Accent on Ensembles, Book 2: E-flat Alto Sax/Baritone Sax Book

Accent on Ensembles Book 2 gives your saxophonists immediate access to repertoire that mirrors their technical growth in the corresponding method book. The flexible instrumentation means these pieces solve the persistent problem of uneven instrument distribution, allowing E-flat altos and baritones to make real musical contributions rather than sitting out or doubling parts. Your section gains confidence fastest when they're actually playing music, not waiting for their turn.

The collection draws from folk traditions, marches, and accessible arranged standards that feel familiar enough to keep students engaged without overwhelming them technically. Each piece moves briskly and rewards rhythmic precision, giving young saxophonists the satisfaction of sounding polished even as they're still building their foundational skills.

This book serves young saxophonists at the early intermediate level who are working through Accent on Achievement Book 2 and need repertoire that builds their ensemble skills alongside technical exercises. Directors seeking to engage E-flat altos and baritones in meaningful musical experiences during transition periods or sectional work will find these pieces invaluable.

• Assign strategic rehearsal time: tackle one piece per week during sectional rotation, allowing your full band to focus on larger ensemble concepts while saxophones build independence.
• Balance voicing in quartets by monitoring that the baritone anchors the bass line without overpowering; these lines carry harmonic weight that lifts the entire ensemble.
• Explore the stylistic variety as repertoire for sectional contests or solo and ensemble events, where alto and bari duets can represent different musical characters across multiple categories.
• Record sectional run-throughs and have students listen back; the duet and trio formats expose intonation and blend issues that full band rehearsal sometimes masks.

Weave these ensembles into sectional rehearsals during the first semester while your full band focuses on foundational concert band repertoire; they provide structured, guided experience in balance and intonation that accelerates section development. Later in the year, select duets and trios as contest entries for solo and ensemble competition, where your saxophones will represent the program with pieces they've mastered during regular rehearsal. These same arrangements work beautifully as warm-up material or concert filler when you need flexible, unpretentious music that showcases your section.

• Reading multiple harmonic lines and adjusting intonation to match ensemble partners
• Balancing tone production in duets, trios, and quartets across different saxophone ranges
• Maintaining ensemble cohesion without conductor dependence
• Interpreting stylistic markers in folk songs, marches, and blues arrangements
• Building rhythmic independence and internal time keeping in smaller groups