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In a short space of time, Building the Minor Blues Series 1 has already become one of our most popular series here at Pro Music Tutor. After receiving some incredible feedback we’ve been back in the studio with James Morton to record the follow up Series 2.
In Building the Minor Blues Series 2, not only will you build on the fantastic range of saxophone tips and techniques you learned in the first series, you will also learn some additional tricks that will help you become a master of playing saxophone improvisations over our brilliant minor blues backing track.
In Building the Minor Blues Series 2 you’ll learn about:
What modes are in music and why they are important and have a wide ranging influence over your sound
What the Dorian Scale is and how to use it
Extended Arpeggios and how these can help bring a whole new meaning to your music
Following hot on the heels of the successful Building the Blues Series 1, James Morton has been busy once again in the Pro Music Tutor studio to bring us the follow up, Building the Blues Series 2.
Although you don’t need to have enjoyed the online sax lessons from Building the Blues Series 1 to enjoy the latest collection, James does refer to the previous series throughout these lessons, and if you’re passionate about playing sax blues you’d be well advised to give Series 1 a look first.
Building the Blues Series 2 introduces Dominant 7ths as well as using the minor pentatonic scale and the standard blues scale to help you become a sax blues master.
Check out the promo video below then head over to Building the Blues Series 2 to start learning from James Morton.
Whether you received a saxophone as a Christmas gift or you have recently been out to buy a saxophone yourself, there’s no doubt you’re going to be focused on playing it and producing a great sound. While your saxophone manufacturer and/or vendor will have provided you with a detailed guide to help you keep your saxophone clean and in good order, there are some tips that even some experienced pros don’t know.
Here are some additional tips that might not have come with your new instrument but that will definitely help you care for your sax.
Brush Your Teeth Before Playing
We’re not the type to play ‘Mum,’ but your saliva, especially if you’re partial to sugary foods and drinks, will quickly build up on your pads and make it easy to play bum notes. If you’re planning to carry your sax around a lot then a small bottle of mouthwash for your bag – or even the inside of your jacket pocket – is a great alternative.
Checking for Moisture
The curve at the bottom of your horn is usually where your saliva and any ‘breath water’ will end up as this is where your Eb pad is located. The trick here is to look at the pad itself. If the pad looks black with a greenish ring around it, you have too much moisture in your instrument.
How do you fix it? It’s all about the swabbing.
Swabbing Your Sax
Swab your sax from the bell to the top. The reasoning here is the bell is the driest part of your sax, so swabbing away from it avoids the unnecessary spreading of moisture through your instrument.
It is also important to only use your pad saver after swabbing. A lazy saxophone cleaner will use it as the swab but this will only serve to spread moisture throughout your instrument, which is the last thing you want.
Give Your Sax Some Air
We won’t go into detail about stagnant moisture, lack of air, bacteria and mould, but needless to say you need to leave your sax in the open air to ‘breathe’ before closing your case. If possible, try and lay it somewhere safe out the case altogether. If this isn’t possible, sit the sax in the case for as long as you can before closing it. This will help air get into your sax and help any remaining moisture leave your instrument.
If you’re jamming with friends or playing your sax away from your home, try to schedule your playing so you’ll have enough time to give your sax some air and aren’t just packing up immediately after your session.
Clean Your Tone Hole
While some of the major sax manufacturers won’t tell you too much about cleaning your tone hole, most of them do sell a specific tone hole cleaner. The tone hole can get clogged up easily and change the sound of your whole instrument, even if you’ve followed the other tips, so be sure to keep it clean.
Bag Up Your Mouthpiece
Keep your saxophone mouthpiece in a padded pouch designed specific for carrying your mouthpiece around. Having it loose in your accessory compartment of your regular sax case can be a recipe for disaster.
Looking After Your Sax
Follow these tips in conjunction with your instruction booklet from your manufacturer and/or vendor, and check out the video below that helped us put this post together for a great walkthrough of cleaning your sax.
We aren’t into predictions lists or reviews of the year, but we do enjoy looking forward and previewing the things we can all look forward to in 2016. For the first time in quite a few years, the early months of the New Year have several exciting events upcoming without the focus being purely on the BRIT Awards.
Here’s what we’re looking forward to in early 2016.
David Bowie’s 25th Album
David Bowie’s 25th studio album – Blackstar – will be released on January 8th, which is Bowie’s 69th birthday. As you’d expect from such a legend of music, the result is expected to be incredible. Numerous reviews have already been written by those fortunate enough to have heard it, while Rolling Stone magazine recently published a lengthy feature on the album, speaking to producer Tony Visconti as well as others that were heavily involved in producing the record.
Primal Scream’s New Album
Primal Scream are an incredible group and are now onto their 11th full length album. The Scream announced in early December that Chaosmosis will be released in March, and that their summer schedule will see them headline four tour dates and perform at four festivals.
To get you in the mood, Primal Scream released a short preview video, which we’ve included below.
The Stone Roses are Back
Okay, so The Stone Roses are something to look forward to in the summer, but they get in on account of the numbers of people who will be spending the early part of the New Year looking forward to seeing them live.
Their initial comeback in 2012 was a huge success, and since that time the group has also seen the production of an acclaimed documentary – Made of Stone – filmed by This is England director Shane Meadows.
The Roses are playing Etihad Stadium, Marley Park, and the T in the Park festival in 2016.
Jack Garratt
Jack Garratt has already drawn the ire of certain groups of people that see anyone with a beard and immediately shout ‘hipster,’ but he has already won a critics choice award and new music connoisseurs are already showing great interest in his music.
As a ‘multi-instrumentalist’ he’s bound to be something of a ‘marmite’ musician, but you can’t really argue with his talent or his ability.
Coldplay at the Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is one of the biggest gigs in the world when you consider the size of the global TV audience, probably rivalled by only the football World Cup final. We all know how great Coldplay are and about their reputation for always raising the bar, so it is likely to be an incredible spectacle.
Muse
Muse are probably still the greatest live band in the world, and their performances are definitely worthy of a place on ‘all-time greatest’ lists. Their Drones tour – named for their brilliant 2015 album – continues in the early part of the New Year, and they make what is sure to be a triumphant return to the UK in April.
What are you looking forward to in the world of music in 2016? Get in touch via our social channels and let us know!
Hot on the heels of Major 2,5,1’s Series 1, which has already been a great success and which you can read about and watch the promo video for here, we are delighted to announce the release of the follow up series, Major 2,5,1’s Series 2.
This series builds on all the great teachings from Major 2,5,1’s Series 1 and will leave you with some awesome phrases and licks for creating your own inspirational jazz sax improvisations.
Check out the promo video for Major 2,5,1’s Series 2 below and head over to the page to buy now. If you’re signing up with Pro Music Tutor for the first time, remember to subscribe to our sax updates to receive notifications about our latest series in your inbox as soon as they are released.
