Accent on Achievement, Book 2: E-flat Alto Saxophone Book & Online Audio/Software

Accent on Achievement Book 2 doesn't make you choose between rigor and engagement. The full-color pages and genuine literature selections keep young saxophonists interested while the comprehensive review cycle means you're not reteaching fundamentals every week. With 11 full band arrangements across the first two books, your students get to sound like a real ensemble early and often.

Opening Book 2 feels like a natural step forward without losing the confidence students built in Book 1. The pages are visually inviting and colorful, which matters more than it might seem when a student is deciding whether to practice before rehearsal. The mix of technical work, world music selections, and genuine band arrangements creates variety that keeps the daily practice session from feeling like an obligation.

Beginning band students learning the E-flat alto saxophone, typically in grades five through eight. This book works equally well whether students are brand new to the instrument or transferring from another saxophone. Saxophone teachers in school ensembles, middle school band programs, and beginning band classes will find the structured progression manageable and the repertoire selection genuinely rewarding to teach.

• Isolate the scale exercises and work them across all registers; they're designed to build finger dexterity and air support that directly transfers to the literature pages.
• Use the recorded accompaniments to practice intonation against a steady reference, not just to hear what "correct" sounds like, but to train your ear to adjust in real time.
• When introducing chorale passages, mark phrase endings and discuss breath placement before students ever pick up their horns; this prevents choppy phrasing and teaches them where long tones actually serve the music.
• Tackle rhythm exercises as a section, even the written ones. Saying rhythms aloud first catches confusion before reeds are involved.

Use this as your primary method book for beginning saxophone students who are progressing into their second year of study. The full band arrangements make excellent rehearsal warmups and programming options for winter or spring concerts where you want to include all musicians in a substantial piece. The rhythmic and technical studies are ideal for sectional work during regular rehearsal cycles.

• Sight-reading in multiple clefs and with varied rhythmic patterns
• Intonation matching and listening adjustment with recorded accompaniments
• Fundamental scale fluency across multiple octaves
• Phrasing and breath management in chorale contexts
• Rhythm reading with rests, syncopation, and metric variation
• Ensemble coordination through full band arrangement participation