Season 03 - Episode 06 - Saxon Weiss | Transcription 

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PODCAST INTRO (Trout): Hey, everybody, it's a Trout. Hope you're having a great day. I don't know if you know this, but I scour the internet all the time looking for talent musicians that are not discovered yet, but they have great talents. Sometimes I'm lucky, obviously look out for the major names that people know like I did recently with Walter Trout, and so many other musicians that have come on this channel. But I'm always looking for those little diamonds in the rough. Well, I found one today's episode, I was watching YouTube and I was watching an episode about Norman's guitars. Now Norman’s guitars is a very famous, probably one of the most famous guitar shops in LA, people know about it all across America, a lot of famous musicians go there to try out to guitars all the time. And so I'm watching this little segment about this young man playing and he starts playing some jazz licks and starts playing some country licks. And I was really intrigued by that. Until I also found out he was only 10 years old. And I went holy moly. 10 year old prodigy already. His name is Saxon Weiss. And I reached out to his parents and they were kind enough to let me interview Saxon, which is coming up on this episode. Now he's only 10 years old. And he already is talking like he's been a musician for decades. He's got a great talent, and I think you're going to enjoy listen to his story, and how he's already driven to succeed in the music business, so to speak. And did I say He's talented? That's up next. Saxon Weiss, 10 year old guitar prodigy that you is going to be blown away by his talent. That's next on the todays show. When did you first start playing guitar? I mean, you're only 10. Now so what were you like, you're born and say, “Mom, give me a guitar”. Now tell me. 

Saxon Weiss: I actually started out my first instrument was drums. But it goes all the way back through about I was like a baby. And we go to church every week. And we listened to all these different music there. And it was really cool to hear the different music. And at that time, I really liked bluegrass, and that melodic sounding stuff. And I like classical too. But I'm still pretty young that and so at that time we got this drum set for me, it is one of those kid drum sets. Whenever we leave, I'd cry. So my dad decided to get me the drum set for my birthday. And that's really excited. But I was so small. I couldn't reach the foot. The kick. So what happened that I just play that without the kick? And I tried to move the symbols around stuff. And so at that time, I was liking Iron Maiden, actually, though, I went from Blue Raft, Iron Maiden, but I liked how they have like melodies sounding stuff and the jigs and stuff. I like that. And I liked the energy of the music that's really strong. I like Bruce Dickinson, who was running around the stage and stuff. Favorite guitarist was Yannick at the time there. I love when you put the foot up on the app. But anyway, I really liked them. Even like jumped around pillows and stuff pretending to be them. So I really wanted to play guitar, but it was way too big and too heavy. So we have the ukulele. And my dad showed me some chords on it and stuff. And I think he started out with a C chord or a G. Yes, t's a G. Like G and C and E minor. And that's what we've practiced. And then he tried to do a harder one, like B minor or something. 

Trout: And it's only four strings. 

Saxon Weiss: Yes, it wasn't too hard. But for me, it was harder, but I still got it. And so I just kept playing it and started getting better. And we went to Hawaii and these guys out at Hawaii, it was a Lea Kiana Aina and Matt Coronado. And Brad shot Ellis, who I played with, and I played this family reunion with them. I even did a couple, just me on there. And so I did that, I played some luaus with the ukulele and a couple of bars. So, we did that. And I was really liking the Hawaiian style stuff. And to transpose that into guitar, I like slack key.

Trout: I was going to say, I bet you played slack key, if you're in Hawaii, tried playing stack key. 

Saxon Weiss: So then after the ukulele, when I was able to pick up and carry the guitar a little bit, I started playing. I tried. I wanted to play slack key. And we heard it, my dad would did the alternating sound. So we were just trying to sit there and go. And whenever I'd come home, he'd be on the couch doing it. And I'd be like, man, I got to keep doing this, he is getting better at it. So I started getting to work on it. And just played a lot of that.

Trout: Were you using a thumb pick at that time or you just using fingers?

