Saxophone Stability and Flexibility Exercises

Dr. Mark Watkins Brigham Young UniversityIdaho

"A" Octave-Key Exercise

&

Mouthpiece Pitch

#w
Tenor (w/o side E key)

w
Baritone

(Instructor or another student depresses octave-key.)

Soprano

Alto

Low Note Tone

High Register Tone

&

low Bb ngering

()

bw (w ) w

# b n b n

(Instructor or another student depresses left-hand keys.)

Low G Exercise

Mouthpiece Wedge

&

play low G

w
tone

air

etc.

lower jaw until note disappears, keep blowing

raise jaw until note resumes

tone

air

While blowing, pull mouthpiece in and out of embouchure. Keep embouchure stable, no collapse, no movement. Tone resumes with only a slight wedge.

Low Note Long Tone Intervals

Play slowly at F to f dynamic level. Practice beginning notes with air only. Start each measure separately. Repeat exercise with tonguing. Minor Seconds: , simile , ,

& w #w w w #w nw #w nw w w w w w bw n w bw bw w w w w w #w w #w n w #w nw w w w w w bw nw bw bw & w w # w # w w n w w b w n w w w b w bw# w w w w # w # w n w w w w #w bw bw w w w w w#w bw w bw n w w bw & bw w w w bw bw w w w w bw w bw bw #w #w w nw w bw w w w bw #w w nw w bw #w #w & w w #w #w nw w w w bw bw w w #w w w bw & bw

Perfect Fifths: Perfect Fourths: Tri-Tones: Major Thirds: Major Seconds: Minor Thirds:

w w bw

#w

w bw w

bw w w

#w #w #w w nw w w w w bw bw
Minor Sixths:

#w w

w bw w

bw #w w

w #w #w nw w w w w w bw
Major Sixth:

#w bw w

w #w

w w

bw w

w #w w bw

&bw w w bw

bw

w #w #w bw

Tone Matching Long Tones

Start on the best sounding note of the practice session (this may vary). Bring this tone with you as you proceed.

& &

bU U #

continue up to high F or F#

nU

continue down to low Bb

(expand exercise to larger intervals: M2, m3, M3, P4, etc.)

Octave Slurs

&

continue chromatically up to C#

Mouthpiece Pitch Pivot

w bw nw w w #w w nw w w w bw w w w w w w w w # w n w w b w w &
(mouthpiece pitches: soprano = C, alto = A (as above), tenor = F# , baritone = D)

Palm-Key Note Bending

&

# (# )

n ( )

( )

b ( b )

( )

Use D ngering for notes in parenthesis. Low note: soprano = Ab, alto = A (as above), tenor = Bb, Baritone = B.

D Pivot
All notes should be slurred.

, b b # n n # b b b n & #
(keep checking D for intonation)

&

, b

G Pivot
All notes should be slurred.

& b &

(tenors should keep checking G for intonation)

n b

b n

(Pivot exercises can be done on every not of the instrument.)

Overtones: Pitch Matching

Match intonation.

& b w (b w )

(w )
(low Bb)

b w (b w )
(low Bb)

(w )
(low Bb)

(w)
(low Bb)

b w (b w )
(low Bb)

bw (bw )
(low Bb)

(nger low Bb)

Repeat exercise with low B, C, C#, and D ngerings (modulate accordingly).

Overtones: Bugle Calls

Use low Bb ngering.

Repeat exercise with low B, C, C#, and D ngerings (modulate accordingly). One can also use other bugle calls.

&

. b .

. .

. . . .

. .

. .

. .

Underblowing
Play with octave-key on.

& b n # b n b n # n b b n b b b n b n # # b n b n b n # # # b n # &

(palm-key)

Overblowing
Play with octave-key off.

C# Exercise
play C#

&
Vowels

#w

maintain C# while ngering notes within this range (ngering "B" alone will change the pitch)

Envision, form the following vowels while playing various ranges.

& 1. i ( e )
2. I ( i ) 4. 3. e ( a ) (e)

6. a ( ah as in "say ah", wide mouth, harsh sound) 7. u ( u "oo") 8. ( u as in "book") 9. o ( o ) 10. ( aw )

11.

( ahw but not as harsh as #6)

16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

( as in "sudden")

12. y ( e mid tongue, French) 13. Y ( i mid tongue, French) 14. ( a mid tongue, French) 15. ( e mid tongue, French)

(as in "picture") ( as in "learn") ( as in "learn" with less "r")

5. ( a )

Altissimo: 6ths

Fingering:

&

#
C#

end soprano

n
E

#
F#

Eb

Altissimo: 9ths

Fingering:

& # !

# #

b
Eb

# #

#
F#

# #

C#

Altissimo: Overtones

Fingering:

&

#
B

b
Db

Bb

Aural Concept
Listening Classical: Eugene Rousseau Donald Sinta Harvey Pittel Fred Hemke Marcel Mule Debra Richtmeyer Ottis Murphy Listening Jazz: Alto Johnny Hodges Charlie Parker Sonny Stitt Paul Desmond Cannonball Adderley Phil Woods David Sanborn Kenny Garrett Eric Marienthal Tenor Lester Young Coleman Hawkins Dexter Gordon Sonny Stitt Stan Getz John Coltrane Sonny Rollins Wayne Shorter Bob Berg Michael Brecker Bob Mintzer Joshua Redman Ed Calle Joe Lavano Igor Buttman Bari Harry Carney Gerry Mulligan Pepper Adams Serge Chaloff Sahib Shihab Denis DiBlasio Sigard Rascher Russ Peterson Tom Walsh Paul Bro Kenneth Tse Roland D. Dowdy III James Houlik Mark Watters Tim McAllister Joe Lullof Claude Delangle Robert Faub Jen Ives Formeau Daniel Deffayet George Wolfe James Umble Michael Jacobson Andy Wen John Bleuel Gregory W. Yasinitsky David Demsey Michael Hester Preston Duncan Franois Daneels