Don’t Just Practice Dry Technique: Practice Full Engagement With Your Music!

Here is an enjoyable (though challenging) way to practice the harmonic minor scale.  It is essential while practicing to keep your imagination engaged.  If you practice scales in a dry, machine-like manner, then your performances will be lifeless.   If you keep your imagination engaged while perfecting your technique, then your performances will be filled with joy for you and your audience will be captivated by your playing.  Try playing this phrase in all 12 keys.  I started on middle C and repeated the phrase in all keys up to a starting note of first-space E using a metronome marking of dotted quarter = 110.  If you can’t figure it out in the other keys (using the syllables indicated below), contact me by email for a free chart.

3 thoughts on “Don’t Just Practice Dry Technique: Practice Full Engagement With Your Music!

  1. just picked up the clarinet again after a good few years. this site is great. love to have the chart! it’s complimenting my lessons and making me practise again.

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  2. Hi Craig

    I’m looking at getting a soprano sax and really like the sound you
    get with your Keilwerth. What model do you have. I can’t seem to find
    any place to try one out. Do you know of anywhere to try one out?

    Thanks

    john

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    1. Hi John,
      It’s good to hear from you. I see your quartet is playing quite a bit as well. That’s great!
      I play an SX90 soprano with normal lacquer. It comes with 2 necks, straight and slightly curved. The advantage of a removable neck is that it is easier to clean. Also, the case can be shorter (for airplane travel). My alto & tenor are the SX90R model, which refers to the R=rolled tone holes. This feature was not available on the soprano when I purchased it. The “R” means fewer leaks, but it also causes issues with pads sticking. https://craigbuhler.com/2007/06/20/what-do-you-do-when-saxophone-pads-stick/
      The SX90 is their professional line. My band mate has the ST90, which is the ST=student line. It’s about half the price, but is still a fine instrument. My alto & tenor have the nickel-plated feature (alto=black nickel, tenor=gold nickel) This gives them a darker sound. There is also a silver-nickel, which is the brightest of the three. On the tenor, I compensate with a very bright Theo Wanne metal mouthpiece, and I use a heavier reed (Vandoren 3.5) on both.
      I got all 3 of my Keilwerths from the factory, as I was a rep at that time, so I do not know the best place to buy one. Check https://www.google.com/search?q=keilwerth+saxophone&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=np&source=hp or phone Paul Woltz in the repair dept at Kennelly Keys, Lynnwood.
      Best of luck in finding a great instrument.
      cb

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