One-to-one saxophone lessons
One-to-one saxophone lessons are available in person and online. Face-to-face lessons take place in West Wemyss, near Kirkcaldy, Fife.
30 minutes: £20
60 minutes: £40
All lessons are provided by highly experienced teacher and performer Ellie Steemson, and can be tailored to your interests and abilities. Students of any age and ability are welcome, and lessons are also available on flute, clarinet and recorder. If you have any questions or would like to find out more, then please get in touch or see the FAQ’s below.
Booking
To book a lesson please head to our booking site.
Ellie Steemson
Ellie trained in saxophone performance at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London, She graduated with a BMus(hons) and (MMus) from the Guildhall Artists Masters Programme, studying with Christian Forshaw, John Harle and Nick Moss.
Since then, Ellie has enjoyed a busy performing and teaching career, playing saxophones, clarinet and flute in musical theatre, backing bands and orchestras. She has held teaching posts in Scotland at St Andrews University, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Erskine Stuart’s Melville Schools alongside her busy private teaching practice in Fife.
What to expect
Lessons are tailored to each student’s individual needs and aspirations. For some, this may be taking graded exams, for others just playing for enjoyment and learning songs. Whatever your aims as a player, we will help you to develop a solid grounding in saxophone technique.
Typically, each lesson will include work on sound production and finger technique alongside repertoire chosen according to your abilities, likes and goals for improvement. You will learn aspects of music theory, sight-reading and improvisation whilst discovering music from a range of styles alongside tailor-made exercises and practice programmes.
FAQs
Q: What is the minimum age for playing starting saxophone lessons?
A: This varies a little from person to person, but as a rough guideline around the age of 10 or 11 will be fine for most children. Children who are smaller for their age, or a little younger may still be able to take up learning on an instrument such as the Alphasax or the J-Sax, or begin on the recorder to learn the basics of reading music and co-ordinating the fingers.
Q: Am I too old to take up an instrument?
A: No, it’s never too late. A lot of adult learners worry that they will struggle to pick up a new skill, but in my experience this has never been a problem. Everybody learns at different rates, and this is true no matter what your age. As long as you are patient and willing to put in the practice, you cannot fail to improve!
Q: Do I need to be able to read music to take saxophone lessons?
A: No, this is something we can work on in your lessons. Some of the playing we do might not involve reading music at all, such as playing by ear, playing scales and improvising. It will really depend on what your goals are.
Q: Should I hire or buy an instrument?
A: This really depends on your budget, and how sure you feel about the saxophone being the right instrument for you. There are a number of retailers offering purchase and hire on the useful links section of this website. Many of them will allow you to hire an instrument before you buy, and in some cases use the hire fees paid towards the eventual cost of the instrument.
You can also keep the cost down by buying an instrument second-hand either through one of the above retailers, or privately through auction and second-hand websites (although this is potentially tricky, and I would only recommend doing it with professional advice).
We are always happy to help and advise, so please do get in touch with us.
Q: What are the benefits of learning an instrument?
A: Learning an instrument is an enjoyable hobby, which can also allow you to make music with others. It’s a great workout for your brain, which can benefit you in lots of areas of your life, plus being able to communicate through an instrument can be great for your well-being and mental health (just like singing!).