Most pupils at SCMT will start with a 30 minute lesson on the saxophone, but we offer 45 minutes and 1 hour lessons too. If you’re a parent, we would recommend (as with most woodwind and brass instruments) that you wait until your child is 8 years old before they get started. The first lesson is free. You can in most instances borrow a saxophone for the free trial but will need to obtain your own to start paid lessons. We can advise in detail regarding hire or purchase.
Many that are learning the saxophone steer towards Jazz and Rock styles but there is an enormous amount of repertoire for every genre! Trinity exams are the most popular and we also offer ABRSM music medals exams (ensemble assessments). Lessons are taught 1 on 1 and in small groups and you can be taught at home if that’s your preference.
The saxophone is actually quite easy to learn to play, probably because it was designed fairly recently in the scheme of musical instruments. But do bear in mind it can be awkward to handle at first. The saxophone is rather heavy and requires the use of a neck strap in addition to the player’s hands to hold the instrument. It is also quite wide and this prevents very small hands from being able to play it. On the upside though, the fingering system is very easy to understand and tone production is much easier than with most wind instruments.
Here is a testimonial from a happy pupil!
‘My saxophone lessons are so much fun. It’s really cool already and I’ve only been learning for 6 months. I can already play some tunes and I love that my teacher plays along on the piano and does duets too. It makes me feel like I’m in a band already. I’m doing my first Rock School grade next year and am so excited because the pieces are ones that I know already. One day I’d like to learn Jazz and learn the drums too!’ Peter, aged 10, Brighton.