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  1. Saxophone
Beginner training plan
Your first lessonLesson 1 – Welcome & First Sounds • Warm hello, short chat about what music they already love or want to try • Tour of the instrument(s) in a playful way (“This is the saxophone’s voice,” “These keys are like secret buttons”) • Make the very first sound together—no pressure, just explore • Play a simple call-and-response game (you play a short idea, they copy or answer) • End by letting them choose one favorite sound or note to take home and play for fun
Lesson 2-3Lesson 2 – Finding the Joy Notes • Quick check-in: “What did you play or hear this week that made you smile?” • Discover 2–3 notes that feel good under their fingers • Turn those notes into a tiny personal “signature sound” or short motif • Simple improvisation game: they make up a 4-beat idea using only their joy notes • Record a 10-second clip together so they can hear themselves sounding cool Lesson 3 – Rhythm Is a Game • Body percussion warm-up (clap, stomp, snap) to feel pulse without the instrument • Transfer the same rhythms onto the instrument using only 1–2 notes • Call-and-response rhythm battles (keep score for fun, not perfection) • Create a short “rhythm story” together (fast part = running, slow part = walking) • Send them home with one rhythm pattern they invented
Lesson 4-10Lesson 4 – Making Melodies That Feel Like Them • Review joy notes and add one new friendly note • Build a 4-bar melody using only notes they like • Give the melody a title based on something personal (pet, favorite food, superhero, etc.) • Play the melody in different “moods” (happy, sneaky, sleepy) • Optional: try the same idea on a second instrument if they show interest Lesson 5 – Listening & Echo Adventures • Play short phrases; they echo back by ear (start very easy) • “Copycat challenge” with increasing fun twists (play it higher, softer, or silly) • Introduce the idea of musical conversation: “I say something, you answer” • End with free improvisation where they lead and you support • Homework: listen to one song they love and hum or sing a favorite part Lesson 6 – Building a Tiny Song • Choose 3–4 notes and a simple rhythm • Write (or record) a short 8-bar piece together • Add a beginning and ending gesture so it feels complete • Perform it for each other with pretend “stage lights” • Celebrate by naming the piece and giving it a silly dedication Lesson 7 – Dynamics & Expression Play • Explore loud/soft, smooth/choppy, fast/slow as pure play • Turn a known melody into different characters (robot, giant, mouse, superhero) • “Emotion switch” game: you call out a feeling and they play the same notes with that feeling • Record before-and-after versions so they hear the difference • Encourage them to invent their own expressive idea for next time Lesson 8 – Multi-Instrument Curiosity (or Extended Range) • If they are open, try a second instrument for 5–10 minutes just for fun • Or stay on main instrument and explore a new register / new set of notes • Find one new “joy sound” on the new instrument or register • Short free play time with zero rules • Discuss what felt easiest or most exciting Lesson 9 – Putting Pieces Together • Combine favorite melody + favorite rhythm from earlier lessons • Add a simple left-hand or accompanying pattern if appropriate • Practice smooth transitions between sections • Play the whole thing as a mini-performance • Talk about what they want the next song to feel like Lesson 10 – Student-Led Creation • They choose the starting notes, mood, and title • You coach and support while they lead the composition • Record the finished piece • Reflect together: “What part makes you feel most like yourself?” • Optional: add a simple visual or movement idea (Gamolock-style storytelling energy)
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RC
Saxophone with Robert C.New to TeachMe.To
Lesson 11+Lesson 11 – Celebration & Next Steps • Full run-through of their favorite pieces from the past 10 lessons • Mini “recital” atmosphere (you as audience, big applause) • Look back at Lesson 1 recording vs. now • Ask what they want to explore next (new instrument, longer song, playing with friends, etc.) • Give clear, encouraging next goals and a small home challenge that feels fun, not homework Ongoing style notes for every lesson • Start with connection, end with celebration • Prioritize enjoyment and ownership over perfect technique • Use games, stories, and personal meaning • Keep technique light and embedded inside musical play • Always leave them with something they are excited to try at home This structure stays flexible so you can adjust pace or dive deeper into whatever lights them up.
Advanced training plan
Your first lessonLesson 1 – Recalibrate & Claim Your Voice • Quick musical “check-in”: student plays something that currently feels like them • Identify strongest and most natural musical instincts (phrasing, tone color, rhythmic feel) • Expand the personal “signature sound” into a short motif that can evolve across styles • Free improvisation over a simple groove with you supporting, not leading • Record a short free-play clip as the new baseline
Lesson 2-3Lesson 2 – Advanced Ear & Conversation • Longer call-and-response chains that include rhythmic displacement and note choice • “Finish my sentence” game: you start a phrase, they complete it in their own voice • Introduce intentional tension and release through note choice and timing • Transcribe (by ear) a short favorite lick or melody and then personalize it • End with a short improvisation that deliberately uses something just transcribed Lesson 3 – Rhythm as Architecture • Body and instrument work on nested rhythms, syncopation, and metric feel • Play the same idea in different time feels (straight, swung, half-time, double-time) • Create a rhythmic “story arc” (build, peak, release) without relying only on notes • Layer a second rhythmic idea (simple ostinato or counter-rhythm) while improvising • Design a short rhythmic motif the student can use as a compositional seed
