U.Play.Plus: Pops: Tenor Saxophone Book

López's arrangements capture the energy and harmonic language of these pop and rock hits while keeping the writing clean and transparent for ensemble playing. The flexible instrumentation means you can actually use the musicians you have on any given day, and the cue notes ensure no one sits out while the harmony fills in around them.

Contemporary and engaging. These are songs your students actually know and want to play: Billie Jean, Don't Stop Believing, Eye of the Tiger. The melodies sit naturally on tenor saxophone, and the harmonic support keeps every voice involved in the texture.

Tenor saxophone players in grades 2.5-3 ensembles who want to tackle contemporary, high-recognition pop and rock repertoire. This works equally well for concert bands with woodwind and brass mixed in, or for a group of saxophones alone playing with rhythm section accompaniment.

• Work the rhythm section tracks first (the second track on the CD). Lock the comping and bass line before adding melody, so your soloists have a solid pocket to play into.
• Pay attention to the balance between lines A and B in duet passages. Line A carries the melody, but line B (the harmony) needs enough presence to anchor the sound without overshadowing the lead.
• Use the demonstration track to hear how the arranging sits together, then switch to the rhythm section accompaniment for rehearsal so students aren't dependent on the full recording in performance.
• Let the style guide the articulation. These pop and rock tunes need a lighter tongue and slightly shorter note values than classical phrasing. Keep the energy up, especially on repeated phrases.

Slot this into a spring or fall concert built around popular music, or use individual titles as special event features (pep rally, assembly, graduation). The range of styles and the participation of multiple instruments means you can program one piece and feature different combinations of your ensemble.

• Reading two-part ensemble arrangements with cued passages
• Playing melody and harmony lines interchangeably
• Blending in mixed instrumental ensembles
• Responding to pop and rock style conventions (lighter articulation, rhythmic precision)
• Listening and balancing within four-part harmony structures