Technic Today, Part 2: E-flat Alto Saxophone Book

This book delivers exactly what intermediate alto saxophonists need without padding or busywork. Ployhar's pedagogical instinct shines through in the way technical studies progress logically and connect directly to the Band Today method, so students experience clear reinforcement rather than random exercises.

Straightforward, purposeful, and accessible. These are not flashy performance pieces but genuine technical studies designed to build facility without requiring virtuosic leaps in ability. The writing respects the student's time and intelligence by making every exercise count.

Intermediate alto saxophone players using Band Today, Part Two or any comparable intermediate band method. This 24-page book works for students moving beyond basic exercises and ready for systematic technical development across ranges, articulations, and rhythmic patterns.

• Work through the studies in order rather than jumping ahead; each exercise builds on articulation, fingering patterns, and interval control established in previous exercises.
• Practice slowly with a focus on consistent tone production across the full range; rushing tempos undermines the technical foundation these studies are meant to build.
• Use the studies as daily warm-up material before rehearsals to keep fundamentals sharp and prevent bad habits from forming under fatigue.

Assign one or two studies per week as part of the standard practice routine alongside ensemble rehearsals. The complementary structure means students deepen their command of the same technique they're applying in band literature, creating meaningful carryover between method book and concert repertoire.

• Single-tongue and slurred articulation across varying rhythmic patterns
• Consistent intonation across the full range of the alto saxophone
• Finger dexterity and interval control in major and minor tonalities
• Breath control and phrasing over longer melodic lines
• Note reading accuracy at faster tempos and in varied keys