Lesson 4-10Lesson 4 – Melody & Motivic Development • Take a short personal motif and develop it through sequence, inversion, fragmentation, and expansion • Build a longer melodic statement that still feels conversational • Explore how the same motif changes character across different registers or dynamics • Compose an 8–16 bar melody that has clear direction and personality • Play the new melody in contrasting emotional colors Lesson 5 – Harmony as Color, Not Rules • Work with functional and non-functional chord colors by ear and feel • Improvise over simple progressions focusing on voice-leading and tension • Experiment with upper structures, extensions, and deliberate “wrong” notes that still sound intentional • Reharmonize a familiar melody in two different ways and compare the emotional effect • Create a short harmonic loop the student can own and improvise over Lesson 6 – Multi-Instrument Thinking • Spend focused time on a second (or third) instrument purely for musical ideas • Transfer a motif or improvisation concept from the primary instrument to the secondary one • Explore how the same musical idea changes when the physical interface changes • Short free duo improvisation switching roles or instruments • Capture one strong idea that only appeared because of the second instrument Lesson 7 – Form & Longer Statements • Construct a complete short piece (AABA, verse-chorus, or free form) from existing material • Practice smooth transitions, pacing, and dramatic shape across longer spans • Introduce intentional silence and space as compositional tools • Perform the piece with clear beginning, development, and resolution • Reflect on what the form itself communicates Lesson 8 – Style Absorption & Personal Filter • Deep listening + playing along with a chosen advanced recording (jazz, contemporary, or hybrid) • Extract 2–3 specific elements (articulation, time feel, harmonic language, etc.) • Immediately re-interpret those elements through the student’s own voice • Create a short hybrid piece that blends the studied style with personal material • Discuss what to keep and what to discard so the music still feels authentic Lesson 9 – Advanced Improvisation Lab • Long-form free improvisation with clear internal structure (even if unplanned) • Practice “constraint games” that force creativity (limited notes, specific rhythmic cell, emotional directive) • Work on storytelling through improvisation—beginning, conflict, resolution • Duo or call-and-response improvisation where leadership switches fluidly • Record and review one strong improvisation for vocabulary that can be refined Lesson 10 – Integration & Personal Project • Student chooses a larger creative goal (original short piece, multi-instrument arrangement, performance concept, or interdisciplinary idea) • Map the project into musical components and begin building • Combine motifs, rhythms, harmonic colors, and formal ideas from previous lessons • Focus on coherence and personal voice over complexity • Leave with a clear next action for the final lesson
Lesson 11+Lesson 11 – Performance & Forward Path • Full run of the personal project or strongest developed material • Mini performance setting with intentional presentation and presence • Side-by-side comparison with the Lesson 1 baseline recording • Honest, encouraging discussion of growth areas and strengths • Co-create a short roadmap for continued independent development (new repertoire, collaboration, recording, teaching, or interdisciplinary expansion) Teaching notes for the advanced track • Keep the atmosphere exploratory and low-ego. • Technique is refined only in service of clearer expression. • Encourage the student to lead more decisions as the series progresses. • Multi-instrument and interdisciplinary thinking (including storytelling energy) remain welcome whenever they spark genuine interest. • Every lesson should leave the student with something they are excited to continue exploring on their own.
Youth players
Working with kidsKeep it short, playful, and success-heavy. • Session length & energy: 25–35 minutes max. Kids’ focus drops fast. Structure every lesson as a series of tiny wins: 3–5 minutes of something new or silly, then a quick “victory lap” of something they already like. • Multi-instrument approach: Let them try 2–3 instruments in one lesson if their attention is high. A kid who struggles with saxophone embouchure for five minutes can still leave feeling successful if they get to make a cool sound on the flute, piano, or even drums. Frame it as “finding your favorite voice today.” • Games over drills: Turn everything into play. Call scales “sound ladders,” rhythms “robot marches,” or “secret agent codes.” Use call-and-response, echo games, or “copy the teacher’s silly song.” Avoid long explanations. • Physical & visual: Use movement, facial expressions, and props. Let them stand, sway, or march. Draw simple pictures of notes or use colored stickers. Keep verbal instructions short and concrete. • Praise style: Catch them doing something right every couple of minutes. “That was a huge sound!” or “You made the saxophone talk!” Specific, enthusiastic praise keeps them coming back. • Goals: One clear, tiny goal per lesson (“Today we make three long notes that sound like a train whistle”). End by letting them choose the last activity.
Working with teenagersShift toward ownership, identity, and real music they care about. • Session length & energy: 45–60 minutes works better. Teens can handle more depth, but still need variety. Start with something they choose or request. • Multi-instrument approach: Keep the option open, but now frame it as creative toolkit rather than pure exploration. “You already play sax — want to try writing a simple piano part under your melody, or record a drum loop and play over it?” Let them decide when to switch instruments. • Relevance first: Ask what they’re listening to and incorporate it. Transcribe a short riff from a song they like, or reharmonize a pop melody on the instrument they’re studying. Technique becomes a tool to play the music they actually want, not an end in itself. • More independence: Give them small choices and responsibilities. “Do you want to start with the hard part or the fun part?” or “How do you want to practice this between lessons?” Teach them how to record themselves and listen back. • Social & identity angle: Teens often care about sounding good in front of peers or fitting a musical identity (jazz, rock, hip-hop, church, etc.). Connect lessons to real goals — playing in the school band, a church group, a YouTube cover, or just impressing friends. • Feedback style: Be honest but constructive. Teens can smell fake praise. “That phrase is almost there — the rhythm is solid, let’s clean up the last two notes so it sits better” works better than over-the-top cheerleading. Still keep the tone collaborative: you’re helping them get where they want to go. • Goals: Mix short-term fun with slightly longer projects (learn a full tune, record a short track, prepare something for a performance). Let them set or co-set the goal.
What you need to bringTheir instrument, all music and assignments
What I can bringPiano, mic stands, music stand, sheet music

