Sax to Songs: A Beginners Class on Alto Saxophone. Play the songs you want! - Tokyo - Private lessons

Sax to Songs: A Beginners Class on Alto Saxophone. Play the songs you want!

From 42 C$ /h

Sax to Songs: The Beginner’s Jumpstart

Get over the technique hurdle, bridge your favorite pop and rap hooks to the horn, and start playing real music from day one!

Class Overview

Sax to Songs is designed for absolute beginners and rusty starters who want to skip the tedious technical drills and focus on what actually matters: playing songs you love.

In this supportive and fun class, we demystify the basics just enough to get you making great sounds, and then immediately apply them to real-world tunes. Whether your favorite music is chart-topping pop, heavy-hitting rap beats, smooth R&B, or classic soul, you’ll learn the shortcuts to sounding great without getting bogged down in theory.

The Secret Melody: From Beats to Ballads

Love rap and modern pop? Your favorite tracks are already built on incredible hooks and vocal lines. In this class, we show you that a saxophone doesn't play "old-fashioned" music—it functions just like a vocal lead or a catchy synth drop in your favorite modern songs.

The way I see it: If you can hum it, you can play it.

I’ll teach you how to translate the infectious energy of pop and hip-hop phrasing, to name a few genres, into smooth, expressive melodic playing that commands the room.

What You Will Learn

The 5-Minute Setup: Quick tricks for putting your horn together, managing your reed, and getting a confident tone instantly.

Essential Finger Shortcuts: Master the core notes you actually need to play hundreds of popular songs and catchy hooks.

Rhythm & Groove: How to play with feel and make the notes swing, rock, or lock into a modern beat rather than sound like a robot.

Play-Along Mastery: Build confidence by playing right along with backing tracks, modern loops, and your favorite recordings.

Who This Is For:

Anyone who wants a low-stress, high-reward musical community.

No boring sheet music drills allowed!

Bring your saxophone, an open mind, and get ready to turn your favorite hooks and favorite songs into real music on week one!

Extra information

Have own alto saxophone or a rental with a strap. Use a closed-tip mouthpiece (around a 4 tip opening) paired with a 2 sized alto sax reed. My recommendation: Yamaha 4C alto sax mouthpiece with a Légère American Cut 2 sized alto sax reed

Location

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At student's location :

Around Tokyo, Japan

At teacher's location :

하치다이메, Japan, 東京都

Online from Japan

Age

Children (7-12 years old)

Teenagers (13-17 years old)

Adults (18-64 years old)

Seniors (65+ years old)

Student level

Beginner

Duration

60 minutes

The class is taught in

English

Skills

Music composition

Availability of a typical week

(GMT -04:00)

New York

At teacher's location and via webcam

At student's home

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Sun

00-04

04-08

08-12

12-16

16-20

20-24

Course to play popular music.
Jazz, Latin, Cuban music, pop, many more genres of popular music. Hi, I'm Héctor from Cuba with a career of more than 20 years as a guitarist, composer, music producer and singer-songwriter. Graduated from the University of Music in Cuba ISA

COURSE SYNOPSIS
✔ Re-create songs with style using techniques from various genres like R&B, rock & New Age
✔ Develop your ability to play by ear!
✔ Supercharge your musicianship with techniques like syncopation, runs/fills & harmonisation

HOW LESSONS WORK
✔ 45-minute weekly lessons with flexible make-up system
✔ Customised curriculum combining theory & application
✔ Lesson notes, chord charts, and fake sheets provided
✔ Play your way: PLAY | PLAY & SING
✔ Learn your way: By ear | Cipher (简谱) | Western notation

MY MUSIC STUDIO
• Shigeru Kawai SK-3 Grand Piano
• Yamaha P-125 88-key Digital Piano
• Yamaha GL-1 Guitarlele

ONLINE LESSON SETUP
• Real-time lessons, powered by Microsoft Teams
• See what I play with virtual keyboard visualisation
• Hear what I play with enhanced Steinway piano sounds

Guitar Lessons from Professional player graduated at Musicians Institute in Hollywood.