Saxon Weiss: At that I was using a thumb picks. Until I saw Chet Atkins. And he really inspired me, because he still have the thumb. But also, he’s using standard. And he’s using thumbpack too, it’s just standard tune. And so I thought that was just really cool. And so we were doing that, and I watched him play just the thumb but I was amazed on how he could do so many things at high. Meanwhile, still going to sound.

Trout: He play like a bass guitar. He's keeping the bass, rhythm going. And he's doing the finger thing to give the melody. 

Saxon Weiss: I started doing that. That's when I started getting more picks, some prior we had, we're trying to figure out ways to get it smaller. Even small sized it really. So to put in hot water and try that. But, that was that but more it started with a lot of just the thumb picking stuff that I liked. (Music 00:08:50 – 00:09:17).

Trout: Hey, guys, Jack Ron Sullivan here at Norman. I've got a new friend over here. His name is Saxon, and will tell you folks, he's about to take you to twink town. How old are you Dude? 

Saxon Weiss: I'm 10 years old. 

Trout: He came in to change his guitar strings on the Stratton's that said, he wants to look at some hollow bodies. I said, some semis. He said, No, i am looking at some big guitars. So we set him up with this Gibson, Birdland, and then he was sitting over down there with it. He's got a thumb pick on, how many 10 year olds play on the thumb pick. That's what I want to know. I don't even know what to say right now. He plays so great. So why don't you play us that first thing you did. (Music 00:09:51 – 00:10:54).

Saxon Weiss: But I also grew up liking like Jerry Garcia in the rain. Later I started liking a transit ASIO and fish, but that came later, is more the Grateful Dead that I always heard around. 

Trout: So if you like Chittick and did you ever listen to Mark Knopfler? 

Saxon Weiss: Yes, that's what I was going to say. He was cool because he played The Rock too. But still fingers. 

Trout: But the other thing is too from what I've seen of you is, you have a somewhat of a jazz influence or something about jazz that you like, but I admired your ability to be able to do the Chet Atkins style, and then you threw in this jazz stuff. So obviously understand why you gravitated to Chet, when did you say okay, I got Chet here. But then obviously who did you listen to get the jazz influence, to get the stylings of jazz, who was the one that you were, I like this. 

Saxon Weiss: Well, as I started taking lessons, we're doing theory, that's what we started out with. Well, we're doing blues too, showing the blues stuff. And then he finally said, okay, we can start going into jazz if you want. And before that i was like jazz. It's funny, and then he turned me on to it and i was like, wow. That's cool. Actually, there's a lot of cool things going on to it. And so he showed me the theoretical side. And I liked, the numbers of scales and stuff. 

Trout: Did you watch jazz performers or anybody that you liked?

Saxon Weiss:  I really liked George Benson at the time. I really liked his music because he still got the jazz, but it was catchy too. So that brought me into jazz a lot to really get into it. (Music 00:13:10 - 00:13:58). So I was kind of him and then I liked Patencany. So George Benson was the first person that I really liked.

Trout: Tell me a little bit about your practice regimen then. You said I want to learn how to play breezing by George Benson. Tell me how you did that. Did you just listen to it? Or did your teacher teach you? 

Saxon Weiss: Yes, it was more just listening to it. And it wasn't too hard to pick up. It wasn't too many chords that were crazy and stuff. So it was just D major seven, B minor, to E minor. But anyway, I just listened to it. And I heard what he's playing. And I listened to the studio version a lot, actually. 

Trout: I think it was years ago. There was a live version out. I'm sure. 

Saxon Weiss: There's some live versions. 

Trout: You just listened to it and started playing around.

Saxon Weiss: Yes, that’s how I just picked it up by ear. 

Trout: Then, as you got, you've obviously played in front of people. I've seen you played acoustic guitar and all that, will get your guitars met. But what lent you to go? Did you say to your mom or dad and say, I think I need to go down to Norman and look at his guitars because all the famous people go there. How did you end up down there? 

Saxon Weiss: No, I've always watched his videos. And we've always liked him. And we decided to go check out some guitars there.

Trout: He got just a couple of guitars. 

