Alto Saxophone

Alto Saxophone

Fun play-along videos to help kids learn to play the alto saxophone!

-For beginner and intermediate alto saxophone students
-Use with E-flat alto saxophones
-Starts at the beginner level and increases in difficulty
-Self-assessment rubric included in each video
-Videos rotate through 12 activities to focus on different aspects of music learning:

1. Get Ready: Warmups
- Long tones, scales, arpeggios, articulation, etc.

2. Inside Info: Music theory and fundamentals
-Time signatures, key signatures, scale degrees, intervals, chords, form, harmony, etc.

3. Sync Up: Rhythm training
-Listening, reading rhythms, counting, clapping

4. Catch The Groove: Rhythm training
-Listening, echoing, reading rhythms

5. Play By Ear: Aural skills
-Pitch discrimination, listening and echoing

6. Mix It Up: Sight-reading
-Extra challenge: sing the melody after playing it on the alto saxophone

7. Make A Beat: Rhythm improvisation
-Echo a rhythmic phrase, then play something different

8. Power Up: Instrumental technique
-Long tones, breath control, facility, articulation, interval studies

9. All Together Now: Ensemble playing
-Listen and play different parts within duets, trios, and quartets

10. Your Choice: Pitch/tonal improvisation
-Listen and echo a musical phrase, then play something different using given note choices

11. Bonus Level: Sight-reading
-Combines material from previous videos

12. Recap: Vocabulary review
-Multiple-choice "quiz" review
-One Recap video after every 100 Dynabuddy videos

Think of each cycle through these activities as a unit of study that takes about 4-6 weeks to complete. Every 100 videos is about a year's worth of instruction, ending with a Recap video for review. 100 videos are currently available for alto saxophone. More will be released soon - stay tuned!

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Alto Saxophone
  • Video 73: Make A Beat (Alto Saxophone)

    Echo and improvise rhythms using:
    -C-sharp only
    -Eighth notes & rests, quarter notes & rests, half notes & rests, dotted half notes & rests
    -3/4 time signature

  • Video 74: Power Up (Alto Saxophone)

    Instrumental technique:
    -Articulation: tonguing and slurs

  • Video 75: All Together Now (Alto Saxophone)

    Ensemble playing using:
    -Duet
    -D major key signature
    -Eighth notes & rests, quarter notes & rests, half notes & rests
    -Repeat signs
    -1st & 2nd endings
    -Pick-up notes
    -Slurs
    -Ties
    -Divisi
    -Fermatas
    -Dynamics: mp, mf, & f
    -2/4 time signature

  • Video 76: Your Choice (Alto Saxophone)

    Sight-read and improvise using:
    -A, D, & F-sharp
    -Eighth notes & rests, quarter notes & rests, half notes & rests
    -4/4 time signature

  • Video 77: Bonus Level (Alto Saxophone)

    Sight-read using:
    -C major key signature
    -Eighth notes & rests, quarter notes, half notes, dotted half notes
    -Repeat sign
    -Dynamics: p, mp, mf, f
    -Breath marks
    -3/4 time signature
    -Piano accompaniment

  • Video 78: Get Ready (Alto Saxophone)

    Warm-up using:
    -D major scale & arpeggio
    -New notes D & E
    -Eighth notes & rests, quarter notes, half notes & rests
    -Breath marks
    -4/4 time signature

  • Video 79: Inside Info (Alto Saxophone)

    Music theory & fundamentals: D.C. al Fine

  • Video 80: Sync Up (Alto Saxophone)

    Count and clap rhythms using:
    -Eighth notes & rests, quarter notes & rests, dotted quarter notes, half notes
    -2/4 time signature

  • Video 81: Catch The Groove (Alto Saxophone)

    Echo rhythms using:
    -E only
    -Eighth notes & rests, quarter notes & rests, dotted quarter notes, half notes, dotted half notes, whole notes
    -“C” time signature

  • Video 82: Play By Ear (Alto Saxophone)

    Echo melodic patterns using:
    -D, F-sharp, & A
    -Eighth notes & rests, quarter notes & rests, dotted quarter notes, half notes
    -3/4 time signature

  • Video 83: Mix It Up (Alto Saxophone)

    Sight-read using:
    -C major key signature
    -Eighth notes, quarter notes & rests, dotted quarter notes, half notes, dotted half notes
    -D.C. al Fine
    -Slurs
    -Dynamics: p, mp, mf, & f
    -4/4 time signature
    -Metronome and piano accompaniment
    -Extra challenge: sing the notes

  • Video 84: Make A Beat (Alto Saxophone)

    Echo and improvise rhythms using:
    -F-sharp only
    -Eighth notes & rests, quarter notes & rests, dotted quarter notes & rests, half notes & rests, dotted half notes & rests, whole notes & rests
    -4/4 time signature

  • Video 85: Power Up (Alto Saxophone)

    Instrumental technique:
    -Interval study: fourths in D major

  • Video 86: All Together Now (Alto Saxophone)

    Ensemble playing using:
    -Duet
    -G major key signature
    -Eighth notes & rests, quarter notes & rests, dotted quarter notes, half notes, dotted half notes
    -D.C. al fine
    -Slurs
    -Divisi
    -Dynamics: p, mp, mf, & f
    -“C” time signature

  • Video 87: Your Choice (Alto Saxophone)

    Sight-read and improvise using:
    -E, G, & B
    -Eighth notes & rests, quarter notes & rests, dotted quarter notes, half notes, dotted half notes
    -3/4 time signature

  • Video 88: Bonus Level (Alto Saxophone)

    Sight-read using:
    -G major key signature
    -Eighth notes & rests, quarter notes & rests, dotted quarter notes, half notes & rests
    -D.C. al Fine
    -Dynamics: p, mp, mf
    -4/4 time signature
    -Piano accompaniment

  • Video 89: Get Ready (Alto Saxophone)

    Warm-up using:
    -A minor scale & arpeggio
    -New note A
    -Eighth notes & rests, quarter notes & rests, dotted quarter notes, half notes & rests
    -Breath marks
    -"C" time signature

  • Video 90: Inside Info (Alto Saxophone)

    Music theory & fundamentals: Dotted quarter notes

  • Video 91: Sync Up (Alto Saxophone)

    Count and clap rhythms using:
    -Eighth notes & rests, quarter notes & rests, dotted quarter notes, half notes
    -4/4 time signature

  • Video 92: Catch The Groove (Alto Saxophone)

    Echo rhythms using:
    -D only
    -Eighth notes & rests, quarter notes & rests, dotted quarter notes, half notes, dotted half notes
    -3/4 time signature

  • Video 93: Play By Ear (Alto Saxophone)

    Echo melodic patterns using:
    -C, D, & E
    -Eighth notes, quarter notes & rests, dotted quarter notes, half notes
    -Ties
    -2/4 time signature

  • Video 94: Mix It Up (Alto Saxophone)

    Sight-read using:
    -B minor key signature
    -Eighth notes, quarter notes & rests, dotted quarter notes, half notes, dotted half notes
    -Crescendo & decrescendo
    -Dynamics: p, mp, mf, & f
    -Ritardando
    -Fermata
    -Repeat signs
    -1st & 2nd endings
    -Pickup notes
    -Slurs
    -4/4 time signature
    -Metronome and pian...

  • Video 95: Make A Beat (Alto Saxophone)

    Echo and improvise rhythms using:
    -A only
    -Eighth notes & rests, quarter notes & rests, dotted quarter notes & rests, half notes & rests, dotted half notes & rests
    -3/4 time signature

  • Video 96: Power Up (Alto Saxophone)

    Instrumental technique:
    -Long tones and breath control with dynamics