THE SAXOPHONE SURVIVAL KIT A Guide for Aspiring Professional Saxophonists …or just anyone!
Eric Daniel
THE SAXOPHONE SURVIVAL KIT Eric Daniel Dedicated to those of you who will do more than just read this book... .
Intro The purpose of this book is to help you better understand how to prepare yourself to become a professional Sax player. Hopefully, after reading this little book you'll have a clearer idea of how to proceed day by day toward your goal. First I'd like to share a bit of my personal background with you. I began my musical journey back in 1961 as a beginning clarinet student living in a small town called Bridgewater, Massachusetts, USA. I was fortunate because it was about an hours drive south of Boston, a great cultural center and home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, The Boston Pops Orchestra, Berklee College of Music, the World Champion Boston Red Sox, The Legendary Boston Celtics, Joe Viola, and Joe Allard! There were many occasions to play in youth orchestras, and big bands were very popular (many high schools had jazz big band, concert band and marching band, as mine did). It was much easier to find situations to learn to play saxophone in during that period. The Boston theatre scene was flourishing and there were lot's of musical shows in town at any given moment. Many Broadway shows use Boston as a place to tune shows up before opening on Broadway. The musicians are hot and the best players play like the best players in New York or Los Angeles. In fact many top players have spent a few years in Boston before moving to NYC or LA. Many have passed through the now world famous Berklee College of Music, as I did. Others attended the less well known but excellent and extremely selective New England Conservatory, which I attended briefly as a clarinet major in 1970. The Count Basie Band was still touring, as were the bands of Buddy Rich, Maynard Ferguson, and Woody Herman. Many of the sax players in those bands were trained in Boston by the best sax teachers in town: the legendary Joe Allard (New England Conservatory) and Joseph “Joe” Viola (Berklee College of Music), not to mention seasoned pros like Andy McGhee (Woody Herman and Art Blakey veteran, Berklee staff). The list goes on and on. The point is that, when I was growing up as a musician around Boston there were lot's of opportunities for young players to get experience not only playing but working. There was lot's of competition (and lot's of great sax “brothers”, too) and you had to be hot just to survive, and not only on sax, but on clarinet and flute as well! A few rare “monsters” also played oboe (such as Joe Viola).
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Things have changed a lot since then. You still need to be well prepared but the type of music has changed and changes continually. Unfortunately, many music programs in public schools have been hit by budget cuts. Big bands are almost completely extinct. Theatre orchestras are smaller Pop horn sections are smaller, string sections have been all but eliminated by synthesizers (for economic and logistical reasons). Recording has become digital and more decentralized geographically and many projects are being realized in personal studios all over the world, digital sampling of horn sections is on the increase, everything is changing fast. One year everybody wants horns, the next year hornless garage bands are in style. You must adapt. Its Saxophone Survival Kit time y'all! DJ's have taken over the dance clubs and discos. So what's happening? What's happening now is that you must either learn to adapt to the ever changing musical environment or risk extinction, career-wise. Now you still have to be able to perform in as many types of situations as possible, but it's more difficult to get “live” experience in some of these situations nowadays, and in some geographic areas, it's nearly impossible. Maybe I can be of some help… What I'd like to do with this little book is to share my experiences with you. Give you insights into what I consider to be the most vital aspects of how to prepare yourself for “Saxophone Survival” in today's musical environment. I have been using these techniques for over 35 years of playing all kinds of music in theatres, clubs, discos, international Pop tours, Blues festivals, Rock festivals, TV bands, and recording studios in the USA and Europe, (see the “Credits” section for details.) Try these ideas for yourself….they work. Now this book does not promise that you will become a rich and famous Saxophone Idol, but if you want a satisfying career as a Professional Saxophone Player, you'll find it is a very useful guide. You need to learn how to survive before you can truly thrive. This is my personal view of what you should include in your.…
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THE SAXOPHONE SURVIVAL KIT
Contents The Saxophone Survival Kit
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1. Goals
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2. Musical Preparation
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3. Section Playing
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4. Finding Work
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5. Always keep your goal in mind, and your eyes and ears open!
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6. Can We Talk? It's About Your Attitude
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7. "Eric Aftab Daniel... from Before to Now…The Scenic Route"
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8. Sax: Eric Daniel Credits
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Consider well the words of advice and concepts you'll find within the pages of "The Saxophone Survival Kit". Read them; reflect on them, and of course......Put them to use. Let's get started!
1. GOALS Desire Anything and everything you've ever accomplished in your life began as a desire. Consider this well. Before you could walk you had the desire, an inborn natural desire to walk. Through repeated efforts, which strengthened your hands, arms, and legs and helped you to develop your coordination (your "technique" so to speak), you eventually arrived at a point where you could pull yourself up to an upright position and stay up for a few moments before falling back down. Your family and friends helped you with encouraging words and smiles when you succeeded. When you fell, maybe you cried or laughed at first, more from surprise than anything else, at the discovery that an invisible natural force, you know "The Big G", Gravity, could sit you down on your little baby butt very quickly indeed if you lost your balance! Your parents, friends and relatives (your first Teachers) helped you understand it was no problem and encouraged you to try again (“…..and this time, smile for the camera!”) Before long you began to get the hang of it. You enjoyed the experience, the freedom, this new possibility of standing up on your own two feet, just like all those big people you saw moving around you, coming from and going to places from beyond your immediate field of vision. You worked on it all the time, day in and day out. It began to be a top priority item, along with eating, sleeping, and of course, trying to communicate. Finally you began to take your first toddler steps. You crawled and toddled your way around your home, discovering areas new to you, places you'd never been able to get to on your own before; the kitchen, a hallway, and other rooms full of new sights and sounds. There was the world outside as well. With your new increased mobility "chops" (i.e.” Technique”), it was possible for you to explore nature, play games, get into trouble, have fun, sometimes get lost and learn many, many more new things about the world around you. Question: "So, what's all this got to do with Saxophone Survival?" Answer: "Everything!" 6
Learning to play the saxophone and, if you're up for it, making a living in the music world are the same as learning to walk or talk or anything else you know how to do NOW that you didn't know how to do BEFORE. The same principles apply. It all starts with DESIRE. DESIRE is what gets everyone moving. I mean, without DESIRE it's highly unlikely that you'll be successful or even survive in Saxophone Land. Strong DESIRE is a necessary ingredient for Saxophone Survival. The next question which comes to your mind may be; Okay, but a desire for WHAT? Very good question, bravo! But I'm afraid you'll have to fill in the answer for yourself. No, I'm not abandoning you so soon on our little journey; it's just that, you see, at this point, it's fundamental that you formulate YOUR PERSONAL GOAL. I'm mean, DESIRE WITHOUT A GOAL IS MEANINGLESS. Desire, to be of use to you, must have an object...an object of desire. Take time and give this a good think because without a well-defined goal, a destination, it will be much more difficult for you to make this journey, if not impossible altogether. It's difficult enough already so, trust me, make it easy on yourself and dedicate as much time as it takes to create a well-defined GOAL. Write it down. Fine tune it from time to time as you begin to better understand your more intimate, deeper desires. Always keep your goal in mind. This is of the utmost importance! You must concentrate on it and work toward it continually until it becomes your Center of Gravity. I think of it as a kind of gyroscope in a spaceship's guidance system. It will keep you on course to your target.
Setting Goals The earlier in your musical life you begin to set goals for yourself, the better your chances for Saxophone Survival will be, but fortunately, it's never too late to create a worthwhile goal. Just the idea of having a goal and finally knowing WHAT you want to accomplish will be stimulating and energizing for you. It gives you a sense of direction. This will eventually help you “cut through the crowd” of less oriented musicians. It's a great feeling to know WHY you are doing something. To KNOW you're doing it because you really want to do it. All the necessary hard work seems lighter and even fun because it is YOUR goal, your personal OBJECTIVE that you are striving to achieve. Someone said, “…if it's worth having, it's worth working for.” This goal, this burning desire will help you to keep going and overcome the inevitable difficulties which will arise to test your determination to succeed. There are different time frames to consider as well. There are long, medium and short term goals. Your long term career goals can be reached by setting up and working toward inter7
mediate and short term goals which will help to keep you on the right track. As you achieve the short term goals, create new ones and move forward. Every time you achieve one of your short term goals your self-confidence will increase and boost you forward! What would you like to be able to do a year from now? Two years from now? Six months from now? Maybe you'd like to be able to jam with the better players in your school, or in your town, or compete successfully for a spot in the jazz band, or improve your reading skills, break into the recording studio scene, improvise better, make an album or whatever. It's up to you to decide… You might be new in town and feel the need to make your presence felt, meet people, get into the local Musician's Union and begin working as soon as possible. Maybe you want to do more challenging or better paying kinds of work. There are many situations in which you will find yourself on your quest for Saxophone Survival. Your number one desire will become evident to you very soon if it isn't already evident to you...look inside yourself. What do you really want? What turns you on musically? What gets you excited and makes you feel like playing? Harness that energy and put it to work to achieve your goal. There's always some kind of music or work that will attract you more than the others. This is your musical "Center of Gravity", so to speak. Expose yourself to the best available examples of various musical styles. Be methodical, do your homework, get recorded examples of everything you can. Check out the most representative players in each genre. (I've provided a partial listing in the “Styles” section of this book.) Concentrate on what you enjoy the most but be sure to familiarize yourself with as many aspects of playing as possible. Versatility is very important, vital actually, for Saxophone Survival. Keep your goal in mind. “Single-mindedness ensures success…” (Sufi Master Hazrat Inayat Khan)
Some Sample Goals Here are some examples of goals that are helpful as stepping stones to Saxophone Survival, to becoming a truly Professional Musician. These apply to all levels, from the Beginner level and on up into the Pro Level. For now it's a general list, I'll touch on these topics in more detail in the "Preparation" section of this book. One or more of your goals could be to: 8
• Find the best available teacher in your area, hopefully an experienced Pro. (This will help tremendously.); • Improve your Saxophone Technique; • Sharpen your sightreading skills; • Learn to improvise in various styles; • Transcribe your favorite players' solos; • Participate in Ensemble Situations (school & community orchestras or bands, small groups, etc; • Audition for Regional and All-State competitions (in the USA) and the like; • Audition for one of the Armed Service Bands (a good “earn while you learn” idea); • Learn to play the Sax-related "Doubles" (other saxes, flutes, clarinets, oboe, ethnic, etc); • Improve your transposition skills; • Acquire basic keyboard skills; • Learn Pop and/or Jazz Standards and improvise over the chord changes; • Acquire some Basic Arranging skills; • Organize a small group for jamming and or gigging; • Develop, Maintain, and Expand a network of contacts to create more work possibilities; • Learn how to do Studio Recording Work; • Learn how to do Pit Orchestra Work; • Learn how to do home recording; • Learn how to use music copying programs ("Finale", "Sibelius", etc); • Write and record your own original music; • Develop an original, identifiable style; • Create a Web site to promote yourself and help other musicians; • Organize your teaching activities; • Specialize in what you like to do best; • Become a recognized authority in your specialty by writing articles, reviews and books; • Improve your lifestyle; • Feed your Spiritual Life (The best source of strength and inspiration); • Contribute some of your time to helping others; • Dedicate more quality time to your family. Remember to take time to seriously focus in on your Personal Goal. Fill in the distance from where you are now and your long term goals with intermediate and short term goals which will act as stepping stones to the eventual achievement of the main object of your desire. Be as honest and objective with yourself as you can about your actual level. Take a good look at your strong and weak points. (This is where a good Pro teacher can really help.) Your Goal will be your guide now as you move into the next phase...ACTION! So….what's your plan?
Your Action Plan Once you've identified your primary goal, you'll need a good plan to help you get there. The first thing I do when I'm starting out a new project is buy a simple notebook of lined 9
paper and a new pencil with an eraser. Everything having to do with this project, or goal, will be entered somewhere in the notebook.
Put your imagination to work! In a very free-flowing way, write down everything that comes into your mind as a possible thing to do, any step however big or small, that could bring you closer to your goal. Write EVERYTHING that comes to mind. The sky's the limit! Do it. Don't stop to analyze at this point, just keep that pencil moving until you have no more ideas. Squeeze them all out onto the page! Leave some extra space because more ideas will come when you eventually return to read over your list.
Prioritize! At this point, you should have quite a few ideas jotted down. Read them over to yourself. This time try to judge them by order of their importance. Make a new list of your ideas in what seems to you to be their order of importance as steps to take toward your goal. These points you can consider to be the key features in your action plan. What other steps would be helpful towards the execution of these key features? Write them down. Now re-organize everything into a neatly structured outline form. You now have a good layout of your action plan!
Monitor your progress! At this point, the only thing left to do is to start carrying out your plan! Set up a way to monitor your progress. Target dates, income figures, metronome markings, or any other suitable reference points are helpful in measuring your progress to your goal, whatever it may be. An obvious example here can be found in the use of a metronome while practicing. The gradual increase of metronome speeds while working on staccato passages, personal jazz phrases you're developing, or any number of other practice or performance materials is clearly seen day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, Your goal might be to put a group together to play your own compositions and eventually record. Here the plan will be more complex. Your writing time must be planned into your day. At a certain point you must contact the musicians you'd like to play with, organize rehearsals and, if you want to keep your group together, find gigs. You must decide where to record and arrange for studio time as well. It's a lot of work but, if each phase is planned out well, it can be carried out in a smooth, orderly way. 10
Set reasonable deadlines for the completion of the various phases of your project. As you begin to act on your plan, you may need to “tune it up” from time to time. It may be too ambitious, on the short term (weekly or monthly) side, if so, lighten it up a taste. Not challenging enough? Move the metronome up a notch! You've got the idea. Don't forget….
