Alto Saxophone – Renewing the Thought in the Alexander Technique (Musicians)(Psychology)(Pain)(Strain)(Injuries)(Posture)(Albuquerque)

This ebook, An Alexander Technique Approach to Alto Saxophone Technique, is published on this website in a PDF format. It is very detailed and practical, and it will give you the physical tools you need to take the limits off of your ability to create the accurate saxophone technique you want without sacrificing your body.
This ebook is also for sale on all AMAZON websites in a KINDLE format.
Located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A. (MOVEMENT THERAPY)
Alto Saxophone players repeatedly tell their bodies what they want from their bodies when they play the saxophone, but this is usually done subconsciously. It feels like, to the alto saxophone player, that the body is doing technique and posture by itself. In other words, the technique and posture that the saxophone player has established, maybe a long time ago, just do themselves.
THE TECHNIQUE AND POSTURE AN ALTO SAXOPHONE PLAYER PRACTICES AND PERFORMS WITH DO NOT DO THEMSELVES. They are informed by the beliefs that the saxophone player plays the saxophone with, and these beliefs/thoughts constantly determine what your body does. So, for many fine alto saxophone players, the only thing that is still conscious in their playing is how they interpret the piece.
But what if you realize that there are some things that you would like to change about your posture or technique on the alto saxophone? Other than saying to yourself sit up straight or place the hands in a new position and force yourself to remember to do the changes you want to make to your saxophone playing, there is a specific tool that the Alexander Technique offers.
It is RENEWING THE THOUGHT, and renewing the thought is based on giving ORDERS OF ALLOWANCE to your body. Orders of allowance are conscious orders given to the body telling the body what you want it to do on the alto saxophone. So, when you are making a postural or technique change on the saxophone, you are bringing to full consciousness what needs to be done to improve how you play the alto saxophone.
Ex: An example of a postural change is that you realize your neck is collapsed and locked when you play. So the order of allowance you give to your body just before you play the alto saxophone is, “My neck is free and my head is leading a lengthening neck and spine upward, as I blow into the saxophone”. An example of an alto saxophone technique change to tight hands and fingers is, “My hands and fingers are released, as I move the keys”. And you order/let your body make these changes.
Notice, in both cases you’re telling your body what you want with very clear orders or directions. The question is, is saying this once to yourself as you begin your alto saxophone practice session enough? No. That is where the tool of RENEWING THE THOUGHT comes in. Let me explain.
As you have probably experienced in your past on the alto saxophone, when you were making changes to your saxophone technique or posture, that you would make the changes, and then realize after 30 minutes of practice you had forgotten about the changes. You had reverted back to your old technique and/or posture.
What did you do? I don’t know what you did, but I got angry and redoubled my effort to make sure I did the new changes no matter how mean I was to myself. I eventually got to the point in my classical guitar playing that the new technique or posture were part of my established new way of playing the guitar. But what a painful emotional and physical price I paid to make these changes.
The loving act of renewing the thought is the kindest way to establish changes in your alto saxophone technique or posture. It is the quickest way to replace the old with the new. So, as you practice to establish a new technique or posture in your saxophone playing, and you realize you forgot the changes, then repeat the order of allowance. This is renewing the thought and letting your body make the improvements to your alto saxophone technique or posture. Very quickly you will internalize and kindly habituate the new way.
How often do you renew the thought? You repeat it gently every time you become aware, as you practice the alto saxophone, that you “forgot” to do the new technique or posture. This truly places you in charge of how you want to play the saxophone, and it does it very consciously and very kindly.

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An Alexander Technique Approach to Alto Saxophone Technique

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Ethan Kind

AUTHOR, TRAINER "When you change old habitual movement patterns with the Alexander Technique, whether in playing a musical instrument, running, weightlifting, walking, or typing at a computer, you create an ease of body use that moves you consistently into the zone." - Ethan Kind Ethan Kind writes and is published extensively on all of the above activities. He teaches musicians, athletes, and computer operators how to stop hurting themselves, by showing them how to use their bodies with ease and coordination. He brings a unique perspective to his work, having been a musician and athlete all of his life. After training for three years at the American Center for the Alexander Technique (New York, NY), Ethan received Professional Certification credentials.