I started learning the saxophone in the fifth grade and have been playing since, I am a classic band geek. I love learning and making music, but playing an instrument is hard work. It takes hours of practice, lots of patience, and lots of trial and error. Anyone who has also played the saxophone knows these eight things to be absolutely true.
1. Let's be honest, I'm not sure what most of the keys do...
I've counted one time and there is something like 93 keys on a tenor saxophone, I know what most of the keys do, but you bet I still ask my director what some of them do.
2. That awful squeaking noise that makes your soul cringe.
It's a cross between nails on a chalk board and squeaky breaks. It is an ear piercing, makes my skin crawl, memories of wrong notes sound that only saxophone players know exactly.
3. The struggle of going from a high D to low D.
If the octave key happens to be working, which it never is, trying to get from the high D to the low D is one of the hardest embouchure and pitch changes for any saxophone player.
4. Cracking your reed is possibly the worst thing to ever happen.
For real, reeds are expensive and hard to break in. The best feeling is having a reed that is perfectly broken in and produces a perfect pitch. So, when I accidentally hit my reed on something someone and crack it, it sucks.
5. Forgetting things in the bell of my saxophone is a daily occurrence.
Unlike other instruments, it is too convenient to stick things in the bell and carry them up onto the stage or to wherever I am going. Also, when my case is getting knocked around, it's easy for things to fall in there. Needless to say, if my tone is really weird, chances are, there is something stuffed in my bell.
6. When this heavy instrument with a sharp mouthpiece comes swinging up at my face, its the scariest thing on earth
Having and instrument that hangs from my neck is not only a pain--literally-- it is a perfect pendulum which when not held correctly, swings terrifyingly toward your face. Yes I've hit myself and let me tell you, it's a grand ole time.
7. For girls, wearing necklaces or lipstick is not an option
Necklaces will be permanently imprinted in my neck after having a 30 lbs instrument hanging from my neck for an hour. It is basically not an option on rehearsal days. Neither is lipstick because with a wood reed, everything sticks and says in the grain of the wood which leaves my reed that color permanently.
8. Being an excellent swimmer is also a perk because of the massive lung capacity of wind players
There is always that song which has a saxophone soli or melody which is so long and complicated, there is no room to take a breath, so you just don't. Especially really low notes, a full breath of air might produce a quality sound....maybe.
