Saxophone

Skill Builder
A practice companion
for intermediate to advanced players

Kevin Nortness
Saxophone Skill Builder
A Practice Companion for
Intermediate to Advanced Players

Kevin Nortness

© 2015 Kevin Nortness

Seattle, USA

MUSICEDUCATIONFORALL.COM
 This book contains a collection of exercises aimed at addressing a
number of issues concerning the saxophonist. The issue of
strengthening, refining, and gaining control over the saxophone
tone is addressed through exercises utilizing long tones, timbre,
harmonics, and vibrato. Issues of speed and precision of attack are
addressed through exercises in single and double tonguing.
A number of issues involving fingering and dexterity are
addressed through scale patterns. In addition, I’ve attempted to
resolve somewhat the classic issue of scale patterns being
tedious and boring by giving them some melodic flow through
dimished interjections.
I hope these exercises prove to be as effective for you as they have
been for me.
Kevin Nortness
December 2015
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 Flexibility...................................................................................................................................1
2 Harmonics................................................................................................................................6
2.1 Major Scales in Harmonics.........................................................................................7
2.2 Scale Patterns in Harmonics......................................................................................8
2.3 Clarke Study No. 2 in Harmonics..............................................................................10
3 Miscellaneous Patterns..........................................................................................................13
3.1 Arpeggiated Sixth Chords with Diminished Interjections..........................................15
3.2 Fifths Downwards.....................................................................................................17
4 Scales.....................................................................................................................................18
4.1 The Modes of the 24 Major and Minor Scales..........................................................19
4.2 Study in Chromaticism..............................................................................................31
5 Tone.......................................................................................................................................39
5.1 Long Tones.............................................................................................................. 40
5.2 Octave Key Exercise................................................................................................41
5.3 Intro to Exercises in Timbre......................................................................................42
5.4 Exercises in Timbre..................................................................................................43
6 Tonguing.................................................................................................................................44
6.1 Single Tonguing........................................................................................................45
6.2 Double Tonguing 1...................................................................................................46
6.3 Double Tonguing 2...................................................................................................47
6.4 Double Tonguing 3...................................................................................................48
7 Vibrato....................................................................................................................................49
7.1 Vibrato Exercise 1.....................................................................................................50
7.2 Vibrato Exercise 2.....................................................................................................51
1

Chapter 1

FLEXIBILITY
2
3
4
5

Chapter 2

HARMONICS
6

The following chart is intended as a reference of saxophone

harmonics. It is not intended as an exercise. The player is expected,
however, to be able to play all the following harmonics before attempting
the exercises that follow.

Harmonics of the Saxophone

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8
9
10
11
12
13

Chapter 3

MISCELLANEOUS PATTERNS
14
1
Arpeggiated Sixth Chords With Dimished Interjections

O\
&O \ . . O. . . . P. . . . O. . . . . . . . O. P. . . . O. . . .
. . . . .

O . . . . O. . . . . . Q
PP QQ QQ
& O . P. . . . O. . . . . . . O. . . . P. . . O. .
. ,
QQ
& Q QQ . . P. . . . Q. . . . P. . . . . . . . P. Q. . . . P. . . .
. . . . .

QQQQ . . . . P . . . . PPPP
& Q . Q. . . . . . P. . . . . . . P. . . . Q. . . P. . P
. ,

. . O. . . . . . . O. . .
& . . . . . O. . . . . P. . . . . . O. P. . .

. . . . O. . . . P. . . . . . . O. . . . O. OOOOO
& . . . . . . P. . . O. . . ,

. . . . . N. . .
& OOOO .
O . . . . N . . . . . O.
. . . N. . . . . . N . O. . .

O O . . . . N . . . . O. . . . . . . N . . . . N. PPPPP QQ
O
& OO . . . .
. . . O. . N . . . ,

QQ . . . O. . . . . . . . . O. . .
& . . . O . . . P . . . . O. P. .
. . . .

QQ . . . . O . . . . P . . . . . . . O . . . . . O. . PP O O
& . . . . . P. . O. . . , O

. . . O. . . . . . . O. . . .
OO
& O . . . . . O. . . . . P. . . . . O. P. .

. O. . .
OO O . . . . P . . . . . . . O. . . . . . . O. . . P. . . O. . QQ
PPP Q Q
& . . ,

QQQQ . . . . . . P. . . .
& . . . . P. . . . . Q. . . . P. . . . . P. Q. .
.
15

QQQQ . . . . P . . . . Q . . . . . . . P . . . . . . . P .
2
PPPP O
& . . . Q. . . P. . . ,

. . . O. . . . . . . . . O. . .
O . . . O. . . P . . . . O. P. .
& . . . .
. O. .
. . . . . P. . . . . . . O. . . . . . . O. .
&O . . . P. . O. . . , OOOOOO

. . N. . .
OO O O O . . . . N . . . . . O . . . . N . . . . . . . . N . O . . . .
& O .
. . N. . . .
OO O O O . . . O. . . . . . N . . . . . . . N . . . O. . . N . . Q
& O . . , PPPPPP

Q . . O. . P. . . . O. . . . . . . . O. P. . . . O. . . .
& . . . . . . .

. . . O. . . . . .
Q . . P. . . . O. . . . . . . O. . . . P. . . O. . P OO O
& . , O

. . . . . . O. . . .
O O O . . . . O. . . . . P. . . . O. . . . . O. P. .
& O .
. . . O. . . . . . . . . . .
OO O O . P. O. . . . . . O. . . . P. . . O. . . PPPP QQ
Q
& ,

. . . . . . P. . . .
QQQ . . . . P. . . . . Q. . . . P. . . . . P . Q . .
& .
. . P. . . .
QQ Q . . . Q. . . . . . P. . . . . . . P. . . . Q. . . P. .
& . ,
16
17
18

Chapter 4

SCALES
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39

Chapter 5

TONE
40

Let each of these notes last an entire breath. Aim for a steady tone. Take a quick full breath,
then start the next note. Don't take breaks. This exercise should be considered strenouos.
Keep your embochure engaged between notes.
41
42

The instructions "bright" and "dark" refer to quality of tone or "timbre."

A dark tone is achieved by increasing the volume of space in the mouth and
throat. A bright tone is achieved from the opposite. To get a dark tone, drop the
jaw as low as you can before the bottom lip leaves the reed. Also drop the
tongue as low as it can lie in the mouth (preferrably flat). Adjust lip pressure to
keep the note in tune. For a bright tone the jaw is up high and the tongue is
curved in the mouth to take up space. Again, adjust lip pressure for tuning. The
exercises pose their biggest challenge in effecting a smooth transition between
these two extremes. In addition, the dynamic markings should also be in the
extreme ( ppp to fff ). Do the exercises slowly and meticulously. Each one should
be done many times.
43
44

Chapter 6

TONGUING

The 'kah' attack feels impossibly awkward and unpleasant- more like a backfire
than an articulation. Before double tonguing is attempted, make sure this
awkwardness with the K attack has been at least somewhat overcome. It will
take a long time. Try spending extended peroids only using the K attack.
45
46
47
48
49

Chapter 7

VIBRATO
50
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52