Patience Pays! Working steadily and patiently will pay off in the end. Think of your project, the goal for which you have created your plan. Patience is really the proof of the confidence or faith you have in yourself to accomplish what you have set before you as a goal. So work calmly and well. Patience and constant day in, day out effort is your best strategy for eventually arriving safe and sound at your desired destination, or “Saxophone Survival”. You will succeed by always trying to move forward along the guidelines set down by you in your action plan. Just remember, if you want your plan to work….work your plan! “Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.” ( Will Rogers)
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2. MUSICAL PREPARATION
Find the best teacher for you Having a great teacher from the very beginning of your experience with the saxophone is the best way to get started. An experienced teacher can save you months, or even years of frustration and wasted time. Imagine all the time and frustration “unlearning” bad playing habits can take. Time that you could be spending getting down to business and learning how to play the saxophone in tune, cleanly and with a great sound….from the beginning! How do you find a great teacher? That's a very good question. Most music stores that sell quality saxophones usually have teachers they recommend. Ask all the music stores for names of sax teachers. Don't stop at the first name that comes up; keep searching until you start getting multiple recommendations. One name will usually begin to stand out from the others. Try calling that one first. Take notes about any particular information that you are able to gather about the various “teacher-nominees” For instance, some teachers are more classically oriented and perhaps less familiar with improvisation. Others are working freelance musicians who tend to be more well-rounded in their approach. Some teachers specialize in jazz improvisation exclusively. Some don't enjoy teaching very much…leave them out. If you already have an idea of what kind of music you would like to eventually be able to play, you should direct your search toward that area. Whatever direction you choose, the fundamentals of saxophone playing are the same and must be gotten under control before any specialization can begin. Once the basics of playing the saxophone have been absorbed, you can apply your imagination and technique in whatever direction you find interesting or fulfilling. Another way of finding great teachers is by contacting your favorite players and asking for a lesson. This is advice especially good for more advanced players who are already playing but want to go into a more specific direction.
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Often really busy musicians don't have time to teach on a regular basis but it's sometimes possible to get them to give you a single lesson. You may be able to attend a clinic or Master class to check out name players in their “teacher” mode. They may be able to steer you onto a lesser known but really great teacher. A lot depends on where you live. Big cities offer more choice of teachers, and have the advantage of being musical “work centers”. If you study with a busy, working pro you will later find yourself in the position of having a friend in the business that may be able to help you get those all-important first “real” gigs. In my opinion, the sacrifice of traveling a little farther so you can study with a great teacher is well worth the time and expense. If cost is a problem, take bi-weekly lessons instead of a weekly lesson if possible. Do whatever you have to do to get with a great teacher! When you finally are with that teacher…trust him. Let him or her be your guide. Put yourself in his or her hands, try to assume their point of view. Be alert and follow his or her instructions. Make notes, prepare your lessons well, and be professional. Don't waste your, or your teacher's, time by not preparing well for lessons. If you understand how to be a receptive student and trust your teacher, it will be easier for you to receive what your teacher has to offer. If you become his best student, or one of his best students, he may eventually recommend you to someone for a gig. (This is how I got started). You may eventually become colleagues (as happened in my case), who knows? It's up to you to show him, or her, that you're serious, capable, and reliable. You must demonstrate this by preparing your lesson assignments to the best of your ability. Ask questions. Practice daily. Remember your goal. Okay, let's get it started….
Intro “The Saxophone Survival Kit” is not a method book and certainly no substitute for an experienced teacher, but, in this section, I'll try to give you an idea of what you need to work on and some suggestions of how to proceed if you happen to be without a qualified teacher at the moment. Please remember to set short and mid term goals, plan your time, and be patient as you work steadily and methodically on the areas listed here. In the preceding chapter I underlined the extreme importance of taking the time to really focus in on your Personal Goal. In this chapter we'll discuss the essentials every saxophone player should keep in his or her “Saxophone Survival Kit”. These are the tools you'll use to move forward along the lines you set up with your intermediate and short term goals. 13
Consider them the basic fundamentals for "Saxophone Survival". Your future progress depends upon your laying down a solid foundation to build on, so don't skip over any of these items; work them into your personal study program. Discuss them with your teacher. If you don't have a teacher right now, continue searching for one as you work on your own. Be constant, this is not an overnight thing. Keep your personal goal in mind at all times. Let's go!
Saxophone Technique Saxophone is a fairly easy instrument to get started on. Most people can pick it up and get a sound to come out immediately. Much easier to begin learning than something like violin for example. That's the good news, right? Let's have a closer look. Because of this initial "easiness", a lot of beginners and self-taught players slip into incorrect playing habits (unnatural playing positions, embouchure and breathing problems, strange uncontrollable vibratos, (ouch!), among others). So I repeat, do yourself a BIG favor and find a good top notch teacher. You will save yourself a lot of grief and wasted time. It's much easier to get off to a good start playing the "right way" than it is to go it alone, or worse, with an inadequate teacher, only to have to "unlearn" bad playing habits later on. A very good general reference book, which I highly recommend to players and teachers alike, is Larry Teal's "The Art of Saxophone Playing". It's very clearly written, illustrated, and covers all the basics of tone production, diaphragm breathing, embouchure problems, articulation, correct playing position, vibrato, intonation, playing in the altissimo register (harmonics), some good alternate fingering positions, and a good bibliography. Be careful about lending it out to your friends or students as it has a way of "disappearing"! Pick one up.
Sound There is no substitute for a great sound! You will be able to express yourself musically and communicate with your audience, to the extent that you have developed and learned to color, or modulate your sound. If you consider the possible dynamic changes, color (or timbric) shadings, various types of articulations and inflections, a wide range of "special effects", and all the possible combinations of these, you can see that the sonoric possibilities for expression at your disposal are virtually infinite! Just with your Sound! This is an area of prime importance and will be something you will work on continuously for your entire playing career. 14
Gaining control of your sound will enable you to work in a wider variety of situations as well, thus improving your chances for "Saxophone Survival”! The entire range of human emotion can be transmitted or evoked by the sound of a saxophone and it is your sound which, when it comes from your heart, will eventually touch the hearts of your fellow musicians and the listening public. There is no better way to start your practice routine than with tone studies designed to help get you in control of your sound. It's the best place to begin the musical day! Control of your sound is not the only element to consider in your musical preparation; there are other important areas you must address yourself to as well (like reading and improvisation skills), but I believe it is the single most important element of all. It can make all the difference in your career possibilities and in your enjoyment of playing in general. Make a point of checking out all the players who have made a contribution to the evolution of the tonal approaches to saxophone playing. Do some research into the history of the saxophone and saxophone playing. Listen, listen, listen... ..not only to the notes. Listen to the feeling behind the sound and phrases. Try to get on the same wavelength, so to speak. We'll be taking a closer look at this in the “Improvisation” and “Communication Through Music” chapters. In the meantime, keep sound in the forefront of your mind at all times. Here's a short list of players, each with an immediately recognizable and stylistically important sound. I feel you should be familiar with these influential players as they each have made, or are making a big contribution to the conception and perception of the saxophone sound heard in top level playing situations. Alto Sax Johnny Hodges…... ...Lead Alto with the legendary Duke Ellington Orchestra ...Lead Alto with the Count Basie Orchestra Marshall Royal…... ...Soloist of the original version of “Harlem Nocturne” Earl Bostic…... .Alto Sax with Dave Brubeck (“Take Five” soloist) Paul Desmond…... Julian “Cannonball” Adderley…... ..Leader of The Cannonball Adderley Quintet Charlie (“Bird”) Parker…. .. ..Bebop innovator Maceo Parker…... .Funky Alto soloist with James Brown (great groove and attack) David Sanborn…... ...Very influential session man and soloist (often imitated) Eric Marienthal…... ..Great all-around session player and soloist…great sound! Kenny Garrett…... .Very influential modern jazz player (Miles Davis alumni) Tenor Sax Lester Young…... ..Very influential Jazz player form the ‘30’s (known as “Pres”) ..Famous for solo on “Girl from Ipanema” and much more (‘60’) Stan Getz…... Sonny Rollins…... ...Legendary jazz tenor (‘50’s- today) John Coltrane…... ..Jazz tenor giant…big influence…post-bop King Curtis…... ...R ‘n B / Soul innovator….’60’s Tom Scott…... .... ..Check his work with Steely Dan, and His group “LA Express”, (‘70’s today) Clarence Clemmons…... ....................................... ...Rock tenor concept (w/ Bruce Springsteen) Mike Brecker….................. ...Extremely gifted and influential jazz tenor player (‘70’s - 2007)
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Soprano Sax Sidney Bichet…... .Soprano sax pioneer …’20’s and ‘30’s Jerome Richardson…... ..Top session player…’70’s check “Sanford and Son” TV Theme) John Coltrane…... ...Check famous “My Favorite Thngs” solo…’60’s Branford Marsalis…... .beautiful soprano solo work w/ Sting on “Englishman in New “York”) Bari Sax Harry Carney…... ...Bari Sax with Duke Ellington Orchestra Gerry Mulligan…... ...innovative jazz bari player…’60’s, ‘70’s Ronnie Cuber…... ..”Simpsons” bari sax , jazz player Stephen "The Doctor" Kupka…......................... ...Founder of super funk band, Tower of Power Of course, the list could go on and on but a good familiarity with these extremely distinctive players will take you a long way toward having an idea of the most characteristic saxophone sounds used in big band playing, film soundtracks, TV, musical shows, jazz and pop recording situations; not to mention club dates and “functions” type gigs such as conventions, parties and receptions of all kinds .Have fun listening to and learning from these saxophone greats!
Sound: “From the Top” If you are a beginner, you will be occupied with trying to produce a good basic saxophone sound at first. (Along with the basic fingering positions for all the notes from the bottom to the top of your sax, of course.) As you progress you will undoubtedly develop a preference for a certain type of sound as you listen to the various saxophone players around; brighter or darker, classical, pop, jazzy, or whatever attracts you. It's natural to emulate your favorite players, but try not to become a "clone" of them. Be yourself. Remember also that different musical situations often call for different stylistic approaches. You will need these skills in the future, especially if you're interested in film and TV session work or Broadway-style show work. Of course it's important to have a personal sound and, fortunately, this will happen more or less naturally as you become a more mature player. Obviously, before you can have a Great Sound, or even a Good Sound, you need to have a Basic Sound. Right? So let's talk briefly about getting that First Sound. (Bear with me, Mr. Advanced Player, this might be helpful for you too, or one of your students.)
Before you blow….. Check your body position out, stop and notice your physical self for a moment. Check yourself in the mirror. How's your posture? Is there tension in your shoulders? Tightness in your chest and throat? Does your horn come up to your mouth naturally or are you bending your head down to meet the mouthpiece, and closing up your throat in the process? Pay attention to your body. Now that you've taken a few deep breaths, loosened up your shoulders, adjusted your sa16
xophone strap to get the mouthpiece moved up to a natural position, and loosened up your belt to allow room for some good “diaphragm breathing”, let's go for your second-line written “G”...
Hang on a second! I forgot to tell you how to find the ideal amount of mouthpiece to put in your mouth! This is very important. Your top teeth should rest on the mouthpiece at the point where the reed and the mouthpiece meet. (Examine the profile of the mouthpiece against a light source to see the point I'm referring to.) Let the weight of your head rest easily upon the mouthpiece as well. Your lower lip should roll slightly over your bottom teeth and touch the reed at the same point. This is your “pivot point” or, as the now legendary sax master Joe Viola described it to me many years ago, “the sweet spot”. The sides of your mouth should close in around the sides of the mouthpiece as if they were elastic bands. Let your jaw relax, independent from the upward support your lower lip is applying to the surface of the reed at the “sweet spot”. Now BLOW! That's good, now this time blow AS HARD AS YOU CAN! Don't try to sound pretty, just give it a LOUD HONK! Okay, now you've found your raw sound. Blow again, …same energy and body awareness but take some of the rough edges off the sound. How? Imagine yourself blowing into the center of the sound. If it's really honky, very bright and nasal sounding, you're probably taking too much mouthpiece, i.e. you're beyond the “sweet spot” Back off your position slightly and try again. If, on the other hand, it's muffled or “stuffy ” and “dark” sounding, try taking a bit more mouthpiece and try again. Keep doing this process until you find the spot that sounds best to you. Take a five minute break and come back to your “sweet spot”. Memorize the physical feeling you get when you are “dead on” the sweet spot. One test to see if the “spot” is good is to play a 2nd line “G” and pop the octave key without changing your lip position. Keep blowing, release the octave key and let the note shift back down to the original octave without changing your lip or jaw position. When the octave shifting becomes “smooth” (no perceptible change in lip/jaw position), you are at “the sweet spot”. After repeated attempts, you will eventually “get the feel” of this optimum mouthpiece “sweet spot” and return to it “automatically ” each time you prepare to blow into your saxophone. (Warn your family members before you do the “loud honking” routine, as it can be rather frightening to the unprepared! ☺). 17
Once you've established your “sweet spot" on a second line G, you'll need to move on to the other notes on the saxophone. This is best accomplished by moving away from this G chromatically, striving for uniformity of sound, using the sound you've achieved on the G as your point of reference. Your main concern should be to go for a sound which is as homogeneous as possible as you move through the chromatic scale. Thinking of a piano keyboard will help you understand what I mean. When you play through the chromatic scale on a pianoforte, the tonal quality of the adjacent notes is very similar and it is difficult to perceive any change in timbre from one note to the next. Strive for this evenness of sound as you practice your scale exercises, play ballads or slow etudes, and interval studies. This is most easily achieved by doing slow chromatic exercises at first as they allow you to really focus in on your….SOUND.
Chromatic Exercise for Tone Development:
Get Your “Voice” Together Your sound is your "voice". The possibilities for expressing yourself are limitless once you begin to get control of your sound. There are loads of ways to work on your sound, but the best is to just… BE CONSCIOUS OF YOUR SOUND AT ALL TIMES AND IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES! YOU alone are responsible for what comes out of your horn.
