Russian Rock - Lesson
Lesson time: (1min 22sec)
Learn 'Russian Rock', a simple first piece that uses only the note B yet sounds complete once you play it along with the backing track.
Copyright © 2023 Universal Edition (London) Ltd., All compositions by James Rae except where otherwise indicated.
Course preview
This lesson is part of the course Saxophone: First Notes
Watch a preview of the full course below.
Lesson transcript:
Introduction to Russian Rock
The first piece I'd like to introduce in the book is Russian Rock. It is a very simple piece, only involving the note B. However, when you play it along with the track, it sounds like a complete piece of music.
Structure of the Track
- The track has a four-note intro, so it's very clear where you will start playing.
- First of all, we'll try it without the track, just to get used to it.
And it goes like this:
That's Russian Rock.
Repeat Signs
You will notice at the end of this piece, there are two dots and two lines: a thin line and a thick line. This is what's called a repeat sign.
- When you reach that point, go back and repeat the whole piece again, just for clarity.
- An extra set of repeats is placed at the beginning to remind you where to go back to, though they are not necessary.
Note: A lot of music does not have this. If there are no repeat signs at the beginning, that means you go back to the beginning from the repeat sign at the end of the piece.
About the instructor
James Rae was born on Tyneside in 1957. He studied clarinet, bass clarinet, piano and composition at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama from 1975 to 1979, under professors Yona Ettlinger, Stephen Trier, Meriel Jefferson and Patric Standford respectively. Since leaving the Guildhall, he has pursued a highly successful and varied career across three areas: performing, writing and teaching. James Rae has worked in many West End and Royal National Theatre productions, including Sir Peter Hall's award-winning Oresteia with music by Sir Harrison Birtwistle, and has received many freelance engagements with some of the country's leading orchestras and ensembles. He is the leader of the Phoenix Saxophone Quartet, who over the years have given many recitals and BBC broadcasts, and have recorded the complete works of Carey Blyton on two albums, 'The Return of Bulgy Gogo' and 'Sherlock Holmes meets Dr Who'. As a composer, James Rae is one of Europe's most published writers of educational wind music, with over 250 publications to his credit, mainly published by Universal Edition. His music includes instrumental study books, sonatas, tutors, baroque, classical and jazz transcriptions, plus many volumes of duets, many of which feature on all the major wind examination syllabuses worldwide. He has also written four musicals for schools with Mike Cornick, and his larger commissions include The Turn of a Wheel, a major work for concert band that premiered in November 1999 for the North Tyneside Concert Band, of which he was a founder member as a boy, and the overture Moving On in 2012. James Rae has worked extensively as a syllabus consultant and composer for both the Associated Board and Trinity College London, and has been highly involved in developing the woodwind sight-reading requirements for both exam boards. As a teacher, he has held many posts in both the state and independent sectors, and currently works at King's College School Wimbledon, where he directs the Wind Orchestra and Concert Band, and Shrewsbury House School in Surbiton, where he coaches three large bands and a chamber group. That teaching experience runs right through his saxophone series for MusicGurus, which takes you step by step from your very first notes to a confident, stylish player: First Notes, New Keys & Low Notes, Expanding Your Range, Scales & High Notes, Extended Range & Rhythm, and Polish & Style. read more