outcome of the blows should not be too sharp.

              The advise to prevent  a bad habit upon playing saxophone is always blow to a flat sound. As if the air in the abs is running out, we have to stop blowing; not to continue as it will produce the sound with inconsistent frequencies which may develop into the so-call bad habit that could produce "noise" instead of music.

              So, The class is about these. All I have to do is to practice practice and practice. Gambateh!! 

my first kiss

Finally, I bought my 1st saxophone, Jupiter JAS 567GL. I don't really know how to define its quality, I have to wait for my teacher to exam it. My 1st class will be starting on this Wednesday,  can't wait to attend the class!! YOOHOO!!! Anyway, I am too hasty to make my first approach. And, hmmm.. I absolutely failed to kiss well for the first time. She made some weird noise. . Piii... pppp..uu..ooo.. lolx.

Jupiter JAS 567 GL

The small step forward

Finally, I've made the first small step forward despite of the consequences in the future. I placed an order for a Jupiter Alto Saxophone after making a few survey of prices in Kuala Lumpur. I was told that the sax will be there after a few days.

I am feeling so excited and looking forward to go for the lesson. Yet, I am actually suffering for ulcers in my mouth. Hopefully they are recovered when I received the sax.

The sax cost me RM115 per month after Rm500 deposite.

I will step forward

I was hesitate to step forward, into another world.

Even now,
I have doubt on my ability;
I have doubt on my patient and passion.

Words of discouragement flew into my ears and I am about to give up yet I am not even stand still. I don't feel like I want to share to anyone else anymore, Hence, I am writing, to share with myself, to encourage myself to step forward, into the world that might seem too expensive for me.

I am looking forward to the day, that I am able to create some artistic sounds with a golden horn.