Amazing Grace

[paddy jordan]

Hi James
do you know what you just pointed out there is the single most important thing in playing sax, playing with expression playing what your hearing in your mind give the piece real soul. We can all learn tunes to play thats easy well if we practice them but no one wants to listen to a mechanical tunes, its got to have thing that vital ingredient That you mention there James, and know you have not set yourself a impossible task.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Paddy, i was looking through other song sheets for amazing grace, the piano parts tend to be solemn with a constant dynamic throughout, its the singers dynamics that change a lot, depending on the singers style, as the sax is taking on the dual role of playing the melody & the singers voice (if i’ve got it right) – thats what i’m trying to achieve.

For a singer to pull it off, this calls for a lot of control of the dynamics to get from those smooth lows to those highs, i don’t want bring any improvisations into it, to me a lot of the sax improvisations on youtube that i have listened to have ruined the piece (world class sax players included – imho), some singers/players overdo it with vibrato etc.. i guess its down to their style etc..

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