How to memorise tunes on the saxophone.

[@KarenEade]

Thanks

[@lyndenblades]

Thank you so much Karen 🤝🎷🎷😎😎

[@bar8393gm]

I’ve recently added memorizing jazz standards to my daily routine. I use the sheet music only once and I record myself playing the song with a backing track until I have a clean version. From there, I learn it entirely by ear. I loop the recording in small sections and just play along with it until it gets under my fingers and in my ears. I’ve always been afraid of playing without the sheet but this method has worked surprisingly well for me. My 65 year old brain has been able to memorize 5 songs this month! I’m very pleasantly surprised. And I really agree with you that once it’s memorized the music seems to have more of an effortless flow to it when performed.

[@lyndenblades]

That’s absolutely brilliant and thank you for sharing this with me. Memorising five tunes is an extremely good achievement and can only be a very good and useful mental exercise as well as helping and developing your delivery of tunes on the sax. Well done and please stay in touch 🤝🤝

[@TheJgssd]

Very nice talk . As a jazz enthusiast for as much as 79 years , enjoying play for fun many instruments , I did it following the same behavior pointed out in this video . I personally support and confirm your words … Beatifull sharing of experience 👏👏👏👏

[@lyndenblades]

@@TheJgssd Thank you so much and I’m delighted to hear that you found this useful and congratulations on so many years of enjoying jazz 🤝🤝🎷🎷😎😎

[@MrBurdmann2]

Felt I had to become a member. Of all the online teachers, you seem to be the kindest. 60 years ago my band teacher handed me a clarinet. His clarinet section was graduating and he needed more clarinet players. I didn't like the clarinet. I wanted to play saxophone - but he had enough players to suit. I quit after a year. I didn't learn how to read music very well, and what I did learn, I have long forgotten. I have a grasp of keys, chords and notation. I play the harmonica in a blues band. And, blues guitar. All improvised. Not bad for a 77 year old, still jammin'. So, I bought an alto. I remembered enough of clarinet to get my lips right on the mouthpiece. I have begun lessons, with the proviso that I learn the essential chromatic and blues scales in the guitar chords. Your channel is delightful, though most is above my head...for now. I hope that, by 90, I can improvise in any key. Your enthusiasm give me great confidence and you are a joy to watch. I wish I had access to the actual diagrams for the saxophone keys notations. I learn visually, and I can't see the keys you are playing most of the time. I know this is below your standards, but I'm wondering if there is a place where I can see which keys to hold down and how to get the flatted fifth. I'm handy on guitar and have some basic understanding of piano. But, this saxophone is where I want to be at this point in my life. I'm a retired television journalist in the US, and I think I would make a great story 20 years from now if I can blow like Clarence or Paul or Eddie. Go have a cup a coffee with your wife on me. And, let me know how I can contribute more from time to time. Thank you, Lynden.

[@lyndenblades]

Hi Mr Burdmann and thank you so much for becoming a member and for your lovely feedback and encouragement. I’m so happy to hear that you are playing and enjoying the saxophone and my videos. Well done to you and keep up the great work 🤝🤝😎😎🎷🎷

[@aristevons]

What I just watched is an incredible idea. I have never tried to learn songs like this. But from now this is the way I will do it!!😃

[@lyndenblades]

Hi Ari! Thank you so much, super happy to know that this is helpful 🤝🤝😎😎🎷🎷

[@solangegouveia3618]

Thanks a million! Your tutorials are just making easier and easier to master this Beautiful Beast. 😊 saxophone

[@lyndenblades]

You're very welcome! 🤝🤝😎😎🎷🎷

[@JayCee-hw4zc]

Brilliant! I recently changed bands, from a big band that sits Infront of a music stand to new Orleans type street band that plays from memory whilst poncing about in the street wearing loud Hawaiian shirts lol. Last week we were invited into an ABC (maybe equivalent to your BBC) radio station to play live. Because we were being recorded I felt pressured to get it right so I took my music in on my lyre (I play alto). What I learned was that I played worse because it became a handicap.😢 😲🤪😜

[@lyndenblades]

That sounds amazing, how cool 😎 😎🤝🤝🎷🎷

[@KarenEade]

Have bought you a cup of coffee or two - this is just to say how very much I appreciate your videos, I have only watched two so far but your style is so approachable, and your explanations so clear I could almost cry from relief. I am an older beginner with no real musical background who is in love with Sidney Bechet (so nice and easy then 🤔) and I have struggled with other videos where a level of music theory is assumed that I do not have. Thank you for being accessible.

