Jazz Sax Lesson Reviews

13 Five Star Reviews for Jazz Improv Teacher Rick Rossi of Los Angeles Music Teachers
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Michael R. Feb 20, 2017
Saxophone Online
I'm a senior citizen without a shred of innate musical talent. LOL The idea of being able to improvise the blues on a saxophone was a wild and unattainable fantasy....until I met Rick. I had already checked out lots of other jazz saxophone teachers online so I knew within the first few lessons that Rick was unique. He was able to simplify my problems and help me make great progress right away. With enthusiasm, this celebrated musician took me through all the baby steps - first to get a respectable sound, and then through his ingenious system of improvisation. I'm moving at what I would say is warp speed in learning to improvise, already reaching levels of soloing that were only in my dreams. But the real bonus on top of Rick's fantastic teaching method and system is Rick the man, and the relationship this star musician forms with a student. His humility amazes me at every lesson. Knowing how valuable his time must be, the fact that he encourages me to send recordings between lessons, and sends feedback on each one, is testament to how much he truly cares about a student's progress. It's a gift he generously gives. He is also a genius at how much criticism and how much encouragement a particular student needs.           Could there possibly be a better teacher than Rick Rossi? I don't think so.
 
Kevin  Oct 3, 2016
Saxophone · In studio
I am saxophone player at an intermediate to advanced level and Rick’s lessons helped my sound and improvisation tremendously in a very short amount of time. What really sets Rick apart is that his method is unlike any other teacher I've studied with I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to learn how to improvise better. Let me start from the beginning.
I’ve been playing music for the past 15 years. I’ve taken lessons in drums, clarinet, and piano, while self-teaching myself piano, guitar, and bass guitar. Through the years though, I always had a desire to learn the saxophone. Never truly playing a solo instrument with jazz improvisation at its core, I started my quest for a teacher who could teach me how to improvise. I bounced around several local music shops and music conservatories, looking for a teacher that could unlock the mystery of improvisation, but I was subjected to hours upon hours of method books without ever actually being given the chance to start improvising over jazz standards. Of course, the basics are essential when improvising, but I always found myself over thinking things. I took a break for a few months, but when I was approached by my family to play saxophone for my grandparent’s 50th anniversary celebration of over 200 people, I decided that I needed to find a teacher who actually adjusted his lessons based on his student and their interests, rather than a cookie cutter lesson progression. During the first few lessons with Rick, he said that instead of focusing on the specific fingerings on the sax or the specific scales and notes I had to be playing, to really listen to the beauty of the music and just play what I hear in my head. Once I got comfortable and stopped thinking about what the “right” notes were, I stopped thinking and just played. A wall that I’ve tried to overcome for the past 5 years, was finally behind me after only a few lessons. After I got past my own thinking, Rick gave me very simple but effective methods to incorporate into my playing to create a more cohesive solo with stylistic tricks and motifs to really impress the crowd and love what you’re playing. I can without reservation, having studied with some of the top saxophone teachers/players in the Los Angeles/Orange County area, say that Rick changed my saxophone playing life and truly has the secrets to improvising on the saxophone. On top of that, even though he is a Grammy award winning artist, is one of the most humble people I’ve ever met. He is always so willing to impart knowledge from his immense amount of experience but never makes you feel like he is looking down on you or is frustrated with you. He teaches because he loves to do it, and to see his student’s eyes light up when they play their first improvised solo on saxophone, is the very reason he teaches so selflessly. That is what stood out the most to me.

Joshua  Sep 23, 2016
Saxophone · In studio
Verified Student
What a difference! Like night & day. Josh is going to survive his first performance of the year thanks to Rick! Looking forward to next week.

Elad S.  Sep 17, 2016
Saxophone · In studio
I've been taking lessons with Rick Rossi for a few years now, both through Skype and face to face. He is a true professional, extremely knowledgable, and cares deeply about his students and teaching.
He has a unique approach to learning improvisation which is as appropriate for veteran players as it is for complete beginners, and he has been a tremendous help for me in terms of technique and improving my sound.
In an era where a lot of great players can't teach, where so many teachers take a dogmatic, cookie-cutter approach, Rick Rossi's student-centered style stands out. He is serious about your learning, he doesn't try to sugarcoat or shortcut anything and gives more if you're willing to, like giving you honest progress feedback on recordings you send him, and working on particular solos and stylistic issues (bop, blues, rock, smooth jazz, pop, etc) that are individually useful and relevant to your level and goals. I'm really grateful to have found a teacher like Rick Rossi in LA.

​Holly  Aug 4, 2016
Saxophone · In studio
I am a teacher in the LAUSD and I know a good teacher when I encounter one. Rick is unbelievable. After his first sax lesson with Rick, my son’s tone was so rich, full, and bright. He made more progress in that first lesson than he had after months with his previous teacher. Rick has developed a system to teach his students how to improvise. My son now is able to solo at such a high level. He plays in the Jazz Ensemble at his school and the band director now refers to him as a “Monster.” The best thing about Rick is that he gets excited when he sees the growth and progress in my son. He loves to see him succeed and that’s why he works so hard to find the most direct and effective way to bring out the best in his students. I know how challenging teaching can be. Rick is one of a kind and his students are very fortunate to have him!

