Basic Concepts and Strategies for the Developing Saxophonist

By Frank Bongiorno

Frank Bongiorno is Professor of Saxophone and Jazz Studies at the University of North Carolina Wilmington since 1982. During this time at UNCW, his saxophone as well as jazz students have received national and international recognition by such organizations as Down Beat and Jazzfest USA, among others, and he has been recognized for his contributions to teaching at UNCW receiving the 2006 J. Marshall Crews Distinguished Faculty Award, the UNCW 2010 Distinguished Teaching Professorship Award, and the 2011 North Carolina Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching.

His publications include classical saxophone transcriptions (Oboe Quartet in F Major, K. 370 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5: Cantilena by Heitor Villa-Lobos), original compositions for jazz combo, paper presentations at the Eighteenth Annual International Association for Jazz Educators Conference and the Second Annual Boston Saxophone Workshop & Contemporary Woodwind Seminar, a DVD on Basic Reed Maintenance for the Saxophonist, as well as over 150 articles and reviews in such publications as the Saxophone Symposium, Saxophone Journal, North Carolina Music Educators Journal, the National Association of College Wind & Percussion Instructors and Popular Musicians.

Intended for the upper-level high school student as well as undergraduate student, Basic Concepts and Strategies for the Developing Saxophonist provides fundamental topics as well as exercises with suggested approaches to help the saxophone student and performer better understand the "workings" of the saxophone. This book contains twenty-two topics with musical examples demonstrating concepts and strategies, as well as a final chapter of technical exercises at the end.

"This new book belongs in every college music library and in the personal library of all serious saxophonists. It will be especially beneficial to those who teach the saxophone. I applaud Dr. Bongiorno's work in bringing these important concepts to his readers." -Dr. Steven Mauk, Retired Professor of Saxophone, Ithaca College

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Feb 28, 2022
• ISBN: 9781667830421

Frank Bongiorno

Frank Bongiorno is professor of history at the Australian National University and author of the award-winning The Sex Lives of Australians. He has written for the Monthly, the Australian and Inside Story.

Book preview

Preface

This book is a compilation of articles I wrote over the course of ten years or so, as well as master class sessions I presented during my career as a saxophonist and teacher. Intended for the upper-level high school student as well as undergraduate student, Basic Concepts and Strategies for the Developing Saxophonist provides fundamental topics as well as exercises with suggested approaches to help the saxophone student and performer better understand the workings of the saxophone, as well as to present possible paths in their journey to the next stage of their development.

This book contains twenty-two topics with musical examples demonstrating concepts and strategies, as well as a final chapter of technical exercises. Each topic often builds upon the previous topic culminating with the exercises provided at the end of the book, so careful review of each topic will be the most effective use of this book but is not necessarily required. I hope this book will be a useful and helpful tool for all saxophonists seeking to improve their skills not only as saxophonists but also as musicians.

Cover Art by Jessica Bongiorno Gibbs

Cover Design and Layout by Frank Bongiorno

Interior Graphic Art by McKenzie Bongiorno

Interior Graphics by Frank Bongiorno

Photo by Garland Shields

Chapter I

Starting Out: Posture, Hand Position, and Embouchure

The fundamental foundation for all saxophonists begins with some basic concepts regarding posture, hand position, and embouchure. Good fundamental concepts in these areas will establish the foundation of playing the saxophone and help facilitate the development of the technique, as well as tone.

Posture and the Relationship Between Saxophonist and Instrument

Good posture when playing the saxophone contributes to the development of tone, as well as technique, by placing the body in a position that will not only enhance the physical motion needed to negotiate good technique, but also to breathe properly.

Whether sitting or standing, always keep the body relaxed, but not slouching. Sit on the edge of the chair to form an even balance between your feet and your seat, and stand with your feet apart, aligned with your shoulders, for the optimal playing position.

Ideally, the proper positioning of the instrument will allow the instrument to come to you in the posture positions described above. The neck strap should be adjusted so the saxophone mouthpiece falls directly into the embouchure position without deviating from the fundamental posture positions. Additional minor adjustments to the angle of the neck and/or the horizontal position of the mouthpiece may be needed once the neck strap is positioned so the mouthpiece will fit comfortably in your embouchure position without changing your posture or head position. Finally, be careful not to use the thumbs to lift the saxophone in position, but rather, always adjust the height of the instrument with the neck strap. The thumbs are only used to balance the instrument from moving right-to-left and should not be used to lift the instrument as it will cause tension in the hands, and ultimately hinder your technique.

Hand Position and Finger Motion

Although the length and shape of the fingers as well as the type of saxophone used (i.e., make, model, size) often determines the saxophonist’s hand positions, there are a few concepts to consider that will help smooth typical problems with saxophone technique.

First, it is important to remember to always keep the fingers and hands as close to the keys of the saxophone as much as possible, while keeping the fingers curved and relaxed when placed into position. You can emulate the finger curvature by placing your arm and hand down to your side in a relaxed position. Once the arm, hand, and fingers are in a natural relaxed position along your side, bring the arm and hand to the saxophone, without moving the natural curve of the relaxed finger position (see Figure 1), and place the fingerprints of the fingers onto the pearls of the keys, then put the thumbs in position on the respective thumb rests.

Figure 1

The left-hand position is achieved by positioning the left-hand wrist in towards the chest rather than out and away from the body (see Figure 2). This hand position will help keep your left hand close to the left-hand palm keys and allow for a natural curved-shape formation (i.e., as in forming the letter C) in the left hand.