[@lyndenblades]

Wow Karen, your comment and feedback has really touched me, nearly made me cry!! I’m so happy that what I’m doing is helping and thank you so much for your support, I appreciate it more than you know 🤝🤝🎷🎷😎😎

[@robertdespault8573]

This process really works. Thanks Lynden... you're a good teacher.

[@lyndenblades]

Thank you so much Robert, I really appreciate your feedback and support and I’m pleased that my videos are helping you 😎😎🤝😃🎷🎷

[@cbo955]

Very clear and concise. I love the way you teach.

[@lyndenblades]

Thank you so much!

[@cbo955]

Is this the notation for tenor sax? Because it seems to work well with my tenor sax. Possible to have the rest of the notations, maybe in an upcoming video? Thank you. 🙏🏻

[@lyndenblades]

@@cbo955 I’m glad it’s useful and will think about doing it for the tenor.

[@paulhughes6182]

Brilliant , thanks

[@lyndenblades]

Thank you Paul 🤝🤝🎷🎷

[@BassNSax628]

Brilliant video Lynden. This is something I really want to improve on. Cheers.

[@lyndenblades]

Thank you Mark, really glad it is useful for you 🤝🤝🎷❤️🎷❤️🎷

[@BrianBurgess-jg6bs]

Excellent content once again Lynden Thanks for posting this great advice cheers

[@lyndenblades]

Thank you for the feedback Brian, delighted it’s useful for you 🤝🤝🎷🎷😎😎

[@mikebelchamber8896]

Just found your channel, and have watched a few videos. I really like the way you go about teaching and improvisation 🎷

[@lyndenblades]

Thank you so much Mike that’s really encouraging and kind 🤝🤝

[@alonzoescamilla4960]

I have just find your channel and it has been a grate surprise. It looks that you really enjoy playing and sharing your knowledge. I’m starting with some of your recomendations, and I know I’ll improve my playing. Hello from Los Cabos, México.

[@lyndenblades]

Wow, how cool it is to be able to connect with you this way from the UK 🇬🇧 Thank you for your comment and I’m super happy that this is useful for you. You’re right, I love learning and playing the sax and it’s a privilege to be able to help you and other people do it too 🎷🎷🤝🤝😎😎

[@donaldthompson582]

First time watching, I like your perspective on improvisation, good practical ideas.

[@lyndenblades]

Donald welcome and thank you so much 🤝🤝🎷🎷😎😎

[@larryrobinson5973]

Wonderful, thanks so very much. This lesson very helpful.

[@lyndenblades]

Thank you Larry 🤝🤝🎷🎷😎😎

[@rd40082]

Useful advice. Thanks

[@lyndenblades]

Glad it was helpful! 😎😎🤝🤝🎷🎷

[@JayCee-hw4zc]

Yes tell us more about your sax

[@lyndenblades]

Hi Jay, drop me an email [e-mail] and I’ll be happy to answer any questions 🤝🤝🎷🎷😎😎

[@studiozeroone1164]

Love this

[@lyndenblades]

Thank you so much 🤝🤝🎷🎷😎😎

[@olafsrensen9578]

Hej Lynden. At a surden point I said to my self : I won"t take the sheets with me on the job, so I have to thrust yourself . Thrust the fingers and a listen to your sond and rytme instead . And the impression from the ordience Is quit different .when you don"t need sheets and can work arond play freely. Charlie Parker said once .Learn the songs and forget about it, just play.Poul Desmond didn"t play every tune exatly how it was ritten, but you he new exatly what he was doing in his version of when sonny gets blue . What most people wants to hier is the good song and impro. over that, not a lot of vertical soloing even it can be great to put in in small portions. SO LEARNING THE TUNE WITHOUT THINKING is the bedst to do.!!! By the way : If you can find the root of the song, by going down to feel home in the scale you can jame with people you don"t know nearly emiieatly. Still happy with the tenor I bought. Bedst from Denmark

[@lyndenblades]

Hi Olaf, thank you for this and I completely agree with everything that you’ve said. I’m also really delighted that you are happy with the tenor sax 🤝🤝😎😎🎷🎷

[@saxmanstudios6380]

Another informative video 👍🎷

[@lyndenblades]

Thank you 🤩

[@craig9140]

Thank you Lynden!

