Ever wanted to play the saxophone? Here are a few pointers for beginners from our amazing sax teacher, Dom Thatcher.
What inspired you to start playing sax?
The look and sound of the instrument were the main reasons for me picking the sax up. Hearing it on the radio and TV plus the way it looked fascinated me!
Who is your favourite sax player?
That’s a difficult question but here a few that have really inspired me: Andy Sheppard (soprano sax), Dick Parry, Bobby Keys, Hamiett Bluiett (baritone sax) and Charlie Parker (alto sax) to list a few in different styles.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to learn to play the sax?
It would be to listen to as many different players as possible and to focus on learning tunes that you find enjoyable because it should be fun, not a chore!
How often should one practice per week ideally?
Quality of practise is certainly in my opinion better than quantity especially when starting out, but if you can every day is ideal if it’s for only 10 minutes!
How does learning the sax differ from other instruments?
It diddles from other instruments because you have to be able to focus on a while set of things at once which are all controlled orally; such as tuning, breathing, your embouchure. Also, you cannot see the noted like on a guitar or piano so muscle memory plays a huge part!
Learn more about Dom & enquire about sax lessons here.
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