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My Saxamaphones


Old Horse Murphy
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I've played Sax on and off since I was about 12. It was always my "proper" musical instrument and was the one I learnt to read music on and learnt musical theory too. I was quite successful, playing in a few bands but had to give up just after university having lost my front teeth playing Rugby and although I always played Bass from about the age of 14, playing the Sax was some thing I really missed (I was always better at it than I was on Bass!)

I had to stop playing Rugby a couple of years ago, so decided to try and re-learn the Sax. I've recently landed a Baritone Sax gig which I'm really enjoying, so I guess I can say I'm half-way back to being a Sax player again.

Anyway, here is my collection: they're all Mauriats (don't remember them existing when I first played) and are super quality and very easy to play.

 

 

 

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On ‎26‎/‎03‎/‎2020 at 10:02, Steve Browning said:

I have the 1937 Selmer Balanced Action that I inherited from my Dad. I can get a scale of C major out of it but nothing else.

He bought it from new and it was his only tenor until he died in 2011.

Wow, that's a life-long love affair for sure. With that level of faithfulness I'm guessing your Dad was never a Bass Player!

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Been doing sax about a two-year now, although I first had a stab 20 years ago. How things have changed.  Then a beginner sax was around £1000.  Now I just bought a Chinese Eastar alto off Amazon for £250, complete with stand, mouthpiece, swabs, reeds and case.  And what's more it's totally playable - albeit better with a  decent mouthpiece.  

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Edited by lownote12
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I'm an expert on being a novice! :) .  It doesn't take long to get the hang of making a noise. And learning the various things to push to make notes isn't that much harder. The biggest problem is its much more complicated than bass and it helps massively to have a very good memory. What I mean is, in bass, you learn a  pattern and all you have to do is shift it around for different chords/ keys. So say you're playing a 12 bar blues in E on bass, using mostly dominant 7ths. You play the dom 7th pattern on E, shift the same pattern over to start on A, then you do the same to start on B.  Don't have to think about nowt if you know your arpeggios patterns. On sax you need to learn all the notes for E, A, and B chords/ blue scales with no patterns to help you! Plus it’s a transposing instrument so you're not working in E, A and B, which the band is, but C#, F# and G# [alto, tenor's different] !! But if you can remember stuff and like the sound, go for it... a lot of bassists do.    

Edited by lownote12
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I'm a sax player... I play bass because it's easier to get a local gig. Most of my gigs have been as a sax player. 

There are 12 keys to learn... plus 12 minor keys... and modes... and minor and major pentatonic scales. But, you don't play in many different keys... I just used to learn new keys as needed. On the other hand, I did spend hours playing tone exercises.

I'm mostly a tenor player... lthough I had a fun couple of years playing baritone. My sax is a Selmer Series III plus an amazing Dukoff mouthpiece. Will try and post a pic if I get round to it.

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On 27/03/2020 at 16:06, Old Horse Murphy said:

Wow, that's a life-long love affair for sure. With that level of faithfulness I'm guessing your Dad was never a Bass Player!

No. You notice that even the t-shirt can't counteract the effect of the saxophone!! Maybe I should practise!!

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Baritone sax = one of the bestest and coolest instruments every invented.  Goes nearly as low as a 5-string bass guitar.

 

Remember my brother taking up the (tenor) sax aged about 14 ... the dog used to crawl under the dining room table and howl every time he picked it up.

Done him alright; though I'm not sure the current device is really a sax any more; same buttons on the front but all kinds of gubbins on the back (shameless plug for big bros band):  

 

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