Great to see that you want to learn Saxophone! You may be a saxophone beginner or maybe you've played saxophone for a few years and want to get back into it. Either way, finding a good saxophone teacher that match your needs can seem hard, but there are some good ways to go about it.
In my experience as a saxophone teacher the best way to learn saxophone is by taking sax lessons with a local teacher. Someone that is in the same room as you who is able to see, hear and adjust your playing as you practice your saxophone.
At the same time I do reaIize that is not always possible and the good news is that there are some really good options for online lessons for saxophone as well.
So, in order to get you started with a good saxophone teacher quickly I've put together an action plan for you to find a local saxophone teacher near your location as well as online lesson options.
Find a local Saxophone Teacher:
- Find a private saxophone tutor by asking around in your network: One of the best ways to find a good saxophone teacher is often by asking friends, family, and other saxophonists for recommendations. Personal recommendations can lead you to a qualified and experienced teacher.
- Contact your local music school and conservatories: Music schools and conservatories often have a list of saxophone teachers who are affiliated with their program. These teachers are typically highly qualified and have a proven track record which is great. Plus, the school or conservatory may be able to provide you with the opportunity to play in a band to further help with your learning.
- Contact your local community center, college or university: If they have a music program chances are they also offer music classes for adults. Those classes are taught by experienced saxophone teachers. If you are located in the US you could have a look at the Music Teachers National Association where there are many ways to contact a music teacher in your local area.
- Networking with musicians in your local area: Consider reaching out to musicians in your local area asking for recommendations to find a good saxophone teacher. Even better, if you know about a saxophonist you can reach out to see if either that person can teach you or if they know someone in their network who can teach you saxophone. Be creative and you'll find opportunities here.
- Post an Ad: If you have no luck with the strategies above you can post an ad for a saxophone teacher in your local area. Use Craigslist, Facebook groups (there are often town specific groups) and if you know of other good buy/sell sites in your local area try them out too. Make sure to be specific with your requirements, so that you only attract qualified and experienced sax teachers.
I would suggest that you start from the top of this list and work your way down. As you'll probably have the best chance of finding a good sax teacher that way.
Find a sax teacher online:
This can be a easier said than done as the threshold for being an “expert” or “teacher” is really low. Anyone can fake credentials online so you need to watch out for that and also make sure that the teacher you do end up taking lessons from is a good match. If not, pick another one.
Here's my best tips for finding a sax teacher for online lessons:
- Search online. The internet is a great resource for finding saxophone teachers in your area. Websites like Yelp, Google Reviews, and social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram can help you find local saxophone teachers. Be sure to read reviews and check out the teacher's website to learn more about their teaching style and qualifications.
- Check out online directories Online directories are a great way to find saxophone teachers in your area. These directories can help you find qualified and experienced teachers who are located near you.
Take saxophone lessons online
One of the biggest benefits with taking online sax lessons is that you have more options to choose from and and they do not necessarily have to be live lessons 1-to-1 either. You can find great saxophone programs with recorded sax lessons too. This can be a great flexible solution if you aren't able to find a good saxophone teacher in your local area or if your schedule needs to remain fluid.
Great players can be bad saxophone teachers
I recall being a saxophone student at University of North Texas back in 2005 and there must have been over 200 saxophonists there at the time. Great atmosphere and many great players. However, being a great sax player doesn't automatically translate into being a great saxophone teacher.
It also requires you to learn how to teach and how be a pedagog. So, when you choose your sax teacher make sure to verify that it indeed is a good teacher. If it's an established teacher it is usually easy to do by looking at past student comments at teaching websites like takelessons.com.
Final thoughts
The opportunities of finding a good sax teacher has never been better. You are no longer limited to your local area. However, if you can find a local teacher to meet up with for face to face lessons that can be very beneficial to you. That being said there are plenty of great saxophone courses online that gives you more freedom and flexibility to plan your practice around your other activities in the calendar.
I hope you found this article useful and if you want to achieve real results on your saxophone make sure to practice your sax often and most importantly regularly. Practicing 15 min per day will help you progress faster that playing 1 hour in the weekend. Building your saxophone embouchure and technique takes repetition and time. So, make it part of your daily routine for the coming 30 days and ‘ll guarantee you'll see great results. Now, go find a saxophone teacher that can help you get there.
