By studying extended techniques, we open ourselves to a very subtle and delicate process of fine-tuning our instrumental abilities, resulting in the discovery of new resonances and sonic prowess. The exercises presented in this book and accompanying online audio are designed to help cultivate the exquisite skills ofrefining saxophone sound through a practice of focus, balance andpatience that can be applied to any performance style or aesthetic. Includes access to online audio.

(Sax Instruction). Many books present facts, but Modern Saxophone Techniques teaches the developing player how to learn. Listening, exploring, writing original music, and trial and error are some of the methods threaded throughout. The concepts presented will keep players learning, maturing, and mastering the saxophone in modern times, and for many years to come. On the online video, author and virtuoso saxophonist Frank Catalano offers quick tips on many of the topics covered in the book. "In the Band" allows saxophonists to play along on six tunes and studies. Topics include: developing good rhythm * air stream and embouchure * fingering charts * tonguing techniques * modern harmony tips * and more.

The repertoire of the saxophone has advanced significantly since its invention circa 1840. Performers are required to adapt to the demands of composers - many of whom are exploring new and unconventional sounds and techniques. Numerous texts exist to identify and explain these so-called "extended" techniques, but there are very few resources for the initial stages of performance. In order to offer performers a resource, the author of this text composed forty original etudes (or studies) that incorporate extended techniques in a variety of ways. After identifying common extended techniques that a performer might face, the author focused on four different ways each individual technique might appear in actual repertoire. The resulting work is entitled Pushing Boundaries: Forty Etudes on Extended Techniques. Each etude offers a practical approach to what is generally a single extended technique. Although this text is not pedagogical in the sense of identifying the mechanics and anatomical requirements of each technique, it does contain a performance analysis of each etude. This analysis identifies areas where performers might struggle and offers helpful suggestions. To this end, the etudes accompanied by performance analysis provide a paced, systematic approach to the mastery of each technique.

Modeled on the brilliant approach first formulated by distinguished professor music and master clarinetist Michele Gingras in her Clarinet Secrets and More Clarinet Secrets (both available from Scarecrow Press), Tracy Heavner’s Saxophone Secrets provides advanced saxophonists with 60 performance secrets that will assist in their musical development. This work is the result of 30 years of personal teaching and performance experience. Heavner offers both intermediate players and advanced professionals a wide variety of techniques, which will greatly improve any saxophonist’s performance ability. Designed to be the go-to hands-on guide for practitioners, Heavner’s strategies consider a vast array of issues for the saxophonist who needs to take that next big step up. Beginning chapters consider various brands of saxophones, mouthpieces, ligatures, reeds, and maintenance techniques that reflect the standard practices and expectations of the advanced performer. The secrets that follow develop and improve embouchure, tone, articulation, and finger technique, allowing saxophonists to analyze their own playing and adjust accordingly. Heavner pulls back the curtain further to introduce those secrets for developing the altissimo register and extended saxophone techniques, from circular breathing and multiphonics to slap and flutter tonguing—all absolute necessities for saxophonists seeking to play contemporary classical, jazz, or commercial music. Finally, Heavner concludes by letting musicians in on those little-revealed secrets for taking their saxophones on the road. Saxophone Secrets is the ideal work for saxophonists, saxophone instructors, band teachers, and anyone looking to improve their saxophone performance skills or those of their students.

Jorge Peixinho's Sax-Blue (1982-84), Passage Intérieur (1989), and Fantasia-Impromptu (1990) demonstrate an expressive exploration of saxophone sound through extended techniques. Timbral exploration is an essential element of the composer's "new and personal sound world." These techniques create sound transformations that interact with the ensemble in creative and varied ways. In Sax-Blue, Peixinho worked closely with French saxophonist Daniel Kientzy. The various extended techniques, especially multiphonics derived from Kientzy's Les Sons Multiples Aux Saxophones (1982) interact with jazz-inspired musical language and electronics to create layers of saxophone sound. Passage Intérieur was written for Kientzy and his Barocko ensemble. The composer also worked closely with Kientzy and Barocko in preparing this piece. Peixinho uses a wider variety of extended saxophone techniques in Passage Intérieur, this time derived from Kientzy's Saxologie (1990). These techniques interact with electric guitar, electric bass, synthesizer and electric drums in various textures. Fantasia-Impromptu was written for Portuguese saxophonist José Massarrão and pianist Ana Mafalda. Peixinho and Massarrão worked closely, once again in consultation with Kientzy's Saxologie, to curate the extended techniques for the piece. These techniques interact in a colourful and virtuosic conversation with the piano. The performance considerations of the extended saxophone techniques in Sax-Blue, Passage Intérieur and Fantasia-Impromptu are discussed. Interviews with key performance collaborators clarify the role the performer had in the creation and ongoing performance history of these idiomatic saxophone pieces. My interviews with Robert Aitken, António de Sousa Dias, Mario Falcão, Daniel Kientzy, José Machado, José Massarrão and Reina Portuondo inform my performance discussion. In addition, I created an edition of Sax-Blue that reconciles the differences between the various versions and the revision of the piece. This allows for the use of a single score in the study and performance of the piece. An introduction and theoretical analysis of all three pieces is presented and also informs the performance discussion.

Playing & Teaching the Saxophone: A Modern Approach provides a method for teaching the saxophone that is specific enough to use as a textbook in a collegiate saxophone methods class, simple enough for a band director to use in guiding their saxophone sections, clear enough for adult beginners to teach themselves the instrument, and deep enough for professionals to use as a resource in teaching private lessons at any level. The first sections of this book, Getting Started and Learning the Notes, take a student in a collegiate methods class or other adult beginner through the fundamental concepts of playing the saxophone. The In-Depth section then lays out critical concepts that are essential to the further development of any saxophonist. As a contemporary guide for teaching the musicians and music educators of the 21st century, this method addresses the pedagogy of not only the instrument, but of the whole student. It includes a diverse array of musical examples that celebrate communities and cultures around the globe, and a "Wellness for the Young Musician" chapter offers an overview of practices that will help students navigate performance anxiety and avoid injury while playing. Designed to be a lifelong reference for band directors and private instructors, the book includes "Hand-It-Over" sections that can be used as student instructional sheets. These materials, along with video performances and teaching demonstrations, are also available in the book's companion website.

Imagine a large watermelon. Inside sit the secrets to saxophone virtuosity. Saxophone Technique whacks open the melon, cuts it into slices, and presents each topic as a digestible and tasty treat. Philosophical and phun, Saxophone Technique delves into the petits détails—the essential minutiae—that allow good saxophonists to become great. Bursting with exercises and pulsating with strategies, Saxophone Technique will help any player derive the most satisfaction and the most enjoyment from the practice process.