Saxophone Basics: Saxophone Book & CD

The 22-stage structure gives you real scaffolding without feeling artificial. Hampton integrates actual concert pieces and folk tunes alongside technique work, so students experience real music immediately instead of grinding through exercises in isolation. The CD accompaniments transform solo practice into full musical contexts, making repetition feel purposeful.

Structured yet musical. The method respects beginners by offering real melodies alongside technique, so the early weeks don't feel like endurance testing. There's genuine variety across the stages, with finger gyms sitting beside recognizable tunes and cultural pieces.

Self-teaching adults and young beginners starting from zero. The CD makes independent study viable by providing high-quality accompaniments for every piece, removing the need for a teacher or pianist to be present at every practice session.

• Use the finger charts to isolate trouble spots before moving to the full exercise; this prevents bad habits from embedding across multiple stages
• Play the duets and trios with colleagues or older students to give beginners immediate ensemble experience without waiting for whole-group readiness
• Cycle through the warm-ups in sequence rather than picking favorites; the progression builds embouchure control systematically
• Have students complete the quizzes and fact files before moving forward to catch notation gaps early

Assign this as the primary text for beginning saxophone students, then use the duets and trios to build your ensemble repertoire once students progress to around stage 15 or 16. The clear fingering charts also make it an excellent reference tool when teaching second-year players who need to refresh fundamentals.

• Basic fingerings across the full range through systematic progression
• Reading notation, rhythmic values, and musical symbols through integrated fact files
• Long-tone production and embouchure control via structured warm-ups and finger gyms
• Simple ensemble playing through duets and trios with recorded parts
• Phrasing and musical expression with real concert repertoire from established composers