First Division Band Method, Part 1: B-flat Tenor Saxophone Book

This method has earned its place in thousands of programs because it works. The pedagogy is transparent, the progression is logical, and students actually want to play the pieces Weber chose. You're not reinventing the wheel when you adopt this book; you're using a system proven across decades and millions of learners.

The journey through this method is encouraging and gradual. Early lessons focus on single notes and simple rhythms, giving new players confidence before introducing the leaps and rhythmic complexity that come later. The pieces themselves are genuine melodies, not abstract exercises, so students feel like musicians from the start.

This book is designed for beginning tenor saxophonists in school band programs. It serves students in their first year of learning the instrument, whether they are in middle school, high school, or adult beginner settings.

• Build tone by sustaining long tones on the exercises before moving to the melodic material. Students often rush to the songs without establishing a solid foundation on the fundamentals.
• Use the correlated piano accompaniments (sold separately) to keep students engaged during early lessons. Hearing harmony beneath their single-note lines strengthens their ear for ensemble playing.
• Establish a consistent fingering standard in your section before using this book. Weber's notation assumes uniform technique, so align all saxophonists on hand position and key approach from day one.
• Return to the earlier exercises whenever a new interval or rhythm pattern appears later in the book. Spaced review prevents the common pitfall of students forgetting what they learned two weeks prior.

Adopt this as your primary method book for all beginning tenor saxophonists. The 28 pages typically span the first semester or year of instruction, moving in parallel with your other beginning band method books so the entire ensemble progresses together.

• Reading notes in the treble clef on tenor saxophone
• Producing a centered tone across the middle register
• Playing whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, and eighth notes with steady tempo
• Recognizing and performing simple major intervals (unison, octave, second, third, fourth, fifth)
• Coordinating breathing with phrase structure in short melodies
• Understanding basic tonguing articulation
• Responding to dynamic markings (forte, piano, mezzo-forte)