Scales Need Love, Too! The market is literally flooded with saxophone method books. Most of them include a fingering chart and pages of slow note drills usually followed by pages and pages of written out scale exercises. Unfortunately, they almost always lack imagination in their presentation thereby bringing everyone down, especially young beginning players. You know what I mean? I'm talking about the “medicine” effect... It's really a shame though because scale studies should be right up on top of the “All-Time Cool Things to Practice Charts.” Here are a few reasons why: 18
• They are the basis of tonality in music; • Thorough knowledge of scales is a requirement for good improvising; • They are fantastic ear and technique builders when studied intelligently; • Your recognition of scales and arpeggiated passages will improve the speed and accuracy of your sight-reading. You should become very intimately acquainted with all the major and minor scales as soon as possible. These studies set the groundwork for successful improvising Begin with the major scales. Proceed through all the keys until you can play them all perfectly by memory. Try out various articulation patterns (staccato, legato, and mixed). At this point, begin playing them in intervals. Begin with diatonic thirds, then fourths, fifths and so on. An important step in scale studies is to become familiar with the chord structures that are built up from each scale degree. Take this same approach when working on the harmonic minor scales as well. A good book to have which explains scales and modes (chord scales) in great detail is Jerry Coker's “Improvising Jazz”. Another good reference is Jamey Aebersold's highly successful series of play-along CD's which include a good syllabus of modes and chord scales to use when improvising. To improve more rapidly, try doing fingering drills of scale passages without actually blowing when your lips become tired or you have a problem playing at certain hours where you live. Always try to use your time intelligently. Study mentally when you are stuck in waiting rooms, travelling, etc. * See the “Resources” section of this book for a list of good method books and, of course, ask your teacher for help in choosing the right books for your particular situation, level, and interests.
Reading Skills The ability to read music well is a necessity for most types of ensemble playing. You must make it your business to become a proficient reader and eventually become an excellent sight reader. Good sight readers are in demand because they require less rehearsal time, thus saving time and money for the client in work situations like theater shows or TV situations where rehearsal time is very limited if you consider the amount of music which must be prepared. Often you will only have a first read-through, pause for possible comments by the director (he or she may need to make some last-minute change in the parts or a suggestion about interpretation, etc) and then you will play it “once down from the top” and that's it; the next time you play those arrangements will be at “showtime”. Recording studio situations require very quick reading also because, studio time being ex19
tremely expensive, the client is usually interested in getting as much material as possible recorded in the allotted time. It's definitely a big advantage for you if you can enter a situation and perform well with little or no rehearsal. Fortunately, it's possible to develop and improve your reading ability through methodical practice. Remember your goal and your action plan. Practice hard, play easy. Some quick tips for improving your reading (and especially sightreading) skills: • Look over the part(s) before you begin to play. (This may seem too obvious to mention but it's surprising how many mistakes you can avoid this way.) Check the following items: Time and Key signatures, any repeat signs with their respective 1st, 2nd, or 3rd endings, D.S sign and Coda markings, eventual time signature, tempo and key changes, dynamic and articulation markings, and unusual technical passages. If you do this you will eliminate many problems before they have a chance to become problems. • Break down unusual rhythmic passages by “sub-dividing” the rhythms into smaller time values (eighth or sixteenth notes for example). This will allow you to determine the exact placement of all the notes in a phrase; • Try to “read ahead” of the notes you're actually playing, as you do when reading words aloud. Your eyes must always be ahead of your fingers. It's important to keep your place all the way to the end; • When playing in fast 4/4 tempos (“tempi”), try to feel the groove in a “Two feel” (as if you were playing in “Cut time” (Instead of feeling it as a fast four). In other words, you will concentrate on where “one” and “three” are felt. (Just for laughs, try patting your foot in a fast 4/4 tempo. Go ahead, try it... Okay, now count off the same tempo but this time tap your foot only on “one” and “three”. See how much more relaxing it is this way? You will play more relaxed at fast tempos if you get used to feeling and “seeing” fast tempos this way. What do I mean by the expression “seeing” fast tempos this way? By “seeing” I mean that as you are “reading ahead”, picture an “imaginary bar line” placed right on beat “three” of each bar, dividing the bar exactly in half. This way you will have “target points on “one” and “three” which your mind can lock onto when calculating (much quicker than Pentium 4) where to place the notes in time. Try actually marking a few bars of any music, in 4/4 time, that you have handy in light pencil. That's right, place a vertical “imaginary bar line right through beat “three”. Notice how your eyes lock onto where “one” and “three” are. As you get more experience sightreading at quick tempos, you will begin to appreciate this way of visualizing the bars, without having to actually mark them in pencil. 20
Try it out for yourself: • Extremely slow tempos may be easier to play at sight if you “feel” the time passing in “eighth” or possibly “sixteenth” note increments, as suggested above in the paragraph about “subdivision”. Your rhythmic interpretation will be much more in tempo and precise this way. As always, “seeing is believing” so check it out for yourself; • Don't let little mistakes become bigger mistakes by getting flustered. If you let a wrong note break your concentration, that one mistake can lead to other mistakes. Remain calm and keep your place all the way to the end of the arrangement. As soon as you get a chance, have a look at any problem passages. Take advantage of eventual breaks or “dead” moments during rehearsals. Don't distract your colleagues or the musical director, but quietly, or silently, go over the problem passages to yourself, fingering silently. Make notes or reminders for yourself lightly in pencil. The second time around should go much better. Concentrate. • Keep your ears open. Listen to the lead alto or lead trumpet and make a note to yourself about where they are cutting off notes; any articulation variations they are playing, etc. • Mark your parts lightly with a medium soft pencil that's easy to erase. Never use ink on parts. (There may be new changes later). Other people (like eventual “subs”) may read the parts you mark, so please be clear and neat when making pencil markings on parts. The real work of building up your reading skills is done “at home alone”, as usual. Develop an action plan for improving your reading. Of course, this is another area in which an experienced teacher can help you tremendously. By preparing various types of etudes week after week, be they classical or jazz, (hopefully both), you will eventually get used to seeing and recognizing standard rhythmic and melodic configurations in different styles at sight. This is the road toward good sight reading. Test yourself by reading music you've never actually worked on before. The idea is to try to “surprise yourself ” by reading material unfamiliar to you. Get used to transposing into different keys at sight as well. It's going to come in handy sooner or later, so spend some time working on this as well. Start with transposing from “concert C” parts, which is the most common transposition you will ever see. Then try transposing from Eb or Bb parts, depending on what sax you play. When working on your sight-reading this way, make it a point to not stop or slow down because of mistakes or unusual technical passages the first time through, (a”simulated rehearsal situation”). Use your metronome. Continue playing until the end no matter what happens, wrong notes and all. After you've done this, eventually go back to the problem areas for a closer look. Read it again once, and then move on to another piece. (For sightreading practice.) This is something that takes time and dedication to accomplish but, if you work methodically 21
on this area, you will be surprised at how many good playing opportunities will open up for you! It's fun, too.
Style and Interpretation Style and interpretation can be studied by listening to and analyzing performances by Sax players or ensembles of different styles or time periods. Note items like the rhythmic interpretation of phrases, presence, velocity and wideness of vibrato, timbre (darkness or brightness of the sound), and any types of effects (bending up to notes, embellishments like trills, shakes, glissandos, short upward or downward “rips”, long, slow downward “falls”, or “growling”, etc) that seem to characterize a given style. Knowledge of styles is particularly important in Studio, TV, or Theatre work. If a musical or a film is set in another time period, you will be expected to play in that style. Make it your business to check out representative players from various time periods. In the theater scene in Boston, in the late 70's I actually began subbing regularly and eventually getting “first calls” of my own thanks to some successful “sub” dates I did at the Wilbur Theater on a show called “Eubie”, a musical about the life of composer Eubie Blake. It was set in the 20's, 30's and 40's. I'll never forget it; there was an improvised soprano solo right on the Overture! I tried to get into it “in character” with some Sidney Bichet-like phrases and got through it okay! That “broke the ice” for me mentally and the rest of the show went well, with a couple more solos here and there. After those gigs, I began to work regularly in the theaters around town. I REALLY had a chance to check this out again in the late 80's when I played 2nd alto on the sessions for the film “Bix”, Italian film director Pupi Avati's film about the life of Bix Beiderbeck. The music was recorded in Rome with an all star group of soloists.. Bob Wilbur was the Musical Director and “Authenticity Controller” on those sessions and did not want to even hear any “out of character” warming up in the studio! Bob played a vintage soprano with just the right sound for the gig. I darkened up my sound, got onto his vibrato concept and stayed on him like glue with my phrasing and articulation! I was already familiar with the rhythmic concept of the 30's so we really had fun trying to recreate the sound of those original arrangements. It was really a lot of fun in the end. Knowledge of styles….a very interesting area. This is another item that will contribute greatly to enhancing your chances for Saxophone Survival.
Improvisation All Sax players are eventually called upon to play an improvised solo. How you perform when that moment arises can either augment or diminish your chances for Saxophone Survival in a given performance situation. (As in the little story above.) Preparation is the keyword here. (At home alone, again.) 22
I'll limit my comments about this to four words of practical advice: “Begin at the beginning!” To begin learning to improvise you must have a very good knowledge of the fundamentals; Rhythmic concept and the various scales and modes to use. This definitely includes the chromatic scale. Create chromatic interval studies for yourself. Notice how the players you listen to incorporate chromatic devices in their solos, especially modern players like Michael Brecker, Eric Marienthal, Kenny Garrett or Dave Liebman, to mention a only few. When you have achieved a degree of fluidity when playing the major and minor scales you should begin to study the basic, widely used harmonic progressions and chord scales for use when playing through these progressions. The Blues is a good place to start learning how to improvise. There are various types of Blues. Start out with simple blues progressions such as used in Rural blues or Blues-rock. Eventually you can move on to more harmonically rich progressions such as used in Jazz-blues or Bebop blues. Move ahead step by step. At this point, I highly recommend the “Improvising Jazz” CD/Booklet series by Jamey Aebersold, in particular Volume #2 entitled “Nothin' But the Blues”. It's a play-along CD with a great rhythm section (they always show up and they never get tired!) and music booklet which includes excellent information about chords and available scales for improvising on blues progressions. Transcribing solos (learning solos note for note) from recordings is another really great way to learn more about improvising and develops your ear tremendously. (Your reading will improve also if you take the time to also write the solos out precisely.) As I mentioned above, begin with the Blues. Guitar players like Buddy Guy, BB King or Eric Clapton, are great to listen to for good Blues phrasing. Listen to R&B Sax players (King Curtis, Junior Walker, Maceo Parker, David Sanborn, etc) for Blues phrasing. Listen to Charlie Parker, Cannonball Adderley, and John Coltrane, to mention only three, to hear jazz harmony and phrasing on the Blues. Work on standard harmonic progressions found in jazz standards and pop songs. Begin with tunes you can use immediately on specific gigs or for jamming when the opportunity arises. The key is to do a great deal of listening and analysis, gradually assimilating the things you're hearing, and then incorporate them into your personal way of playing. Everyone does this differently based on their personal tastes and personality. Personal preferences aside, for Saxophone Survival you must be able to improvise in the 23
style appropriate to the arrangement you're playing. You don't have to try to make musical history every time you have a solo to play. The solo should be at least “credible” however. By “credible” I mean that the solo should be in style, i.e. rhythmically and harmonically coherent. Try to let the sound of the harmony come out by using “guide tones” (the harmonically characteristic notes of the chords) as strong notes in your solo. If you do this, the solo will sound at least “credible” which is a good place to start. As you become more familiar with the harmonic progressions you will be able to play more fluid lines through the chord changes and begin to do something resembling “expressing yourself ” The more you work on this area, the more fluid, expressive, musical and satisfying your improvisations will become. Remember, the melody is your friend. Observe how the notes of the melody relate to the chord progression. Have fun! It's helpful to keep a music notebook nearby when you practice playing short phrases or “patterns” in all the keys, which is very useful. It will happen that you will “discover” phrases that you like by accident, unintentionally. They're happy mistakes sometimes and may lead to a more original or personal phrase to develop. Jot them down in your notebook for further development, and then return to the phrase you were working on. Come back to your notebook later to work on your newfound licks. Once again, an experienced pro teacher can guide you through this area. He will know how and when to get you started based on your progress in the area of scales studies and general technique issues.
Doubling Intro Playing more than one type of saxophone and other related instruments will give you a big advantage on the journey toward Saxophone Survival. Nowadays, as opposed to when I began playing professionally back in the late 60's, sax players who double well on clarinet, flutes, and double reed instruments like oboe and bassoon are becoming more of a rare breed. However, if you check around for yourself, you'll soon discover that these versatile players are still the most in-demand for studio, television, quality live concerts, Broadway musical orchestras and even small combo situations. In fact, a sax player with a variety of doubles at his or her disposal is in a position to greatly enhance the sound of any group by tastefully switching instruments during the set, thereby keeping the sound of the group fresh and interesting. Naturally, there's much more time and effort involved in preparing yourself to perform on multiple instruments but it's definitely to your advantage as it set's you apart from the crowd of non-doubling saxophone players. Become a more valuable player! The major part of the most rewarding musical experiences that I've had personally, so far, were made possible by my ability to perform well in a variety of styles on the various saxes, flutes or clarinets. 24
Before we get deeper into this important survival area, let's have a quick look at a list of the commonly used “doubles”. Saxes: Eb Sopranino, Bb Soprano, Eb Alto, Bb Tenor, Eb Baritone. Clarinets: Bb Soprano, Eb Alto, Bb Bass Clarinet. Flutes: Piccolo Flute in C, Soprano Flute in C, Alto Flute in G, Bass Flute in C Double reeds: Oboe, English Horn, Bassoon Other: Recorders, assorted Ethnic instruments, and newly evolved wind-driven synthesizers. My personal list: Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone (saxes), C Flute, Alto Flute, Piccolo Flute and Bb Clarinet and Bass Clarinet. There's so much to learn! One step at a time. Fortunately, you can move ahead with patience and confidence because you have already learned a lot about music from studying your primary instrument. All you need to do now is apply your knowledge and musical experience to the technical and stylistic aspects of the other sax-related instruments (which already have many things in common with your main instrument.) The trick is to grasp the important differences that exist between one instrument and another and concentrate on these areas until they begin to feel as natural to you as your primary sax does. It takes work but is definitely achievable with the guidance of an expert teacher to keep you away from problems that can prove overwhelming if you try to “do it yourself ”, at least in the all-important initial phase.
