All posts by admin

It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using 'Content here, content here', making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for 'lorem ipsum' will uncover many web sites still in their infancy. Various versions have evolved over the years, sometimes by accident, sometimes on purpose (injected humour and the like)

How-To, Music Industry, Saxophone Tips

How to Master the Altissimo Range

September 10, 2015 admin

The altissimo range is something many saxophonists keep tinkering with even after years of playing. It’s among the biggest frustration points of any new sax player and the reason many feel like giving up.

But before you pack your saxophone permanently to its box, try the following tips. While mastering the altissimo range will never be easy, it is possible and you will figure it out if you remain committed!

Lay a Solid Foundation

Don’t venture into the world of the altissimo range before you are able to play the entire range with proper volume control. You want to play the entire range both very softly and very loud.

Make sure you also include proper ear training to your playing. You need to be able to hear the different notes and the variations. Listen to sax music regularly to improve your skills.

Get Started with Overtones

You then want to move on to overtones. Start from the easier once such as the low Bb and the middle Bb and move on to middle F, high Bb, D and F. Keep practicing until you feel comfortable.

You might need to focus on your embouchure while you play, so make sure you try different things to see what makes it easier to hit the right notes. Altissimo range requires great control of the embouchure, so pay attention to it.

Experiment with Fingerings

There is no ultimate truth to fingerings for altissimo notes. It is possible to play them with very different fingerings and you want to try out different options in order to find the one that works the best.

You can find different fingering charts online. If the first one doesn’t feel comfortable, move onto the next one – pick the one that feels the most natural to you.

One Note at a Time

Don’t try to master the whole altissimo range at once. It’s much easier to take it step by step and focus on a single note at a time.

Most often, the quest starts with the high G. But wait? Isn’t the F# the first altissimo note? Yes, but it’s not as difficult to get and most modern saxophones have a special F# key already in place.

Incorporate the note to your other sax practices. Make sure you play solos with the altissimo note included, practice your chromatic scale by going all the way up to the altissimo note and so on. Once you nail the high G, you can move on to the other altissimo notes.

Check Your Gear

Finally, like with many sax tones, hitting the altissimo range properly can depend on your gear and setup. Make sure your saxophone is not leaking from anywhere. There are plenty of tips online on how to do this. For example, check out the video below:

You also need to ensure your mouthpiece and reed combination works the best for you. There is no single setup for this, so it is important to try different options before you find the one that works for you.

Pay a lot of attention to your posture, your airstream and keep practicing the notes until you master them!

How-To, Music Industry, Saxophone Tips

How to Fatten Your Sax Sound

September 8, 2015 admin

Do you love the deep, resonating sounds of saxophones? If the ‘fat’ sounds of Jesse Davis get you excited, then this post is going to help you add a bit more resonance to your playing.

Fattening your sax sound can be done in many ways and a combination of the following tips often works the best. So let’s get started!

Find the Right Setup

First, it is important to note the ‘fat’ sound isn’t just down to your playing style. Your gear also plays a crucial role in the sound, as you are probably aware by now, having played the instrument for a while.

By selecting the right horn, neck, mouthpiece and the reed, you can influence the resonance in the sound. You can read more about selecting the right sax gear from our previous blog posts (mouthpieces and reeds) and check with sax manufacturers if you feel your setup isn’t perfect for a resonating sound.

Add Specific Exercises to Your Playing

But naturally, the best way to fatten your sound is through practice and simple changes to your playing style. You can improve your playing and add more resonance and volume by practicing in a specific way.

You’ll improve your volume and depth by constant exercise of long tones, vibrato exercises and by playing different melodies slowly. But if you are specifically looking to fatten the sound, practicing wide intervals are definitely the right way forward.

Wide Interval Practice

Wide interval training involves everything above the third interval. So, you’d b playing the fourths, the fifths, the sixths and so on. Do the following exercises regularly and you’ll start noticing the difference.

There are two great exercises to add to your practice routine. The first is to practice the wide intervals within the octaves. This means playing:

Perfect fourths
Tritons
Perfect fifths
Augmented fifths and minor sixths
Major sixths
Minor sevenths
Major sevenths and octaves

You should also include octave displacement to your routine. This means displacing a specific note of a scale or a particular chord. This gives you larger intervals such as the ninths, the tenths and so on.

