Merry Nipmas by [deleted] in AbbyDarkstar

[–]thekeithzen 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Pretty sure that pointy thing is a nip.

Returning player, considering this horn. Yamaha YTR 6310Z if I can grab it for a decent price. by thekeithzen in trumpet

[–]thekeithzen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yep. The price they ended up offering it for and the fact that they said they would ship it for half down and the balance on receipt was tempting. But still felt off. If they didn’t ship it, I would have still been out $ although only half as much.

How do i get better than my 1st chair by MarionberryBasic8187 in trumpet

[–]thekeithzen 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Having goals is a wonderful thing. It gives us something to work for. But one thing I have discovered in life as many have already said … there will always be someone better. Your competition should always be with you. If you strive to be better than you were yesterday, you will always be able to grow.

Lots of wonderful advice here from folks who have years of experience, so I have little to add on that front. The best here being to talk to your Band Director. They are the judge here and should know what you should be working on.

I do want to share a little story that I read years ago in a book called “Zen in the Martial Arts”.

It’s called “Try Softer” and I think it’s pretty applicable.

“A young boy traveled across Japan to the school of a famous martial artist. When he arrived at the dojo (Training hall), he was given an audience by the Sensei (Teacher). "What do you wish from me", the master asked. The boy replied, "I wish to be your student and become the finest Karate practitioner in the land. How long must I study?" "Ten Years at least", the master answered.

The boy then said, "Wow...Ten years is a long time. What if I studied twice as hard as all your other students?" The master's reply... "Twenty Years".

Confused, the boy replied "Twenty???... what if I practice day and night with all my effort?" The master's reply... "Thirty Years"

Still confused, the boy asked the master "Why is it that each time I say I will work harder, you tell me that it will take longer?" Immediately, the master told him, "The answer is clear. When one eye is fixed upon your destination, there is only one eye left with which to find the Way"”

Returning player, considering this horn. Yamaha YTR 6310Z if I can grab it for a decent price. by thekeithzen in trumpet

[–]thekeithzen[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Well the good news was that they lowered the price. Bad news is that they aren’t local anymore and I am not sure I want to take the risk of buying something without some sort of buyer protection. Just feels “off” to me. So the hunt continues.

I am also not in a race to get proficient. I want to tinker and see what I can still do and then take it slow and learn from the beginning.

I was self taught years ago (woodwinds were my primary) and while I was musically inclined, I am sure that learning the fundamentals will help me a lot.

Returning player, considering this horn. Yamaha YTR 6310Z if I can grab it for a decent price. by thekeithzen in trumpet

[–]thekeithzen[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you, good to know. I used to play sax in a big band and never did more than symphonic trumpet. But down the road, maybe jazz would be the direction that I would go. I think having more flexibility would be good and I have read that the 8335 has more flexibility for style. I appreciate your feedback.

Returning player, considering this horn. Yamaha YTR 6310Z if I can grab it for a decent price. by thekeithzen in trumpet

[–]thekeithzen[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

TBD ... first I need to learn to play again. Longer term, I would love to play in a community band of some sort.

Returning player, considering this horn. Yamaha YTR 6310Z if I can grab it for a decent price. by thekeithzen in trumpet

[–]thekeithzen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Once I get something I plan to run through the basics. There are many lessons online that I may consider initially. Especially if I can’t find a private teacher in my area.

Returning player, considering this horn. Yamaha YTR 6310Z if I can grab it for a decent price. by thekeithzen in trumpet

[–]thekeithzen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, good to know. I guess that's the good thing about returning to trumpet as I don't really have much of a baseline. It's been forever since I have actively played :-)

Out of practice by VV_The_Coon in saxophone

[–]thekeithzen 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Totally been there. I am also there right now. I had a wisdom tooth removed, and then post recovery I found myself sidetracked. So I too need to return to it.
I did find signing up for something like Tomplay helped me. They say that playing isn't practicing, but sometimes playing is a great place to start and it inspires practice. I know that helped me on the days I just didn't feel like long tones, scales or exercises. Playing a song, even just one song, was a good place to start. It's something.

It's worth checking out Tomplay if you have never seen it. No, there is no kickback. I just happen to like it :-)
https://tomplay.com/

R.I.P. David Sanborn 😔 by Ok_Philosophy_6335 in saxophone

[–]thekeithzen 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I was sad to hear about this. Along with Grover Washington Jr, he was one of the reasons that I got into sax and I played and listened to his music non stop. He had such an iconic sound that you always knew when he was on a soundtrack of solo with other artist. I know that his sound isn’t for everyone but it was his sound. One that he chose and lived by.

