Hey ya'll I'm new & glad to be here- What about.....
I live in the Portland Oregon area. I have been spying these pages for a few weeks now & it is a wealth of good info here. I like to talk (write/same huh?) too much- but I'll stay focused.
(1) I am making a transition from a flute (18 months)- but an Alto Sax seems like a good transition to me! The fingering makes MORE sense & the octave key is a cool gizmo. I'm a big guy & 50 yo- this is the answer to my mid life crisis! :-) An AS is a good 2nd instrument. It starts 3 steps LOWER than a flute & ends 9 steps lower (AS Eb to flutes high C)- & the volume is 'groovy!!'. Question # 1: Method books or Scales to start?
(2) I made the mistake w/ the flute to find instructors whom focused on the method books.... Playing sucky little songs for finger memory. A friend that I have suggested focusing on SCALES, SCALES, SCALES. Particularly the CM Blues scale---- C D# F G Bb C, & to find an instructor ONLY for that purpose. He later went to to say in jams- one needs to know the chords that are playing so I could toot my little notes. I dove into music theory 6 months ago, but I still don't get it. Triads, Dim, Aug, Min, Maj- I could spit out the words sometimes but I don't get it. I'm glad I started w/ the flute- I went counterclockwise around the circle of 5ths. W/ Eb AS- I'm goin the other way!!!! That is SO COOL!!!! That I get, and other little tidbits. Someone have a little guide what I can toot & in what chord? I got 3 decent books- but don't get it. My friend said sometimes that the theory CAME AFTER the Soulful discover of the Blues scale- & the theory was just to explain what the Soul feels. I'm going to make it.
(3) I'm having a problem w/ the D & E & the octave key (I blow the lower D & E). It seems defective & the problem inconsistent, but is this a common problem? ALL my other notes seem FINE.
(4) I'm renting a Vito (Japan). It is similar to the YAS 23. Craig's list doesn't offer much in the way of local stuff. EBay has a lot of listings. A guy in Ft Lauderdale seems like a reputable guy, but what if he scams me & sells the same YAS 23 to 100 people? Ebay/Paypal already will dispurse funds. Is there a guarantee that I will DEFINITELY get my stuff. He wants $500. It looks SWEET. Well, thanks, all info, links & replies are appreciated by me & countless other folks here.
PS- to the prior post of the 49 yo guy who is asking if he is too old for music- the definite answer is NO. This is a WONDERFUL answer to the mid-life crisis problem ;-)
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