Jazz Saxophone Studies: Saxophone Book

Rae's 78 studies are organized with real logic: you're not jumping into complex harmony before students grasp swing feel and basic syncopation. The progression from rhythmic fundamentals through tonality studies mirrors how jazz musicians actually learn, and having everything in one book eliminates the scramble to source materials across multiple collections.

Methodical and encouraging. Rae's writing avoids the false choice between "beginner" material that feels babyish and advanced studies that overwhelm. The rhythmic character shifts from straightforward swing into sophisticated tonality work, and you feel the confidence building with each section.

Saxophone students moving from classical technique into jazz, typically grades 4-8 and beyond. Also serves intermediate players who need to solidify fundamentals before tackling bigger ensemble charts.

• Lock in the swing quaver feel early and consistently. Many students rush the triplet-feel foundation, which undermines everything that follows.
• Isolate the II-V-I progressions in Part 3 before playing them at tempo. These sequences appear in real repertoire constantly; mastery here pays dividends immediately.
• Use the graded melodic studies in Part 2 as daily warm-ups rather than performance pieces. Their unassuming length makes them perfect for establishing good habits without fatigue.
• Record yourself playing the studies in each tonality. Hearing your own phrasing in whole-tone and diminished contexts develops tonal awareness that can't come from notation alone.

Assign Part 1 studies during the fall as your jazz ensemble ramps up, using them to synchronize everyone's rhythmic foundation. By winter, Part 2 studies work as solo vehicles for student spotlights in jazz concerts. Part 3 material supports arrangements that use modal interchange or blues figures.

• Swing quaver execution and the triplet feel underneath
• Syncopation and anticipation in jazz phrasing
• Reading and improvising in whole-tone, diminished, and blues scales
• Modal playing (Dorian, Mixolydian, and others)
• II-V-I chord progression recognition and response
• Balancing written studies with stylistically appropriate interpretation