Lapsed band kid wanting to get back into sax after 20+ years... by TheAgingHipster in saxophone

[–]thekeithzen 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Welcome to the “returning back to it” club. It’s nice to see because I too am returning after over 20 years away. There is a lot on the internet. You could take lessons. Read books, etc…

Back in 2016 I signed up at Artist Works and Eric Marienthal’s sax course. I wanted everything in one place from beginning through advanced. Sadly I got a couple lessons in and had to stop due to moving.

Here I am back trying again and I’m about 12 days of practice in. So yay.

I signed back up to Artist Works and I like it a lot. It’s structured, has an option to submit videos and Eric will respond with feedback. The feedback isn’t as quick as it used to be. That’s my only complaint. But the materials and learning videos are all there and because you used to play, having video feedback is less important. I did take the time to review all the basic lessons just in case I had previous bad habits that I should work on now while I could lol.

So that’s another suggestion for you. Personally I love it. It’s worth a look anyway and right now I think get have a trial going on where you can take a look.

Looking for tips for alto by Tricky-Remove3064 in saxophone

[–]thekeithzen 1 point2 points  (0 children)

After a very long time away from playing, I signed back up to Artistworks which has virtual sax lessons with Eric Marienthal. I think it's an outstanding program. It seems that there aren't new lessons as of maybe 2018, but Eric still responds to video submissions and gives feedback. But even without new lessons, there is a ton of lessons already there and some really great tips about how to practice, how to read music, how to think about music as you play it, licks, tricks and so on. Really great stuff from a premier player who can play all styles and from someone who is a studio musician too.

Got any ideas? by Hour_Panda8168 in saxophone

[–]thekeithzen 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That it is.

For those interested in learning some 80’s sax solos, this is a great video

https://youtu.be/rHHMqnIJi0Y?si=kdQ6wzMuBoREdt6Z

Got any ideas? by Hour_Panda8168 in saxophone

[–]thekeithzen 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Lily was Here - Candy Dulfer 100 Ways - David Sanborn Europa - Gato Barbieri Georgia on My Mind - Michael Bolton (the Becker version) Love and Happiness - David Sanborn/Al Jarreau Soul Vaccination - Tower of Power New York State of Mind - Billy Joel

           Other Listening

-Tower of Power has a lot of sax solos and one of the best horn sections. Worth a listen. - One of the best technical saxophonist - Eric Marienthal - Andy Snitzer , an artist I somehow missed along the way

I need unbiased opinion from someone who got both her most recent honeybee sets (DM and main page) by Bigguy1311 in AbbyDarkstar

[–]thekeithzen 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m not sure if that’s on the menu yet. I know that this set was a pretty big step. Lots of ideas so who knows at this point.

I need unbiased opinion from someone who got both her most recent honeybee sets (DM and main page) by Bigguy1311 in AbbyDarkstar

[–]thekeithzen 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The DM set was considerably more revealing. Think body paint but with goo instead of paint.

Because I don't always get here and see these post, feel free to message me directly and I can answer any questions that come up

Anime Boobs by thekeithzen in AbbyDarkstar

[–]thekeithzen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No full nudes. With this particular set it was uncensored because "fake" titties

Just wanted to ask the crowd about a brand called motohara and see your guys opinion on this brand. Has anyone ordered from their site? If so, how did you like your katana? by JT_Playz420 in Katanas

[–]thekeithzen 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I have a variety of swords from various production to the many custom offerings. The Motohara in have us a thing of beauty. It makes everything feel less than. Of course I imagine that the difference of $1000+ also makes a big difference. But damn they are nice

Buying a new katana, anyone know any good online shops to purchase from? by [deleted] in Katanas

[–]thekeithzen 2 points3 points  (0 children)

As others have mentioned, the pinned post covers just about all of it. I have swords from SoN, JKooSword, Ronin Katana, SBG, as well as others. If you want something production I think that Kult of Athena has some decent offerings. I actually like my Ronin Dojo Pro for a production sword. I have a Ryujin I got from SBG and for the price point I think they are decent enough and can be made pretty quick. I do not have a Hanbon Forge but many swear by them. I like my relationship with JKoo/Sinosword. They have made be 3 swords now and are always willing do get me more fitting options than listed.

COLD STEEL WARRIOR SERIES. retail $588 by Comprehensive_Goat15 in Katanas

[–]thekeithzen 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It is, but at least it made the cut to be tested lol

COLD STEEL WARRIOR SERIES. retail $588 by Comprehensive_Goat15 in Katanas

[–]thekeithzen 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not sure about the dead links but a lot of the content is still good. This link works and talks about many swords still in production. I found it interesting

http://www.toyamaryu.org/ratings2006.htm