Learning to play the saxophone or any other wind instrument is like learning any new skill. It requires time, consistency, and a plan. More time with your instrument can help you hone your abilities, but many acoustic wind instruments have limitations when it comes to when and where you can play. With a digital wind instrument like the Aerophone, new possibilities for play and practice open up to you, allowing you to establish a new skill you can enjoy for a lifetime.
Ability, Practice, and Passion
As a clinician and performer, there’s one thing I hear more than anything else while I’m out and about. It’s the complaint from others that they missed their window of opportunity to finally learn to play the saxophone (or flute, or clarinet, or trumpet). And because they never took up the instrument of their dreams earlier in life, they’ve established the limiting belief that it’s too late and they won’t ever be talented enough to pick up an instrument.
Talent is a combination of innate ability, practice, and passion. The latter two are often more crucial than natural ability. Every player progresses at their own pace. The journey, growth, and joy of creating music are what matter. So, it’s not too late if you’ve ever wanted to pick up a wind instrument. And here’s how the Roland Aerophone can help.
Easy to Use, Fun to Play
Whether you’re starting with the Aerophone GO, the AE-20, or the Aerophone Pro, the Roland Aerophone packs a lot of features into its family of digital wind instruments. Get the sound of many different instruments—from acoustic instruments like the violin or saxophone, synths, or regional instruments like shakuhachi. There are hundreds of sounds available to you built into the Aerophone or available through Aerophone apps or Roland Cloud.
The Aerophone has onboard speakers, but you can also plug in with headphones for a more private, intimate playing experience or practice at any hour of the day without bothering anyone. And while you’re in practice mode, you can connect to the Aerophone Lesson app to access a metronome and other training tools.
"While you’re in practice mode, you can connect to the Aerophone Lesson app to access a metronome and other training tools."
You can also go further with the suite of Aerophone apps like the Aerophone Editor, Aerophone GO Plus, and Aerophone Mini Plus, customizing your sounds to fit your specific tastes, adding effects to inspire playing for hours, and wrapping up your sessions with some fun.
Connect to your devices with Bluetooth or line inputs to enjoy playing along to your favorite tunes and jam out to your heart’s content.
Adjustable Volume
With built-in speakers, you have everything you need to start playing anywhere, at any time. The onboard settings allow you to adjust the volume to fit your needs and environment, so you can turn up or down. The volume can stay low for family members, roommates, and neighbors. Or you can turn up and share your playing session with others. With line out, you can connect to an amp or speakers to amplify your playing.
Private Practice with Headphones
It takes practice to sound good. Still, that also means making it through the phases when you don’t sound stellar to get to a point of confidence. And because it’s impossible to mute many wind instruments, those around you can hear each moment of you honing your skills on your instrument.
For some, this can make picking up your instrument intimidating. Very few people feel comfortable broadcasting their day-by-day development on their instrument to those around them. And even if you do feel confident picking up your instrument to hone your craft, you may find that the circumstances, place, or time of day aren’t ideal for practice.
"You can still find the time to pick up your Aerophone, whether it’s 10 p.m., the middle of the afternoon while your baby naps, or you live in a small apartment."
Plugging in headphones also allows you to play anytime without disturbing others. So you can still find the time to pick up your Aerophone, whether it’s 10 p.m., the middle of the afternoon while your baby naps, or you live in a small apartment or dorm with poor soundproofing. I’ve even brought mine on tour to practice on the plane while traveling between shows. Regardless of the time, place, or other circumstances, you can still build your skills with your Aerophone and headphones.
Lightweight Portability
The Roland Aerophone weighs just over 2 pounds (2 lbs. 9 oz with batteries). Its light weight makes it easy to bring it with you anywhere. It also comes with a high-quality, cushioned carry bag, making finding opportunities to play on the go simple.
Travel-Friendly and Built-In Customization
It’s not just its compact carrying case and sleek design that makes the Aerophone travel-friendly. It is also battery-powered, so you can play anywhere, even when power isn’t accessible.
The AE-20 and Aerophone Pro have an easy-to-read OLED screen and ergonomic controls that let you customize the instrument and your playing session from within the device. The Aerophone GO and Aerophone Mini also have onboard sounds and settings to give you variety. But if you want to adjust your sound, effects, and more, you can connect the Aerophone apps via Bluetooth for further customization.
Building Confidence
You’re becoming a better player and building your confidence with every practice session. The Aerophone makes it fun and easy to get that playing time in. Every moment with your instrument is a learning experience and will push you further down the path toward your musical goals and dreams.
If you play the saxophone, you already know how to play the Aerophone. Discover how the transferable nature of sax fingering makes the Aerophone an ideal beginner instrument.
