The Secret Super Power of a Slow Learner - Derek Brown BeatBox Sax

[@tomragonese1056]

That was a plethora of wonderfully expressed pointers. Good to hear we are not alone with the daily challenges of sax playing from a very unique artist. Thanks to you both!

[@pokespencer23]

I love this interview. He’s so real and honest about his career. Cool tips and advice.

[@sundayjams7399]

Derek brown is the best greatest down to earth guy . Met him at namm

[@joshhuffman4286]

As a young musician this really inspired me and showed me that no matter what your trying to learn as a musician you will always get it if you just apply yourself and even professionals struggle with music. Thank you for posting this video because it has really changed the way I think about music.

[@xtldubz]

Painful slow perfect practice. One of the best traits of a musician.

[@bluenotecat]

I read a comment from Mononeon recently that I really resonates with me, it read "Reject the worldly idea of becoming a great musician... just live music" Best advice ever.

[@davidcrawford9388]

What a genuine person. And totally motivating. Thanks Jay...

[@esfahan1961]

« Half of becoming a better musician is actually starting to practice » how true is that and how bad I’ve been recently. Thanks for this reminder Derek.

[@ThabaniGapara]

Jay thank you for creating this space! Your work is so Valuable to the saxophone and music community at large.

[@jimbo-ed3kc]

These guys are so inspiring, upbeat, enthusiastic and free giving of their time and experience ,its infectious, great interviews, great channel, well done Jay and friends

[@eastsideblues]

One of, if not the best video for anyone studying any instrument. Thank you so much Jay and Derek!

[@jamestaylor7746]

I'm loving your content. Especially now with your recent interviews. Your including some of my favorite KZbin channel artists. Next up SirvalorSax!

[@kobimeir8655]

It was the BEST class I have ever had. So comforting and humble. He just put in words my thoughts and worries and made sax playing accessabe. Thank you both so much

[@garymitchell1910]

I can't believe there's not more beatbox sax videos. I've been learning fir a couple of weeks and I started trying to beatbox, then thought " I wonder if anyone else beatboxes the sax. And it was almost solely this chap. Sets me a bench mark for the future.

[@melron1000]

I've seen this interview many times. Keeps you up when you have those " I suck moments" and always brings a smile to my face. Thanks to both of you!

[@garyreid6165]

Great interview and advice. When I started playing tenor saxophone, I was in junior college. My instructor was a veteran of the big band years. He played with many people including Glen Miller’s Army band, he even played at The Apollo Theater in Harlem. He composed commercial jingles and so much more. I learned how to play blues and jazz in a short time under his teaching methods. I was learning how to play the popular standards . Before he passed, he gave me these pearls of wisdom. . Play for yourself. Play with others. Play for others. Learn and have fun. And stay away from the music business. He never stopped stressing that with me because he even told his own kids that advice. In his career, he made and lost a fortune in the music business.

[@keithrowe5414]

I am fairly new to the saxophone but this was one of the most practical, encouraging videos on Learning the Saxophone that I have ever seen, and I watch a lot of videos.

[@alexbenito5633]

Mr. Brown came to our university during his 50 states tour. Not only did he give the most insane solo concert I’ve seen, he was also an amazing teacher and genuinely great person. Thank you for the tips to stay motivated! This interview and the “I Suck” video are my go-to whenever I’m feeling like I’ve hit a wall.

[@jacquelamontharenberg]

Jay.... one of the best interviews you have done, not because of your performance, but because of the contents. I am sure many musicians can relate. I too am not the fastest boat on the lake and spend a great deal of time practicing. But I am slowing seeing great results in my tone and ability to play new and more difficult licks. Thanks. Super good job...

[@gilsontopfstedt3554]

Dereks super ability is... to be humble :-) Greetings from a Online Better Sax Student ... from Europe

[@apinakapinastorba]

I really dig it you going into the mental side of playing. Everyone has more or less the same issues, but only your own ones you have to deal with daily.

