One-to-one saxophone lessons

One-to-one saxophone lessons are available in person and online. 30-minute and one-hour long slots are available, and we are happy to arrange weekly, fortnightly or ad-hoc lessons, depending on your needs. Lessons take place in West Wemyss, near Kirkcaldy, Fife.

30 minutes: £17

60 minutes: £34

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 one-off lesson, please visit this page to find to find out the latest availability. If you are looking for regular lessons, please complete this form and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Ellie Steemson

Ellie Steemson trained in saxophone performance at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London, graduating with a BMus(hons) in 2008. She went on to take part in the Guildhall Artists Masters course, achieving an MMus in 2010.

Since then, Ellie has enjoyed a busy performing and teaching career spanning the U.K. and overseas, including work in theatre pits, big bands and orchestras. She is a member of the Scottish Sax Ensemble and Workers Union Ensemble, and teaches at St Andrews University and Erskine Stewart’s Melville Schools, as well as her work as a private saxophone teacher in Fife.

What to expect

Lessons with our saxophone teachers 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. We can recommend exercises to help develop your sound, intonation and dexterity on the instrument, and much more.

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 Gumtree (although this is potentially tricky, and I would only recommend doing it with professional advice).

The reality of playing the sax though is you do have to spend a few hundred quid to get something worth having. If someone is advertising a brand new saxophone on Ebay for £150 I can more-or-less guarantee you it will be awful! At Fife Sax School we know how difficult and confusing this process can be if you’re new to the saxophone, so please do get in touch if you’d like any help.

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!).