One-to-one Saxophone Lessons
Here at Eastbourne Music Tuition, I offer one-to-one saxophone lessons on the alto, tenor or alpha saxophones. Alto is a common sax to start on, in the key of E flat, it is lighter than some other saxophones like the tenor sax. The lower weight and more compact size is popular with beginners and players of all standards. If you have back issues you may wish to hire an alto sax to see how you get on as a lot of weight it taken through the neck strap (or body strap), with some weight taken on the right hand thumb too. The physical demands of playing the sax and all the puff are well worth the reward. There’s nothing like a good blast on the sax to clear away the stresses of the day.
Group Saxophone Lessons
I also offer affordable weekly daytime group courses for beginner adult saxophone learners. Playing with other people is a great way to socialize and make new friends with a common interest.
Your Saxophone Teacher
I've a broad range of experience on the sax. In my youth, I performed a solo 'Send in the clowns' in Wembley Arena when the Royal Tunbridge Wells Marching Band made it to the final of the British Championships for Marching bands. We also toured the South performing in carnivals and events. I've felt the buzz of performing classics like Take Five and Pennsylvania 65000 in Swing Bands and endured the pages of rests within orchestral scores. I'm also proud to say that one of my younger pupils went on to tour Europe in her youth band.
Am I too old? Saxophone lessons - a great retirement project.
Mostly certainly not! If you have the puff come along.
I teach pupils of all ages, but the sax is a popular retirement project - one of those things you always wanted to do, but had never got around to.
U3A pupils welcome. Easier than the piano with just one stave of music to read.
You’ll soon be playing tunes you know and love.
Join our sax band
Come and join our band!
We are a group of adult saxophone players who meet informally once a month to play our alto and tenor saxes.
This is not exclusive to my saxophone pupils, so do come and join us. All levels welcome.
It’s a fun and social opportunity (that’s our main focus) and we enjoy a good chat at half time with a cuppa.
Current tunes we’re playing include Summertime, Memory, Grandfather clock, Breakout, the Entertainer, Misty and Chariots of Fire.
Opportunities for saxophone pupils to perform
We hold bi-annual concerts in Eastbourne for family and friends, other opportunities to play include visits to care homes.
Saxophone FAQs
Q. Which saxophone should I begin with?
A. Most beginners start on the alto saxophone because it’s very versatile, yet lighter than a tenor sax whilst you get used to playing. Newer designs of neck strap reduce the weight on shoulders, but shoulders and thumbs can ache at first.
Q. How long does it take to make a good sound?
A. Usually within your first lesson, you’ll be able to produce some notes. Within a few weeks of regular practice, you’ll notice big improvements in tone and control.
Q. What tuning app can I use for sax?
A. On a tenor (B flat) sax or Alto sax (E flat) if you play an A the tuning app says it’s a different note entirely. This is because unlike a flute the key of the instrument is not in C. An easy fix is to buy a tuning app which you can transpose at the click of a button to the key of your instrument.
TotalEnergy Tuner & Metronome
The TE tuner is a handy app for all wind instrumentalists, especially those playing in keys other than C. With just one click, it automatically transposes, so when you play an A on an alto (E-flat) or tenor (B-flat) instrument, it correctly shows A. Priced at £5.99, it’s a great tool for anyone learning a new instrument and looking to build confidence in playing long notes accurately.