Start with the perfect fourths first, as they are the least ‘wide’ of the wide intervals. You can play any major scale of your choice – simply arrange the major scale into perfect fourths by beginning from the seventh degree of the scale and ascending.

Adding it to Improvisation

Once you get a hang of playing wide intervals, make sure you include them to your improvisation practice. Take one of the backing tracks from Pro Music Tutor and add this vertical movement to your playing.

You can listen to saxophonists such as Eric Dolphy and Donny McCaslin and you’ll hear this wide interval practice in their playing style. Add octave displacements, for example, to songs you know and love already.

As you keep practicing these intervals, you’ll start hearing the difference in your tone – it should become more resonant and have more depth. If you find it hard to play the fourths clearly, then you might need to practice note-voicing skills a bit more.

Like with any sax practice, you most likely won’t nail it on your first try. Just keep practicing and you’ll eventually add much more dynamism to your playing!

Music Industry, Saxophone Tips

5 People You Never Knew Played Sax

September 3, 2015 admin

Playing an instrument such as the saxophone can give you so much enjoyment that it isn’t any wonder celebrities are also skilful players. In fact, a number of famous people from actors to economists have mastered the art of saxophone playing outside their day jobs.

Here’s a look at five people you probably didn’t know could also bust a tune with a saxophone.

1. Bill Clinton

The former US president is famous for non-related hobbies in the White House, with his ability to play the saxophone being the most suitable of these activities for public discussion. Clinton’s talent even saw him make a famous appearance on the Arsenio Hall show in 1992.

President Clinton’s love for the saxophone got started at the age of nine, when he began playing the instrument. His love for the instrument and for jazz music has remained strong and he has devoted a lot of time getting young people more into music.

2. Jennifer Garner

The talented actress used to be a proper band geek in high school and her instrument of choice was the saxophone. While she may be more famous now for the role in the Alias TV-show and for the recent breakup of her marriage with superstar Ben Affleck, Garner used to love spending time playing the saxophone.

In a recent People Magazine interview, she did make a truthful confession. Garner said that when she picked up the saxophone recently after a long break in playing, she sounds “God-awful now”. Perhaps she just needs a few saxophone lessons?

3. Hugh Laurie

Hugh Laurie has been making a career as a seasoned musician in recent years and he is often seen playing the piano. But this multitalented star can also play a bit of saxophone as well.

Laurie has revealed that his son is actually much more fluent in playing the sax. Did you also know that Laurie is not actually able read music very well? He often checks with his musically gifted children for help!

Check out the YouTube video for one of Hugh Laurie’s most recent song renditions.

4. Bob Hope

Bob Hope was a much-loved comedian who also knew how to make people smile with his talented saxophone playing. Hope even sometimes featured music as part of his performance and in 1926 toured with Siamese Hilton sisters as part of his Vaudeville tour. The Hilton sister’s were fluent in playing some fantastic saxophone and clarinet duets, while Hope used to dance a long the tunes!

5. Alan Greenspan

Finally, the famous economist and former chairman of the US Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan, started out as a saxophonist. Unlike many of the other celebrities in the list, Greenspan didn’t just play the sax as a hobby; he was a professional musician before turning into economics.

During his time in high school, Greenspan used to play together with Stan Getz. Getz has since continued to play the sax professionally, while Greenspan took to figuring out solutions to economic problems.

The saxophone is truly an instrument for everyone! If the above stories inspired you, then head down to the Pro Music Tutor website for sax lessons and tips.

Guitar Tips, Music Industry

Which Famous Guitarists now Teach Others?

September 1, 2015 admin

If you are looking to learn to play the guitar, you might be considering hiring a tutor. But picking a tutor isn’t always easy, as some people offering lessons are not always fully qualified to teach others.

Learning from professionals is always a good idea. But are there any famous guitarists offering lessons for mere mortals? Here’s a look at some of the few that do.

Joe Satriani

Joe Satriani is one of the world’s most beloved industrial guitarists. Interestingly, Satriani has been giving music lessons even before he became famous and he has continued to do so to this day.

Satriani has worked with some of the world’s greatest musicians and he’s given music lessons to guitarists who’ve become quite a big thing themselves. Testament’s Alex Skolnick described Satriani as a “strict” and “very serious” teacher.

