You’ve fallen in love with the saxophone. How could you not? It’s bold, beautiful, and one of the coolest instruments ever. And now that you’ve found this love, you have goals. Maybe you want to be able to play your favorite song. Maybe you want to join your local jazz band and riff with your friends. Or, maybe, you want to create music and share your unique sound with the world.
How long is it going to take to reach these goals?
Don’t worry—every good goal needs a plan, and we’re here to help. We’ll break down your learning into manageable steps and give you seven areas of focus to help speed up the process. Stick with us; we’ll have you making music in no time.
Table of Contents
- How Long Does It Take To Learn Saxophone?
- 7 Factors That May Affect How Long It Takes To Learn the Saxophone
- Is It Hard To Learn the Saxophone?
- 7 Areas of Focus That Can Help Accelerate the Learning Process
- Learn To Play Saxophone With the Skilled Instructors at Northwest School of Music in Salem, OR
How Long Does It Take To Learn Saxophone?
This is a common question for anyone wanting to learn a new instrument. The short answer is about 2 years, but there’s more to it than that. Factors that can affect how quickly you learn any new instrument include everything from how much time you have to dedicate to practice to how much experience you have with music in general.
Based on scientific studies and the observations of experienced instructors, we’ve identified seven factors that may affect how long it takes to learn the saxophone.
7 Factors That May Affect How Long It Takes To Learn the Saxophone
#1: How You Define “Learning” the Saxophone
Though not insurmountable, there are some obstacles to learning to play the French horn. Let’s look at each one in order to better understand what makes it challenging. Educating yourself and meeting those challenges head-on can make the difficulty less daunting.
- Playing simple songs – Once you learn how to assemble your saxophone, make it make sounds, and learn some basic notes, you should be able to play simple songs like “Happy Birthday” within 1-2 months. It might be a little squeaky. That’s ok; keep practicing!
- Beginner – Most instructors will tell you it takes 6 to 24 months to build a strong foundation as a saxophonist. Learning the fundamentals without creating bad habits takes time. Enlist the help of an instructor to ensure you have a solid foundation.
- Intermediate – Once you progress from the beginner stage (2 to 5 years), your breath and fingering skills should be strong enough to add your own style to your music and play with other musicians.
- Master – If you ask long-time saxophone players, they often say you will never master the saxophone. As long as you play, you will forever be developing your sound, honing your skills, and perfecting your craft.
#2: Prior Musical Experience
Learning an instrument takes time, knowledge, and patience. Luckily, the saxophone has many features that may make it feel similar to instruments you may already play.
- The keys can feel similar to the keys on a piano, and the fingerings are similar to those of a flute.
- The reed will feel familiar if you’ve played any other woodwind.
- Breath control and embouchure will be easier if you have already developed those muscles with another wind instrument.
- If you’ve ever improvised on the guitar or drums, you may feel more comfortable with the saxophone’s musicality and timing.
Learning to play a new instrument will always involve a lot of practice, but know that everything you bring with you can help accelerate the process.
#3: Type of Saxophone
Not all saxophones are created equal, and the type of saxophone you start with may impact how quickly you learn.
Soprano – The smallest saxophone is the lightest and highest-pitched. Its tiny mouthpiece can make it harder for beginners to find the right position for optimal sound.
Alto – The most commonly played saxophone, the alto is the best option for beginners. Its small size allows musicians to build up their breath strength and more easily reach the keys compared to some of the larger saxophones.
Tenor — This larger instrument produces a bigger, more booming tone. You will need more physical strength to play a tenor sax than the alto, as they are heavier and require more airflow to create sound.
Baritone – The largest saxophone is more of a specialist instrument and popular in jazz. It can also be heard in military bands, concert bands, and classical saxophone quartets.
Although the alto is the saxophone most commonly recommended for beginners, not everyone starts there. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, our talented instructors at Northwest School of Music can help you choose the right instrument for you.
#4: Age
Though you are never too old to start playing the saxophone, you may be too young.
Young players need to be big enough to hold the instrument’s weight and have the lung capacity to produce sound. Children can usually start playing between the ages of 8 and 10.
Many players pick up the saxophone for the first time as adults. Some start playing after retirement, which gives them time to pursue a new hobby. Others find the ergonomic structure allows them to keep making music when conditions such as arthritis limit the playability of many instruments.
#5: Learning on Your Own vs. With an Instructor
While it is possible to learn how to play the saxophone independently, it is far easier (and more fun) to learn how to play from an instructor.
Other benefits of choosing an instructor include:
- Developing a deeper understanding of music theory
- Access to personalized help when honing your skills
- Catching and correcting mistakes early on
- Practicing more because you have an instructor
- Having even more encouragement and support to help you along in your musical journey
Our instructors have dedicated their lives to making and teaching music, and most of them started from the same place — in a classroom with someone who inspired them to pursue their dreams.
#6: Practice Time
How much time you can set aside to practice greatly affects how quickly you learn to play the saxophone. Here are some helpful tips that will help you optimize your practice schedule.
Try to schedule daily practice at a time that is easy to commit to. Daily 30-minute sessions are more valuable than one long session each week. The frequent practice will help reduce the amount you forget between sessions and help you build muscle memory.
