Accent on Achievement, Book 3: B-flat Tenor Saxophone Book

Book 3 rewards the commitment your students have already made to their instruments by offering substantial technical work across all keys without sacrificing musical context. The progression from Books 1 and 2 feels natural, and the inclusion of chorales alongside technical studies means students aren't just practicing exercises—they're making music that matters.

Purposeful and substantial. Book 3 maintains the musicality of earlier levels while introducing real technical challenge. You're no longer learning to play the saxophone; you're learning to play it well, with the chorales offering moments of genuine expression between the concentrated technical work.

Intermediate tenor saxophonists who have completed Books 1 and 2 and are ready for more sophisticated technical demands and tonal depth. This book serves students in grades 6-8 who are building toward high school band readiness and need serious preparation in all keys and extended range work.

• Work through the scale exercises methodically, using a metronome to build evenness across registers. Tenor saxophone benefits from consistent air support through the entire range, so slow scales help identify where your tone wavers.
• Attack the rhythmic studies as ensemble reading assignments first, even if working solo. This trains you to lock rhythm patterns that will serve you in full band contexts.
• Approach the chorales with phrase shape in mind rather than note-to-note execution. Find the arc of each line and use dynamics to shape it, which transforms these from warm-up material into expressive playing.
• Use the 12-key structure as your guide for systematic work over the course of the year. Rotating through keys keeps your intonation sharp and prevents the comfort of living in a few familiar tonalities.

Use Book 3 as your primary technical and warm-up source during the second half of your intermediate band year, particularly leading into spring concert season. The 12-key scope makes it ideal for rotating focus areas across rehearsals while maintaining consistent progress on fundamentals that will carry forward into audition preparation.

• Tonality and intonation across all 12 major and minor keys
• Extended range development through systematic scale and technical study
• Rhythmic accuracy and subdivision in progressively complex patterns
• Sight-reading of chorales and concert repertoire in multiple keys
• Legato and articulation control across registers