Saxon Weiss: Yes, a couples. No, but we just want to see the store, and guitars, just the whole thing of Norman and stuff. And it just played out. We're just looking at some guitars. And they're like, hey, do you want to do a video and I said then go. And so that's how it played out. It wasn't like, do a video for me. 

Trout: Well, no, did you pick out a guitar and say I want to try it out. And then you plugged it in. And then he went like, I want to talk to this kid about doing a video. Is that where it worked on? 

Saxon Weiss: Yes, I first went to the hollow bodies. Big full hollow bodies not semi. They're like, be careful with that. Yes, it's okay. And so I sat down and they're like, you're actually not bad. So basically what you said Weiss, so it wasn't bad and they're like Hey, do you want to do a video? 

Trout: Isn't that a nice way to say it. You're actually not bad. It's like, the truth of the matter is when you walk in the store, they don't expect you to play as well as you do, you do know that, I mean you have to do it now because I'm seeing the videos and I'm sure there was other people around going, Who is this kid playing this stuff? (Music 00:17:23). Everybody at Norman over here and I've got 10 year old sensation, Saxon Weiss and one of the great guitar players that I know, my buddy Jack Ryan Saltan and both these guys are killing it together. And Saxon tell us how we can find you?

Saxon Weiss: You can find me on Instagram. I have Instagram Saxon_ Weiss. 

Trout: All right well, this kid has something else. This guy recognizes that I think you want to make the produce couple Tools. So what are you going to do right now? 

Saxon Weiss: We're going to do cowgirl in the sand by Neil Young. 

Trout: All right, Neil, look out because this kid's going to knock your socks off, and maybe something out. 

Saxon Weiss: (Music 00:18:34 – 00:18:48).

Trout: What's your next step, though? You're obviously still playing. Are you still taking lessons? Or you just listen to what you want to do and learn in the music?

Saxon Weiss: I do my lessons. So I do classical guitar with Alexandra Milena. And that's all fingers and reading and stuff. And that's every week. It's every Wednesday. And I did that a couple of years ago. And after covid hit off, i was about a year on Zoom basically, for a little bit. And so then we got back and I'm still doing it. And I wake up at 5am every morning and do an hour of classical. 

Trout: You love it, don't you? 

Saxon Weiss: Yes. 

Trout: Who's your favorite classical performer though? 

Saxon Weiss: I really liked to Andres Andrekson. 

Trout: Of course you do. If you don't like him, there's something wrong with you. 

Saxon Weiss: And also Christopher parkings. He's really good. And the teachers stuff. I'm still Doing the jazz theory, and also just miscellaneous guitar stuff, licks or whatever. But I have a question, I just asked him. And so we do that every Monday for about an hour and a half, two hours. So that's we do some reading there, too. We also like the real book, jazz read some stuff. And, then we do a little jazz jam, too. But that's more of our free style thing. And the classical, it's more of the structured, very structured. 

Trout: So what's your goal? What do you want to do? You've got your country, you got your classical, and you got your jazz. 

Saxon Weiss: So since I've been young, since super far back, I've always wanted to be known for playing a bunch of different genres and being able to get it in different things, not just one thing. So that's the thing I've always want to do with guitar music. 

Trout: And, one of the things that brings into light is the fact that if you could do that, and you're still very young. But you could be a studio musician. Because very famous studio musicians, they do that all the time. They're known for certain things, obviously. But if you can do all that, and they go, Hey, sax, I got a pick, play some jazz for me, and if you got theory down, which I understand, even though I'm a songwriter, I know how to write a song, but it's like that. You're on your way. Because that's the fact that you've already learned all that stuff. And that'll take a lot of work, because they could bring charts into you. And lay some charts in front of you and go okay. And then you make whatever you make every day, do you have any desire to become very famous, or well known or play in front of 1000s of people. Do you even think about that? You mentioned a while ago, jumping around on pillows. But is that something you think about? 

Saxon Weiss: I've always thought cool, be in front of a bunch of people, see you play, it's pretty special. That's pretty cool to have that many people come and follow you. But I haven't really thought much about that money aspect.