Clarinet As always, I strongly recommend getting together with an expert clarinet teacher, especially for those all-important, formative first lessons. You should learn the “legitimate” i.e. “classical” clarinet concept from a top teacher. For now, stick with me and I'll try to give you an idea of how to proceed. Here we go…. One big difference between playing saxophone and playing clarinet lies in the fact that on the Saxophone there is an “octave” key which, when pressed, shifts the pitch of the note you are playing up one octave. The clarinet, on the other hand, is equipped with a “register” key which, when pressed, shifts the pitch of the note you're playing up one twelfth (one octave, plus a perfect fifth). For example if you play a written “D” (one space below the staff, in treble clef) and apply the “octave key ” to it, a “D” one octave above will sound. Very simple. On the clarinet, however, if you are playing the same written “D” and subsequently apply the “register key ” to that fingering position, an “A” (one line above the staff, in treble clef) will sound. 25
Another important difference between these two instruments is that the saxophone mechanism is based on closing (covering) or opening (uncovering) the tone holes with pads. On the clarinet instead we find a mechanism which combines pad-covered holes and open holes which must be hermetically sealed with the cushiony “ball” of your fingertips. Therefore, clarinet playing requires very precise finger placement. If you don't cover the open holes completely the note will probably come out as a squeak, or not come out at all. For sax players this creates some difficulties at first, especially when they discover that their favorite licks will all have to be adjusted for the new clarinet fingerings they must now use! The only solution is to take that clarinet out and practice playing it just as seriously as you study saxophone playing until you begin to feel natural with it. All the same principles apply. Be methodical. Monitor your progress. The first thing to do, as always, is to get your sound going. Exactly as you would with your saxophone. Then make sure to get the chromatic scale well under control, just as you did, or are currently doing with the sax. Lots of finger work is required so, once again, scale and arpeggio study should be at the top of your practice sessions, right after the long tone work and interval studies. Slow interval studies will help reinforce your brain-finger connection while, at the same time, helping you to refine your sound. Take your time, pay close attention to details such as lip position (embouchure), open or closed sensations from your throat area, arm and hand position, possible areas of unnecessary muscle tension in your shoulders, etc. It's a good idea to use an inexpensive small mirror for checking your embouchure but if possible a floor length dressing mirror is even better as it will allow you to check out your total body position while practicing. Always search for and listen to the best classical Clarinet players you can find, “live” or on recordings and try to emulate them. Other musical styles of clarinet playing such as swing, jazz, and of course, Dixieland should be studied as well, but only after you have a reasonable command of the “classical” clarinet concept. As usual, you need to become at least “credible” in whatever clarinet situation you find yourself involved in. By “credible” I mean you should be in tune, have a good clarinet sound, articulation, and be able to interpret the music in the appropriate style. In other words, you must sound like a “real” clarinet player! Be patient, organize your practice time, and keep your goal in mind always. This is a very big Saxophone Survival item!
Flute “I love playing the flute….no reed problems, ever!”
(Did I say that?)
Seriously speaking, flute is my favorite double. The sound of a flute can create a marvelous range of atmospheres. Played in the low register it can create a sense of mystery or sensuality, this is especially true of alto flute. Of course, it is also often used for quick, birdlike passages in the upper register. What march would be complete without the high trilling of the piccolos and flutes? 26
Thanks to late-60's Rock bands like “Jethro Tull” (led by lead singer/flautist Ian Anderson), and Stevie Winwood's “Traffic” (featuring sax/flute work by Chris Wood), flute began to be heard by a vast pop-rock audience. During the same period jazz pioneer Rahsaan Roland Kirk was working flute into his poly-strumentalism based brand of free jazz. The increasing popularity of the Bossa Nova and Latin Jazz in general (in the 60's once again) provided a great occasion for sax players to stretch out into flute solos more and more often. One example in particular can be found in the highly successful latin, bossa nova and eventually, disco music recordings published by Herbie Mann from the 60's on up until the early 1980's. Check out this influential player's discography when you get a chance. All this flute activity in the sixties greatly increased the popularity of the instrument and many sax players began to use it as an additional color instrument on small group gigs. It's interesting to note the renewed interest in using the flute in such new areas as: NuJazz electronic, brazilian-grooves, bossa-beats, lounge atmosphere, chill-out moods, vintagehouse sounds and 70's funky phat-beats. Of course, TV and Theater situations continue to demand a high level of proficiency on flute. Top arrangers and artists expect to hear those flute parts in their arrangements sounding absolutely gorgeous. (How you do it is your problem!) So where do you start? By now, you know me, so you also know I'm going to say it's time to strive for tone, tone, tone and more tone at home alone… as usual. Report immediately to a top flute player/teacher! With the help of an expert player, choose the best quality flute you can possibly afford. Professional level flutes are expensive ($ 2500 for a silver production-line model, much more for the prestigious hand-made models). Fortunately, there are now some very good student models available. Some brands that offer free-blowing and in-tune entry level flutes are: Yamaha, Pearl, Jupiter, among others. As I mentioned above, enlist the aid of an experienced teacher/player when choosing a first flute. Have them test several from your price range for you. Prices range from as low as $200 but your best choices will probably be in the $ 500-900 range. (The eventual resale market value is something to consider as well when choosing a flute.) I repeat, buy the best flute you can possibly afford. It will be much easier to play and sound good on because you won't have to work against it, (we sax players need all the help we can get to sound credible on our doubles). Playing on an out-of tune, unresponsive instrument is incredibly frustrating….leave it out. I highly recommend flute-playing not only because of the increased work possibilities it offers but because there is so much beautiful flute music around to play! Once you get started, you'll really begin to enjoy working on the tone studies, scales and arpeggios, and articulation exercises which are necessary to get this instrument sounding as it should. Music by Bach and Debussy are great for really getting into the concept of “legit” (i.e. classical) flute playing. 27
I recommend studying flute in the morning before you play anything else. The reason for this is because playing sax and clarinet tend to be in conflict with the flute embouchure which requires sensitivity in the central inner portion of the lips. Once you've done your morning flute session, move on to your reed instruments. This will destroy some of the work you did during the flute session. For this reason, I recommend a second flute session in the afternoon. This way you can “refresh” your flute embouchure and be ready to hit it again the next morning. Continuity is important for building and maintaining a good sound on flute. *(Note: If you are doing a recording session on sax and flute, try to do the flute tracks first. Your flute playing will be more precise with a fresh embouchure. Arrive in time to warm up well. Always warm up on long tones and intervals, and then get your articulation going over scales, arpeggios, and chromatic passages. Check the parts, if available).
Some players get so deeply involved with the flute that they give up the other instruments altogether! This is a very personal career choice, of course. Remember to seek opportunities to play duets with more advance players. Alternate playing the first and second parts. (Playing the second parts will really give your low register playing a workout!) Find a great teacher/player and stick to him, or her, like glue! "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." (Benjamin Franklin)
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3. SECTION PLAYING
Saxophone players are very often called upon to play in sectional type situations. The most common situation used to be the standard 5 voice sax section comprised of two altos, two tenors and a Bari sax used in a big band which was in turn comprised of a four voice trumpet section, a four voice trombone section and a rhythm section made up of bass, drums, piano, and guitar. Nowadays however, due to new economic and musical realities, sax sections tend to be smaller or non-existent. Saxophones tend to be used not in sax sections but in “horn sections” of various sizes ranging from two horns (usually a trumpet and an alto or tenor sax) to larger five or six horn configurations. The principles of section playing are basically the same in all these situations, with only slight changes or additional considerations when moving from the smaller horn section conception to the larger full big band five voice situation. In big band playing the “lead” alto conception becomes an important factor as well as the particular roles the inner voice players must understand as well. There are several factors you must consider to become a good section player:
Concentration In whatever section situation you may find yourself called upon to perform, an element vital to your performance will be concentration. Assuming you have arrived at a reasonable level of instrumental proficiency, concentration on your role in the section will be the next most critical factor to your success as a section player. A sax section, or horn section is really great to listen to when it's TIGHT and IN TUNE. So, it's up to you do keep on top of the situation and give 100% towards achieving this all important end result. Naturally, the more proficient everyone in the section is, the better your chances of sounding good together will be. However, a section of only fairly proficient players who are working as a team and concentrating on getting a good, in tune and COMPACT section sound will come off sounding much better than 4 or 5 “hotshots” each trying to get noticed by trying to out blow each other, hanging over longer on notes and not listening to each other! No contest! 29
Where do you fit in? There are two basics “positions” you can play in a section. You are either the “lead” player or you are a supporting, inner parts player, which is just as important.
Lead alto playing If you are playing lead alto, it's up to you to decide the interpretation of the phrases which come up in the arrangement you are playing. I'm talking about : how long to hold out the notes, the amount of accent to apply to notes, the rhythmic “feel” to give to the phrases, creating dynamics (crescendos, diminuendos, sforzandos, and the like), and decisions about articulation which may be ambiguous or not indicated at all in the written parts. Here is where all your listening and analysis of various styles of music will pay off. You must interpret the arrangement in the manner most suited to the overall prevailing style, which will be evident to you if you've done your listening “homework”. If something is unclear to you or there is a difference of interpretation going on within the section, you, as spokesman for the sax section, are expected to clear it up by respectfully asking the composer or arranger of the “chart” to explain how he would like the phrase in question to be played. Differences of opinion about any aspect of the section's performance coming from within the section or between the sax section and any another section should be worked out in a friendly, open-minded and diplomatic way. It's very important to try to maintain a smooth, teamwork oriented working relationship within the section and in the musical unit as a whole. It's much more fun and much, much better for Saxophone Survival!
Inner parts playing Playing inner harmony parts within the sax section requires paying close attention to how the 1st (lead) alto is phrasing. If you have trouble hearing the lead player, you are probably playing too loud. Play under the lead player and match his phrasing, length of notes, and type of vibrato (when harmonized only, NEVER use vibrato on unison passages). Keep your ears open for unison situations between you and members of the trumpet or trombone section as well. Use the keyboard as a reliable intonation reference as you play but be flexible when playing moving unison lines with guitars as they are often loaded with “effects” such as “chorus” and “finger-bends”. You must be 100 per cent alert to your musical surroundings at all times. If, instead of a full sax section, you find yourself playing in a small horn section, follow the 1st trumpet's phrasing. If the phrasing is inconsistent or unclear, by all means ask the lead player how he intends to phrase the passage in question. Always be open-minded and friendly when discussing interpretation with sectionmates . After all, everyone wants the music and the group to sound great. Think teamwork! When the music sounds good everybody benefits.
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Intonation Intonation problems can ruin the sound of any musical ensemble so tune-up before you begin rehearsals, practice sessions, lessons, gigs, etc. Tune up again after you and your horn are nice an warmed up. A good chromatic tuner will fit into your instrument case and is an excellent investment! (A great way of checking yourself, I mean, if you're not part of the solution, you are probably part of the problem.) During performances try to lock onto a solid pitch reference such as a keyboard while playing. When playing unison passages with other instruments, use a “straight” (i.e. “no vibrato”) sound and try to lock onto the prevailing intonation of the moment. Playing in tune is an essential element for any good performance but is absolutely vital in creating a strong section sound. It requires constant vigilance and concentration…keep your ears open to what's going on around you.
Keep it tight! “Tightness” happens when the section members are all playing with the same “time and stylistic” concept, sometimes referred to as being “in the groove”, or “in the pocket”. There is also extreme attention being paid to articulation, dynamics, phrasing, and breathing. (Make a *habit of being conscious of these “details”.) Sections and section players that become “tight” are often called as a unit for touring and/or recording work. Team up with the best trumpet and trombone players you can stand for this kind of thing. (I meant to say the best ones you can find.) Really…. Saxophone Survival requires “tight” section playing! “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” (Aristotle)
Getting The Most From Your Practice Time Time is our most precious asset, in fact, it is truly priceless. If you've used your time well in the past you are already ahead of the game. If not, now's the time to start! The first thing to do to maximize your use of available practice time is to lay out your practice routine in a way that it is always pointing you towards the goal(s) you have set for yourself, whatever it may be. Each day should bring you closer to your objectives (short, mid, and long term). 31
Create a space that's as distraction-free as possible. Ask not to be disturbed during your practice time. Try to practice in the morning when you're fresh, even if you don't have much time. Playing first thing in the morning makes me feel more like a musician immediately. If that's a problem, then try immediately after work or school before you do anything else. Try to have a regular practice time of day. It creates a sense of "continuity" and “rhythm” in your practice program. Warm-up, open up and get your air moving with some loud, long low tones. Move to "harmonics" off the low B flat, B, and C positions. "Wake up" your brain/fingers connection with some short phrase or lick which you find difficult to play by "rote", any musical fragment you like will do, in all keys and octaves. (This warm-up period should take about fifteen minutes to do.) Keep a log of your daily work on scales, method books,etc. (including metronome markings). Make notes of questions to ask your teacher, or interesting discoveries you make during practice (variations on improv.phrases you stumble onto by accident, new fingerings, effects,etc.). Take short breaks every 20/30 minutes to rest your "chops", look over trouble spots in reading material, drink a glass of water, etc.
Make Your "Other" Time Count Review harmonic progressions mentally, and sing solos mentally over them. Keep time with your stride as you walk Keep a music notepad or portable tape recorder nearby to help you remember ideas that come to you this way. Use "isometric" embouchure builders. Some are mentioned in Larry Teal's book,"The Art of Saxophone Playing". (Buy the book!) Do "fingers only" practicing when it's too late to actually play where you live. You'll be surprised at the difference this can make from day to day! Breath slowly and deeply from the diaphragm ALL DAY LONG. Learn as much as you can about breathing.
