SAXOPHONE BASICS: A DAILY PRACTICE GUIDE
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF JAZZ EDUCATORS MAGAZINE
Saxophone Basics is a daily practice guide for saxophonists. This pocket publication provides lots of essential and important information pertaining to saxophone playing and in particular, practicing. Contents are varied from assembly, posture, breathing, oral cavity, larynx, embouchure, practicing, daily routine, articulation, scales and arpeggios, special tips, expressive devices, maintenance, disassembly, and review of practice schedule. My favorite section is the overtone guide with some outstanding instruction on how to learn/practice in the altissimo register via the overtone system with many exercises. The often neglected long tones are well covered as well. What makes this practice guide so useful is that it fits in the music case or your pocket. And yet, it offers lots of information with a 68 page format and priced right along with diagrams and more.
Address: P.O. Box 1244,
New Albany, IN 4715101244.
Web: www.jazzbooks.com. Book, 68 pp.
DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE
Liebman addresses the bare necessities in this booklet, co-written with Matt Vashlishan. This pocket sized booklet is meant to provide a handy reference guide for your practice program. The authors touch on several important physical aspects of playing (like posture, breathing, embouchure, using the larynyx and even saxophone maintenance). Things become especially interesting when they get into overtone exercises and articulation tips.