Love playing the saxophone?
Dying to play those classic sax solos you've been hearing for years?
Want to sound impressive in front of your friends and loved ones?
One of the best ways to sound better on stage is to build your vocabulary of licks and ideas, so you can just pull them out at a moment's notice when you need to.
Not just any licks, but awesome licks that have stood the test of time and are still used by the great pros today.
But how can you sound like a pro?
By learning the classic solos of the masters!
If you want to fill your saxophone improvisation toolbox with great, classic licks that sound awesome you need to learn how to play the solos that have stood the test of time and are still revered today.
- Solos that, when you hear the first note, you can sing along with the rest of it because you've worn out your recording.
- Solos that never get tired.
- Solos that you yourself are dying to play because they sound so good and make you sound like you're a pro.
The only problem is that, try as you might, you can't figure out how to make those solos sound like the record.
You know, ones like Baker Street or Old Time Rock and Roll or Honky Tonk, etc…
The sheet music you have just doesn't seem right…
And you really don't get the music reading thing, so all those dark dots on the page can be blinding at times…
But when you do finally learn the solo, a few months, or even weeks later, you forgot how it went. It didn't “stick.”
You keep thinking to yourself,
“Isn't there a better way to learn these solos and remember them when I need to?”
I also had a tough time learning solos by ear, until I learned this simple process…
I wasn't born a pro, and there were certain things that I just was not naturally talented at.
When I first starting learning to play the saxophone, my goal was to play all those classic rock solos I had heard in the 70’s and 80’s when I was growing up.
You know, like the solos from Supertramp’s Logical Song, or Billy Joel’s It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me, or the classic Baker Street and especially Careless Whisper…
You see, I played trumpet as a kid, and I still do to this day. But, I always loved those sax solos I heard on the radio, and they just don’t sound as good on the trumpet.
Since I already played trumpet professionally, I was great at reading music. But I quickly realized that learning my favorite solos required a different set of skills than reading music.
In fact, my ears were not as developed as I thought.
It occurred to me, when you rely on reading music all the time, you sometimes don’t listen to the chord changes or pay attention to the other details in the music as deeply as you need to.
I did great in all my college theory and ear training classes, yet trying to figure out those sax solos by ear was really challenging.
I would get the notes and rhythms of the solos pretty well, but I didn’t pay attention to anything else in the tune: chord changes, what part of the song the solo fit over, etc. I would just read my part.
That made it harder to remember the solo when I wanted to play it later, especially on gigs, or in other bands who play it in a different key.
It would be embarrassing…
There had to be a better way to learn to play these solos and retain what I learned so I could be confident playing them in front of others.
I finally figured it out…
Being a music teacher, I like to study other teachers’ methods.
One course that I took for professional development totally changed my playing and the way I taught my future students.
This course taught me how to use my ears, what to listen for and not only was it fun, but everyone became much better musicians when they completed the course.
Over the years, I have tested and tweaked some of the main concepts from the course, and added my own insights from the 27+ years of private teaching experience I have.
I applied all the testing and modifications to my own practicing, and noticed a HUGE change in my ability to learn solos and songs quickly, and retain what I learned.
In fact, I recently wrote an article about how I had to learn 61 tunes in 8 days. Let me tell you, if someone called me in the past to hire me for a gig where I had to learn all those tunes that quickly, I would have had a heart attack. It just wasn't possible.
It's a totally different story today.
Using my 3-step system really helped me learn these tunes and do exceptionally well at the rehearsals and the gig.
I continue to use this system in order to learn the songs for all the bands I perform with.
I have been teaching hundreds of students for the past 27 years, and have been performing on large stages in the NY and Los Angeles metro areas, such as the House of Blues, City National Grove, Paramount NY, World Café Live, Landmark Theatre, Orpheum Theatre, the Patchogue Theatre and many more.
Performing with Vicci Martinez, Season 1 Finalist from The Voice, at the Wolf Den, CT.
But this doesn’t just work for me.
Once I started teaching my new system, I noticed that students really understood the songs better too. They were making astounding progress, and were sticking with their instruments instead of losing interest and quitting after a few months.
Take Jason for example.
Jason was a 56 year old, self-employed business owner who played Clarinet during his school years. He stopped playing after High School, like many people do, and decided he wanted to play Saxophone later on in life because he wanted to play his favorite songs.
The problem was, Jason didn’t have much time to practice. He understood he had to develop his tone and range but wasn’t motivated to play long tones or memorize scales with no goals in sight.
Once Jason started to get a better tone quality and his range grew, we identified some key sax solos he wanted to learn.
Within one month of using my system to learn solos, Jason was playing the main lines to the shout choruses in Honky Tonk (the Jimmy Smith version from his Primetime album) all without reading music.
He then tackled the solo to the Dion song, The Wanderer. Since he was able to really hear that solo in his head very well, he got that solo down in 1 lesson!
He then started to use the licks from both songs to noodle around and create his own solos.
Happy to say, Jason is playing some of those licks from his favorite solos in a band that performs weekly…
Now, it's your turn to add cool licks to your solos and expand your improvisation vocabulary!