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4. FINDING WORK
Before we get into the area of how to find work, let's have a look at the various types of work situations available for saxophone players.
Musical Formations Which Use Saxophone Players Small group situations (duos, trios, quartets + 1 sax) Larger groups (Rhythm section + 2- 4 horns) Small big bands (Rhythm section + 4-6 horns) Big Bands (5 saxes, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones + rhythm section) Various sizes of wind ensembles (contemporary or classical) 1 Sax alone (in recording studio or live situations with DJ's) 1 Sax together with a trumpet and or trombone (recording studio sections)
Types of Work Situations Available for Sax Players Local Live situations Touring live situations Recording studio situations Interested? OK, let's start breaking it down a little bit…
Local live situations These situations are varied and range from playing jazz, your own music, pop covers, latin, easy listening, blues, funk, rock, reggae, etc….in clubs or at social functions such as receptions, conventions, “Hollywood parties”, and local festivals at open-air venues (in the sum33
mertime, hopefully). Depending on where you live, the type, quality, and pay scale of local “live” work will vary. If you live in the USA or the UK, there is a strong musicians union that dictates a minimum pay scale for the various kinds of “live” gigs in your area. If there is not a strong musicians union where you live, some place like Italy for example, then you'll have to check around with the working musicians and employers in the area to get an idea of the current rates musicians are getting for various types of gigs. These prices can vary widely. In any case, it's very important to play around in live situations with as many types of groups as you can for a certain period. It will really help you become more versatile, and of course, more visible. However, never lose sight of your primary goal in the midst of all this versatility! “Straight ahead and strive for tone!” Here is where you can begin to “earn while you learn” If you take care of business on these kinds of gigs, you will certainly get called back for other gigs with that group in the future. Not only will you get more work with that group, but probably from other groups that the musicians you met there may be involved in. You may hit it of well with the drummer, who just happens to play in 2 other bands, one of which is looking for a good sax player who is easy-going, won't get everyone arrested, can read well, and double on flute! Always exchange your name, number, e-mail address and instrumentation with the musicians you meet at gigs or rehearsals. The possibilities for increasing your Saxophone Survival chances are enormous when you begin to create a network of good players. Cultivate your contacts “garden” well and you will begin to see better “harvests” coming in from this area. Try to always widen your horizons. Keep alert for opportunities to grow musically and professionally. You will work more and more and the quality of the gigs you play on will improve economically and musically if you make it a habit to cultivate and expand your network to include contacts such as: Contractors, musical directors, dj's, clubowners, studio owners, engineers, producers, booking agencies, artist's management agencies, tour companies, convention organizers, teachers, artists, etc. Keep players you enjoy playing with in mind (and in your cell phone ) and recommend them to people who may ask for help putting a group together for a function, to back up an emerging artist, or whatever. Become known as a person to call when people need to resolve a musical situation. You must be trustworthy and discreet at all times. Simply put, gigs lead to other gigs, if not, you are not taking care of business as you should in some way. Work on your weak areas. Once you get that first gig, if you take care of business, the market will begin to open up for you. So you see, it always pays to do the absolute best you can, no matter what the pay is like or how “unimportant” the gig may seem to be. Somebody said, “work like you don't need the money…”. Think of maintaining your Personal Standard and maintaining your 34
credibility as a Pro regardless of the pay (which, by the way, YOU agreed to in the first place.) Here's a quick story of how this Saxophone Survival technique helped me: Back in '84, I was called by Dave C., a singer friend of mine in Rome, where I live. He asked if I'd be willing to play on a “demo” project of some of his original songs. He also asked me for a break on my usual price because he was paying for everything himself with no financial support from a record label (a common situation). He was a friend and I like to go into recording situations anyway so I said, “okay ”, even though I was very busy working on a TV show at the time. A day or two later I was at the studio with him, the engineer, and his arranger (who I had not met before). The songs were Pop-Commercial material but, to tell you the truth, they did not seem like “strong hit” material (to ME). I kept my opinion to myself and started warming up over the track while the engineer worked on the sound and levels. Some ideas started to come as I played around the melody. We started trying the ideas with different instruments, finally agreeing that soprano sax was the best sound for these particular tracks. The feeling between everyone in the studio was positive and we recorded some good solo tracks which seemed to add energy, appeal and interest to the tunes. Everyone was happy. That's it. The session was over. The engineer and the arranger asked me for my contact info which I was happy to provide (I gave them each a business card). Dave paid me and after chatting a bit, I left. They remained in the studio to continue working. I saw Dave several weeks later and he thanked me again even though the people he had given the demo to had decided not to use the material (another common situation). I eventually forgot about the whole thing as I was busy doing other things. Two years later I got a call from someone in the Milan office of Polygram Records. They wanted to know if I could come to Milan to play on a couple songs for one of their artists. The artist turned out to be Zucchero “Sugar” Forniciari (an Italian Pop star). The project was his hit album “Rispetto” The producer-arranger turned out to be Corrado Rustici, Dave's arranger friend from before! He had remembered me from the demo session and had the Polygram people fly me to Milan for the sessions. Interesting… This session led to a 7 year period of touring and recording with Zucchero (see the “Credits” section for more info). A lot of new contacts for recording and touring with other popular artists came my way due to the exposure I received during this period. So you see, you never know what can come from seemingly “unimportant” gigs! Strive to always do your best because if you take care of business every time you're called upon to play you will eventually build up a good list of contacts, a good reputation, and credibility as a Professional. Make every gig work for you and your probabilities for Saxophone Survival will increase with every gig you do. There are no “little” or “stupid” gigs. It's YOU that make them “big” or “small” or “stupid”. Keep your goal in mind. Try to maintain a high “Personal Standard” every time you play. 35
Every gig is important to you, your group, and your employer so get used to giving out 110% all the time! The gigs will improve if you get in the habit of working this way. Nicer things will begin to happen for you. (“Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises.”- Demosthenes) At this point, you may be saying to yourself, “This all sounds cool, but…How do I get on that first gig?”
The First Gig There are two main ways of getting on gigs. The first way involves getting recommended by someone. Someone looking for a Sax player begins to ask around among their contacts for the names of Sax players and your name gets mentioned. You then receive a call that begins something like, “Hello, I'm Jumpin' Johnny Johnson and I'm calling because my drummer Sticks Stevens gave me your number. Are you available for…..etc?” Of course, your teacher is your absolute best bet for a good recommendation for gigs. He or she knows your level and won't recommend you for certain kinds of work situations until he feels you are ready. You need a good teacher who can “bring you up” musically and professionally. Another reason to be with a good teacher who is respected and recognized as a pro player as well is that their opinion about you has a lot of credibility in the musical community, and can really help you break into the local scene, wherever you may live. Follow his or her guidance and direction. Ask not only musical questions, but feel free to discuss career strategy from time to time. Your teacher will be able to help you prepare yourself for the type of musical career you desire. If not, they should recommend you to another teacher who is more specialized in the areas that most interest you. The other way of getting on gigs is by answering ads, getting out, jamming and meeting people or calling them on the phone to let them know who you are and what you do. These first contacts are often followed up by invitations to meet with people, jam, do an audition, or come out to see a group play somewhere. Follow up on these calls and remember to be punctual, friendly and professional. In both cases, you need to put yourself in the right place to meet people, show them what you can do, and eventually get hired by them directly or recommended by them to others. Here are a few ways to meet other musicians: Play in as many good quality amateur situations as you can find time for. School, church, or community groups of all sizes are good places to begin to get experience playing and becoming more “visible” in your area. Look for occasions to “jam” with other musicians in clubs or rehearsal bands. Listen to the best players there and try to establish contact with them. 36
Put up announcements on bulletin boards at schools, rehearsal studios, music stores, etc. Of course, you should also make yourself easy to find by establishing a presence on the Internet as well. Nowadays, it's very easy to set up a free website account . The social networking communities such as MySpace.com, Facebook.com and many others offer an excellent, easy to do method of becoming “findable” and at the same time, “network” with other musicians, industry people (DJ's, record labels, clubs,etc) and eventually creating a fan base. This is becoming a very effective way of meeting musicians and/or promoting yourself and any eventual projects you may be involved in now or in the future. It's becoming increasingly important for musicians to learn how to do promote themselves and their projects on the Web. Investigate this area and use the knowledge your benefit. Once you have established contact with other musicians you enjoy playing with, it could be time to…
Organize your own band! The advantages of organizing a band or group of your own are numerous: You have more control over the type of music you want to play, where you want to play, with whom, etc You learn about the business side of things because you have to go out and “sell” the band to people like club owners and event organizers. You make new types of contacts and it's possible to develop good relationships with hotels, clubs, etc which can go on and on for years (to everyone's mutual pleasure and benefit.) You have more work options open to you: you go out and book your band while maintaining other sideman or section player gigs on a first come, first serve basis. You become more self-confident as you acquire experience as a Leader.
Let's get started! As a group leader, it's in your interest to find the right musicians for the music you have in mind. The most important thing to do before you actually begin calling the musicians is to have a very clear idea in your own mind of what you want to play. Once you have a clear idea it will be much easier to proceed. Remember that notebook you used for focusing in on your Personal Goal? The one you used to develop your Action Plan, …..right? Well, get it out again and start writing down everything you can about your group concept. Decide on the music you want to perform. Once you've done this, prepare the materials necessary to begin rehearsing the (still hypothetical) group. At this point you will also be creating a list of players you'd like to have in the band. 37
If possible provide at least basic lead sheets for the rhythm section players, or more complete parts, if you have them. Prepare CD's or audiocassettes of the arrangements, if you don't have written parts or are dealing with non-readers. Get this material to the musicians well before the first rehearsal so they can come prepared. The idea is to make it as simple as possible for the musicians you call to participate in your project. When they come to the first rehearsal prepared and find things well-organized, they will feel that you are serious about the project. They'll play better, too. . so it'll be more fun for everyone! It's the best way to get started off on the right foot! The players you choose should all be musicians you respect that like to play the music you are planning to perform and that know how to work harmoniously in a group situation. This process of finding musicians usually happens naturally, you “find each other” because you are all tuned in to the same wavelength, so to speak. It's also your responsibility to find gigs for the group; otherwise you will have problems keeping the band together. Once you are rehearsing the band, begin to search for gigs. Promote the band.
Create a Promo-Pack As soon as you have rehearsed at least four tunes well, record them onto a CD as best you can (either” live” in your rehearsal space or in an economical “demo” studio). Take some digital photos (for eventual Internet use) of the band (group shots and individual shots) with and without instruments. Prepare a brief curriculum of the band. This should also contain a brief list of credits of the individual members of the band. Include a “tech rider”, i.e. a diagram of your stage layout which includes info about eventual technical requirements such as microphones, monitors, drums, and amps. (This is for the use of eventual local sound engineers.) Assemble the 3 items listed above (CD, Photos, and Curriculum) into a Promo-Pack. Give a Promo-Pack of the group to club directors, agents, etc., when you go out to “book” the band. You must find gigs if you want to keep the band together. It gives everyone an extra incentive to practice if you have gigs coming up. If you keep the band working you will eventually begin to have a public that follows the band. Keep these people informed about where you will be playing by creating an e-mailing list and creating a Website with all the latest band info on it: sound clips, gig info, bio, photos, a tech “rider” i.e. “stage plan”, eventual press clippings, contact info etc. (When people ask you for info, you can refer them to the site and they can download whatever they need from there at their convenience!) 38
Touring Situations There are many types of touring situations and many ways to be on tour. The differences usually have to do with the budget of the group or featured artist. Let's look at three different levels of touring: Low budget, Medium budget, and High Budget Low Budget Touring: This kind of touring situation is common among new groups who have organized a series of concerts in clubs or small festivals, primarily to promote their independently produced CD. This kind of situation requires traveling in personal, or rented cars or rented 7-9 passenger vehicles. (Depending on the size of the group of course.) These groups may have little or no financial tour support from their independent label so everything must be done as inexpensively as possible. This means finding inexpensive but clean hotels, booking double rooms, and finding economical places to eat. The expenses like car rentals, gas, tolls, and hotels are paid by the band members. What's left over after paying expenses is divided by the band. In a case like this, it's necessary to sell the band at a price which will allow the band to make an acceptable amount of money after expenses. In this case, everyone must be united and dedicated to promoting the band. Otherwise, some band members may become tired or feel they are not making enough money and leave the band. This can be stressful and create tension within the band. A variation of this situation is when the tour is organized by a little-known or emerging artist who covers the expenses and guarantees the band a wage on a per gig or weekly basis. At this point, the artist will try to sell the situation for as much as the market will bear, keeping the profit after paying all expenses and the band. This arrangement is simpler for the band to understand as they no longer have to make calculations about how much money they will have “in pocket” at the end of the gig. The artist accepts any possible risk of losing money. In this case, band members must protect their interests by getting all details in writing in a contract. Just in case… Medium Budget Touring: A medium budget tour situation is usually organized by an agency which has been engaged by an artist or band's Management. The agency books the hotels, provides transport and is usually represented by one of their employees who occupies the role of Tour Manager. The tour manager takes care of handling the money for the gigs, paying everyone, making sure everyone knows about travel appointments, sound check and concert start times and any emergencies that may arise. On a medium budget tour, each musician negotiates a price acceptable to them. This price may be “all expenses paid” plus a fee or a higher fee without “all expenses paid”. In this second case, some musicians may decide to book themselves into double rooms with another musician in order to save money on rooms. Others prefer the privacy of a single room which allows for precious moments of peace and quiet and privacy while on the road. 39
The variables are many but whatever deal is made between the agency and the musician should be put into contract form, as usual. High Budget touring: This kind of touring is the most comfortable way to be on tour and happens when the featured artist is very popular, is playing at large venues, and/or has good record label tour support. Here there is usually a high level of organization involved because there are many more people in the entourage. There are sound, lighting and instrument technicians, musicians, possible wardrobe people, possible on-site catering staff, vehicle drivers, stage hands, a tour manager and possible assistants of various types. Musicians on this level of tour negotiate a price, or have one negotiated for them by their personal manager. All expenses are paid, the hotels are deluxe, and everyone has a single room. Often there is a smaller sum (known as “per diem”) agreed on in addition to the main wage agreement to cover daily expenses like laundry, cabs, and other miscellaneous expenses. Transport is usually a mix of planes and/or double-decker tour buses with sleeping cubicles in case of overnight travel to places that are inconvenient to get to, in time, by plane. In this kind of situation the tour manager oversees the whole tour and is in constant contact with the Home Office and all gig locations. An assistant of his may fill the role of Road Manager. The road manager travels with the band and takes care of anything related to the band members: problems with hotels, medical emergency calls or appointments, travel time communication, possible cash advances, etc. Often the musicians are paid by bank wires directly to their accounts and use the cash (per diem) they receive weekly for day to day miscellaneous expenses on the road. This is usually the least stressful touring situation for musicians as they are very well treated during the tour and can concentrate on making great music on stage. Once again, everything is set down in a very tight contract.
