How to Find an
Exceptional Saxophone Teacher
The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best Music Instructor
Rose Park
2/15/23 • updated 3/25/24 • 4 min read
When you’re searching for a saxophone teacher, whether online or in person, it can be tough to figure out if they’re professional, friendly, and the right fit for you.
What should you look for when choosing a good saxophone teacher? Are there any qualifications, tips, or questions to ask when booking the first lesson?
Here is a list of ideas and considerations to make before signing up for saxophone lessons with your potential teacher.
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Get a professional saxophone teacher from the start
Meeting an experienced saxophone instructor early on can accelerate your progress in mastering the saxophone with a strong technique. It’s not always about paying more for someone with impressive teaching credentials. Regardless of whether the saxophone teacher teaches lessons online, in-person, or through a hybrid approach, make sure that your potential teacher will:
- customize your saxophone learning path with targeted exercises
- inspire a love of music and enjoyment
- motivate you to challenge and grow as a musician through performing
- give accurate and detailed live feedback
- help broaden your repertoire
Many beginners and intermediate saxophonists make the mistake of starting with an inexpensive, less experienced teacher and later switching to a more seasoned instructor. It’s important to note that this shift can lead to confusion in learning, which could take years to correct bad habits such as posture, breathing, technique, and tone.
Every saxophone teacher is unique and puts a different amount of emphasis on lesson strategy. Some instructors focus more on the technical side of saxophone playing and work on one song at a time, whereas as some might encourage you to play a multiple songs at once and explore musicality.
Check the teacher's educational credentials
Degrees in Saxophone Performance
Where possible, make sure to check the potential teacher’s degree they received during college. The best saxophone instructors will hold at least a Bachelor’s degree in saxophone from verified music schools. Some teachers might mention they have a certificate in saxophone, but it’s not the same as having a professional degree. Here are some suggestions for questions to ask related to degrees:
- Are you majored in saxophone performance or non-saxophone fields?
- Do you have a Bachelor’s degree in saxophone?
- Do you have a certificate or college degree in saxophone?
- Did you take any courses in composition, music education, music theory or music history?
For Parents: If you’re looking for a saxophone teacher for your child, you can also look for someone who majored in music education with a focus in saxophone. These instructors can teach basic skills like reading music, theory and general foundation of saxophone playing. They also have some performance experience from performing in the band or orchestra. When your child is ready to advance, possibly within a year or so, you should start thinking about switching to a saxophone instructor with advanced degrees in saxophone.
Recording and Touring Experience
When finding an ideal saxophone teacher, it’s best to see if the teacher has listed any performance related accomplishments. This could include things like live performances, touring with musicians from the US and abroad, or being involved in studio recording sessions and song productions.
Start by visiting the saxophone teacher’s website and reading their bio. If they have any recordings of live performances uploaded, it’s worth taking the time to watch them.
A good saxophone teacher should have descriptions of performing in various settings like woodwind ensembles, competitions, touring, and participating in recording sessions for popular musicians or bands.
Teaching Experience in Saxophone
Besides checking the teacher’s college degree, it’s also important to look for a saxophone instructor with at least 3 years of teaching experience. The best saxophone teachers will almost certainly teach a variety of styles such as the Classical, Pop, Jazz and R&B.
Make sure to check which saxophone type your teacher can teach. There are 4 most common types of saxophone: soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone. It’s also important to know which type of saxophone the instructor is specialized in teaching and performing.
Background Check
Not every saxophone teacher lists this online, but you should check if the teacher has done and passed a comprehensive background check, especially if the lesson is for your child. Some live online lesson websites, such as Lesson With You, offer free trial lessons with saxophone instructors who are fully background checked.
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Questions to ask when contacting a saxophone teacher
About the lessons
- How much does each lesson cost?
- When and how do you prefer payment for lessons?
- Is there a cancellation policy? If so, are there any fees?
- Can I reschedule lessons?
- Do you offer weekly lessons or package?
- Is there a family discount available?
About the saxophone instruction
- How many students do you teach? What ages and levels?
- How do you build a lesson plan? Is the curriculum customized?
- Do you expect students to participate in recital, jury or competition?
- What are your practice expectations for beginners and advanced students?
- Do you use saxophone method books? If not, what music will the student work on?
- How to do motivate students to practice saxophone and improve?
- Do you give daily or weekly assignments?
Take a trial lesson first
When reaching out to a few saxophone teachers, make sure to ask if they offer a trial lesson. Taking a trial lesson will give you fresh insights on a couple of things:
- Does the teacher speak clearly and ask appropriate questions to the student? How does the teacher respond to the answers the student provided and vice versa?
- How does the teacher initiate and lead the lesson? Is the lesson engaging and fun? How frequent does the teacher play saxophone and show the technique to the student?
- What’s the teacher like? Happy, quiet or rather moody? Is the teacher likeable?
- How often does the teacher give feedback? Does the teacher pay enough attention to detail and correct the student? It’s also important to see how the student responds to the compliment and criticism.
- How does the instructor end the lesson? When the instructor gives assignments or homework, does the student leave the lesson clear on what to work on next?
Choosing the right saxophone teacher after a trial
Take your time to pick the right saxophone teacher for you. Besides checking the trial lesson and teacher quality, think about these things before deciding.
Lesson Costs
According to our recent saxophone lesson cost guide, the average cost is $35 for a half hour saxophone lesson. Live online lessons using video chats typically charge between $25-45 for a half hour lesson. Local private saxophone lessons averages $40 per half hour lesson, while in-person group lessons can cost $18 per half hour lesson.
Take some time to plan your budget and schedule, thinking about how long you want to take lessons and how often. Generally, it’s best to stick with lessons for at least six months to a year to see improvement in saxophone playing. If you take a break, like during summer, that’s fine, but taking more than three weeks off might set you back, and you may need to work on things again to catch up.
Flexible Scheduling
Your ideal saxophone instructor should offer a flexible scheduling and rescheduling option. Of course, it’s not a good sign when a teacher (or a student) cancels or reschedules lessons too often, but knowing the teacher offers a rescheduling option without a fee can be a plus.
Reviews
When looking for saxophone lessons either online or in-person, you should always check and read the lesson reviews. If you’re particularly looking for a live online lesson, you will notice the reviews left in the teacher profile. If 8 or 9 out of 10 reviews are positive, that means the teacher is likeable and able to teach a high-quality saxophone lesson.
If you want to get local in-person lesson recommendations, you can ask friends, neighbors or even find a saxophone teacher online and ask if they offer lessons in person.
Contracts
Not many saxophone lesson providers require long term commitment or contracts these days, but you’d still want to make sure if there’s a contract required before setting up the first lesson. It’s also recommended for students to check the type of payment the teacher prefers and when to send the payment.
Need Help with Finding a Potential Saxophone Teacher?
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Rose Park
Rose Park is a graduate of the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University where she studied Piano Performance and Arts Administration, receiving both Bachelor's and Master's degrees before co-founding Lesson With You. As a pianist, Rose was a prizewinner in many international piano competitions and performed at various summer programs and festivals across the United States, Italy, and Japan.