Spanish musician with more than 20 years teaching, recording and touring experience.

Instructor in a Contemporary Music School in Tokyo.

Acoustic, electric, different styles, from beginner to advanced, reasonable rates!!!!!

Improve your technique, tempo, feel... your knowledge about chords, scales, guitar tools, arranging, songwriting, ...

Student's guitar available.

ONLINE LESSONS AVAILABLE

Guitar Lesson
I can teach any genre what you want to play!
If you do not have a score, I can transcribe them.

Music Composition
how to use DAW. (Logic Pro and Ableton)
Plugin, Synthesizer.

VoiceRecording and mixing.
VoiceRecording in my studio or external music studio.

Hello :) My name is Ayari and I am a saxophonist currently based in Yokosuka/Yokohama/Tokyo area. I lived and studied in Canada for about a decade and have just recently returned to Japan. I am fluent in English and Japanese. I have a BMus from a university in Canada and would be delighted to offer you saxophone lessons. My degree is in classical music but I would be happy to work with any style or genre of music! I have a lesson place just a short walk from Kenritsudaigaku station but if it does not work well for any students or their families, I am pretty flexible on locations. I am also experienced in online lessons and would be happy to meet online instead (or hybrid with in-person lesson depending on your schedule). Feel free to send me a message and I am looking forward to meeting you! All ages and levels are welcomed :) I can also accommodate a group lesson!

EXPLORE MUSIC THROUGH PIANO PLAYING
A graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, I offer private piano lessons at my teaching studio in Narimasu, Itabashiku, Tokyo. In my lessons I strive to teach more than simply how to play the piano. My goal is to help students understand how music works, how to understand it, and how to create it yourself. I take a holistic approach to teaching, incorporating lessons in proper piano technique, listing skills, rhythm and harmony games, good practice habits and techniques, and the history of music, among other things. Above all else I aim to make the lessons as interesting and useful as possible.

Taiko Drumming is both a traditional instrument and an innovative medium for making contemporary music.
I am Eva, a professional Taiko Drummer, and I have playing the Taiko drums for 30 years.

Lessons will be taught online on weekdays and on-site in central Tokyo on weekends, in groups. Private lessons can be arranged upon request.

Here is my profile:

Born in Tokyo, Japan, Eva was raised by a family of scholars and artists with mixed German and Japanese heritage. From a young age, she learned how to play piano after her father introduced her to classical music, while she simultaneously learned Taiko after her mother introduced her to the Japanese arts. After graduating from the International School of the Sacred Heart in Tokyo, Japan, she attended Cornell University in New York, USA, where she earned a B.A. in Philosophy. While attending Cornell, she joined the Cornell University Percussion Ensemble. The following year, she co-founded the Taiko drumming student organization called Cornell Taiko (YAMATAI) and she was the lead drummer and Musical Director. After graduating from Cornell at the young age of 22, she returned to Japan and started performing professionally. She started her solo career a year later.

Eva is also trained in Japanese folk dance (with a focus on male styles) and has a passion for street dance and locking. She joined an Awa dance team affiliated with the prestigious Koenji Awa Dance Association and made her way to become one of the top female dancers in Japan.

Today, she brings Japanese taiko drumming and song to a brand new context of pop music and also performs with many distinguished artists, musicians, dancers, and Taiko drummers across multiple genres. Eva does not only perform using taiko, she also uses a number of other instruments that have a distinct flavor of the Japanese environment including Koto (Japanese Harp), Voice, and Piano. Eva also works in the field of education and teaches taiko drumming workshops to both children and adults and is also involved in humanitarian efforts such as raising awareness for the disabled.

Her music, dynamic performances, and selfless spirit continue to inspire not only her many fans but all who witness her performances all over the world.

In 2023, her original music was published by Harper Collins Publisher and she was also the cover image of their music textbook. In 2024, her original music was utilized by Cambridge International Curriculum, used in over 160 countries and 10,000 schools, which sets a global standard for education, and is recognized by universities and employers worldwide.

