The Complete Beginner Saxophone Course

Welcome to Section 2! The introduction outlines the topics that will be covered in this section. These include playing the first 7 notes on the saxophone, how to read those notes on the stave, and some fun exercises to practice with.

How do we play different notes on the saxophone? In this lecture Karin calls up two orchestral instruments to demonstrate how we change the pitch from low to high, and vice versa.

Hi! My name is... This lecture introduces students to note names, and all the possible names notes can have.

Your first 3 notes! Exercises are incorporated to practice moving between notes and knowing how to finger each of them.

In this lecture you will learn the next 3 notes, played with the fingers of the right hand. There are exercises throughout this lecture to practice identifying these notes and match them to the correct fingering on the saxophone.

Last but not least... we add the last of the notes you learn in this section - the note C.

In this lecture you play all 7 notes learnt in this section, first in descending order, and then ascending back to the starting note.

This interactive exercise is developed to test a students' ability to read and play the notes learnt so far. There are three rounds, each with an increased level of difficulty. Good luck!

That's a wrap for Section 2!

Welcome to Section 3! In this lecture Karin outlines what you will learn in this section, and why it is the essential next chapter in your saxophone journey.

Reading music is like reading a language: there are letters and symbols that need to be interpreted and each one has a specific meaning. In this short lecture you get a taste of what sheet music looks like, and the type of notation you will find in it.

In this lecture Karin teaches students the first three things always found on the stave: the clef, the key signature and the time signature. You learn what they look like, their specific role, and how to interpret them.

You're gonna like this one! Understanding the difference between beat and rhythm is very important in music. In this interactive lecture you will become a pro at this!

In this lecture Karin teaches students the three main types of note values. You will play some short exercises throughout the lecture to practice reading them.

Let's put it all together! In this lecture you put everything you've learnt so far into motion, and play a range of exercises with note names and note values combined. Karin is there to guide you every step of the way!

The last exercise before you move on to playing with a backtrack, this lecture serves to ensure that you are comfortable reading pitch, rhythm, the time signature, and being aware of the beat while you play.

Saving the best for last! This lecture offers you your first taste of playing songs with a backtrack, and you will start feeling like a real performer. Have fun with this one!

"The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between them."

In the introduction Karin highlights the value of this famous quote, and points out which topics will be covered in Section 4.

In this lecture you will learn about the three main types of rests. There are short exercises incorporated to demonstrate how we interpret them.

Add rests to your playing, but don't stop counting! Even though rests don't have a pitch associated with them, we have to keep counting when we play them in order to rest for the right amount of time. Lose the beat, and lose the plot!

Time to play. These three fun pieces incorporate the three types of rests you are now familiar with. By playing these pieces you will become comfortable reading notes and rests combined.

By now you should be very comfortable with the first seven notes you learnt, and we are beginning to add the next set of notes. Karin explains the concept of sharps and flats and teaches you a new note, F-sharp.

Definitely the highlight of the section! Students play two brand new pieces incorporating their new musical skills: rests and F-sharps. The first piece is an upbeat Latin groove, and the second one a tender, song-like melody. They allow you  to embrace both styles of playing, and you are encouraged to really perform these works.

Welcome to Section 5! In the introduction Karin outlines the topics that will be covered in this section including the octave key and how to control it, 10 new notes in the high register, a flashcard challenge, and backtrack pieces with key signatures. By the end of this section your playing is going to be on the next level!

The octave key (also called the register key) is the portal to the high register. In this lecture you learn where to find it, how to control it, and the important role it plays in saxophone playing.

"The Break" is something all saxophonists know, and in this lecture you will become acquainted with it as well. By the end of this lecture you will be equipped with the knowledge you need to navigate over the break seamlessly (and squeek free).

Some new notes! In this lecture you learn the next four notes in the high register: E, F, F# and G. There is an exercise for each note as well as an exercise at the end combining all four notes.

... and a few more! We continue upwards into the high register and add the high A, B and C.

Karin takes a minute to recap all the notes you learnt in the last two lectures, as well as all the notes you've learnt so far (low and high register).

As promised you will know a total of 18 notes by the end of this section. In this lecture you learn the last two to fill out this number: the low and high C#.

Flashcards... we meet again. See how well you know the new notes in the high register flashcard challenge. The goal is to play the note as soon as you can after it appears on the screen. Don't forget about good embouchure, posture and hand position!

