John Kinyon's Basic Training Course, Book 2: Tenor Sax Book

Kinyon designed this method to work equally well in solo lessons, homogeneous instrument classes, or full mixed ensembles, giving teachers real flexibility in how they deploy it. The pedagogical sequencing reflects decades of classroom experience: each book builds logically without overwhelming the young saxophonist, and the material stays engaging because it balances technique with actual music-making from the start.

Book 2 maintains the clear, encouraging tone of a beginning method while introducing more musical depth. Exercises feel less clinical and more like actual repertoire, with melodies that reward careful practice and encourage students to listen to their own sound.

Young tenor saxophonists in their first or second year of study, whether working privately or in a beginning band class. This book serves the student who is ready to move beyond absolute fundamentals and can handle more varied rhythmic and melodic content while still building core technique.

• Establish breath control early by focusing on long tones before moving to longer passages; this method introduces them gradually, so honor that pacing and don't rush through to the exercises.
• Use the written exercises to diagnose which students need extra work on articulation or fingering clarity; Kinyon's approach lets you isolate technical challenges before they compound.
• Read through all new material together first without worrying about mistakes; this method works best when students experience the full melodic idea rather than stopping constantly for corrections.
• Match the accompaniment parts if available, even for solo practice; hearing the harmonic context helps students understand why certain fingerings or fingering combinations matter.

Sequence this as the primary resource in your second year of band instruction or as the secondary method for private lessons with students advancing from Book 1. It works well alongside a full beginning band curriculum because it develops tenor sax technique independently while preparing students to play full arrangements.

• Breath control and phrase length management
• Articulation control (single and multiple tonguing)
• Reading in multiple clefs and positions on the staff
• Fingering accuracy across the entire early range
• Rhythm reading including compound meters and syncopation
• Dynamics and tone color awareness