[@gantry289]

Wow Jay, you did it again. What a great interview. Not that you don't give some great sage advice but it's always nice to hear from a different prospective.

[@habitdaemon]

Great authentic words from Derek Brown. When Jay was talking to George Garzone I thought he was being extremely respectful. Since then I realise that he gives all of his guests the space to run with their thoughts and this is something that a lot of interviewers struggle with as they can't bear to lose the attention on themselves. Jay nurtures the spaces, like the Miles Davies of interviewers.

[@williammurray1620]

Had the pleasure of sitting in the front row last night in Fresno for the CASMEC show where Derek played with the Clovis Wind Symphony. My son and I were able to chat with him for a moment afterwards and he was extremely gracious. I can't wait to see what else this innovative artist has up his sleeves, or on his fingers, dropped in his horn...Thanks for a great show Derek!

[@alexwillats]

What a great video! Derek, you're very inspiring and wonderfully humble. Invaluable advice and delivered in a relatable way - plus your obvious enthusiasm for your art is inspiration in itself! Keep up the amazing music Derek and thanks for the interview Jay. 🎷💛

[@KadrianThomas]

Yessss. I’ve been talking about and practicing the pomodora effect but I do it in 5 minutes. I call it my “5 Minute Practice Rule.” This same five minute rule keeps me consistent every single day. I can kill 2 hours easy with this 5 minute practice rule/pomodora effect. Love it. Yes practice slow and keep hitting it. I love the video Jay. Awesome stuff man.

[@harppsricprince]

Fantastic video . We all appreciate the time and effort you take to making these videos . Thank you 🙏🏽

[@dennis2630]

Just listened to the Derek Brown interview and as an old new sax player and a slow learner as well I understand the importance of practicing religiously. That for keeping it real. Great interview.

[@ahmedkzimba810]

This is the coolest interview I've ever watched on music and practice. Thanks, really.

[@QuickStartClarinet]

This is such an important conversation! Talent isn't a magical gift, everybody has to put in work to succeed, and it is totally fine to go at whatever pace works for your life and your goals!!!👏👏👏

[@onesyphorus]

I love it when these people can still be down to earth and talk about their past and problems...

[@sydneybrereton2566]

Brilliant interview! This is so on-message for what I am trying to do. So, good reinforcement for me. Thanks Derek and Jay and I plan to keep it fun.

[@dfirmani]

Man!! Jay, you are absolutely awesome bringing all this artists to your channel. I really enjoy interviews like this one. Really encouraging

[@timobesamusca9332]

Great video and what a great guy you are, Derek Brown! You set yourself apart by staying true to yourself, to your own talents and limitations as well. Just sustain and work on it! 👍🏻

[@natebauermeister270]

One of your best videos Jay! Great to see a professional like Derek break down on how hard it is to be a great saxophone player.

[@Boricual21]

Definitely right, we need to maintain the daily practice. Just if we practice only 15-30 minutes daily but that is better than 2 hours only on weekend. Also play to have fun and keep it challenging. I'm not considered myself a musician but a student of life. I'm the slowest learner in the world but I keep playing for fun and one of the greatest things is that music is one of the best therapies. Do I miss days, yes, but never give up and keep the sax close to me as my friend. Thanks for sharing.

[@joaquinodriozola4963]

I loved this so inspirational. He's so down to earth and honest

[@kristindowner9897]

I guess I’m dating myself by watching this, thinking, “ WoW! This guy was somebody’s little boy once- & I bet they had their hands full!” But look at him now! I love his words, “It doesn’t matter how slow you go... if you can just figure out ways to sustain it...”. Priceless advice! Thanks for encouraging a slow learner AND a late starter!!

[@samiperfecto]

I loved that he made a mention on the “Alexander Technique” I would love to see video focused on that sometime in relation to saxophone players. Great videos!