Hello again! Key signatures were briefly introduced in Lecture 22, but now that you know all about sharps and flats they are utilized in exercises and pieces, and Karin reminds you how to interpret them.

A fun final lecture! Two backtrack pieces combining everything you've learnt so far: notes, rhythms, rests, time signatures, and key signatures. Definitely ending on a high note!

Welcome to Section 6! In this lecture Karin outlines the topics that students can look forward to in this section.

A new note value. In this lecture students learn where eighth notes fit in among the other note values learnt so far, and how to play them. Eighth notes are very common in music so when students master this skill they will be able to expand their repertoire tenfold!

Is your saxophone ready? This is a fun, practical lecture where Karin guides you through an exercise called 10 Rhythm Exercises aimed at mastering eighth notes.

Well how do you do? Adding to the collection of accidentals students have learnt so far, Karin introduces the first flat note, B-flat. You will learn how to finger both the low register and high register B-flat, and what they notes look like on the stave.

A Study in Rhythm 01 is a backtrack study aimed not only at perfecting notes and rhythms, but also to build stamina. Students will enjoy working through this exercise and drawing on all their knowledge to play it successfully. Karin also explains how dotted notes are interpreted, and you will find them in this exercise too.

Being able to play scales is essential to any musician's success, beginner to professional. In this lecture students learn what scales are, how they work, and why they should form part of any and every practice session.

Now that you know three major scales, we combine these new patterns with a rhythm exercise. While playing this exercise students will focus on three different things: the beat, the rhythm (which type of note values they have in each exercise) and the notes (the correct notes of the scale). All the while not forgetting the basics like embouchure, posture and fingering!

Could you repeat that, please? Repeat signs are a useful and plentiful feature in music, and are found across all genres. In this lecture you will learn what repeat signs look like, and what to do when you find them in your sheet music.

An exciting finale to this section, you will play two traditional melodies with a backtrack. Both these pieces have a B-flat in the key signature, so you can get better acquainted with this new note while performing.

Welcome to Section 7! In the introduction Karin outlines what students will learn in this section, and gives a brief description of each topic.

This lecture introduces the two main types of articulation: slurring and tonguing. Karin demonstrates the difference with the use of various examples so students can hear exactly how they compare and how they are employed to make the music we play colourful and injected with character.

How do musicians know when they are supposed to do which type of articulation? In this lecture students learn how articulation in notated with examples included.

Your turn! Take articulation for a spin using these eight articulation exercises ranging from easy to intermediate.

Slurring and tonguing are not the only types of articulation. In this lecture you will learn about four other types of articulation often found in music, and Karin demonstrates these with well-known examples.

A good lecture to watch with a cup of coffee. This lecture demonstrates the large dynamic range of the saxophone with a variety of saxophone performances from different genres, making students aware of the impact dynamics have in music.

Performance time! Put your knowledge to the test with three short backtrack pieces. These pieces are different from previous sections', because now there are articulation and dynamic markings to watch out for.

That's a wrap! Karin outlines what is coming up in Section 8.

The Performance Session is an exciting lecture containing three pieces from different genres, and is a culmination of everything learnt in this course from the basics to the more advanced techniques and concepts. It delivers on what the course promises: to make a performer out of the student and enable him/her to play well-known pieces on the saxophone with excellent command.

Congratulations! Well done on completing The Complete Beginner Saxophone Course. You are now in possession of all the skills a beginner saxophonist learns in the first year of playing, and you have the tools to play beginner to intermediate level repertoire. Depending on which style of playing you enjoy most and wish to explore further, you can now purchase or download sheet music from anywhere in the world and bring it to life in performance. Click on the Bonus Lecture for useful links and resources to explore.

All the best on your saxophone journey ahead!

If you are looking for inspiration or guidance on where to go from here, this lecture points you in some useful directions you can consider.

For sheetmusic:

www.kksax.com

www.sheetmusicplus.com

www.sheetmusicdirect.com

https://imslp.org

... or your local music store!

For saxophones and saxophone accessories:

www.sax.co.uk

Follow me on my social media for anything and everything saxophone related:

kk.sax (Instagram)

Karin Kroch Sax (YouTube)

Karin Kroch Saxophonist (Facebook)

@karin_kroch (Twitter)