Art of Saxophone Playing

Rating:
Summary: Not For an Absolute Beginner
Review: I not giving this book a full 5 star because despite all the rave reviews here , this book is NOT for an absolute beginner.It's a great adjunct to a beginner's book or DVD but if you're looking for a book that will show you how to play an alto sax step, by step ,by step , this book is not it.
It does however , have a lot of important information and I'm sure I'll come back to it again and again , but for now I'm going to get myself a true beginner's book.
I'm new to the sax, and this book was published in 1963. I don't know if this makes a difference , but there may or may not be new information available on the market today.
I recommend this book but only if you have a beginner's book already.



Rating:
Summary: Back to Saxophone Playing
Review: After many years of palying and teaching sax in the USA and Brasil. I really enjoyed this book a lot, you get books with a lot of music but not enough details to pass on and use yourself. The book is great for beginners to get off on the right start and for even pros to refresh and brush up on their chops and techniques! Teachers will love this tool also.

Rating:
Summary: Seems that everybody's got it wrong in Czech Republic...
Review: at least all the teachers I met through the 14 years of amusing myself by publicly pretending that I know how to play the instrument. No wonder that it seemed so hard, for nobody ever told me my embouchure was too tight (taken from clarinet), my posture was wrong, my fingers did a lot of excessive movements... Altissimo register? Alternative fingerings? Double-tonguing? All I could get was but fuzzy fragments of information.

Now I got it. It's all there, clear, all terms defined, even some useful physical background revealed. It'll probably take another 14 years to get rid of all them bad habits, but many things I FELT before, I KNOW now (example: I used to feel uncomfortable about some things recommended in another method book, unfortunately the only one available in Czech language - just the same things are named in Art of... as beginners mistakes), so I'm convinced I'm on the right path. This is probably the most important point - the book is in accordance with what my ears, mouth, lungs etc. "think", and I can feel the improvements every day. Very satisfying. My teachers can now learn from me. So - if there's no chance for you to get a good teacher, buy this book. Period.

Rating:
Summary: First the "craftsman", then the artist
Review: Everyone who wants to make a real art of his saxophone playing should have this book. The author first describes the technical matters of the instrument itself: what you should look at if you buy a new saxophone, mouthpiece (with detailed explanations of its parts) or reed (with hints how to adjust it). Then he wants to train the physical conditions of the player, i. e. posture when playing, breathing and embouchure (both with several exercises that can be done without the instrument, just in order to control and strengthen the concernded muscles). He also tells a lot about tone quality, how to produce a vibrato, how to make dynamics correctly and how to pitch notes that are not OK on the instrument. A trill chart is also included in the book. For more advanced players, Teal includes fingerings for the very high register of the saxophone and some information about double tonguing and doubling (playing another woodwind instrument).

The author doesn't want to teach the player improvisation and such things, although they are widely required. His aim is "craftsmanship", and his background when he wrote the book was to make the saxophone more common to "classical music". Teal's idea is that the saxophone player only can be an artist if he masters the technical matters of his instrument, and then he can proceed to playing what he likes. His book is a very good help for every player to learn everything what is necessary for a good playing skill.

Rating:
Summary: Make your first steps with no other
Review: Finally a jewel for beginers! To take a saxophon for the first time is already a huge task , this book makes it ease, entertained and understandable. Other is not needed to learn.

Rating:
Summary: Will always be the autjoritative classic on saxophone.
Review: Frequently considered only one side of the two schools of saxophone playing in the U.S., this one is wonderful in print form.

Rating:
Summary: A professional's opinion
Review: Hello there fellow saxophone players. I hold degrees in classical and jazz saxophone. I've been playing for 16 years and teaching for 10. This book is a good read, and provides much of the supplementary information that can help you on your way. However, there is no substitute for a great teacher. Any teacher worth their salt will lend their copy of this book to you, by the way. A comment about the information on the emboucher. There are generally two ways of forming the emboucher, this is more tense of the two. So that poor guy from China that changed his emboucher to a closed position (as opposed to lip out) no doubt that was a lot of work. A beautiful sound is the goal, whichever emboucher you choose. You may email me at [e-mail] if you have more questions about saxophone playing. I'd recommend everyone buy this book for an interesting and informative read. If you're learning the saxophone on your own, you need a book with music! I'd suggest Rubank Elementary Method for Saxophone

Rating:
Summary: A Must for Every Saxophonist
Review: I don't care if you play jazz, classical, fusion, or pop you must buy this book if you're a saxophonist. No book even comes close to the sheer amount of information on the saxophone in this book by the greatest sax pedagogue, Larry Teal. You will learn about sax mutes, reeds, articulation, fingerings, altissimo, technique, history, and tons more. Great for beginners and college students looking for some info on their instrument. Wonderful teaching aid. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: I wish I had this book 4 years ago!
Review: I have been playing sax for 4 years, now.. This book still had some things that I was not aware of or just recently learned. If I had this when I 1st started I would be a much better player, now. Bottom line: IF YOU WANT TO PLAY THE SAXAPHONE, THEN GET THIS BOOK. period.

Rating:
Summary: A Fantastic Book that Needs an Update.
Review: I originally bought this book when I began the saxophone and found it was a great resource. In fact, I think that in many ways it is by far the most complete and through look at the instrument. For me at least, I never had played anything other than the piano, so the book was fresh and full of things no one had even mentioned. However, I feel that it is perhaps time to update the classic. Primarily, the instrument has been brought forward so many years, and the rise of new polymers and learning techniques really hinder it being as useful as it could be. I would absolutely still buy this book and recommend it to any teacher, but I would only remind them that the sections on things like mouth pieces and reeds should be looked at as dated to a certain extent.