Klarinet Archive - Posting 000021.txt from 2008/11

From: Fred Jacobowitz <fbjacobo@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Saxophone Methods?
Date: Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:57:38 -0500

Gary,
This important question that hasn't been asked is: What level are
these students, and will the method book be used in private lessons.
If these are typical JHS and HS students, they are essentially
beginners who have never taken regular lessons (or even had any!).
They need a beginner method. The DeVille isn't applicable, nor are
any of those wonderful advanced books everyone has mentioned. I am
also assuming that they are not taking lessons with the band teacher.
If, however, they ARE taking lessons with the band teacher, I
STRONGLY recommend the Rubank Method books. There are 4 and they are
absolutely superb because they have a definite, logical order in
which they present each new skill, and they have TONS of exercises
to chose from. They were designed by Hymie Voxman, who was a master
pedagogue, and it shows. I find it quite easy to tailor the material
to my needs. The only drawback is that they have relatively little
text and no pictures. They need a teacher to guide the student.

It the students are on their own, I can recommend a couple of
methods: 1. "Breeze Easy" method from Alfred Music Co. I like this
one because it is quite easy on the eye, although I feel it gets
advanced too soon and introduces too much in too short a time. It's
only other drawback is that it ends while the student is still very
much a beginner. at the same level, the Rubank method is only half
way through book one (and there are 3 more books)!
2. "Student Instrumental Course" from Belwin
3. "Tune-a-Day" from Boston Music Co.

When I started teaching (many moons ago) at Peabody Preparatory
(attached to the conservatory), I did a search of every music store
between Baltimore N. Virginia, and DC (quite a few, really) to find
every method I could get my hands on, and most were junk. These were
of good quality.

Fred Jacobowitz

Kol Haruach Klezmer Band
Ebony and Ivory Duo

You don't get harmony when everybody sings the same note.
~Doug Floyd

On Nov 4, 2008, at 10:54 PM, Mike Vaccaro wrote:

> I would suggest that sax methods include the Lennie Niehaus jazz
> studies and duets (mostly eight notes) too. In addition the French
> Editions from the Paris Conservatory are all great. At some point
> exploring a little improvisation (Patterns for Jazz etc.) can't
> help but make even the classical saxophonist more flexible. Also
> the literature is worth learning as much as technical books and the
> Eccles Sonata (transcription) is a nice easy way to start after the
> student has been playing for a couple of years.
> Mike Vaccaro
> mike@-----.com
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: <kurtheisig@-----.net>
> To: <klarinet@-----.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, November 04, 2008 6:58 PM
> Subject: Re: [kl] Saxophone Methods?
>
>
>> Gary,
>>
>> There is no single method of any quality to do what you request.
>>
>> There are however, dozens of good books out there to teach your
>> students from. There are also dozens of bad, to really bad ones too.
>>
>> For your beginning kids the best book is the First Book of
>> Practical Studies for sax (or oboe---or flute---works equally well
>> on all of them---the SAX book).
>>
>> It develops a student logically and trains their tongue level
>> progressively from one etude to the next. The most painless way of
>> learning sax there is. Nilo Hovey was a genius.
>>
>> Make sure the kids use longer faced reeds. Vandoren regular are
>> close. The aged Buffet reeds we have in the shop are even better.
>> The short faced popular reeds impede development of the tongue
>> level and you lose the advantage of this remarkable book.
>>
>> The Selner Oboe books are very good too. There are useful
>> exercises in some of the old war horse methods like the Ben
>> Vereecken book, but these tend to produce fingers not musicians.
>>
>> The L Bassi 27 Virtuoso Studies is an absolute must have book.
>>
>> Contact me for lots more information on sax teaching--glad to share.
>>
>> Kurt
>>
>> (831) 425-5658---It is a business number so call 24/7.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Gary Van Cott <gary@-----.com>
>>> Sent: Nov 4, 2008 12:13 PM
>>> To: klarinet@-----.org
>>> Subject: [kl] Saxophone Methods?
>>>
>>> Since I know that some of you teach saxophone, and there isn't a
>>> decent
>>> saxophone list, I thought I would post this questions here.
>>>
>>> I had a band director ask for suggestions for a single, economical
>>> saxophone method for middle school and high school students. I
>>> presume
>>> he was looking for something like the Klose Complete Method which
>>> isn't
>>> that cheap but is much less than the imported methods. The only
>>> thing
>>> we have that comes close is the Universal Method, but it seems
>>> somewhat
>>> dated to me (although it is only about 100 years old).
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>>
>>> Gary
>>> --
>>> +-------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> ------------------
>>> | Gary Van Cott - Van Cott Information Services, Inc.
>>> | Woodwind and Brass: Books, Music, CDs and More
>>> | http://www.vcisinc.com/ --> VISA MasterCard Discover AmExp <--
>>> | P.O. Box 9569, Las Vegas, NV 89191, USA
>>> | Phone: 702-438-2102 Fax: 801-650-1719 Email: Gary@-----.com
>>> +-------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> ------------------
>>>
>>> ------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
>

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