Alto Sax Book 1-23
Alto Sax Book 1-23
Alto Sax Book 1-23
Instrument Sidekick
Opening the Case
4
Putting the Instrument Together-3
ALWAYS grab
from the bell,
NOT the areas
with keys!
Hook the
strap to the
back.
Putting the Instrument Together-4
Hold the neck while Put the flat end of the reed on
you screw on the the mouthpiece. Hold in place Make sure the
mouthpiece. with your thumb. ligature is past the
indent, and the reed
is snug. Tighten the
screws.
7
Left Hand
This is the Octave Key represented with an ‘O’.
When you see ‘O’ for a fingering, press this key.
O
Thumb goes on this circle in the back.
Also ‘B’. Just add octave key. ‘A’ with octave key. ‘G’ with octave key.
Reed Maintenance Be careful as you put the thin end
of the reed in it’s protective case.
Hold reed with thumb while you loosen the ligature screws.
ALWAYS HAVE
EXTRAS!!!! THEY
BREAK EASILY! THE
MORE THE BETTER!!
Putting the Instrument Away-1
B-A-G-A-B-B-B----
A-A-A----- B 1
Squeaking?
B-B-B----- Check: A 2
B-A-G-A-B-B-B-B -The reed position. 3
A-A-B-A-G-------- G
-The reed’s condition.
-Ligature placement.
Au Claire de la Lune (French) -That you’re pressing the
keys all the way down.
-Embouchure.
G-G-G-A-B----A----- -Posture. (How you sit.)
G-B-A-A-G-------- -That your leg isn’t
G-G-G-A-B----A----- bumping other keys.
G-B-A-A-G---------
18
Time For Practice!!
• How fast can you go back and forth between ‘C’
and ‘D’? Want to get faster?
• The trick is to do it over and over, as many times
as you can.
• The 2nd trick is to do it at least a little bit EVERY
DAY!! If you forget to do it for a day, you might
get slower.
• When you can do it fast for Mr. Archie, he’ll check
the box off at the top right. (Or maybe put a Star
Wars stamp)
19
New Goal!!!!
• Speed tests!!
• C to B to C
• C to A to C
• C to G to C
• D to B to D
• D to A to D
• D to G to D
20
It’s Holiday Time!!
Yellow Belt Test Page
• Play these Holiday Tunes!
Jingle Bells Good King Wenceslas Dreydle Dreydle
21
2 Ways to Write Them
F# Still F#,
because the
sharp is in
the key
Bottom Space with a Sharp. signature.
1
2 # =An accidental that raises the pitch, called a ‘Sharp’.
It can be in front of the note, or they can put it in
3 No 4th Finger. the front of the staff (called a key signature).
___________________ _________________
___________________
23
Count To 4 (But In Your Head)
• On any note practice: Eighth notes.
and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
These are
the beats! These are Think a number when
Tap them the upbeats! you step down.
each with So your foot
your foot. must be UP!
25
Composer
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
thoooooo thooooo
Whole Notes Get 4 Beats!!
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
thoooooooooooooo
Rhythm And Foot Test!!!
27
Old Songs, But How They Really Look!
Remember, do NOT write in the names of the notes!
28
New Songs: Can Ya Figure Them Out?
E London Bridge English Folk Song
O-1
2
3
4
5
29
How Do We Know When NOT To Play?
NOTES RESTS What’s Their Name?
___________________
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
___________________
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
___________________
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
___________________
1 and
2 and
3 and
4 and
1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and
30
The ‘Rest’ of the Songs You Already
Know What are the names of
the songs?
___________________
___________________
___________________
High F# (in key signature). It’s just like low F#, but add the octave key.
E ___________________
___________________
___________________
31
And What’s This?
Test page for Green Belt.
What are the names of the different notes and rests? Did you keep the beat with your
foot the whole time?
G F#
Fingering: 123-5-
C#: NO KEYS!!!!
The Fellowship Make sure the you
Howard Shore move to the next
‘system’, and not
This ‘Key
just to the next
Signature’ means
line.
that ALL F’s AND
C’s are #!
This is the test page for Purple Belt. It must be done from memory
during the next lesson.
36
Mapping-1
Allen T. Archie
Saxophone Is Really Heavy
Zim This is so you don’t go all the way back to the beginning. Michael Tavera
Side Key (SK for short): Finger ‘A’ (12) and press the lowest
side key next to your right hand.
D.S. and D.C. al Fine or Coda are usually used for larger distances in the music.
D.S. goes to the weird looking ‘S’ sign (called segno). D.C. goes to the beginning.
Volume = Dynamics
• Dynamics actually refer to ‘intensity’. BUT……
how intense you play affects the ‘loudness’ of
your sound.
• The following is a good beginning:
– F = Forte = strong
– P=Piano = flat, level
– Crescendo = = Cresc. = growing
– Diminuendo = = dim. = decresc. = diminish
40
Examples
Traditional
Baby Bumblebee
41
2 New Scales
This page is the test for Red Belt.
(It must be done from memory during your next lesson.)
D Major Scale (Concert F)
C is sharp.
B is flat.
42
Italian: The Language of Music
• Largo: Broad, wide. (Really slow)
• Andante: To go, walk. (Kind of slow)
• Moderato: Moderate. (Medium speed)
• Allegro: Cheerful, bright. (Kind of fast)
• Vivace: Lively, vivid. (Pretty fast)
• Presto: Quickly, quick. (Extremely fast)
43
Brown and Black Belts
• Mr Archie will give you blank staff paper
(called manuscript paper) to compose a song
with. There will be a rough draft. Mr. Archie
will make suggestions. Re-write to a final
draft. If Mr. Archie can play it as it should
sound, then you pass for Brown Belt.
• Mr. Archie will give you a full page solo that
needs to be learned and performed in lessons
for Black Belt.
Is there more?
• Black Belt – 1st degree (2 BB’s tied together):
Having attended NYSSMA.
• Black Belt – 2nd degree (3 BB’s tied together):
Achieving a score high enough to be asked to a U-
E Recital called the Crawford Stahl Recital.
• Black Belt – 3rd degree (4 BB’s tied together):
Achieving the top score at the Crawford Stahl
Recital.
• Book II: Mr. Archie is in the process of writing this
book. If one exists for your instrument, you can
begin the work towards “Twisty Belts”!