Inspired by Skippy

[DagerRande]

Doug, I only talk about music here but I'm also a mathematician. That is another love, even though music is still dominant. My focus is on harmony, regardless of the instrument. The guitar and the piano are the only instruments remotely satisfying to me. This is why the sax and other single note instruments have never interested me. I'm glad that you are finding happiness in pursuing interests that you've had for awhile. My lack of self-promotion is a combination of my personality and my early programming, where I was told never to come across on stage as if I thought I was better than those watching me. So it was sort of a "forced humility" and I will always picture the glaring look of sternness from my mother in the audience whenever I was about to perform, cautioning me to be careful to remain humble. It's an overcompensation, I know.

[Doug Working]

I have to admit, Rande, math has always been my weak subject. Although, interestingly, there is a whole category of magic effects that are based on mathematical principals!

I had a dear friend who was a magician like me, but he was also a math teacher in our high school, here. Pretty well loved, he was. His name was Jim Snapp, and he promoted him self as a "mathemagician."

He passed away, and I sure miss him.

I understand what you are saying about harmony, and it sure can be sweet on the guitar, if you do it right, which of course, Chet always did.

But there is cons and pros to everything. In this case, the con is that you have to work really hard to learn the harmonies on the guitar, being the linear instrument that it is. And mastering chords is pretty indispensable, too!

I thought the sax would be fun, because I wouldn't have to bother with learning chords, lol! Might be a nice break for me!

Now I'm realistic. I realize that mastering ANY instrument is no piece of cake. Takes years of hard work. I figure the sax is going to require heavy emphasis on learning scales and modes. I bet it's really heavy on that. I figure I am likely right on with that, even though I have not started yet.

I'm kind of wondering if I can apply/ transfer some of my knowledge of scales and modes from guitar to the new instrument. Knowing about scales and modes will put me a "notch" above rank beginner, because I will at least know what they are, having a good foundation of these musical building blocks, and won't need anybody to explain to me from square one what they are and what they are supposed to sound like.

I know that I have at least three to five years of hard work ahead of me. I'm realistic, but I love the sound of a good sax. And shoot, doggone it, I can pretty much do anything I put my mind to!

Yup. You CAN teach this old dog new tricks! (That's an inside joke among magicians!)