[@jesseserranoll39]

Jay thank you so much for this interview and I hope Derek understands how inspiring he has been with this short but life-changing epiphany. When he mentions exercises to help to learn to play from the diaphragm, I know that I have never seen these. They could be in the content that I have already purchased from you and I have not gotten to yet. Regardless,I would love to see a video of you demonstrating what he is referencing. I have experienced the sore throat after playing a couple of times this last year, and of course a sore throat is the last thing you want to feel after playing in public. I know I have heard that you need to open your throat and support your breath from your diaphragm, but after forty years of playing I'm sure I have to work hard to break the bad habits I learned on my own. Keep up the great work as always!

[@smoke09able]

That was a great interview Jay. I really appreciate Derek's insights and honesty of his own limitations which he has definitely overcome with his great attitude and playing style.

[@billiongenius]

Truth for many. Slow learner here. I have to repeat a hundred times to learn something. Do it slow, drive everyone crazy. Nice to hear this perspective from such a great and famous player.

[@joergschmitz]

Thank you so much for this inspiration! It‘s very helpful for a 50 y.o. beginner at clarinet and alto sax. Best regards from Germany

[@DrRocketTurner]

Thank you both for the real stuff! ❤️🚀

[@velvetimpulse]

Such an honest video! Thank you so much. It was very relatable. I'm an adult learner and I'm also a gamer, who at some point looked at my videogame and thought "if I spent more time on the sax instead of playing, maybe I would be good someday.", and I have been practicing everyday since. Because I have no musical background, it takes me longer to learn some things, but I'm not worried. Today I'm better than yesterday, and tomorrow I will be better than I am today. Just keep at it!

[@AndresLilloSax]

3:30 That is one of the things that it happens to me... Days with lot of motivation practicing, and when I record... sometimes I want to throw it all away. But Im here! Trying to get better each day!

[@davidhollingsworth8696]

Thank you for posting this! These are words we all need to hear. I certainly did.

[@rodofiron5957]

This is so helpful. Cannot thank you enough for this.

[@joepeterson8993]

My two favorite channels combined!!!! Omg thank you so much for this collab♥️👌

[@tommyt7566]

Wow!!! Thanks Jay & Derek!!! Best, most informative, entertaining and motivating interview I've seen... Ever! Cheers!!!

[@BenButterworth]

Got the chance to catch Derek's 50-50 tour. Amazing inspiration to my progression on the saxophone!

[@thewarhenk]

Warren Keller Jay, I'm really enjoying this interview series you're doing. This one was terrific and I'm really happy that Steve Neff shared it on Facebook. You're both great players and I was impressed by what a down to earth guy Derek is. For what it's worth, I totally relate to the 'Suck concept.' I'm a lifelong player, and I go through that constantly- feel pretty good about myself, plateau, stagnate, and suck until the next quantum leap.

[@johnvallis7223]

Hey, Jay, thanks for posting this exuberant interview with the energetic, inspiring, unique, and straight-from-the-heart, Derek Brown! Great stuff! Keep up the good work. Peace and Love from Canada.

[@fbales]

I really enjoy these interviews you do? Keep ‘em coming!

[@MichaelEBeard]

Derek this will be a big help to me on my journey. I have heard it said before practice slow but it is hard to resist the perfection bug. Thanks for sharing your mindset while playing because It is a true expression of what it feels like to practice and make mistakes; or having the fear of making mistakes.

[@saxectasy]

Great video, thanks guys. I can certainly relate as I am a very slow learner, it takes me forever to learn anything and I sometimes think how bad am I that I should just give it away, so this video is very encouraging for me. Practice, Practice Practice, Two thumb up!

[@gianpietroprevitali7103]

awesome video .. thanks for the passion .. I need this kind of energy ..

[@richandrews7]

Great interview. Great interviewer who listens and draws out the best.

[@ryansmock2717]

Is this the Ling Ling of the Saxophone world? I've been playing saxophone for 13 years and probably only "practice" about 5 hours a week now that adulthood has hit me hard. I definitely feel the "I'm terrible" mentality. Instrumental mastery takes an entire lifetime. I just need to understand that.

