Saxophone 2A
Time: 14:00 - 15:30
Location: Keeley Street
- Course Code: ME612A
- Dates: 21/09/24 - 30/11/24
- Time: 14:00 - 15:30
- Taught: Sat, Daytime
- Duration: 11 sessions (over 11 weeks)
- Location: Keeley Street
- Tutor: David Harrison
Course Code: ME612A
Duration: 11 sessions (over 11 weeks)
Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
What is the course about?
This course follows on from Saxophone level 1 and is our second year of study.You will develop instrumental technique and sound, music reading, musicianship skills, ensemble playing, and improvisation.
We'll play popular, jazz and world music pieces for solo sax and ensemble.
What will we cover?
- Appropriate use of scales e.g. blues, minor, mixolydian,etc., in improvisation
- Playing broken chords and exploring chord theory
- Technical aspects of playing the instrument
- Aspects of related musicianship, e.g. counting, listening, reading, harmony matters
- What to practise, and how to practise
- Contribution to group performance.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Demonstrate improved confidence in your ability to play
- Play saxophone standard tunes
- Demonstrate improved tone and stamina
- Improvise on the study tunes.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This course is for saxophone players who have had at least one year of serious musical study. Any other instrumental experience will be of advantage. You must be able to play 2 octaves from bottom C to top C, and you should already know the major scales of G, C, F and D, and the minor pentatonic on A and D. You should also understand treble clef notation and rhythm.
You will need to follow written and verbal instructions in English and engage in class discussions.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
You will be taught by tutor demonstrations, use of audio, youtube, books and printed music. You will play with piano accompaniment and backing tracks.
Students are expected to make space and time for practice between classes.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
A music stand and metronome are essential for practice at home.
Have manuscript paper and a pencil for the classes. You will be required to buy a saxophone book on the advice of your tutor. Extensive resources are available also in the google classroom.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
This course continues to Sax 2B and 2C to form a year of study.
David Harrison studied at Oxford Brookes university before taking a post-graduate diploma in saxophone performance at Guildhall School of Music & Drama. David has been teaching at City Lit since 1994. In 2004 he wrote a guitar player’s guide for Collins and joined Music Sales in 2005 to update the famous A Tune A Day tutor series, eventually producing over 40 titles as series editor of the relaunched A New Tune A Day books, which has since become the biggest-selling music tutor series worldwide. Since 2010, David has worked freelance writing, editing and producing mainly educational titles, including Abracadabra Beginning Theory (Collins Music); The Complete Ukulele Player (Music Sales) and most recently the Bob Dylan Complete (Hal Leonard), the authorised collection of every Dylan song, together with an extensive introduction covering Dylan’s acoustic guitar technique, his song-writing and Dylan’s place in the American folk music revival. Aside from his guitar and saxophone classes, David runs a course in song writing. a series of talks on the music of The Beatles, and a series on the songs of Bob Dylan’s 1960s albums.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
