Hello to All Newcomers!

Hello again! This is just a short update before the project fair tonight. Our class has been preparing for this since the start of 20-Time, and is excited to share what we have done so far. Although we are still working until the end of the year, this fair is a great way to showcase how far we've already come.

Here's a quick recap of what I have done so far:

1). Setting Goals - By the end of 20-Time I want to be able to play the marching band music we played this year - and play it on saxophone. When I was in fourth grade, we had to decide which instruments we wanted to play in middle school and high school. It was difficult to choose between the trombone, saxophone, and trumpet; I eventually chose the trumpet. After a short while, I switched to the trombone, but the interest to play saxophone still existed. This 20-Time project has allowed me to fulfill that desire. 

2). Planning and Starting to Play - I worked out a schedule for each week and my focus for that week. At first, what came out of my horn was nothing but a series of bird-squawks and high-pitched squeals, but over the span of a few days I was able to produce a decent tone. Since the initial what-have-I-gotten-myself-into feeling has gone away, the saxophone has been a lot of fun. 

3). Beginning to Play Actual Songs - Let's face it: almost anyone can play "Hot-Cross-Buns" (just ask a fifth grader)! I wanted to be able to play some challenging music. So far I have worked on "When the Saints Come Marching In", our school fight song, "September", "Auld Lang Syne", and a few other pieces. I have to admit: my range isn't very good yet, so "September" has been troublesome, but I can play the chorus fairly easily.

4). Coming Soon! - I'm still learning some of the marching band music and am hoping to increase my range so I can play all of "September" (Check my last blog for the sheet music). After I get most of "September" down I will move on to the next song.

Rather than post a video of myself playing, I encourage you to come to the NADA Center at Northwood tonight between 6:30 - 8:00 in order to see all of the 20-Time projects in person! We have been working tirelessly to prepare for the fair!

One Step Closer!

 Hello! Unfortunately I did not find the time to record myself, however I definitely plan to do that in my next blog. I feel as if I have improved over the last couple of weeks, but I still have a long way to go.  This week I experienced my first chipped reed, so I will have to start using a different one. Although it is only a small chip, the reed must be symmetrical to produce the best sound quality. Along with replacing my reed I will research proper care and maintenance to make sure it doesn't happen again.

I have finally moved on to learning some of the marching band music! I have focused primarily on two different pieces: our school fight song and "September".

 This is the saxophone part for the fight song:

The song is fairly easy to learn, however I have not yet attempted to play it at the speed at which the band does. Before I do this, I want to be sure I can play the right notes the whole way through. There is an occasional sharp or flat that may throw me off, but this is the easier of the two songs.

Here is the sheet music for "September":

If this looks harder than the fight song, you're right! I have only practiced the opening and the chorus so far, and some of the notes are too high for me to play right now. This piece, however, is the one I want to be able to play, so I will continue to work on it until it sounds good. We played this for marching band band this year, but I was on the trombone. The parts are similar, but the saxophones have the melody more than the trombone, so I enjoy playing the saxophone part.

In the upcoming weeks I will continue to work on these two pieces as well as one or two other marching band songs. I'm excited to be a step closer to my goal and am looking forward to playing more music!

Week 2

Hello! This week I decided to research some of the greatest saxophone players. What I found was impressive:

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryNtmkfeJk4

• Charlie Parker is known for his fast tempo and great improvisation skills. Although he lived until only the age of 34, he contributed a lot to American jazz.

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaKH33E7zJM

• Lester Young is a tenor saxophonist known for his "free-floating" style and relaxed tone.

3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiI2ZHmxPPo

• In my opinion, this is the most impressive; he can play two saxophones at once! Roland Kirk was known for his improvisation and being able to play two instruments at the same time.

Jazz is by far my favorite type of music to play in band. I love its unique style and rhythms, and above all: improvisations. Although I play in the jazz band as a trombone, I want to learn how to play some solos on saxophone. 

I've also encountered some online quizzes to test how well I've learned the fingerings for different notes. I aced the first couple, but I may need to review my flats and sharps. Other than those, I have most of the notes memorized, which definitely will help me to start to play some of the marching band songs we've performed this year. 

This week I started trying to play some of the basic tunes. So far I've leaned to play Hot Cross Buns (Band kids remember!), Jingle Bells, and a couple of other songs. I think I am progressing well, and will start playing harder songs in the upcoming weeks. In my next post I hope to include a video of myself on the saxophone.

1st Week

The first week was a success (somewhat)! My first couple attempts to play a note on the saxophone went horribly wrong, and involved many high pitched squeaks. However, after several tries I was able to play a note! Although I cannot consistently play without squeaking, I have improved a lot and can now get it right most of the time.

I have also learned several different notes so far on the saxophone. At first it was difficult for me to read treble clef, a certain notation music, because I read the bass clef when I play trombone. After a bit of memorizing, I am now able to recognize which note corresponds to which location on the clef.

When I was able to memorize the notes, I tried to put the fingerings to them. It took a while, but I can now play the seven basic notes: A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. They don't sound the best right now, but over the next few weeks I will work on my intonation in order to get a better sound.

Over the next few weeks I will also learn to play flat notes, which will complete the set notes I will need to know in order to play marching band music. One of the differences between saxophone and trombone is that in order to play higher notes on a saxophone, you have the same fingering and you only have to add one key. I think that this will be helpful for me in the upcoming weeks as I attempt to master the saxophone, because it will be easier for me to remember each note. 

Introduction

Hello! I am Daniel. This blog is for a project called 20-Time. For the next couple of months, I will spend twenty percent of my time in English class to do whatever I want. I have decided to learn saxophone, as I have wanted to learn to play it for the past several years, but never had the time. I have always enjoyed playing music (I've played trombone for the past 6 years) and want to learn another instrument.

For the next couple weeks, I plan to focus on learning the key signature and finger positions (fingerings) that I will need to know. I will then start to work on playing specific notes on the saxophone. After going through the basics, I will focus on learning a new song each week and build up my playing skills.

My goal for this project is to be able to play all of the marching and symphonic band music that we have played in the past year. I will achieve this by gradually adding new skills to my practice. I am excited to have the opportunity to learn the saxophone and will post weekly updates about my progress.

-Daniel