Shakuhachi is a traditional Japanese bamboo flute.
It is unique in historical sense, Shakuhachi was played in Edo period, not as a musical instrument but a tool for Buddhism training.
It also has very unique character as a wind instrument, and there is very satisfying pleasure to play it.

In this class, we would like to share the joy and mindfulness of Shakuhachi playing.
It is sometimes hard to make sound with Shakuhachi, but there is so much to be inspired by feeling your breath turning into the sound, by playing the instrument.

Koudou is a professional Shakuhachi player, who has finished both the Bachelor and Master course at the Tokyo University of the Arts.
Along with playing in concerts and lives, he also gives lessons daily and teach in workshops for beginners more than 50 times a year.

Hi, I am Rickey a Guitarist/ TV Film Composer,
I am offering private guitar lessons and music composition coaching for students of all levels.
(Both in Japanese and English lesson available)

What I Offer

• Guitar lessons – beginner to advanced
• Acoustic, and analyze your favorite music.
• Composition & Music Arrangement coaching
• Music Theory (Chord, Triad, Scale, Voicing)
• Creating cinematic textures on guitar
• Improving technique, expression, and improvisation
• In-person or online lessons

About My Teaching

My approach focuses on helping you:
• Understand music in a practical, creative way
• Express your own musical voice
• Learn how to compose or improvise using one simple idea.
• Transition and make arrangements from one guitar to full band or orchestral pieces.

Course to play popular music.
Jazz, Latin, Cuban music, pop, many more genres of popular music. Hi, I'm Héctor from Cuba with a career of more than 20 years as a guitarist, composer, music producer and singer-songwriter. Graduated from the University of Music in Cuba ISA

COURSE SYNOPSIS
✔ Re-create songs with style using techniques from various genres like R&B, rock & New Age
✔ Develop your ability to play by ear!
✔ Supercharge your musicianship with techniques like syncopation, runs/fills & harmonisation

HOW LESSONS WORK
✔ 45-minute weekly lessons with flexible make-up system
✔ Customised curriculum combining theory & application
✔ Lesson notes, chord charts, and fake sheets provided
✔ Play your way: PLAY | PLAY & SING
✔ Learn your way: By ear | Cipher (简谱) | Western notation

MY MUSIC STUDIO
• Shigeru Kawai SK-3 Grand Piano
• Yamaha P-125 88-key Digital Piano
• Yamaha GL-1 Guitarlele

ONLINE LESSON SETUP
• Real-time lessons, powered by Microsoft Teams
• See what I play with virtual keyboard visualisation
• Hear what I play with enhanced Steinway piano sounds

Guitar Lessons from Professional player graduated at Musicians Institute in Hollywood.

Spanish musician with more than 20 years teaching, recording and touring experience.

Instructor in a Contemporary Music School in Tokyo.

Acoustic, electric, different styles, from beginner to advanced, reasonable rates!!!!!

Improve your technique, tempo, feel... your knowledge about chords, scales, guitar tools, arranging, songwriting, ...

Student's guitar available.

ONLINE LESSONS AVAILABLE

Guitar Lesson
I can teach any genre what you want to play!
If you do not have a score, I can transcribe them.

Music Composition
how to use DAW. (Logic Pro and Ableton)
Plugin, Synthesizer.

VoiceRecording and mixing.
VoiceRecording in my studio or external music studio.

Hello :) My name is Ayari and I am a saxophonist currently based in Yokosuka/Yokohama/Tokyo area. I lived and studied in Canada for about a decade and have just recently returned to Japan. I am fluent in English and Japanese. I have a BMus from a university in Canada and would be delighted to offer you saxophone lessons. My degree is in classical music but I would be happy to work with any style or genre of music! I have a lesson place just a short walk from Kenritsudaigaku station but if it does not work well for any students or their families, I am pretty flexible on locations. I am also experienced in online lessons and would be happy to meet online instead (or hybrid with in-person lesson depending on your schedule). Feel free to send me a message and I am looking forward to meeting you! All ages and levels are welcomed :) I can also accommodate a group lesson!