[@SaltyYouTuber]

Ryan Smock 40 hours a week my friend

[@高宇中]

Taven Pacheco A week? How dare you! Ling Ling practices 40 hours A DAY!

[@grahamlyons8522]

Is Ling Ling related to the pianist Lang Lang?

[@rinahall]

Ling ling ? Are you criza ?

[@PianoFish]

@@grahamlyons8522 check out TwoSet Violin if you want to know more about Ling Ling - as the channel name suggests it's primarily violin-based but there's a lot of content that all musicians can appreciate and relate to (like that their '24 Ways Musicians Practice' includes crying)

[@onesyphorus]

Love both your channels!!

[@miltonsalmeron900]

This was such a good talk. Great advice really really appreciate it thank you both.

[@Wiskundewinkel]

great interview!!! i wanted to see him practice tho haha but seriously,, its really nice to hear him be so vulnerable about his music, gives us other musicians inspiration :D

[@DavideRomeoMusician]

Great Interview! Thanks Better Sax. Thanks Derek, you are the man!

[@stevenstamour6007]

great interview, I particularly like the " I suck" comment. I have that moment all the time.

[@nehemiahstewart]

What a great interview. Thanks!

[@pierreashba]

Great guy. Great insights. Thanks Jay and Derek

[@brianpetersen3429]

An excellent interview, and some great unspoken truths.

[@stevektoday61]

Terrific interview. Thank you for posting, Jay!

[@NathanMineBro]

As a saxophonist and a sports player, many of the tips he gives is just life in general. I love the information this video gave it means a lot to me for many things other than playing sax. I have baseball tryouts soon. I feel like this is going to help me in the future in both sax playing and baseball. These are not just instrument tips, they are life lessons. Thank you.

[@latinkeys1]

What a great musician... Until I headed this interview, I thought this dude was just a ginmicky guy. Nothing special but his concepts are deep and profound, very informational. He is an amazing teacher, thank you for posting

[@alvarocarranzatapia9640]

I super love this video!! Thanks Jay and Derek!!

[@rickgraham786]

Fantastic interview. I first saw Derek on a video on a Legere jam session playing "Cantalope Island" a couple of years ago. I knew then he was a unique talent.

[@ianwashere12345]

Thank you, this is what I needed. Take it slow and keep go. Gonna share this with my kids. I am a slow learner too, but you know at work, they don't care. They want it done correctly. So what if it takes me an extra couple of hours or an extra couple of days. I can crank it out, and that is what matters. Ya man keep going forward. I am a programmer, and yes , I practice programming a little bit a day. So far, Better Sax man, this is my favorite video.

[@simonsheena8718]

Very supportive

[@MARKLINMAN1]

I have hope! Awesome and inspiring jay. Thank you.

[@JimsIrish76]

Great interview really enjoyed it!

[@MrPabgon]

Well this definitely helped, taught me to just practice and not slow down from lack of motivation

[@margauxrivera5582]

Merci for everything you just said! Love it. Love what you do. Love your style. Love from Paris

[@SaxMike71]

Of all the videos on these topics I've watched recently, this one really hit home for me. I've been in a deep funk, exacerbated by my job and lifestyle, about playing not only saxophone but guitar, about my playing level and how it's slowed to a glacial or non-existent pace of improvement. I'm really bothered by it, and the thing is, I know most of the reasons why it's this way. But somehow, out of all the videos and podcasts I've been checking out, this one spoke to me the most. Derek is so down-to-earth and articulate and approachable that I feel like he would personally encourage me to keep going and not quit, despite my shedding hanging by a thread. Maybe I'll feel happier about it all if I just get a good night's sleep and try to find a way to reset over the next few days. - MF

[@vriverad]

Loving these interviews. Thank you!!!

