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  • #13791
    john
    Keymaster

      ya maybe, but you’re gonna get a lot out of doing it all like that….eventually it’ll get shorter as you get faster obviously.

      #13793
      Anonymous

        I’ll be happy if i can get it down to an hour. Because i’m currently spending another 90 minutes practising 30 scales from memory up to 2 octaves, as well as spending another 90 minutes practising 3 songs & another 60 minutes studying theory!

        #13795
        Anonymous

          In my piano playing days i found scales fairly straight forward as the black keys are always in the same place no matter what register you play in.
          it took me several months to see the pattern of the flat/sharp keys on the sax.
          on the piano you have to raise your finger a lot higher to get to a flat/sharp key, similarly on the sax –
          C# – left pinky
          D# – right pinky
          F# – middle finger
          G# – left pinky
          A# – right hand palm
          strange at it seems, to me raising the little pinky does sort of fit in with the piano layout of raising the finger to go up a sharp or down a flat.

          #13814
          Anonymous

            Wow – doing those 16 chromatic scales one after another really does wonders for your finger technique flow.
            After a while you do it automatically without thinking where the next key is.
            Similarly when you do 30 scales one after another, i soon notice if i hit a wrong note, you get used to what a scale sounds like.

            I’ve just recently started chord theory, and for a root chord say C major which is C . E . G,
            you can play it 3 ways
            1> counting half steps : 4 half steps + 3 half steps
            2> counting in 3 rd intervals : major 3rd + minor 3rd
            3> just play the chord intervals for the key scale root note : C + major 3rd for a C + perfect 5th for a C

            the fastest method is number 3, which means i’ve got to really know all 13 intervals for each of the 7 naturals & the 5 flat/sharp notes.
            Now i see what those jazz players are up against!!!

            #13816
            john
            Keymaster

              You’re getting it now. Developing fast fingers has little to do with having fast fingers, it’s totally a mental thing. You have to know what the key signature of every key to play all scales at a quick pace…you can’t 2nd guess any fingerings either. you gotta know that inside out or you’ll be doing all these things at a snails pace.

              #13823
              Anonymous

                Something else i’ve noticed which holds true for music playing, well for me anyway!
                if i watch the same film 3 or four times in a row, everytime i rewatch it i see things that i missed when i last watched it, similarly if i read the same book several times i understand it better.
                The same thing has happened when i revisited lesson one of the Altissimo course!
                To me the 1st 3 lessons of the altissimo course are the equivalent of a daily practice routine part 2, which you haven’t done yet.
                These 1st 3 lessons everyone can do once they’ve got fully into the swing of your daily practice routine part 1.

                #13872
                Anonymous

                  finally after 6 days i’ve got the all the exercises in lesson one down to 1 hr!
                  The hardest thing is keeping that embouchure from tiring when i get to the end of the 16 non stop chromatic scales.
                  It feels really strange and alien when you start going up and down them not thinking in terms of notes or where the next note is! its as if the fingers know automatically where to go next without thinking where to put them!
                  The really scary thing is my mind is starting to map where sounds are in relation to keys thats something i’m not used to. Think it play it feels like not being in control!

                  #13873
                  Dazza
                  Participant

                    Good on ya mate. I’m seeing the same on the Chromatic the C# to A was tripping me up and low D# to B was frustrating me until I played these sections 20 times so slowly I nearly went to sleep and hey presto! After that didn’t even think about it. I have got a few songs coming out really well so I am looking to upload for a critique this weekend so be gentle everyone.

                    #13874
                    Anonymous

                      That’s great Dazza!
                      initially i found mid Bb down to Low Bb and back up to mid Bb easier to do
                      than mid Bb up to high Bb and back down to mid Bb – starting in one direction was easier than starting in the other direction. same problem with scales & arpeggios.
                      I’ve noticed now when i go up to altissimo B i’m hitting these notes more consistently.

                      I’m not in any rush to move on to lesson 2 yet. But what i’m doing now is using altissimo lesson one as part of a daily warmup & using the long tone exercises in the daily practice routine.
                      As for scales i do a more intense one covering 2 octave for my grade work

                      but its nice to c someone else do the same altisimmo course!

                      #17690
                      Anonymous

                        well its day 18 – the 16 chromatic scales going up & down them in 16th staccato’s. I think for me thats the wall! Now i’m just going to tack them onto the daily sax practice routine. A couple more weeks then i will start lesson 2!

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