#7: Goals
Remember your big goals when you decided to learn to play the saxophone? It’s important to break those down into smaller steps and reevaluate as you progress. This will help keep you motivated by making sure your goals always match your skill level.
Try not to set too many goals at once, and reward yourself often when you tackle them one by one. If you track your goals as you go, you will be motivated by how far you have come.
Is It Hard To Learn the Saxophone?
While the saxophone may be challenging initially, early challenges tend to be easy to overcome. Features such as intuitively spaced keys, a button that allows you to change octaves, and its ergonomic and ambidextrous form factor make the saxophone relatively easy to pick up.
Enlisting the help of our trained instructors can help get you on the right track. We welcome anyone passionate about music to come and learn with us. Schedule a free trial today.
7 Areas of Focus That Can Help Accelerate the Learning Process
#1: Embouchure
Embouchure refers to the way a wind or brass instrument player applies their mouth to the instrument’s mouthpiece. Mastering your embouchure is vital to correctly play the right notes. It can sometimes be frustrating for beginners to fine-tune their embouchure technique.
Be patient when first becoming familiar with embouchure. It is a concept that can take time for improvement.
#2: Airflow
If you want to sustain notes and play with a decent amount of volume, you must master deep breathing, steady airflow, and appropriate pressure on the reed
Tips to improve airflow and breath control:
- Check your posture: sit up straight, put your feet on the floor, and relax your shoulders.
- Breathe from your diaphragm.
- Start every practice session with breathing exercises.
- Practice cardio to improve your lung function and capacity.
Learning how to control the airflow into the saxophone will improve all aspects of your playing.
#3: Fingering
Fingering refers to where you place your fingers while playing notes on the saxophone. Using the correct position is one of the best ways to improve your playing.
Tips to improve fingering:
- Find the correct finger position.
- Practice holding long tones.
- Use fingering charts.
Learning how to perfect your finger position, posture, and embouchure when playing the saxophone is easier with someone who can help you spot mistakes that may be hard to spot yourself.
At Northwest School of Music, we pride ourselves on helping our students perfect these techniques in and out of the classroom. Explore the benefits of music making and learn about our school today.
#4: Choosing and Maintaining the Instrument
As we discussed above, the alto saxophone is the easiest to play and a good choice for beginners. When choosing your first saxophone, you may decide to invest in a brand-new instrument, borrow or buy a used instrument, or even rent a saxophone to reduce the cost of getting started.
Once you have your saxophone, it is important that you take care of it. Here are some tips for keeping your instrument clean and at peak performance:
- Brush your teeth – Yes, your actual teeth. Brushing your teeth before you play will keep sugar from the food you eat out of your saxophone. This will help your pads stay clean and keep your sax from smelling funky!
- Oil the keys – This is not a day-to-day task, but if your keys are getting squeaky, clunky, or stuck, they need oil.
- Remove moisture – After playing, use a cleaning swab to clean the inside of the saxophone’s body where moisture collects.
Repair shops can also perform yearly servicing to make sure your saxophone stays in tip-top shape.
#5: Quality Practice
Once you’ve determined your practice schedule, here are some tips to help you make the most of the time you set aside.
- Create a designated practice space – Even if it’s just a corner of a room, this helps keep everything you need to practice together and helps your brain register that in this space, we concentrate on practicing.
- Organize your practice sessions – Divide your practice sessions into three main areas: tone (breathing exercises, long notes, etc.); technical (fingering exercise, scales, etc.); and music (learning songs, having fun).
- Work toward your goals – As you get started, create a practice outline detailing your goals and the steps you will take during each practice session to achieve them.
Remember that things don’t always go according to plan. That’s ok. Pick up where you left off and keep working toward your goal.
#6: Learn Basic Music Theory
Music theory teaches you the building blocks of music, including notes, scales, harmonies, rhythm, chord progression, and more. Learning music theory will allow you to understand the music you are playing and how the elements of a piece fit together. This, in turn, will make it easier to improvise, write your own music, communicate more effectively with other musicians, and even master the pieces you are practicing more quickly.
#7: Choose an Experienced Saxophone Instructor
Choosing an experienced saxophone instructor can help speed up the process of learning by pointing out errors and helping you correct them quickly. Not only that, instructors are mentors, and they help motivate and challenge you. They can help guide your practice and offer opportunities to perform.
Now that you have your plan in place, it is important to find an instructor with whom you can connect and who can help you take the next step toward reaching your goals.
Learn To Play Saxophone With the Skilled Instructors at Northwest School of Music in Salem, OR
Northwest School of Music is composed of a team of skilled instructors offering saxophone lessons in Salem, OR. We have been teaching music lessons to learners of all ages since 2006.
We would be proud to welcome you and your saxophone to be a part of the many students we teach throughout the week. We offer group lessons and private lessons. Parents of students are also welcome to attend.
What to expect when signing up:
- Fill out a free trial registration form.
- Attend a free learning experience and meet your instructor.
- Fill out an official enrollment form and register for your first class!
Explore the world of music with us, and sign up today.
