Student Instrumental Course: Tenor Saxophone Student, Level II: Saxophone Book

The Belwin Student Instrumental Course has earned its place in countless band programs because it treats each instrument voice as equally important, not secondary. Level II assumes students have foundational technique and moves them toward independence, making the transition from beginner to intermediate work feel natural and encouraging.

Structured yet musical. Each lesson balances technical drills with melodic content that feels like actual playing, not mechanical finger work. By Level II, students experience the satisfaction of handling intermediate keys and rhythmic patterns that sound like real music.

Tenor saxophone students in their second year of study, whether in school band or private instruction. This book works equally well for individual lessons and group classes, making it practical for programs serving multiple instructional contexts.

• Work through each exercise in sequence rather than jumping ahead; the progression builds specific technical demands that prepare you for later material.
• Use the correlated lesson plans with your director or private teacher so both settings reinforce the same concepts and vocabulary.
• Mark problem passages in pencil during practice and return to them after warming up, when your embouchure has settled.
• Play duets and small ensemble arrangements with classmates using the supplementary books; hearing yourself in context develops intonation and rhythmic confidence faster than solo practice alone.

Coordinate this with your other Level II books across the saxophone section so all four voices progress in parallel; this alignment makes sectional rehearsals more efficient and allows students to play together as they develop. Use the supplementary materials alongside the student book to create a complete curriculum rather than treating the method as a standalone resource.

• Extended range and facility in multiple keys
• Articulation control across dynamic changes
• Reading compound meters and syncopated rhythms
• Intonation adjustment for different registers
• Scale and arpeggio fluency at intermediate tempos