​Jimmy  Jul 11, 2016
Music Performance · In studio
Rick is a fantastic improv and just overall music teacher. As a professional guitar player I have found Rick's deep understanding of both music and the art of teaching to prove most valuable. His methodical approach taught me not only what kind of notes to choose from, but how to use my ear to decide how I want to play. I would highly recommend Rick's method for any instrument at any level!

Abby S.  Mar 4, 2016
Saxophone · Online
Verified Student
Rick made my daughter feel comfortable and at ease, in spite of her performance anxiety. He took his time and did not rush (even went over time to finish) and my daughter learned new things the very first lesson. Very excited to see how lessons progress! Thank you!

 YUKI  Sep 9, 2015
Saxophone · In studio
Rick is a great saxophone and jazz improvisation teacher. I started with him from scratch a year ago. In just a couple lessons he helped me get a good sound and all my basics happening. He has a lot of experience teaching; it really shows in how clearly he is able to explain how each thing we work on works and how to practice it. I always leave each lesson with recordings of him discussing exactly what I’m supposed to work on for the week along with examples he plays on his sax for me to follow. He really cares about my success and progress each week. In fact, he coaxes me to send him recordings every night while I’m practicing so that he can help me if I’m getting something wrong or to give me the confidence of knowing that I’m doing it right or some suggestions on how I can improve it. In other words, I can get feedback every time I need it if I send a recording. That’s helped me avoid a lot of wasted time. I’m progressing so fast and I really have fun at my lessons. I joined "The Big Phat Band" Band Camp this summer and had the best experience of my life playing in the band. Rick helped me in so many ways to prepare for that and it's made me inspired to practice even more. I highly recommend taking a lesson and see for yourself what an outstanding saxophone teacher he is.

Patrick J.  Sep 2, 2015
Saxophone · In studio
Verified Student
Had a great first lesson! Boosted my sound 30% within the first hour! Great tips and very friendly!
 
Jonathan  Aug 20, 2015
Saxophone · In studio
I’ve been a working musician and composer in Los Angeles for the last 20 years. I’ve also spent a good deal of that time teaching piano, so I feel like I have a pretty good handle on what makes a good music teacher. Still, when I had to find a sax teacher for my son, it wasn’t easy. I knew some really great players, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be good teachers. Luckily, I found Rick. In addition to being an amazing saxophone, flute and clarinet player, he’s an unbelievable teacher. In the first lesson, he did more for my son’s tone than months of lessons had with our previous teacher. He also has his own method of teaching jazz improvisation and it really is amazing. My son is improvising at a really high level and keeps getting better all the time. Rick really gets involved with my son’s progress and he truly gets excited when he excels. The truth is no one deserves a teacher like Rick-you can only hope to get really lucky to find a teacher this good.

Manoela W.  Aug 10, 2015
Saxophone · In studio
I’m a classically trained violinist and I perform many different styles of music as a freelancer in Los Angeles, however I wasn’t a very confident improviser until I started studying with Rick. It always felt like I was shooting in the dark because I had no idea how to play within the chord changes, I was just relying on my ears. Rick has a very simple system that takes you step by step so it feels very manageable to learn and you feel like you’re constantly improving. It made sense from the very beginning and I started improvising with more control and confidence right away by applying his method to my solos. Rick is a world class musician and his knowledge of improvisation and jazz/blues is inspiring and very impressive. He has also played with so many huge acts and done virtually every kind of gig so he taught me a lot of practical advice that’s helped me get work and get hired again. I owe a lot of my success to Rick, and I cannot recommend him enough as a teacher and mentor!

Rick’s main instrument is saxophone and he teaches amazing jazz improvisation lessons so for anyone who wants to learn how to improvise, there’s no better teacher. If you want jazz sax lessons, I’ve heard some of his students and they are amazing players in a short amount of time. You would be wise to at least check him out for yourself.

Daniel  Aug 8, 2015
Saxophone · Online
After years of taking saxophone lessons from the so called "great teachers" in Los Angeles I was really frustrated with my progress or lack of progress. Luckily I found Rick. In only a couple of months with Rick I was improvising at a level that I couldn’t even believe was possible. He has a system that is amazing and incredibly simple to learn and to apply to all the songs I love to play.
If you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced player, Rick can elevate your playing faster than you can imagine. I can't recommend him highly enough. Rick's and his system are simply incredible.

Danny  Aug 7, 2015
Saxophone · Online
I have been playing the saxophone for 26 years. After 15 years of lessons with other teachers I became a student of Rick's and have stayed with Rick ever since. I had been taking lessons from tremendous players - all of them pro's in the Los Angeles area - but in those 15 years none of them were able to have an impact on my playing like Rick. Through Rick's structured and organized "program", I learned to play the contemporary jazz and pop music that I first drew me to the saxophone - both melodies and solos!
For the first 8 years I took lessons out of Rick's house. I have since moved to Florida and have been taking lessons with Rick online for the past 2 years. What's incredible about Rick's plan is that his online instruction is equally as effective as taking classes in his house and my playing continues to improve at a rapid pace. I would strongly encourage anyone who is serious about learning to play hip, soulful and groovin' music to get in touch Rick and get started on his plan. My one regret is not starting with Rick sooner!
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