EXPLORE MUSIC THROUGH PIANO PLAYING
A graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, I offer private piano lessons at my teaching studio in Narimasu, Itabashiku, Tokyo. In my lessons I strive to teach more than simply how to play the piano. My goal is to help students understand how music works, how to understand it, and how to create it yourself. I take a holistic approach to teaching, incorporating lessons in proper piano technique, listing skills, rhythm and harmony games, good practice habits and techniques, and the history of music, among other things. Above all else I aim to make the lessons as interesting and useful as possible.

Taiko Drumming is both a traditional instrument and an innovative medium for making contemporary music.
I am Eva, a professional Taiko Drummer, and I have playing the Taiko drums for 30 years.

Lessons will be taught online on weekdays and on-site in central Tokyo on weekends, in groups. Private lessons can be arranged upon request.

Here is my profile:

Born in Tokyo, Japan, Eva was raised by a family of scholars and artists with mixed German and Japanese heritage. From a young age, she learned how to play piano after her father introduced her to classical music, while she simultaneously learned Taiko after her mother introduced her to the Japanese arts. After graduating from the International School of the Sacred Heart in Tokyo, Japan, she attended Cornell University in New York, USA, where she earned a B.A. in Philosophy. While attending Cornell, she joined the Cornell University Percussion Ensemble. The following year, she co-founded the Taiko drumming student organization called Cornell Taiko (YAMATAI) and she was the lead drummer and Musical Director. After graduating from Cornell at the young age of 22, she returned to Japan and started performing professionally. She started her solo career a year later.

Eva is also trained in Japanese folk dance (with a focus on male styles) and has a passion for street dance and locking. She joined an Awa dance team affiliated with the prestigious Koenji Awa Dance Association and made her way to become one of the top female dancers in Japan.

Today, she brings Japanese taiko drumming and song to a brand new context of pop music and also performs with many distinguished artists, musicians, dancers, and Taiko drummers across multiple genres. Eva does not only perform using taiko, she also uses a number of other instruments that have a distinct flavor of the Japanese environment including Koto (Japanese Harp), Voice, and Piano. Eva also works in the field of education and teaches taiko drumming workshops to both children and adults and is also involved in humanitarian efforts such as raising awareness for the disabled.

Her music, dynamic performances, and selfless spirit continue to inspire not only her many fans but all who witness her performances all over the world.

In 2023, her original music was published by Harper Collins Publisher and she was also the cover image of their music textbook. In 2024, her original music was utilized by Cambridge International Curriculum, used in over 160 countries and 10,000 schools, which sets a global standard for education, and is recognized by universities and employers worldwide.

Shakuhachi is a traditional Japanese bamboo flute.
It is unique in historical sense, Shakuhachi was played in Edo period, not as a musical instrument but a tool for Buddhism training.
It also has very unique character as a wind instrument, and there is very satisfying pleasure to play it.

In this class, we would like to share the joy and mindfulness of Shakuhachi playing.
It is sometimes hard to make sound with Shakuhachi, but there is so much to be inspired by feeling your breath turning into the sound, by playing the instrument.

Koudou is a professional Shakuhachi player, who has finished both the Bachelor and Master course at the Tokyo University of the Arts.
Along with playing in concerts and lives, he also gives lessons daily and teach in workshops for beginners more than 50 times a year.

Hi, I am Rickey a Guitarist/ TV Film Composer,
I am offering private guitar lessons and music composition coaching for students of all levels.
(Both in Japanese and English lesson available)

What I Offer

• Guitar lessons – beginner to advanced
• Acoustic, and analyze your favorite music.
• Composition & Music Arrangement coaching
• Music Theory (Chord, Triad, Scale, Voicing)
• Creating cinematic textures on guitar
• Improving technique, expression, and improvisation
• In-person or online lessons

About My Teaching

My approach focuses on helping you:
• Understand music in a practical, creative way
• Express your own musical voice
• Learn how to compose or improvise using one simple idea.
• Transition and make arrangements from one guitar to full band or orchestral pieces.

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