So how can I get on a tour? Here are some ways you can become involved in touring at whatever level: • You play on someone's album and receive an offer to tour with the artist. • You or your band makes an album and you go on tour to promote it. • You may be called to replace someone on a tour already in progress. • Theatre tours usually require a recommendation from a known musical director you have worked for and an audition, followed by a 2-week trial period during which you can be fired on very short notice. • Youth orchestras or other types of school or community groups sometimes do short cultural exchange tours. Musicians receive no money but get “hotels, food, and travel paid” by the organization. 40
Touring can be stressful depending on the length of the tour, travel conditions, meals, and lodging factors which can vary widely according to the overall budget of the tour…and your personal contract. It's extremely important to try to maintain harmonious relationships with everyone when touring because you will be together a lot every day. Stay relaxed, and try be a good traveling companion. It's necessary to adapt to traveling and living “on the road”. Taking care of your health is important. Time zone and climate changes can lower your resistance. Getting sick “on the road” is much more complicated than it is when you're “in town” (especially if you must find an adequate “sub”). Try to eat well, rest when possible, and take your vitamins! Bring something to do in your “free” time. Nowadays, a laptop computer can become your home away from home. Many musicians are able to get work done, write music and even record demos in their hotel room while on the road! Touring with “name” artists can be financially rewarding: Take one giant step towards Saxophone Survival!
Recording Situations Recording is an area I really enjoy! There are some good benefits to be had when you begin to be involved in recording studio work. Here are a few that come to mind: • • • • • • • •
Excellent quality-control of your Sound is possible Professional atmosphere (most of the time) You get to make a contribution to the project Financially rewarding It opens up the possibility of being approached to be in a video or go on tour. You meet new, creative and interesting people Your name goes in the credits (a great promotional vehicle!) Your grandchildren can check it out!
Playing on records, jingles, TV and film soundtracks requires versatility, a flexible sound, good intonation, reading skills, knowledge of styles, improvisation skills and musical taste. Along with a strong dose of professionalism, patience and often diplomacy. When you arrive at the studio, there may be conflicts going on between the Artist, Producer, Arranger, Engineer, and other Musicians,…or… Everything may be very relaxed with just you and the Composer in a home studio in the country. Be ready for anything! Be professional. Everything is possible and there's always the element of surprise because you don't always know what you'll be expected to play. You have to try to be ready for anything! When you begin to play in recording situations you will become aware of defects in your pla41
ying that really become “glaring defects” when you hear them on the recorded tracks. This is tough to deal with. However, it's a big advantage as you can hear yourself and discover areas that you need to improve in. It is best if you discover these defects in a more low pressure environment at first though, like at home alone!
Are you experienced? Playing on your own projects using hard disk virtual studio programs like Cubase or Nuendo is a great way to get used to recording. If you're not equipped to do this at your home, try to play on as many “demo” projects as you can for others. You'll feel much more relaxed and oriented going into a “real” session situation if you have first gotten some studio experience doing “favors”. (Always play like it's for real!) Don't be afraid to play for free on friends' projects. You need to acquire experience before you can expect to crack into the relatively tight circle of professional recording musicians in your area. (Sometimes a demo you played on actually gets heard by someone important in the industry and leads to interesting opportunities.) Collect copies of projects you play on into a personal archive for future reference and possible promotional use.
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5. ALWAYS KEEP YOUR GOAL IN MIND, AND YOUR EYES AND EARS OPEN!
Keeping your goal in mind is like having an internal guidance system working for you 24 hours a day! Your eyes, ears and heart are your internal radar system keeping you informed of events happening around you which could be useful to you or other musicians you know. Any opportunities which come to your attention should be taken into consideration as you continue working toward your goal. In this business, you never know where your next opportunity will be coming from so it's best to keep your attention span opened up to 360 degrees. I never cease to be amazed by how events seem to fall beautifully into place in completely unexpected ways to produce “little miracles”…particularly when I'm practicing a lot and concentrating on new material or technical studies. Here's an example of what I'm talking about: A few years ago, a 9 month TV orchestra gig which I had been contacted to play on fell through unexpectedly due to problems beyond my control. I had not made any other major commitments for that period because the gig seemed like it was going to happen up until the last minute. (Sometimes these things happen even in the best of families!) After getting over the initial disappointment about losing the gig, I began to see it as an opportunity to work more “live” and to study more at home. I had been planning on improving my flute playing, especially my sound and articulation, anyway. To make a long story short, I got together with my friend Tony Cerqua, a great funk and soul drummer, to form a new band. We had an initial meeting to decide how to proceed in order to get the project up and running quickly. We basically followed the method I described earlier in the “Organize your own band” section of this book. While that was going on, I was dedicating my morning practice time to working on my flute sound and technique. Lot's of long tones and articulated scale studies! After a couple of weeks of this, I was beginning to really see some good progress so I was feeling great. About that time, I got a call from the University of Music in Rome. They wanted to know if I would accept a beginning flute student. I said yes immediately, already imagining how good this was going to be for my flute playing. (When you teach you are forced to really observe yourself closely as you play. Only when you have a clear idea of the playing process will you 43
be able to explain it in a way that a beginning student can understand and apply.) Once I had begun to teach this one student at UM, I began to get requests to “sub” for teachers in their Ensemble Labs Program. We had fun trying to play together and arranging pop or jazz tunes for “live” performance. My work load at the school grew quickly and became a new, “unexpected” source of income at just the right moment! So you see, if you find yourself with extra time on your hands, take advantage of it to sharpen your Saxophone Survival skills! Always do your best…there will be surprises! I'm convinced that when you are working hard on improving your playing, The Universe adjusts a bit to give you more “growing room”. I've seen this happen many times. “Employ yourself ” Keep yourself busily “employed” working toward your goal anyway you can! It's amazing how many great opportunities will seem to just “come your way ” naturally, without any particular effort on your part if you keep practicing and remain alert.
Tune in By keeping “tuned in”, I mean looking consciously and CONTINUOSLY for opportunities. You have to keep your eyes open for them because sometimes they are hiding behind things we sometimes call “problems” or “difficulties”. Difficulties often serve as little “wake-up calls”, which help you, or force you even, to discover inner resources or talents you may not have been aware of, or had not really dedicated much time to. Expect the unexpected and try to turn all conditions and circumstances to your advantage, remembering always to be honest in your dealings with everyone as well. I can assure you that you'll never be “bored” again or complain about having nothing to do.
Locate, Study, and Become Friends with Your “Competition” Find out who the busiest players are and observe their strong points. What do they do to be so in demand? Check out their gigs when you can. Are they much stronger players than you at the moment? Dig in and practice. Try to close the gap. If they play things you like and would like to understand better, by all means, try to study with them! Another good way to improve is to buy some good duets and work on them together with players that play very well. This is also a good way to make new friends that are also good players. Flute duets with “legit” flute players are great for getting into shape. Sit to their right or facing them and listen to their sound and articulation. Alternate playing the 1st and 2nd flute parts. Knowing your competition is stimulating and definitely keeps you from getting arrogant or 44
complacent. A lot of great friendships begin this way, too. Try this idea out for yourself. You'll soon discover that the best and busiest players are often the coolest people to talk to (once you manage to catch them in a free moment). They are almost always willing to take time to talk and become friends with young highly motivated players, like you. They remember when they were the new kids on the block!
Remember… • Find the best teacher for you (remember your goals). Put yourself in his hands and try to become his best student. If possible, this should be a true saxophone pro that has experience as a teacher and player. • Analyze the saxophone market in general, and in your area specifically. Is there a void you can fill? Use your imagination. Try to create a niche for yourself. Specialize in something! Become a more valuable player. • Increase your VISIBILITY by jamming whenever and wherever possible. If you don't feel ready, listen to, and get to know, the best players in town and practice with the idea of eventually playing with these people. • Prepare business cards and exchange numbers with every one you meet. CREATE A NETWORK of musicians, especially good rhythm section players. • Cross-index everyone you meet by 1) instrument, 2) where you met them, (to jog your memory) 3) style of music they do best... .in other words GET ORGANIZED! This will come in handy, use your imagination. • Team up with a trumpet player for small section work. Trombone players are great to add as well. (Find the best you can stand!). • Treat every client and project seriously. Always remember that every situation you are involved in can become a step up or a step down.
• FORM YOUR OWN SMALL GROUP! Make a tape, or better yet a CD and get it around to all the independent labels, clubs, DJ's, agencies, hotels, etc. • Get on the phone and INVITE PEOPLE to your gigs. Create a website and start creating a mailing list. Take time to make friends wherever you go, life is just more fun this way! • Go around to all the recording studios in town. Meet the engineers, secretaries, musicians. Keep your horn handy, sometimes things just "Pop" up unexpectedly. Try to always be ready to jump on opportunities. Here's what I mean:
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Sometimes Life brings you to a point in which you may find it necessary to move to another city for any number of reasons. I have changed cities a few times, and believe me, it's not easy starting out in a new town! When this happens, you'll be faced with the necessity of finding work as soon as possible otherwise you will exhaust your cash reserves before long. This is the time when having your Saxophone Survival Kit close at hand and in good order can make all the difference for you. Check out this little story: Let's go back to the fall of 1983. I had just arrived in Rome, spoke very little Italian, and knew absolutely no one, except my Italian girlfriend (who spoke some English). I was 30 years old and already had a lot of experience playing in bands, doing theater work, recording session work, etc. My main problems were the language barrier and not knowing anything about the music scene in Italy, or Rome. I had to learn my way around fast! The first thing I did, once I had a phone, was to get some business cards made with my name, phone number, and a listing of my available instrumentation (doubles). (Nowadays, it's easy to make your own business cards and other promotional materials, such as a good curriculum, using a computer) The next thing I did was to start going around to the live music clubs looking for opportunities to jam and meet the local musicians. I began collecting numbers and passing my business cards around to everyone I met on these occasions. I also went through the phone book to find all the recording studios in town. I made a list in my Action Plan notebook of all the addresses and phone numbers of the studios, including the names of people who had responded to our initial calls on the phone. (My girlfriend, Angela, helped with the translation and setting up times to visit the various studios.) We started actually visiting the studios one by one, meeting secretaries, engineers, musicians who happened to be around doing sessions, and the studio owners. I always had at least my alto sax, soprano sax and flute with me on these occasions (just in case). On one of these visits to one of the larger and busier studios in town, I met Claudio Simonetti, a producer and film score composer. He happened to be recording some music for a series of TV specials that he was the musical director for. Fortunately, Claudio spoke good English, so it was much easier for us to communicate. He was curious to hear me play so he said, “Try playing on this tune…” It was a version of the tune “Maniac” from the film “Flashdance”. Fortunately, for me I had heard this tune before, liked it and it was in a good key for alto. I was a bit nervous because I really wanted to make a good impression on him. I played a nice, funky “Pop” solo over the track. I could see the engineer and Claudio in the control booth grooving so everything was going okay. I was playing well, loosening up, and actually beginning to have fun! He put up another track, same deal…everything went great, fortunately for me. He immediately offered me a guest soloist gig for the 4 TV specials! I could hardly believe my luck! Nice break, huh? My first TV gig in Italy! 46
This is an example of how going out and meeting people, keeping your horn nearby, can pay off for you. Of course you must be well prepared to really take advantage of these “unexpected” opportunities. When Opportunity meets Preparation nice things happen! Expect the unexpected, practice as much as you can, keep your goal in mind always, and follow your action plan. • BE POSITIVE, don't "bad-mouth" people, BE PROFESSIONAL, and remember, PUNCTUALITY COUNTS (a lot!). • Talk about money matters calmly and serenely BEFORE you accept the gig. Make sure everything is clear from “the top”; • GO THE EXTRA MILE FOR PEOPLE, try to be helpful and, whenever possible, cooperative; • Always bring some extra double to the gig. Let people know about any additional instruments you play well. Let's take a moment to look back over these last two reminders: “Go the Extra Mile” and “Bring Extra Doubles to Gigs”. They are related in a way since they both have to do with doing or bringing something EXTRA to your gigs. The reason I always bring some extra instrument to sessions or gigs is because I know that certain instruments are more suitable to use on a song than others. Often people call me to play alto, but I'll bring the tenor also because I know that, at some point, tenor may be more appropriate for a given tune. I bring flute, clarinet and soprano for the same reason. It's something I do automatically now, because I have experienced good results from doing this. Often an arranger doesn't know about the other instruments you play, and you bringing something extra may help him or her resolve a musical situation in a surprising way (everyone loves a nice surprise!). This is particularly useful in film soundtrack recording where the various melodic themes return repeatedly and are often played by different solo instruments at different times. Once people know your instrumentation, you'll get more calls and more varied types of calls, which keeps work interesting, and challenging for you. People won't know about your doubles unless you bring them along and play them. Of course, learn how to play them before you bring them! Where? You guessed it….home alone. I know, it's a lot of stuff to carry around, but it will help you resolve certain situations. It also sets you apart from other musicians that don't think of bringing or doing “extra” things. Here's another little story that illustrates the power of this Saxophone Survival Technique: Back in 2003, my friend and top lead trumpet player Mike Applebaum (first call for Ennio Morriconi filmscore sessions) and I were preparing to travel to Milan to record the horn tracks for Italian pop artist Alex Britti's album “3”. Over the phone, Mike asked me what 47
