I’ve been making good progress so far. Learning new notes is not very difficult at this stage, I just add to the ones I know as I move through the book. So far I have learned how to play D, C, A, B, G, E, F#, F, C# and B flat. Both with and without the octave key. I find it harder to play in the higher range, as my mouth tends to wear out quicker. Because of this when I play long tones I tend to focus mostly on notes that use the octave key to help out with this issue.

I came across a new phrasing today, called a Slur. I already knew what a slur was from my piano days, the only thing I needed to find out is how to treat them with a piano. The book states the following about a slur

“A curved line connecting notes of different pitch is called a slur. Notice the differences between a slur and a tie, which connect notes of the same pitch.

Only tongue the first note of a slur. As you finger the next note, keep the breath going. You must precisely change the fingering from one note to the next to prevent extraneous pitches from sounding”

I think I am doing it right, the sound that comes out of the horn does not sound “bad” at least. I’ll play a melody later this week and upload it that demonstrate my ability (or lack of) to properly play a slur with a saxophone. The song I have decided to add this week (which won’t be ready until mid-week) is going to be a Sea Chanty. I like the tune, and I’m sure many will recognize the tune. It was even sung on the television show “The Big Bang Theory” by Sheldon and Penny.