Progressive Jazz Studies for B-flat or E-flat Saxophone, Book 2: Tenor or Alto Saxophone Book

Rae treats jazz improvisation as a learnable craft rather than mystical talent. The two-part structure moves students from immediately playable applications (jazzing up familiar melodies) into the harmonic vocabulary they need to sustain real independence, making the progression feel inevitable rather than overwhelming.

Energetic and purposeful. Each study feels designed to unlock something you didn't know you could do, and the progression from melody-based reharmonization into modal exploration builds real confidence with the language of jazz without losing sight of the melody's original character.

Intermediate saxophone players ready to move beyond reading straight rhythm section parts and into actual improvisation. This book serves students who want a structured path into jazz without needing a private jazz instructor.

• Record yourself playing the studies without the accompaniment first. This forces you to hear your own time and phrasing rather than relying on the track.
• Spend three days minimum on each study before moving forward. Rushing through to collect repertoire defeats the purpose of deliberate skill-building.
• Isolate the II-V-I sequences in section two and play them in multiple keys. Muscle memory across the full range of the horn matters more than playing through the written key.
• Listen to recordings of the same melody in different jazz styles. Rae's studies show you how to think about reharmonization, but hearing professionals execute it teaches you what's possible.

Assign studies individually as part of a jazz band curriculum or private lesson sequence, especially for students preparing solos for ensemble performances. The book also works well for sectional study, where two or three saxophonists can work through the studies together and discuss their interpretive choices.

• Reharmonizing simple melodies with jazz rhythmic language and phrasing
• Recognizing and improvising over whole-tone, diminished, and blues scales
• Understanding modes and their relationship to chord progressions
• Constructing II-V-I phrases in multiple keys
• Developing personal tone and articulation choices within jazz idioms
• Translating written exercises into spontaneous musical choices