Rubank Intermediate Method, Rubank Advanced Method. The Art of Saxophone Playing by Larry Teal. The latter isn’t so much a method book but a book on the finer points of playing. Also, I’ve made great use of Pares Scales: Saxophone. Learning the scales is pretty much essential.

 

Rubank Intermediate Method, Rubank Advanced Method.

And Rubank Elementary for a true beginner.

These books are shockingly cheap: $7.99 on Amazon. (Used ones are almost free.) Considering how much material they contain, there's no reason not to buy one.

 

+1 for the Rubank books

 

Steve Neff is a well-respected sax instructor who posts here as Nefertiti. His video lessons & downloadable instruction books can be found at Neffmusic-Jazz Saxophone and Improvisation Lessons — Website of Steve Neff.

 

I started playing alto during the pandemic and got great results from online lessons. Geography is no obstacle. Even a few lessons will speed up your learning curve immeasurably. PM me if you want a specific teacher recommendation.

 

Simon Currie's beginner course on Udemy is where I started. It will get you the basics and help to learn to read music. I should ask if you can read music?

 

+1 for Rubank books, plus online live lessons with a private teacher. without a teacher you're certain to acquire many bad habits you will regret having later.

 

You can’t beat beginning band methods for absolute beginners. They walk you through learning all the notes and reading basics effortlessly. Use the Rubank books after you know the basics.

 

Sonny stitt used to work through this book each day.

Amazon.com: Universal Method for Saxophone: 8580001003559: Paul DeVille: Books

Amazon.com: Universal Method for Saxophone: 8580001003559: Paul DeVille: Books

www.amazon.com

 

If you truly are a rank beginner, get some online instruction over Zoom or FaceTime or something. Right away. Many people will do online lessons. This will save you time and money, by preventing very common mistakes around embouchure and breath control. Once you have a few basics down, get a fingering chart and a scale book and go to town.

Also get a copy of Larry Teal’s The Art of Saxophone Playing. This is the bible, and suitable for rank beginners through crusty old vets.

Where you go from there depends on what you want to do - jazz, chamber music, classical music, make up your own music, whatever.

 

Non-expert opinion: beyond the advice to get some instruction from a person, recommendations may depend on your background. For ex, if you already have some musical background from another instrument (understand notes, rhythm, can read basic notation), then a beginning band book that works up to "Oh, Susannah" in straight quarter notes might bore you. But if you don't have much prior musical background, then a book that comes with audio samples (CD or downloadable) may be valuable so you can hear what it's supposed to sound like, and train your ear while playing.

 

Looking for excellent books that are geared towards an adult learner wishing to learn alto.

Personally I really like John O'Neill's "The Jazz Method for Alto Saxophone." It will take you from beginner to early intermediate in a really fun way, with some great tunes and excellent instruction. Much more interesting, IMO, than Rubank, particularly for an adult learner with some music background.

If you need to go further then Dr Wally Wallace's free "Saxophone Fundamentals" is very good for the technical work and, with his online content (check out his YouTube stuff) is a really excellent resource/.

 

As you start to find books, I suggest searching google for free pdfs of simple songs. Pink Panther Theme, Hymns (if you know them and/or are religious), folk songs, etc. It's fun to see your practice turned into music! Don't worry about if they're in the "right key". You'll still hear the melody. Just make sure there's a treble clef in the front!

And of COURSE, feel free to mess around and make your own melodies, or mimic what you hear on the radio, or in your head!

 

Hi! Do you have a background in music otherwise? Are you able to sight read music already? Are you beginning all the way from zero - as in you need to learn the basic fingerings, learn your first scale, that kind of thing? Or are you rather looking for some good beginner-facing exercise books with little lessons and songs to try? Perhaps you're even moving on from there and looking for some exercises or solos to help you advance? Your response here might inform better help from the forum. Thanks and good luck with it!

 

I have played other instruments but sadly used tabs to do the bulk of the work for me. I can sight read a little but am really slow at it. I have never played saxophone either. So I guess really I am considered pretty green when it comes to saxophone and moreover reading music proficiently.

 

Another vote for the Rubanks here.

Also the good ol' Tune a Day for Saxophone by C. Paul Herfurth (Chappell), or Learn as You Play Saxophone by Peter Wastall (Boosey & Hawkes), as these teach you to read music as well. Both can be studied with profit on your own.

Two others from quite early times I really like are: Méthode Complète pour tous les Saxophones by Hyacinth Klosé (Leduc), and The Otto Langey Series Practical Tutor for the Saxophone by John FitzGerald (Hawkes & Son), both of which ran to many editions over the years. One would benefit from a teacher's guidance to get the most out of these.

The Saxophonist's Beside Book by Paul Harvey (Fentone) combines interesting information with entertaining presentation.

 

I could not resist posting this! I found this old beauty in my basement. A-to-Z for the beginner saxophonist from 1908! You can have even learn how to make your own reeds!

 

Omigosh, that Universal Method for the Saxophone cover looks awfully familiar. I guess I have the book stashed away somewhere. Needless to say, I've never cracked it open to look inside.

 

Not my first choice. It’s a raging torrent of information written in an arcane way and not really geared to a beginner, so it will be a challenge. Mine has been sitting on a shelf in like new condition for nearly 50 years. Having learned many instruments as an adult, I’ve had the most success by far with the beginning band methods I mentioned earlier.

No matter what your choice, good luck to you.

 

Not my first choice. It’s a raging torrent of information written in an arcane way and not really geared to a beginner, so it will be a challenge. Mine has been sitting on a shelf in like new condition for nearly 50 years. Having learned many instruments as an adult, I’ve had the most success by far with the beginning band methods I mentioned earlier.

No matter what your choice, good luck to you.

I am
A glutton for punishment I suppose. I did pick up a copy of Andy Hampton’s book on Saxophone Basics as well. It’s a 2003 edition and from what I can tell it more of a modern book.

 

With beginners. I always separate just producing a tone. Tonguing finding where the fingers go and posture/ breathing from reading music. So for me it’s easier for them to understand how to get the reed to vibrate ( why it’s not vibrating ). Where to place everything etc. way before you are remembering where a b is on The staff and how to count a dotted eighth note This is my advice from teaching 100s of beginners. Not from what I used in elementary school 60 years ago. Just my 2 cents.

 

Do not neglect the Larry Teal book. This book will serve you well for as long as you play the saxophone.

 

My teacher used Learn as You Play Saxophone (Peter wastall)

We skipped a chunk of it as I 'knew' bits from learning at school, gradually adding new keys, notes and rhythms.

On completion, he turns to me "good now you know what all buttons do, now time to learn how to play"

My rhythm and timing wasn't great, so now on 20 modern pieces for saxophone by James Rae, which is challenging, and a step up.

 

The Universal Method for Saxophone by Paul Deville is an excellent book that has a lot of etudes from beginner to advanced. Highly recommend.