Classical Saxophone

[reptileman87]

Am I the only Saxophonist in the world who doesn't like jazz?

[booogie]

well yano a lot of classical music wasnt writtan for jazz and jazz embraces the instrument very well.

[reptileman87]

I can play jazz just fine, it's just, I don't like at all how it sounds. I consider jazz to be a lot like Contemporary music. A lot of the time, yes, you can play it good, but playing it good doesn't necesarrily mean it sounds good. I like how classical music has form, it has rules. I enjoy the rules. Jazz doesn't have to conform to the rules. That can sound good at times, but at other times it just sounds horrible. I have actually felt physical pain from bad jazz. I'm not saying that I hate jazz, I like to hear jazz. It's just, I like classical so much better, and I'm dissapointed that there are not many classical opportunities for saxophone players.

[booogie]

yea it's funny cuz i like jazz for a lot for the same resons that you dont. lol but it is cool how we can contrast our ideas like this
but the thing that i love about jazz is the sound, and the fact that in jazz y ou can make an entire solo just from you, it is your personal part of the song. you dont have to write the whole song just to have your own part. with classical you play just what the composer asked, it's not as much about you as much as it is about the composer.
but yea i feel you with that, because the saxaphone is a fairly new instrument to the world in relation to the rest of traditional instruments out there. and percussion as well is often lacked in many classical pieces. but thats just how it goes.

[XanBladesong]

Actually, if you know where to look, there's a lot of great Classical music for sax out there. I'm a sophmore music education major and focusing on sax. My teacher at the moment has me going through some of the great classics for saxophone, stuff like Scaramouche by Mihaud, Bozza's Aria, and the Chanson et Passpied by Reuff. This sunday I'm performing Sicilienne by Lantier, which is a gorgeous alto sax and piano duet.

[XanBladesong]

booogie

yea it's funny cuz i like jazz for a lot for the same resons that you dont. lol but it is cool how we can contrast our ideas like this
but the thing that i love about jazz is the sound, and the fact that in jazz y ou can make an entire solo just from you, it is your personal part of the song. you dont have to write the whole song just to have your own part. with classical you play just what the composer asked, it's not as much about you as much as it is about the composer.
but yea i feel you with that, because the saxaphone is a fairly new instrument to the world in relation to the rest of traditional instruments out there. and percussion as well is often lacked in many classical pieces. but thats just how it goes.

While it's true that classical music can be more restrictive, there is definately a whole other level to it above just what's written down by the composer that comes purely from you, stuff like expression, vibrato, phrasing and dynamics that you can make all your own.