[@lyndenblades]

You’re welcome Craig, thank you 🤝🤝🎷🤝🎷

[@jillytiffen6305]

Excellent video Lynden! I have a lot of memory issues and am stuck right now always tied to the sheet music exactly as you described…but I’m really going to work at this from now on! Along with the Session Band app (some wonderful sounds) & the expansion of my chord knowledge! One last thing how does iReal Pro and Session Band compare? Are they both similar? Thank you again. (I’ll work out the coffee thing soon!)

[@lyndenblades]

Hi Jilly. Both iReal and session band are amazingly useful and fun. Session band has better sound quality but iReal is laid out as a chord chart better and has a feature where it suggests which chords or scales to play. As far as the memory goes, I believe that exercising and working on memory skills can only be a good thing. Thank you so much for your comments, feedback and support 😎😎🤝🤝🎷🎷

[@hubdecassis]

So Nice, Thank you so much for your vidéos. I would like to ask you if it could be possible for you to make a vidéo describing your sound équipement: microphone, table de mixage ( in French, I do not know the english word), may be you have more electronic boxes for reverberation ( english word?) : for many home bad players like me, it should me very nice to know what kind of sound recording from Micro to pc, to sound in a room you use . Thanks a lot … this is because I found your sound so great …

[@lyndenblades]

Hi there! Thank you so much for your comments and feedback, I really appreciate it 🤝🤝😎😎🎷🎷 Take a look here, this is all the kit that I use: My recording set up! kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5yzc4Fte7qDack

[@petersmith228]

One of my must learn to do and you came up with this, brilliant idea. By the way Linden how do you get the reverb to play live/ what are you doing to achieve that.?

[@lyndenblades]

Thank you Peter, really happy that it’s helpful for you. My sax is going through a condenser mike that’s connected to a mixer and I have a digital recorder that also connected to the mixer, does that make sense?

[@petersmith228]

Thank Lynden for replying so are the effects in the mixer which you set before you play, i have to record into the daw then add reverb, would like to hear has i play if you understand what i mean.@@lyndenblades

[@lyndenblades]

@@petersmith228 yes thats right, I’m not using a daw, the reverb is coming from the mixer and so I have two audio feeds, one for my voice and one for the sax which I then edit in iMovie afterwards. Does that make sense?

[@petersmith228]

Thanks Lynden "got it" you are gentleman and we love your youtube stuff keep it up.@@lyndenblades

[@lyndenblades]

@@petersmith228 thank you SO much, your encouragement and support have more impact than you can imagine 🙏🤝🤝🤝🎷🎷🎷👍👍

[@dennistimmons1132]

Awesome boss ...

[@lyndenblades]

Thanks Dennis 🤝🤝

[@joewhitcombe1365]

Thank yuo

[@lyndenblades]

Joe you’re so welcome 🤝🤝🎷🎷😎😎

[@Dave-ik4lj]

Spend a lot of your time just listening to the song , get to the point where you can sing or hear it in your mind , memorise the song before you try to play it.

[@lyndenblades]

Exactly 👍

[@tamenemekonnen2404]

Thank you so much more I need to play how to play blue note really sometimes difficult please can you send to me appreciate

[@lyndenblades]

Hiya, what would you like me to send?

[@gib321]

Great video. I will try this. I'm a slave to the sheet music.

[@lyndenblades]

Excellent because when you play from memory you’ll hear the difference I promise 🤝🤝🎷🎷

[@greglincoln1069]

Great video…… just took sooooo long to get to the point.

[@lyndenblades]

Sorry about that!

[@lylecrawford2794]

I read the title, thought of a little joke, and started the video only to find that you "stole" my little joke, which would start with "but what if..." 😄

[@lyndenblades]

Had to be done!! 😂😂😂🎷❤️❤️🎷🎷

[@DrinkCola]

how to memorize fast music notes?!!!!!

[@lyndenblades]

Use the same method 🤝🤝

[@Dave-ik4lj]

Play them at a slow speed, then gradually turn the speed up.

[@lyndenblades]

@@Dave-ik4lj exactly 👍

[@sergioropo3019]

You must analyse what you want to memorize. Understanding the way the music you play works shall help you apply this knowledge to your own writing or improvisation. In my opinion this is the strongest reason.

[@lyndenblades]

Absolutely 👍