The Saxophone Method Vol. 1: Foundation Techniques
CourseSaxophoneContemporaryBeginner
Part ofSaxophone

The Saxophone Method Vol. 1: Foundation Techniques

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Duration2h 10m
Modules25
LevelBeginner
LanguageEnglish

Lesson Plan (2h 10m)

About this course

John O'Neill has taught tens of thousands of players through his best-selling saxophone methods, and this course is the first lesson he'd give you in person. He starts with the instrument itself - choosing reeds, fitting the mouthpiece, assembling the sax and looking after it - then builds the four foundations every player needs: posture, breathing, tonguing and embouchure, right through to your first clear note.

From there John walks you step by step through two real pieces to play, a tango (Carlito's Tango) and a reggae groove, with sheet music and backing tracks included so you can play along. Whether you're starting from scratch or you've hit a wall and suspect your technique, this is where you get the fundamentals right from the start.

Who it's for

  • Total beginners who've never held a saxophone
  • Self-taught players sanity-checking their technique
  • Returning players rebuilding their foundations after a break

What you'll learn

  • Assemble, clean and care for your saxophone
  • Produce a clear, steady first note
  • Play a tango and a reggae groove

What you'll need

  • A saxophone, mouthpiece, reeds and a strap
  • Sheet music and backing tracks, both included
  • A few minutes most days, played regularly

Meet the Guru

John O'Neill

John O'Neill

John O'Neill is the saxophonist behind The Jazz Method for Saxophone - the Schott series that has taught a generation of players around the world to improvise. First published in 1991, it remains one of the best-selling jazz tutors ever written, alongside his companion methods for clarinet and flute.

He came to the saxophone at twenty, while reading French and German at Trinity College, Oxford, after hearing John Coltrane. He went on to study with British tenor great Don Rendell, and took improvisation from Lee Konitz, Warne Marsh and Peter Ind - direct heirs of the legendary teacher Lennie Tristano. A professional musician since 1979, he specialises in jazz and bossa nova and has played London's leading venues, including Ronnie Scott's, while also writing music for film, television, theatre and dance.

A qualified teacher with decades of experience, John has taught saxophone, clarinet and flute privately and in schools, on the jazz course at Trinity College of Music in London, and at summer schools in Spain and the Czech Republic. He still performs and teaches from his home in North London.

Published with

Schott Music

Founded by Bernhard Schott in Mainz in 1770, Schott Music is one of Europe's oldest and largest music publishers, with a catalogue of more than 30,000 titles. Over its 250-year history Schott has issued first editions of Mozart, Beethoven and Wagner, championed 20th-century voices from Hindemith and Schoenberg to Ligeti and Henze, and today publishes sheet music, books and educational materials from offices in Mainz, London, New York, Tokyo and beyond.
Schott Music

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