First Division Band Method, Part 1: E-flat Baritone Saxophone Book

The First Division Band Method has earned its place in countless music programs because it builds technique systematically without overwhelming beginners. This baritone saxophone book maintains the proven pedagogical sequence while the updated edition reflects modern teaching contexts and materials, keeping a classic resource current and relevant.

The First Division Band Method guides you through early musicianship with clarity and encouragement. Exercises build naturally from simple to more complex, giving you the satisfaction of measurable progress while establishing the habits that lead to genuine musical growth.

This book serves beginning baritone saxophone students in concert band settings who need a structured, proven path through the fundamentals of tone production, fingering, and reading. It's equally valuable in school band programs and private lesson studios where a comprehensive, sequential method builds confidence and competence.

• Establish a consistent embouchure from the first exercises; the method's progressive approach depends on foundational habits formed early.
• Use the correlation notes in the updated text to connect what students are learning in this book to their full ensemble rehearsals.
• Work through each page sequentially rather than jumping ahead; the method's strength lies in its deliberate pacing and skill integration.

Use this book as your primary method text for beginning baritone saxophone students, progressing through it at the pace that matches your full band's development. The updated edition's references to correlated material help connect individual study to full ensemble rehearsals, reinforcing what students learn in section.

• Long tone production and breath control
• Reading in treble clef
• Fingering positions across the full range of the instrument
• Rhythm reading in simple and compound meters
• Steady tempo and pulse awareness
• Dynamics and phrasing basics