trumpets to bring (he plays all the various trumpets and fluegelhorn, and is a great composer/arranger)). I suggested that he bring “everything”. “Even the piccolo trumpet”, he asked. My reply was “…yeah Mike, you never know, he might dig it”. We cabbed out to the airport and a few hours later we were at the Jungle Sound Studio in Milan with Alex, listening to the tracks he wanted horns on. After a snack while listening to the tracks, talking with Alex, making notes, and generally getting onto Alex's wavelength, we were ready to start recording. Alex came into the room as we were setting up our gear, saw the piccolo trumpet and said, “Hey Mike, what's that?” Mike picked up the “picc” and blew some characteristic Bach phrases and the “Penny Lane” solo, etc. Alex dug it so much that he decided to add a piccolo trumpet solo to the last 20 seconds or so of the track! As it turned out, the tune became an instant hit, we did the video, the tour, and Mike played his piccolo trumpet solo many times on Italian national TV for an audience of millions in Italy, and via satellite to various other countries! A lot more nice things happened for my friend Mike because of this “fortunate” piccolo trumpet solo. And so it goes…it pays to bring extra, unexpected horns to sessions or live gigs. You never know…
Becoming a more valuable player leads to more and better paying gigs! • Dress appropriately for the gig...if you don't know what to wear, ask the leader. • Always keep emergency contact numbers for gigs, in case of car trouble, getting lost, etc. Remember to keep your ever-present cell phone charged up and fully operational at all times, it can really save you in a pinch. • When things are slow...no problem, you have more time to practice, start a band, write music, etc... .. avoid that “unemployed” feeling. Keep yourself “employed” in activities that move you toward your goal. • Work on your STAGE PRESENCE Stage Presence is something that some musicians just seem to have naturally. Others need to work at developing their Stage Presence. So what is Stage Presence anyway? To me Stage Presence means being truly 100 per cent “present“ on stage. This means actively participating and contributing to what is taking place at any given moment on stage. For example, if you are the only horn on the gig, you will not be playing all the time. When you are not playing, you must contribute to the show with your Stage Presence. This has to do with how you are dressed, how you move when you play and when you're not playing, how much you smile, your level of concentration, having fun, etc… If the singer is singing, focus your attention on him or her, listen to and enjoy what they are doing. Actually, there are many artists that I've worked with that I would have gladly paid to listen to. (Please don't tell anyone I said that!) When the audience sees you smiling, grooving, and digging the singer, their attention will return to the singer. You act as a mirror beaming the audience's attention to whatever is the most important thing happening on 48
stage at any given moment: soloists, dancers, whatever. If you clap your hands, they will get more into the groove, too, and some of them will begin to clap their hands with you. The audience has more fun when they see you having fun! Avoid making unpleasant facial reactions to mistakes or unexpected problems on stage. This looks very bad from the audience. Most of the time, the public is unaware of little things that can happen on stage. Don't tip them off with a strange facial reaction. If you are in a smaller space like a club, where the people are up close, you can make eye contact with a few people around the room and get them more into the show. Who you make eye contact with is completely up to you! (I mean, I don't wanna know about it!) (Be sure the eye contact bit doesn't get too out of hand, I mean look at everyone, not just the most physically attractive ones, sometimes they're married to someone in the band, or the club owner, or….. Mr.Big! (I don't want to be reading about you in the chronicle pages! Anyway…) Avoid being seen checking your watch on stage as people will probably get the impression that you are not having a good time, which is not cool at all from the audience point of view. If you must check the time, do so discreetly. Have a good time for real! If you are listening to a comedian for example, smile (at least) at the punch lines, even if you've heard the joke a million times before. Remember, you are part of the show from the moment you set foot on stage. Be a more valuable player on stage; make the star and the other musicians look good. That's your job when you are not actually playing. Of course when it's time to play, do it with class and as much style and taste as you can muster. Make a habit of working this way on stage and you will become more in demand for live gigs of all kinds. Once again, remember that every gig is important. You never know who's checking you out in any moment. Oh yes, last but not least,……SMILE…... ..and thank God you're workin'! Put these ideas to the test for yourself!
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6. CAN WE TALK? IT'S ABOUT YOUR ATTITUDE
Attitude plays a major role in “Saxophone Survival”. Depending on it's nature, it can be your best friend or your absolute worst enemy. Think about this a moment. How often have you seen seemingly intelligent and talented people blow wonderful opportunities because of a bad attitude? You may have had this experience personally. I know I have, and it's not a pretty sight. On the other hand, a generous, positive attitude can be the winning secret for Saxophone Survival. It's very difficult to succeed as a professional musician, or anything at all for that matter, if your attitude is “out of tune”. This is a very important area to get under control as it can “make or break” you in the music business, or life in general. The main reason I feel attitude is so important is that, when faced with unexpected conditions or difficulties, great or small, it will be your predominant attitude that will condition your responses, or reactions. If your attitude is positive, constructive and open you will be more likely to see new opportunities hidden behind the difficulties you will inevitably encounter along your path to your goal. The difference between not surviving, i.e., not reaching your goal, and success in the achievement of your goal lies in your reactions. If your reactions to difficulties are positive, they will help you to keep moving forward and greatly increase your chances for Saxophone Survival. You've undoubtedly seen the results a positive attitude can bring. Day after day, you move about doing your daily activities, going to school or work, rehearsing, meeting and interacting in many ways with all kinds of people with all kinds of attitudes. Cheerfulness and warmth in dealings are always welcome. On the other hand, a reputation for having a bad attitude, or being difficult to work with can take a very long time to shake off, because “bad news” travels fast, especially in the relatively small circle of professional players, producers and contractors. Your attitude is always there helping, or hindering you in your affairs and relationships with clients, fellow musicians, and of course, your audience, the public. See what I mean?
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So… How is your attitude? Let's go to the bottom line for a minute. There a lot's of folks around who can play well but many of them don't work as much as they could because of their unprofessional attitude. This is a very common situation, especially in large cities where the competition for gigs is intense. It's also sad because it's an avoidable problem. All it takes is turning your attention toward this matter and running an “Attitude Check” on yourself. Have a look at the list of questions below for starts… • Are you a chronic complainer? I mean if someone asks you “What's up?” do you say something like, ”Don't ask” and then begin rattling off a list of your latest problems? • Do you respect other people's time by trying to be punctual for appointments? • Do you come to rehearsals prepared? • Do you make negative comments about other players behind their backs? • Do you accept criticism or advice graciously? • Are you afraid to send a good sub to a gig because you're afraid he might do a better job and take over “your” gig? • Do you do favors for people without expecting a “payback”? • Do you express your gratitude to people who do things for you? • Do you listen to the other soloists when you play? • Are there people you consider your “enemies”? If so, why? • Are you gossipy or are you discreet? • Do you try to impress people with your latest hot licks while the string players are trying to tune up? Get the idea? Ask yourself questions like these. Check out your reactions to situations and people during the day. Observe your reactions and those of the people you come in contact with. You'll discover that by simply becoming more observant about your attitude you'll be able to avoid many conflicts, embarrassing situations and in general become a nicer person to be around, and work with (with much better chances for “Saxophone Survival”!) Be sure your mind is engaged and your goal is in mind before putting your mouth, 51
or your saxophone, into gear! Now let's go back for a closer look at the questions listed above. I'd like to share some thoughts with you…
Are you a chronic complainer? We all know that it takes energy to do anything. It takes energy to talk, play, sing, and drive your car, or just anything at all. But what a lot of people don't consider is that it takes a good deal of energy to listen as well. If you complain, not only are you wasting your energy but also the energy of the person or people you are complaining to. When the conversation is finished and you part company with the person you were talking to what impression will they be left with? I think you already know the answer to this…might be something like: “Wow, that cat is such a drag!” Just nod if you know what I'm talking about… In fact, not talking at all is much better than complaining. Complaining is not going to get you anywhere and could possibly ruin some good opportunities for you, opportunities you might have seen if you had not been so busy finding things to complain about! Some people seem to actually specialize in the art of complaining. Really! They can always find something to complain about, anywhere they go. You've met them; they're usually the people you can't wait to get away from because they drain your energy after a while. As they say “Birds of a feather fly together…” and I've noticed that this is true with complainers as well. They can be found hanging out with each other complaining about how tough the work situation is and how come everyone else is getting all the gigs! Fortunately there's a survival technique available that will protect you from falling into this extremely unhappy category. I'm talking about using the “Big G”, no not the James Brown tune, the “Big G” I'm referring to is probably one of the most important elements in the Saxophone Survival Kit. I'm talking about….Gratitude. Just as it's true that complainers seem to always find things to complain about, people who cultivate a feeling of gratitude in their lives seem to find more and more things to be grateful for as they go along. Interesting,…. Take a minute to reflect on this. Focus on gratitude for a moment, making a list of things to be grateful for is a way to get started, you know,”…count your blessings”. Become friends with Life…being grateful for your life and the possibility of pursuing your musical interests is a good place to start. Basically you find what you look for so search for things to be grateful for. You won't have to look very far once you get started. 52
If you persevere in your effort to keep your goal in mind constantly, your actions and attitude will fall into line.
Do you respect other people's time by being punctual for appointments? Punctuality is an essential item in the Saxophone Survival Kit, and, aside from being a sign of respect for the people you're dealing with ….it doesn't cost a dime, it's free as air, so we have no excuse for not doing everything in our power to be on time, all the time. Somebody said “….Time is money ”, but I think we all can understand the idea that Time is infinitely more valuable than money. By a long shot. I mean you can make money with your time, but all the money in the world can't buy you time when your time is up. Use your time wisely and respect other people's time. In the music business, the usual appointment agenda contains items like: • • • • •
Rehearsals; Lessons; Performance situations; Project-related meetings; Travel related appointments.
The benefits of being punctual are endless…to be well-placed in the moment. Punctuality in a musician shows respect for his fellow students or colleagues, the musical director, the production, and the public. It's definitely an ideal to be strived for continually. Punctuality is a musician's way of contributing to the general positive flow of the work situation. Things go much more smoothly when everyone involved is punctual. It's much better to wait than to be waited for, in my book anyway. (Did I say that?) Do I even have to mention the possible complications of missing trains or flights? Don't even go there... Remember Murphy's Law: “If anything can go wrong, it will and at the worst possible time.” Plan your travel appointments well and leave a safety margin for unexpected problems. Actually, there is something better than being punctual ... ..….being early. Now, being early offers some interesting advantages, to mention a few: • You have time to check your instrument(s) and warm-up; • You get to check out the parts in advance; • You get a chance to relax into the new setting instead of jumping straight into the gig, rehearsal, etc.; • You get to meet the other “early people”, and they get to meet you; • When you plan to arrive early you create a “safety margin” which can save you in cases of unexpected traffic jams or other adverse circumstances. (In this case you may not get there early, but at least you'll have a better chance of being on time!) 53
Punctuality is even more important when meeting people for the first time. You make a much better “first impression” if you show up on time, or better yet, early. If, for reasons legitimately beyond your control, you see that you are going to be late, by all means call the leader or a trusted colleague at the gig to advise them of your situation. “Eighty per cent of success is showing up…” (Woody Allen) Next question….
Do you come to rehearsals prepared? For rehearsals and lessons it's best to bring the following items: • • • • • • •
Your instrument, in good operating condition; Pencils, never ink pens, (for parts writing or corrections a #2 point hardness is good); More pencils. (To loan out to colleagues who forgot to bring a pencil!); A good quality pencil eraser; A pencil sharpener; Some blank sheets of music paper for creating emergency parts or inserts; A chromatic tuner to check your personal intonation. (Very important item).
*In addition to the above items I also carry small screwdrivers, pieces of cork, pad glue, super-light lubricating oil, a pocket knife, elastic bands and extra reeds( that I've tried out already at home ). These items can help you do quick instrument repairs or reed substitutions at rehearsals or gigs. Note: Never carry these things in your carry on luggage on flights. The metal detector will go berserk and you may cause a panic in the airport.
Do you make negative comments about other players behind their backs? This is definitely unprofessional behavior and can lead to unfortunate conflicts with colleagues and clients. It's not a good idea. My Mom used to always say, “If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything.” This is some very good advice. “Silence is Golden”. If you find that someone is trying to draw you into a negative conversation about a colleague, try to change the subject or find an excuse to leave. The music business is full of little cliques, work teams, and other groupings of people. Some musicians are friends with musicians that are not necessarily your favorite people. If you want to work well with as many people as possible it's best to avoid getting into di54
scussions about other musicians (who they make like or dislike), religion, politics or other potentially sensitive areas. It's not necessary to comment or contribute to all conversations. This approach will pay off in the long term as you will be able to function within various work teams that may be in competition or conflict with each other in some way. Rest assured if people “bad-mouth” colleagues behind their backs to you, they will probably do the same to you when you are not around. Understand this, but don't participate in this uncool activity as it definitely makes a negative impact on other people (and yourself). Try to remain above the level of gossip and remain concentrated on your musical mission. If you must comment, be diplomatic, or funny.