Figure 2

Maintaining the wrist in towards your body with curved fingers will help keep the fingers from overlapping the keys (i.e., the pearls of the keys), and will allow the thumb to be positioned over the octave key accordingly (see Figure 3). Although this is a recommended hand position for the left hand, younger saxophonists, or saxophonists with smaller hands may need to position the wrist slightly outwards to avoid inadvertently opening the palm keys.

Figure 3

A final consideration with the left-hand position is the angle of the fingers in relationship to the instrument. When properly positioned, the left-hand fingers are best described as being perpendicular to the saxophone and parallel to the ground (see Figure 4). This hand position is best suited for most notes played by the left hand. The exception would be when playing the low note keys (i.e., low C-sharp, B, and B-flat), whereas the left-hand and wrist move outward from the body slightly to properly negotiate these key mechanisms effectively.

Figure 4

Once you have positioned your left hand as described above as shown in Figure 4, practice moving the left-hand fingers in an up-down motion (i.e., piston-like) rather than a swiping type of lifting motion that often occurs when the fingers are flat instead of curved and angled up with the wrist out from the body (see Figure 5). The improper left-hand position, as seen in Figure 5, will usually produce a slower and sloppier technique because the finger motion is, by nature, less efficient than the recommended hand position of Figure 4.

Figure 5 (Incorrect hand position)

Play the following exercise slowly and consider the concepts outlined above.

1) Keep your left-hand wrist in towards your chest rather than out to keep your left hand close to the left-hand palm keys.

2) Keep your fingers relaxed and curved in the shape of the letter C as much as possible throughout the execution of these notes.

3) Try to maintain contact with, or at least stay within close vicinity, of the B, A, and G keys.

4) Move your fingers in an up-down motion (i.e., piston-like) and avoid a swiping up motion when lifting the fingers.

Left Hand/Fingers Positioning Exercise (use BIS B-flat for all B-flats in this exercise)

The fundamental concepts used for left-hand technique, as described above, are also applicable to the right-hand technique. That is, try to always keep the fingers and hands as close to the keys of the saxophone as much as possible, and maintain fingers in a curved, relaxed position. Begin by placing the fingerprints of the fingers onto the pearls of the right-hand stack keys. After placing the fingers in place, move the right-hand thumb below the thumb rest (see Figure 6). The exact positioning of the thumb will be determined by the size of one’s hand and will most likely vary among saxophonists. The thumb is positioned in such a way to assist balancing, and not lifting the saxophone. A relaxed right-hand technique is achieved by not putting any weight and/or tension on the thumb while it is placed under the thumb rest. Adjust the thumb rest accordingly so that at least some part of the thumb can be positioned under the thumb rest if the thumb does not reach the thumb rest comfortably.

Figure 6

When properly positioned, the right-hand fingers are usually placed so they are perpendicular to the saxophone and parallel to the ground. This hand position will help facilitate the execution of most notes played by the right hand, including the side keys (i.e., side B-flat, C, and the high E key), as well as the E-flat and low C keys played by the right-hand pinkie (see Figure 7 ).

Figure 7

Once you have positioned your right hand as described above and shown in Figure 7, practice moving the right-hand fingers in an up-down motion keeping the fingers curved and always relaxed. The only exception to the curved-finger approach may be when alternating from the E-flat to the low C with the right-hand pinkie. In this case, it is sometimes better to move from a curved pinkie position to a straight pinkie position when moving over the rollers from E-flat to the low C key. Also, it is recommended the pinkie moves between these two keys from within the middle of the two keys to properly use the rollers accordingly. Try not to allow the pinkie to hang over the keys (this is sometimes a problem with long fingers) since it will hinder a smooth transition from E-flat key to the low C key in this situation.

A final consideration is the placement of the fingers when using the right-hand side keys. For the most part, the side B-flat and C will be depressed by the part of the hand and/or finger positioned near these keys when the hand is in its normal playing position. The side of the right-hand index finger’s knuckle is typically the area of the finger used for these notes. However, when playing the high E key, the right-hand should move up at an angle to keep the fingers pointed and near their respective right-hand keys (see Figure 8).

Figure 8

The following exercises should be played slowly and incorporate the following concepts.

1) Keep fingers relaxed and curved in the shape of the letter C as much as possible throughout the execution of these notes.

2) Maintain contact with or at least stay within close vicinity of the keys in the right hand (this may be determined by the length of the fingers).

3) Move fingers in an up-down motion.

4) Keep the thumb relaxed and avoid using it to lift the saxophone alleviate undue tension in the hand.

5) Strive to maintain a balanced, coordinated finger motion when lifting fingers. Listen carefully to avoid in-between notes when fingers move unevenly.

6) Move the right-hand up at an angle to keep the fingers pointed and near their respective right-hand keys when playing the high E key.

7) Strive for precision of motion and note accuracy.

Right Hand/Finger Positioning Exercise

Embouchure

While there are a few variations of the saxophone embouchure, the fundamental concept for producing a basic embouchure involves several factors, including the shape and positioning of the lips, teeth, as well as the facial muscles around the mouthpiece.

Begin by placing the top teeth on top of the mouthpiece, approximately ½-inch from the tip. Roll the bottom lip firmly over the bottom teeth. Bring in the corners of your mouth so the overall embouchure shape is rounded with equal muscular pressure inwards around the mouthpiece to establish a firm, yet relaxed embouchure for adequate reed vibration.

Once the basic embouchure is established,