Learning how to play the saxophone is a great achievement in itself, and the beauty of the instrument, like most others, is that you can spend your life indulging in a journey to master it, getting close but often realising that you’ll never stop learning something new each time you pick it up and play.

Some people who learn to play the sax are more than happy learning certain songs or styles of play, while others can’t stop there and want to become confident at playing improvisations and solos. If you develop your skills with the sax to the point you can do this well, you will stand out above the majority of sax players, even if all you ever do is play the instrument for pleasure in your bedroom.

Here are some tips that will help you become great at sax improvisation, and better at playing jazz sounds with any instrument.

Learn the Piano

This isn’t something you should look at doing if you’re a beginner or are relatively new to the sax. However, if you’re an experienced sax player and are looking to take the step from playing selected songs to playing great solos, learning how to play the piano – another instrument where the ability to improvise can be crucial – can help you a great deal.

Many sax players have said that the opportunity to “see” what they’re playing on piano makes it easy to translate this to the sax. If you’re struggling to grasp sax improvisations, give it a go on the piano and see if it makes a difference.

Find a Great Role Model

Name a famous saxophone player who hasn’t been a brilliant improviser.

You probably find it difficult to do. We’re not saying that you should stop because you’ll never be that good; what we’re saying is that you have a wide range of role models in the music world, and that you should use them.

The trick here is to find a role model that plays within your preferred niche. So, if you’re looking to become great at playing jazz style sax, find your favourite jazz saxophonists and learn about how they move from a set piece of music into a piece of improvisation and back again while maintaining the beat and rhythm of the music.

Trick number two is to remember that you’re not going to get that good overnight, so don’t feel downhearted if you struggle to keep up with your idols at first.

Jam with Friends

Not having any friends that are fellow sax players is no excuse not to have someone you can jam with. With social media the way it is today, there should always be someone that you can find to jam with, and the chances are there’s a community of sax players the same as you within a short bus ride or drive from your home.

Jamming with friends will give you confidence, open your mind to new ideas, and allow you to get used to simply having your instrument in hand and letting it all out.

Just Play

This might sound obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many sax players are reluctant to simply pick up their instruments and play. Even when they’re alone, sax players can be a self-conscious bunch, but you’ll be amazed how much you can learn just by playing yourself – use your smartphone or some recording software to record yourself playing, too, and listen back to understand where you could play better or identify some licks you might wish to go back and repeat.

Kick start your journey to being a great sax improviser today; follow these tips and you’ll start to see your confidence soar in no time.