Student Instrumental Course: Tunes for Alto Saxophone Technic, Level II: Saxophone Book

This book delivers exactly what intermediate saxophonists need: short, focused technical exercises paired with melodic studies that keep students engaged rather than grinding through scales. The correlation with other instruments in the series means your entire woodwind section develops technique at the same pace, making sectional rehearsals far more efficient.

The tunes balance workmanlike technique with genuine musicality. Rather than feeling like isolated exercises, these studies sound like actual melodies worth playing carefully.

This book is for intermediate alto saxophonists working through individual lessons or class instruction who need structured technical development alongside musical studies. It's ideal for students in their second or third year of study who are ready to move beyond beginner exercises but still benefit from guided, page-by-page progression.

• Work through the technical patterns slowly enough to lock in accurate fingerings before increasing tempo; rushing these studies builds bad habits that show up later in repertoire.
• Use a metronome starting at a comfortable speed, then add five beats per minute weekly; this measured approach prevents the frustration of trying to jump to performance tempo immediately.
• Play each tune multiple times in a single practice session to build consistency; repetition with purpose develops the muscle memory these studies are designed to create.

Use this as your primary intermediate method book for beginners progressing into their second year of instruction. Assign one or two pages per week during individual lessons, and coordinate with your brass and other woodwind teachers using the same series to ensure your band develops technique uniformly.

• Articulation control in varied rhythmic contexts
• Fingering accuracy in standard and extended ranges
• Tone production consistency across dynamic changes
• Reading rhythmic patterns at intermediate complexity
• Breath control and phrasing in longer melodic lines