Doug Marks

Doug Marks is perhaps more known for his guitar lessons, but this metal guitarist has done a lot of music as well over the years. He has a strong reputation in the field of music and his guitar lessons and DVDs are among the most beloved in the world. If you want to learn from a seasoned professional, then Doug Marks is your man.

Yngwie Malmsteen

If you are a fan of heavy metal, Yngwie Malmsteen is a guitarist you must know about. The Swedish guitarist has changed the style of playing the guitar, especially in the world of metal music.

Malmsteen also has provided his time for helping out beginner guitarist and offers lessons for those interested. If you aren’t able to afford his guitar lessons, his websites has a range of videos to watch. In addition, you could even find tips online for playing like the master himself.

Tutors at Pro Music Tutor

But the price tag of having a famous guitarist teaching you might not impress you as much as their guitar talents. If you want a quality teaching by seasoned professional, you might want to consider the video lessons from Pro Music Tutor.

All of our guitar tutors are professionals with years of experience. Among the impressive selection of tutors are the following famous guitarists:

Micky Moody

The ex-Whitesnake guitarist has compiled a stunning collection of lessons for us. You could learn about playing solos from the master of stunning slicks. You can definitely add a lot more depth to your playing by taking one of Moody’s guitar series.

Innes Sibun

Innes Sibun is a big name in the world of blues guitar and if you want to add a bit of blues magic to your playing, Sibun is the tutor to go with. He has been playing with big stars, as well as touring with his own band.

Jamie Hunt

Jamie Hunt has been touring with his heavy metal band for years and hehas, luckily, taken some time to create some great series for Pro Music Tutor. His energetic style and his great knowledge in variety of genres means you’ll learn a lot about style and technique.

The above big names have decided to give back some of the talent they have gained over the years and help beginner guitarists. If you have the opportunity to learn from professional guitarists, you should definitely seize the moment. It isn’t a coincidence they are famous and so you have plenty to learn from these masters of guitar!

Guitar Tips, Music Industry

How Much Does it Cost to Learn Guitar?

August 27, 2015 admin

When you are starting out to learn the guitar, the cost can be an important factor in determining whether to learn on your own or to take some lessons. Depending on the type of lesson you go with, the costs can vary a great deal.

So, what should you be prepared to pay?

Hiring a Tutor

Hiring a tutor can often be the costliest option, but there are plenty of differences in what tutors might charge you. The key factors that influence the price include:

Instructor and student experience – the more qualified your teacher, the more likely it is the charge will be higher as well. On top of this, you might find differences in tutor charges depending whether you have some understanding of the guitar already.
Lesson duration – the minimum lesson duration is typically 30 minutes. But you could also take lessons that lasts an hour or more.
Location – if your tutor has to travel to teach you, the charge is typically higher.

Most tutors, with at least some experience, tend to charge anything from £15 to £25 an hour. If you take official classes at an institution, you might need to pay the whole course at once instead of an hourly price.

Online Lessons

You could also opt to learn the guitar online through online courses. Some tutors even offer lessons via Skype. The cost of video tutoring tends to be a bit cheaper, as your tutor doesn’t need to leave their home or workplace to teach you. But the difference is generally not that big, as they still need to spend their time teaching you!

There are other types of online guitar lessons available as well. Video lessons and courses are often the cheapest alternatives to tutors. As your mentors don’t need to be physically present during the lesson, the costs can be brought down a lot.

For example, at Pro Music Tutor, you could get six video lessons on blues guitar for less than £19. You can even opt to buy individual lessons, with lesson costs often just a few pounds.

Alternative Materials

There are plenty of other learning materials out there as well. While you can find plenty of tips from online forums and other such free sources, you could also get professional tips from guitar books and even apps.

The costs can vary from a few pounds to hundreds, depending on what type of product you are buying and whether you are looking to buy it ‘fresh’. For example, guitar books are often cheaper when bought second-hand.

The Bottom Line

If you are looking for a cost effective way to learn to play the guitar, online lessons are definitely the best option. Video lessons aren’t just affordable, but also provide you more freedom in terms of when you are practicing.

But don’t just look at the price when selecting your tutors or learning materials! If you are hiring a tutor, you don’t want to cut the costs by hiring someone who knows nothing about teaching or playing the guitar!

If you want to learn from skilled professionals without breaking the budget, then check out our website for more information.