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  1. Saxophone

Reputation

✨Robert is new on TeachMe.To – but very experienced with saxophone. Satisfaction is guaranteed. If anything go sideways, we'll switch you to a different coach or give you your money back.

Online Saxophone 🎷 lessons with

Teacher Robert Curry-el

Robert Curry-el — Saxophone coaching video
Robert Curry-el, Saxophone teacher
Robert Curry-el — Saxophone coaching video
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From
per lesson

Online Saxophone 🎷 lessons with

Teacher Robert Curry-el

From
per lesson
✨Robert is new on TeachMe.To – but very experienced with saxophone. Satisfaction is guaranteed. If anything go sideways, we'll switch you to a different coach or give you your money back.
✨Robert is new on TeachMe.To – but very experienced with saxophone. Satisfaction is guaranteed. If anything go sideways, we'll switch you to a different coach or give you your money back.

About your saxophone teacher

Robert Curry-El, M.A. (Jazz Studies) is a master saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist with 20+ years of teaching experience. Specializing in fun, personalized lessons on saxophone, flute, clarinet, piano, guitar, and more, he helps students of all ages build technique, improvisation skills, and a lifelong love of music.

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Teaches: Kids, Teenagers, Adults
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Levels: Beginners, Intermediates, Experts
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Lives in: Lake Wales, Florida
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Years Coaching: 20 years
Try Robert risk free
When you buy with TeachMe.To you're getting access to a network of coaches. If you don't love your lessons with Robert, we'll switch you to another coach or give you a full refund.
RC
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Robert's availability

Pick a time that works — confirmation usually within 24 hrs.

Robert's availability

Pick a time that works — confirmation usually within 24 hrs.

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Accomplishments

➕Bricks n the wall band, saxophonists

Specializations

🎯Altissimo & Advanced Technique
🎯Scales & Theory
🎯Sight Reading & Repertoire
🎯Jazz Improvisation