[@dillonmartin8130]

I loved this interview!!!! You should do some videos on slap tonguing, growling, muzltifonics, and/or other extended techniques in the sax

[@bettersax]

Check @beatboxsax for lots of videos on all that stuff.

[@kwesiasamoah8535]

Wooow...so so inspired.Thanks very much

[@jurieccilliers]

Applicable to more than just sax. Thank you.

[@stratusphunk]

Another great video! Thanks. I can definitely identify with Derek as a “slow learner.” Though progress seemed to come quickly when I first started to learn saxophone, when I try to gauge my progress now, I have to think back to how I was playing a year or more ago, not a few weeks or months ago. Progress seems painfully slow. And, yes, some days I feel like I’m worse than the day or two before. So this video was encouraging.

[@PianoFish]

It generally feels slower because the more advanced you become the less each new thing you learn adds in proportion to what you knew before, and once you've got the fundamentals in place it's harder to quantify progress of more subtle skills. If you can play 10 pieces and learn 1 more that's a 10% increase in your repertoire and you're probably learning some new note or technique in every piece you play, if you've played 500 pieces and you learn 1 more that's a 0.2% increase and most pieces will be improving the skills you've already studied rather than introducing something brand new.

[@CarlyWaarly]

Terrific, I am a novice and use Legere in similar way, dry it off and set up back on mouthpiece and pack it with it on mouthpiece. Legere are great for practice because they are consistent.

[@ShadamAran]

Good I need to hear this. I had the same epiphany, if I spent as much time practicing as I did playing video games I'd be great by now. I put the video games down a few weeks ago and have been getting 5-8 hours on my instrument every day. It's frustrating, and slow going but I'm already starting to see the fruits of my labor.

[@dieselpowerchuckar1]

Best advice to give. I havent played my sax for years because I lost the ability to play it. I know practice makes perfect, but this puts the practice in to perspective. Wife is gonna be mad when I play the same thing over and over again! 😅

[@ibiamgodfavourchukwuemeka8150]

Wow so honest ooo thanks for this... I just got moltivated and inspired 🙏🙏

[@kwootamuckbear9294]

Bob Reynolds comes to mind for some reason with this informative interview👍🏽...................✌🏽🎵🎵🎷 thanks for sharing DB. Fun and healthy. Thanks J for holding the mic still...........✌🏽🎵🎵🎷 nice legere sweatshirt. Was that a Jody Jazz mpc setup?🎵🎵🎷

[@bettersax]

yes jody jazz dv

[@frederickdouglass9007]

I love this guy! Energy is the key. Great interview, Jay! Saxamax 🎷. I be blowin!

[@JoshuaDeanHealey]

this was a 'breath of fresh air'... thanks!

[@cryptowalls]

wow....amazing!! this really put perspective on the "I suck" funk i was in lol Thanks for the interview!!

[@michaelbenoit9240]

Keywords: in a practice room by himself! What we'd do to get private practice space, great stuff.

[@QalinaCom]

The benefit of being a slow learner is that it stays in your memory forever once you get it.

[@fg87fgd]

Derek, you are an inspiration. Thank you.

[@christiansax3959]

What he described with spending an hr and not getting anywhere then losing motivation definitely(and especially the 2 days later I suck and stuff) is exactly how I've felt during my time playing sax. I'm definitely trying that tomato technique he described since I've ever heard of that before.

[@andrewwestoll5702]

I've gone over to Legere reeds. They might be expensive, but they are so much easier to use, both for practice and recording. Derek B, just unreal! Better Sax, thanks for all the videos. You've really inspired me as I've been learn the sax. Thanks dude's all the best.

[@terrelharper464]

This was great. I often lose motivation with the sax and switch to other instruments. I just bought reeds to go at it again. This was very motivating.

[@prosaxtips5007]

RIght there with @beatbox Sax. Make it fun! Keep learning, but make it fun 🙃 Another great video, Jay! Keep it going 👍

[@jsazparren]

Bravo! Grate interview!!! Thanks