Do you accept or offer criticism, suggestions or advice gracefully? A. Receiving advice…. Situations may arise in which you find yourself being offered advice by a musical director, teacher, section leader, colleague, or someone from the public who has been listening to you play. The advice usually has to do with items such as repertoire, dynamics, articulation, accents, intonation, overall concept, or whatever. In these situations, consider the source, and by all means don't get offended or defensive. If the advice is coming from someone with musical authority or experience superior to yours (teacher, musical director, section leader, etc), it is best to consider following their advice. Thank them for the advice. If the source is a colleague of less experience or a member of the public, consider their point of view as objectively as possible and, based on your own musical intuition and experience, decide if it's good advice or not. In any case, be gracious and thank them for the suggestion. If the source is the client, i.e. the person paying you, take the advice into consideration by all means. Maintain your professional integrity by carefully considering advice based on your experience (which is hopefully why they called YOU instead of someone else). In the end, however, you must remember,”it's their project”. The client pays to have things done according to his/her vision of the project, and how they imagine using a sax may not always coincide with yours. Being professional is your best defense always. B. Giving advice…. If you feel the need to give suggestions about interpretation or intonation to a colleague, by all means be diplomatic and friendly. Your advice may not be received well or may lead to a personality clash or a defensive reaction. 55
Remain calm, diplomatic, and ask for input from a higher authority (teacher, the composer/arranger, bandleader, section leader, etc). Remain positive. It's important to maintain a harmonious atmosphere around you if you want to work well together with people. This requires “give and take” on everyone's part.
Are you afraid to send a good sub to a gig because you're afraid he might do a better job and take over “your ” gig? There will come a time when you will need to send a sub to a gig or rehearsal because of conflicting appointments or illness. The most professional thing to do is send the best available sub you can find; possibly someone you know and can trust to do a professional job. The idea is to see to it that the gig continues to go smoothly in your absence. The quality of your sub reflects on you. If you send an inadequate sub, the gig will suffer and you will probably be held responsible. Provide your sub with all the info necessary to do the gig well (important contact phone numbers, list of songs and keys, parts, info about what to wear, etc…) Players who send inadequate subs because of insecurity are not getting the point at all! Be secure, send a good sub and take your chances. It will pay off as you will leave a very good impression as being a musician who knows how to take care of business (even when you're not there!)
Do you ever do favors for people without expecting a “payback” from them? This is an interesting point to consider. Many times you are approached by people for favors, or you may recommend someone for a gig. Then, later, you may discover that when someone asked them about who to call for a gig they recommended someone else instead of you. Well, you see, this is perfectly okay if you were sincere in recommending that person in the first place. Furthermore, you should be happy for your colleague that did actually get that particular gig. If, however you recommended that person in the hopes of getting a recommendation in return, then you may be disappointed because things don't always go according to our little calculations. I believe that there is more than enough room for everyone in this great, swingin' Universe, so I try to help players who can really play by recommending them when people ask me for advice. Some of these players return the favor because they feel I'm best for certain kinds of situations, other times they will recommend their closer friends who may be very well-suited for that gig. It's all okay to me because I trust in the Universe enough to know that the good we do comes back to us multiplied many times. Often our actions may return to us 56
from a completely unexpected direction and may seem unrelated to something we have done or said or thought. The important thing is to be sure our actions are sincere, positive, and professional; the rest will take care of itself, so to speak.
Do you really listen to the other soloists when they play? I touched on this point in the section about Stage Presence. Apart from the observations I made there, at this point I'd like to underline the importance of listening to the other musicians and especially their solos. You may hear something in a solo that will inspire you to play in a certain way or to respond directly to a phrase played by a soloist who directly precedes you. You can latch onto an idea in the finale of their solo, build on it, and create even more momentum. This is always a great crowd-pleaser as it creates more of a show and gives a sense of focused continuity to the overall group performance. Other times you may want to interrupt the momentum by playing in a contrasting way, for example, if you are following a burning, very driving guitar solo, you may want to let the smoke clear a bit by waiting slightly, playing a few long notes, or playing quietly to bring the rhythm section volume back down to earth. Now that you have everyone's attention, you can build your solo from this new quieter, more introspective level. Of course the main reason I listen to the other soloists is because I really enjoy listening to the other musicians play.
Are you gossipy or are you discreet and trustworthy? Sometimes when you are involved with many projects, especially in recording studios, you may overhear private conversations about marketing strategy, come into possession of new uncopyrighted material, or other types of sensitive material or information. Discretion is your absolute best defense, never discuss confidential matters with anyone not directly involved in any given project or work team. Do not give material that may have been entrusted to you such as music, CD's or other audio supports to anyone not directly related to the project. Avoid unethical behavior. Never violate this rule.
Do you try to impress people with your latest hot licks while the string players are trying to tune up? Be considerate of your colleagues; find a place where you can warm-up without creating problems around you. Be aware and considerate of other people who are trying to work, light people, cameramen, etc... This is just plain common courtesy. I think you've got the idea. Make it a point to keep your attitude open and positive until it becomes a habit that works for you and not against you. 57
7. "ERIC AFTAB DANIEL... FROM BEFORE TO NOW…THE SCENIC ROUTE"
I began studying clarinet at the age of nine in a group class sponsored by a local music store in Bridgewater, Massachusetts It came easily to me and the instructor, Robert Corbert, a flute player, suggested that I would be better off studying privately with an excellent professional clarinetist and teacher by the name of Pasquale "Pat" Prencipe. Pat, bless his soul, played second clarinet and bass clarinet with the Boston Pops Orchestra under Arthur Feidler. He also played bari sax, clarinet and bass clarinet in the theaters in Boston and was the contractor at the South Shore Music Circus in Cohasset, Massachusetts He lived in a big house in the country, had a beautiful wife, (Shelly), a blind Cocker Spaniel, and always drove a new Ford Thunderbird convertible. He was a very classy guy and was to become my teacher, mentor and "musical second father" for the next ten years. This all started back in 1961! The lesson always started out with some Chromatic Scale Exercises involving various combinations of articulations. The emphasis was always on keeping the fingering CLEAN and PRECISE while NEVER forgetting about DIAPHRAGM SUPPORT and a big, full SOUND. Whenever it seemed I was just going through the motions, he'd shout something like..."That was dull, dead, insipid, boring, and very wimpy sounding, …other than that, it was perfect! Now play it again like you MEAN IT!" (It was a terrifying experience for me at first. Later I got used to his ways and, of course, it was my desire to play these exercises the way he wanted them so these episodes became less frequent as time passed.) We would pass on to my assigned scale study which progressed gradually through all the Major and Minor Scales ALWAYS WITH A METRONOME. I prepared the scales in varied articulation groupings with the STACCATO notes "al dente" as he would call them. "Crisp, bouncy, lively", were a few of the ways he described how a good series of staccato notes should be. Fully supported "succulent chunks of sound". (I could almost taste them!) Our scale work included intervallic studies in diatonic 3rds and 4ths as well...after a few years. We went through the Klosè books, Paul Jean Jean Etudes, Oppermann, and my favorite (which was for "fun" at the end of the lesson, Jay Arnold Swing Etudes. They were very jazzy sounding. We worked on solfege with the Bona book and, later, Paul Hindemith's "Elementary Training for Musicians" (check Hindemith's foreword if you can find the book. It's a killer!)We spent a lot of time on rhythm work, conducting and singing, etc. I also participated in auditions for clarinet chairs in regional and state competitions and began playing in the 58
Junior division of The Greater Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra which rehearsed once a week in Boston. (The plot thickens!)...
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While this was going on, at the age of 12, I began studying alto saxophone, always with "Pat". Since I had been studying clarinet for a couple of hours a day for 2 years, my reading "chops" were pretty good. All I had to do was to learn the technique of the instrument and apply my increasing knowledge of music to the new instrument. It was kind of expensive taking two private lessons a week, at least for my family in those days, but Pat was cool; he gave me the extra sax lesson free! He was a beautiful teacher and friend. He took me under his musical wing and began preparing me for a professional career (I wasn't thinking much about a career yet, myself, I just enjoyed playing in the various musical groups). Looking back on my 9 year relationship with my first real Teacher, Pasquale “Pat” Prencipe, I'm constantly amazed by the good fortune I had of finding him so early in my musical life. Believe me, I thank God for leading my parents and me to him for clarinet lessons at the age of 9. He taught me so much about music and clarinet playing; the importance of dedication, expression, being responsible and professional. At a certain point, when I was about 15 I began to prepare more seriously for Saxophone Survival. Pat explained to me the advantages of learning how to play flute. I was so stupid at that time because I was convinced the flute playing was “for girls”, a wimpy instrument, etc. What a goofball I was! I didn't want study flute also because I was beginning to feel loaded down with things to practice. Fortunately, Ian Anderson, the flute-playing leader of the band “Jethro Tull” came to my attention. I also found out about Eric Dolphy, Herbie Mann, and started listening to Stevie Winwood's band “Traffic” which featured flute and sax solos by Chris Wood. I changed my mind about flute playing, thank God! Pat sent me to a great flute teacher and busy classical player, Bill Grass (what a guy!), who lived in a beautiful house in the woods near Newton, Massachusetts What an atmosphere to study flute in! I started studying flute seriously with him. So now I was doing three lessons a week. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank my parents for paying for, drive me around to all these rehearsals and lessons. They were and have always been very supportive of my musical activities. Eventually, I began playing lead alto in my high school's stage band, led by Al Borzamato, a sax player and dedicated music educator, and in a community jazz band led by Vince Gannon as well. I began improvising on blues tunes. As you can see, my free time was filling up with musical activities; rehearsals, auditions, concerts, and lessons. I also was now practicing 4-5 hours a day 5-6 days a week! Fortunately, 59
my school grades were good so everything was okay. Lots of nice things were happening. I won the 1st Clarinet chair in the Massachusetts AllState Band competitions, became 1st clarinet in the Greater Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra (Sponsored in part by Boston University), performed in a couple of big bands, and started a rock band with some of my friends... ..music was becoming my Center of Gravity. It was becoming evident to everyone that I was headed in the direction of a musical career. Pat began inviting me to rehearsals for the “Boston Pops” (then conducted by Arthur Fiedler) concerts or musical shows he was playing in. I sat quietly in the empty theater listening to and watching how a real professional rehearsal was run. You could hear a pin drop during those rehearsals…very nice atmosphere. I heard the level of the musicians and began to know some of the great players there. Their seriousness during rehearsals made a big impression on me. I became a kind of mascot to them; those days really opened my eyes to what really professional musicians actually did. Afterwards I would meet some of the players, who were all good friends of Pat, in the dressing rooms. I was kind of shy, but everyone made me feel at home. It was a kind of fraternity feeling that happens when players who play together a lot get together after a gig. I love that feeling, it's one my favorite parts of being a musician. When I was 16, I joined the American Federation of Musicians and was therefore eligible to work ….
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SAX: ERIC DANIEL Credits I've had the pleasure of performing with many wonderful artist in the USA and Europe such as: Zucchero (Woodstock '94, "Live at the Cremlin" in '90, "Blues", "Rispetto"), Alex Britti, Natalie Cole, Tony Cerqua, Andrea Bocelli, Geraldina Trovato, Mia Martini, Joe Cocker, Crystal White, Massimo Ranieri, Tom Jones,Valeria Rossi,Amii Stewart, Michele Zarrillo, Corrado "Rod" Rusticci, Thelma Houston, George Benson, Astrud Gilberto, Carl Anderson, Paul Young, Mercuzio, Agostino Penna, Randy Crawford,"King"Solomon Burke, Mike Applebaum, Raffaela Carrà, Paul Horn, Giorgia, Jerry Lewis, Sammy Davis,Jr, Roberto Ciotti, Donatella Rettore, Roberto Ciotti, Tosca, Marco Armani, Chaka Khan, Lena Horne, Gladys Knight and the Pips , Gil Evans, Frank Vinci, Mimmo Locasciulli, Eduardo DeCrescenzo, Martha High, Thelma Houston, Rosario Jermano, Gino Paoli, "Toots" respect!")Dangerfield, and many others.
Thielemans,
Lew
Soloff,
Rodney
("no
I feel privileged to have been able to meet and work with these people!
More Credits TV Productions, Film soundtracks, and Commercial jingles form another area of my professional activities: "Fantastico 5"( '84)Staff musician RAI-TV network(Italian National Network...'84-'87), "Domenica In" ('86, '98,'00,'01), "La Corrida" ('88 to '93, 2004-07), San Remo Song Festival ('94' '95, '96), "Caramba Che Sorpressa", "Scomettiamo Che"('93,'99), Trent' Anni Della Nostra Storia"('86), "Miss Italia nel Mondo" ('99,'00,'01),and many others. English lyrics for projects by: "Positive Power", Frank Vinci, "Mercuzio" ( Marcello Modugno), Gazosa, Lara Martelli, Jim Porto Co-Founder with Silvano Melgiovanni of EMI/Loft recording artists " Positive Power ". Founder of Eric Daniel & Friends Co-producer with Luca Cucchettiof the Nu-Soul album “Old Sax Nu Soul” for Quarto Miglio Quality Music Author of “The Saxophone Survival Kit, A Guide for Aspiring Professional Saxophonists…or just anyone”. 61
Highly Recommended Books and Websites
The Art of Saxophone Playing - by Larry Teal Rhythm Studies - by Joseph Viola Improvising Jazz - by Jerry Coker L’Arte della Sonorité - by Marcel Moyse (flute) 17 Grands Exercices Journaliers de Mecanisme - by P.Taffanel & P. Gaubert Complete Method for Clarinet - by H. Klosè www.saxontheweb.net - by Harri Rautiajnen (huge site!) www.saxshed.com - by Skip Spratt (excellent resource site) www.dornpub.com/saxophonejournal.html - Great magazine! www.downbeat.com - Another great magazine to check out. www.flute.com - Very complete flute resource site. www.woodwind.org/clarinet/index.html - Good starting point for clarinet resources
Well, that’s it for now….remember your goal and…
HAVE FUN!!! E.
(Back cover photo by Daniela Grassi…Thanks Dany!) ( All rights reserved. Eric Daniel © 2007) 62
By all means check out …
“OLD SAX NU SOUL” The new and super-cool CD from Eric Daniel & Friends …
Available now at CDBaby.com and Apple iTunes Store !
You can visit me at: www.myspace.com/ericdanielandfriends or www.saxman.it
HAVE FUN!!!
E.