Trout: Money comes when you're famous. That's what it is, when they pay a lot of money to come see you. It's, the best thing about it, I can tell you, and you'll eventually have this because I've had the opportunity to play in front of a lot of people. And when people love you, or they like what you're doing, it's very rewarding. Because all the work you're doing now and you're doing I'm just really impressed by the fact that you get up at five o'clock. You do all this stuff. A lot of people when they start playing an instrument, and I'm sure it's your school, have the kids started playing trumpet and all that stuff. Do you abandoned school yet? 

Saxon Weiss: Yes, where it's either your saxophone. And there's like 16 Trumpets, 4 saxophones, like 7 flute. But it's a cool thing. Just another instrument to learn. It's cool to see a different way of playing. 

Trout: But, your theory cups into that, too. 

Saxon Weiss: Yes. It wasn't too hard to do the reading of that. 

Trout: The difference is, you only play one note at a time. That's you can't go like, can you play a D minor on a sax? No. About a D seventh augmented? No. All you can do is play. Here's a D. And you can't bend your strings and all that stuff. Yeah. So tell me a little bit about your favorite. Do you have a favorite guitar? So you got a strat, or is it a strat, or I can't tell what the brand is on this? 

Saxon Weiss: This is Eric Johnson customs new line. 

Trout: That's the new one with a hollow body in it. 

Saxon Weiss: Yes. So this is hollow and I have just got the set norms actually. 

Trout: Beautiful guitar. 

Saxon Weiss: Yes, it's really cool. It's American made.

Trout: There's a true guitar player. It's American made you already know that, it's like, it's not a Mexican strat. Its American made. You've already learned that. 

Saxon Weiss: Yes. It's super cool as in there and I was like, man, I'm looking at that. And I was like, it was the whole year 335 but combined with the solid body strat. What's interesting about this guitar is, it's 21 frets instead of 20 or 22. And so that's pretty cool. And I've just been loving this one. 

Trout: So you've got that one and then the 339 behind you, and that's humbuckers on it, doesn't it? Instead. 

Saxon Weiss: Yes, this is just all single coil. I have another strap, just normal strap. And that one is actually humbucker and single coil. 

Trout: Okay, I've seen where it says a humbucker back down by the bridge. 

Saxon Weiss: This one, it's just the humbuckers. 

Trout: The one back here, that one's got the golden.

Saxon Weiss: Yes, it sounds cool for a country.

Trout:  I saw you playing some, do you have some acoustic guitar too? You have another? 

Saxon Weiss: Yes, I have a Yamaha. This it's cool. If you've ever seen, it has like a microphone built into it too. That gives us this cool effect on like a 12 string guitar. But I usually just turn it all off when I'm playing on an amp obviously. It sounds weird and tinny. What goes in with the AMP, but then I also have a Fender. I think it's Travel Fender but a junior or something, it is smaller. But it's still a good size that you can play it. Like kid’s one but that’s been acoustic.

Trout: All right. So what's your next step? You got to keep learning all these great instruments, you're going to keep learning how to play. It's a little early in the game. But what do you want to do? Obviously, you okay, I'm going to play this, I'm going to play saxophone. But have you thought further down the road? What is it, you want to take all that skill set to do? 

Saxon Weiss: I've always liked the idea of performing in front of people. And I've always liked that. So that's what I'm thinking of doing just bigger stuff, and bigger, just work my way up. 

Trout: You're just growing as a musician. And I will tell you this from my personally, I love to see young performers become better and better. But you're the next generation. And you got your parents that are supporting you, which is great. And don't come back to me in five or six years and go, I don't want to do this anymore. You have a talent that you are given and you should be proud of that talent. Just keep working at it. 

Saxon Weiss: Yes, that's great talking with you.

Trout: And I look forward to hearing more about you. Thanks for watching this episode of “The Trout Show”. For more information about Saxon, visit his Instagram site and instagram.com/Saxon _Weiss. As always, find out more about “The Trout Show”, visit our website at thetroutshow.com. So remember, people what always say, it's only rock and roll, but we love it. Until next time. See you.