Classical Curriculum
TONE STUDIES
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From the Inside Out: An In Depth Resource for the Development of Saxophone Sound by Dr. Mark Watkins
The text includes exercises, illustrations, video, and explanations for directed study. A downloadable PDF of this text is available from the store. Hardcopy is available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble. BYU-Idaho saxophone students receive a copy of this text at wholesale from Dr Watkins.
The button below leads to resources for the development of technique via scales and arpeggios. The scale packets include five parameters to be played in 12 keys: Five Note Patterns, Nine Note Patterns, Full Range Scales, Additive Arpeggios (Ascending), Additive Arpeggios (Descending). The packet labeled “Fingering Fundamentals” shows hand positions and alternate fingerings applicable to the exercises by means of photographs, notation, and fingering illustration. The “Intervals” packet moves scales to thirds and fourths while the “Arpeggios” packet adds variations on practicing arpeggios.
The following sequence of etude books is in order of difficulty, easiest to hardest. Students are assigned according to level at the onset of their degree.
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Voxmon, Himie. Advanced Method for Saxophone, vol. 1. Milwaukee, WI: Rubank/Hal Leonard, 1938.
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Voxmon, Himie. Advanced Method for Saxophone, vol. 2. Milwaukee, WI: Rubank/Hal Leonard, 1940.
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Voxmon, Himie. Selected Studies. Milwaukee, WI: Rubank/Hal Leonard.
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Klosé, Hyacinthe. 25 Daily Exercises for Saxophone. New York: Carl Fishcher, 2014 (original publication date 1882).
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Ferling, Franz. 48 Studies for Alto Saxophone in E-flat, Op. 31. Edited by Daniel Schmidt. Piano Accompaniments by John Walker. New York: Carl Fischer, 2010 (original publication date 1837).
This volume of the Ferling studies is also used for saxophones in B-flat. Students transpose audio with programs such as Transcribe.
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Karg-Elert, Sigfrid. 25 Caprices. San Antonio, TX: Southern, 1985 (original publication date 1929).
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Lacour, Guy. 28 Etudes for Saxophone. Paris: Billaudot, 1972.
SCALES AND ARPEGGIOS
METHOD AND ÉTUDE SEQUENCE
Jazz Curriculum
FUNDAMENTALS
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From the Inside Out: An In Depth Resource for the Development of Saxophone Sound by Dr. Mark Watkins
The text includes exercises, illustrations, video, and explanations for directed study. A downloadable PDF of this text is available from the store. Hardcopy is available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble. BYU-Idaho saxophone students receive a copy of this text at whole sale from Dr Watkins.
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Lessons from the Master: Charlie Parker by Dr. Mark Watkins
This collection of method books encompasses saxophone fundamentals appropriate to jazz including tone and articulation mechanisms, style considerations, jazz performance theory, exercises, etc. The three books (Articulation, Subdivision, and Rhythm; Note Choices; Practice Techniques) are currently undergoing critical review and are expected to be published in 2025. Students can access the unpublished PDFs for free, and will be able to receive hard copies wholesale from Dr. Watkins after publication.
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Lessons from the Master: Charlie Parker by Dr. Mark Watkins
The Lessons from the Master texts serve as etude books. They are sometimes overly difficult for incoming freshmen. These students may begin with the following resource, available in E-flat and B-flat. Mintzer, Bob. 15 Easy Jazz, Blues, and Funk Etudes. Van Nuys, CA: Alfred, 2000.
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Fundamentals of Jazz Improvisation: What Everybody Thinks You Already Know by Dr. Mark Watkins
LITERATURE
Jazz standards serve as primary literature for private lessons in jazz. Chapter 7 in the Fundamentals of Jazz Improvisation text includes steps for learning jazz standards and lists of compositions by commonality, level, and type.
Masterclass
Students meet as a saxophone studio once per week for the duration of the semester. Music majors perform in class three times while non-majors perform twice. Commentary is provided by attending students and Dr Watkins in an encouraging and supportive environment. In addition to performances, a variety of saxophone specific topics are covered.