Using this simple 3-step system, you too can start enjoying playing those favorite solos and tunes you’ve always wanted to play, improve your playing technique and build your ears so you can perform with others with more confidence.
After taking my Master Your Favorite Saxophone Solos course, you will be able to apply this system to learning more of your favorite songs, licks, patterns etc., and retain what you learned so you can play it whenever and wherever you want.
You'll notice that your “hearing” has gotten much better, and you're able to identify patterns quicker.
For less than $50 a week, you get access to a professional musician and experienced teacher who will guide you through a system to learn your favorite solos. (Think about it – a private teacher can cost from $60 – $100+ an hour!)
By committing to spending at least a half-hour a day on my system of learning tunes, you will know what to practice, and how to practice your material so you too can feel confident when you play your favorite songs.
You get all this for the special price of $299!
Click here to enroll in Master Your Favorite Saxophone Solos
Guarantee:
After taking this course, I really feel you will change your approach to learning solos, and start to see and hear results by using my 3-step system.
If for some reason you are not satisfied, there's a 21-day full refund.
Just contact me via email within those 21 days, and your money will be refunded. All I ask is that you provide feedback as to why you are not satisfied.
It will definitely take you to another level in your playing if you apply what is being taught!
Peggy Gilbin
Is this course right for me?
Let's face it, not every course is for everyone.
This course is not for you if:
- You would rather just look at a sheet of music and fight your way through to figuring out what all those black dots mean.
- You do not want to put in at least some effort a few times a week to learn the tunes you’ve been wanting to play.
- You just started playing Saxophone, and don't yet have control over a substantial range of the instrument (minimum, Low D through High F#).
- You are already a professional and know how to figure out solos. (Unless, of course, you want to learn a system that can get you more lasting results.)
This course IS for you if….
- You are dying to learn some really cool, classic, iconic sax solos and want to remember what you learned so you can play the solo over and over again.
- You want to learn how to maximize your time so you can work on these tunes and other songs you enjoy and hear progress in your playing.
- You want to learn some great licks and important scales that you can use for creating your own awesome solos.
- You want to impress your friends, family and loved ones by playing really cool solos.
FAQ:
I just started playing the saxophone and can only play 6 notes. Should I take your course?
- I would suggest that you hold off until you know your fingerings, and are able to comfortably play at least from Low D to High D (1st palm key) on the Alto, and from Low C to High F (F# would be better) on the Tenor. I will teach some new notes during the course.
Are you going to teach me how to play the Saxophone?
- Sort of…..You are going to learn how to play the Saxophone by learning these songs. I'll give tips and advice for exercises you should work on to get a fuller sound and to expand your range, but this is not like private lessons or like my Get a Killer Saxophone Tone course.
- The focus each week will be on learning the solo.
I only play Alto Sax. Can I still take this course?
- Yes! During the webinar, I will either use Alto or Tenor Sax, but you will have received a worksheet with the notes that are in the solo before the class time. I will also be reminding you which notes you need to know during the class.
- Soprano Sax and Bari Sax players can also benefit from taking the course by following the Tenor or Alto videos as well.
Do I need to be able to play in the altissimo (really high) range in order to take this course?
- No! All the solos fit within the Alto Saxophone range. For the Tenor Sax players. the solos that go really high can be played just as effectively down the octave. When your embouchure gets stronger, and you have built up your altissimo register, then you can transfer what you learned up the octave.
What if I don't get it, or I fall behind?
- Each week, a new Module will become available.
- We all learn at our own pace, so don't worry. You have Lifetime Access to the course materials.
Do I need to be able to read music to take this course?
- No, but it would benefit you in that you will be able to read the notation for the chord scales used in the solos.
- You will be learning these solos by ear first. Reading the notation for a solo before learning it by ear can be a distraction and can prevent you from learning the nuances and actual rhythms of the solo. (Many transcriptions are not as accurate, especially with the rhythms.)
- Please note, you will not get notation of the actual solo transcriptions themselves. The best way to learn solos is by ear, then writing it out yourself if you desire afterwards.
- If you want to read a transcription of the solos after you've learned the solo by ear, you will understand it better because you will have played it many times before reading it.
What if I can't play by ear, or I have a lousy ear?
- We all start out by not having a developed ear. I can't even begin to tell you how long it took to develop mine!
- This course will show you a system that will help you develop your ear so that you can make progress at your own speed.
- You can take your time with the course, and you have Lifetime Access
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Donna has an extraordinary ability to not only diagnose sax playing issues quickly, but also to provide creative approaches to solving them with a great sense of humor. Her experience in teaching and playing multiple instruments leads to valuable insights that are accelerating my progress. Highly Recommended!!
Mitch Halpern
One of those rare teachers…
Donna is one of those rare teachers that operates professionally and also sees “eye to eye” with her students. Students feel comfortable and engaged throughout the lesson and leave each session with a feeling of accomplishment.
Learning an instrument when you’re young is never easy – Donna broke it all down into manageable pieces and then led by example, playing things slowly and allowing the process to really sink in. Being a polished player herself made it easy for me to pick up on proper technique/tone and then develop my own style.
She is dynamic, knowledgeable, and above all, patient – a fine musician in her own right and a dedicated instructor overall.
Tom Cordell
