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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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
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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
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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
