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Welcome to the Get Jamming Blog Site

Welcome to the Get Jamming Books Blog Site
Here you will find latest information on the Get Jamming Books available in the Apple Book Store, resources, tips and general information related to saxophone playing.
Students of the Get Jamming method are able to request pieces which I will make available for downloading.
Visitors are more than welcome to download the files, but please pass on the word about the Get Jamming books to your friends.
Students, if you are enjoying the book please remember to leave a review in the Apple Book Store.
So enjoy and. ..
Get Jamming!

Monday 19 January 2015

Left Hand Palm Keys

The left hand palm keys on the saxophone can be challenging for beginning students so here are a few tips to help you with those higher notes.

1. When playing the palm keys, try to keep your fingers curved as much as possible. This will facilitate moving from those high notes to the front key notes. The knuckles should move inwards as you press the keys, whilst keeping the tips of the fingers curved as much as possible.

2. A frequent issue beginners encounter is that the saxophone tends to tilt to the right when using the palm keys. Press the keys with a more "downward" action.

3. Ensure your thumbs are supporting the instrument and that your strap is not too low. 

4. Keep an ear on the intonation. The embouchure should not change.

5. Avoid biting too hard on the mouthpiece. 
 
6. Ensure good breath support to allow for good tonal quality.

Work on these notes by extending the D, E, Eb and F  major and minor scales and arpeggios to two octaves. You could even break the scales and arpeggios into smaller exercises, focusing on the upper notes.


Enjoy your playing!

Wednesday 7 January 2015

Beginners Book Update - Request Code added

I have added a Request Code on the Credits page of the beginners books to make it easier for Get Jamming students to contact me for a song request.