Book Description

Teachers and students of the saxophone will become better instructors and players as a result of following A Practical Guide for Teaching the Saxophone to Beginners. A storehouse of valuable information, gleaned from professional study and over thirty years of teaching, this book has been endorsed by one of the world’s foremost teachers and performers of the saxophone, Dr. Frederick L. Hemke. Written with future teachers in mind, this book describes the many facets of the technical side of playing the saxophone, guiding teachers and players of the saxophone to good tone quality and proper technique so that the beautiful capacity of this instrument can be shared with everyone who listens. Intended for students in a university woodwind techniques class, band directors, and saxophonists or musicians from any background who find themselves teaching the saxophone, this guide should also be helpful to anyone who plays the saxophone, at any level or in any style; the points addressed are universal to the instrument. Covering areas such as, proper embouchure formation and how to approach tonguing to achieve various articulations, the book also discusses such topics as reed selection and adjustment, understanding and controlling the innate tuning tendencies and mastering the upper and lower registers. It also covers common problems arising with the mechanism and how to perform repairs, as well as proper routine care and maintenance. The book details dealing with the saxophone in a school band setting, as well as doing remedial work with experienced players and teaching the ever-growing adult student market. A Practical Guide for Teaching the Saxophone to Beginners is comprehensive in addressing all major areas of learning the saxophone. Written by someone with such high music credentials and experience, and appropriate for both saxophone students and teachers, it should be a required reading for any woodwind techniques class in a university music program, and in the library of every student of the saxophone.