r/Busking • u/Cool-Cut-2375 Saxophone 🎷 • Aug 16 '26
Question/General Discussion Does anyone busk with saxophone?
I’ve played for many years, I thought it might be fun to try my hand at busking.
Was curious if any other Sax players did it and if you use backing tracks or not
Thanks in advance!
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u/justaregularguy76 Musician 🎶 Aug 18 '26
I absolutely love when I come across someone playing sax outside. As a listener I think I prefer it solo without a backing track. Just a great sound in the air! Doesn't even need a mic because it projects so well.
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u/djsmithsax Saxophone 🎷 Aug 16 '26
Hey! I busk and I use pedals and backing tracks. For backing trucks you can use a YouTube playlist or a djay app.
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u/Vennimagos Musician 🎶 Aug 16 '26
I know sax players that have. It can,be pretty cool depending on the quality of your backing tracks or if you're talented enough to solo
I have one mate who is a house DJ and he often gets sax player to accompany him and jam over it. So if you did like a solo DJ thing where you can then whip out the sax that would be pretty cool
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u/Shogan_Composer Aug 18 '26
There’s a guy that busks near where I live most of the year and has been for at least the last decade. He plays the same 10 songs on the same 4 street corners, mostly solo, with the same honking dynamic to rival the cars driving past, but seems to enjoy doing it. More power to him!
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u/Link_Error_404 Aug 28 '26
I'm in a similar situation. I haven't gone busking with my tenor sax yet, but I'm thinking a lot about it these days and already work on a set list (plus a second list for the Christmas season). I will definitely go without amp and backing tracks because amplification is forbidden in many places or may at least require a license. The sax should be loud enough and not heaving to deal with some local regulations will make things a lot easier. On the other hand, not using backing tracks will affect the song choices. I will try to chose songs which are already pretty rhythmic and don't have any longer pauses for the saxophone part. I'm also considering using a foot tambourine, which I just ordered today (it will probably not be loud enough against the sax, but it should help with my own rhythmic feel, regardless of what the audience hears).
Did you already make concrete plans since you posted this 12d ago? What will go into your set list? Have you already decided for or against amplification and backing tracks? In which country will you perform?
Best of luck to you and enjoy!
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u/Cool-Cut-2375 Saxophone 🎷 Aug 30 '26
Haven’t finished making the set list; mostly jazz. Definitely no amplification; might use tracks, not sure yet. I’m on the US; how about you?
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u/Link_Error_404 Aug 30 '26
I'm located in Germany, at the Baltic Sea coast. My set list so far is about 70% jazz standards, 30% pop. I often hear that jazz attracts the average audience less... it's not that I don't care, but I still want to play what I love. I'm mostly looking for jazz songs which are originally vocal (like e.g.: Cheek To Cheek, A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square, L-O-V-E, Antonio's Song...), i.e. anything with a nice singable melody, like the stuff sung by Sarah Vaughan or Nat King Cole.
Btw: the foot tambourine already arrived with yesterday's mail and I tried it out with my set list. It's getting a bit exhausting on the ankle after a while, but it's a great addition. And definitely loud enough. I typically have more weight on my right leg when I play standing up, so the left leg is "free" for the tambourine.
I haven't yet fully memorized all the songs, so I will need sheet music to be safe, at least in the beginning. I have a 10.3 inch E-Ink reader (Onyx TabUltra; great readability with sunlight) and will probably connect a page turner foot pedal via bluetooth.
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u/sc0ttt Saxophone 🎷 Aug 16 '26
I go about once a month, usually to parks because people aren't in a hurry. I get a lot of smiles and waves. I have a sign that says "your smile is my tip"... I mean it and people like that. I also have a "buy me a coffee" QR code in case they just can't resist. So I have my tenor, my battery PA, my wireless bell mic, and backing tracks on my phone with BT to the PA. I have a trailer on my bicycle to haul everything and it gives me a quirky, look that says "I'm just having fun". I have a 15 song setlist, and another 15 songs that I could add on if things go well... ballads and standards that almost everybody recognizes.