[Keith Ridenhour]

I think mostly they want reading skills and maybe some jazz training. What method book would you give to your average 9th grader. At that age I was playing arban and Clarke technique studies on trumpet. Its been a while since I taught a high school student. I guess rubank is old school. I can do the ferling etudes if shes got chops. but I suspect she will be playing not at that level. What do you guys use for written etude books? Im currently working out of the Locour etudes but thats way too hard? Ideas? K

 

[Airflyte]

I like the Rubank books.

 

[Bari Sax Guy]

My sight reading really improved using this $10.00 book (my copy was $3.50, but the price apparently has increased ):

http://charlescolin.com/product/rhythms-complete/

 

[mmichel]

There are many options, so I'm sure people will chime in.

However, if you're looking for something fairly comprehensive in a single book (i.e., the rough equivalent of the Arban's on trumpet or the Klose book on clarinet), I would go with the Universal Method by DeVille.

That's what I started with in Jr. High School.

 

[Keith Ridenhour]

thanks I'm famiilar with the Rubank and I used the Universal method in college also. Thanks K

 

[skeller047]

I would also consider the Joseph Viola books, The Technique of the Saxophone published by Berklee. A better general workout for getting comfortable with all scales, chords and intervals an all keys. I haven't looked at the third volume, which focuses on rhythm, but the first two are excellent, I spent many hours with them as a high school student.

 

[smash]

The Lennie Niehaus books "Jazz Conception" are good too. I did those, Rubank (Selected Studies and Advanced Method), Rhythms Complete and Klose 25 Daily Exercises in high school. That was 30 years ago but I still use them with my students now. Some of the newer series of books I have used are "approaching the Standards" and "Jazz Conception" by Jim Snidero. I didn't do Ferling or Viola until college. I love the Viola books but I have yet to meet anyone who has ever done volume 3!

 

[Jazz House]

I teach high school kids. With my younger ones (Y7-9), I usually start them off on the 'Learn as You Play Series' if they're absolute or recent beginners. This book progresses quite gradually, but isn't babyish in any way, so I find it's a good starting point for high school kids. I also really like how they don't tell me how to teach stuff. I find it irritating when books do that.

https://www.boosey.com/teaching/sheet-music/Peter-Wastall-Learn-As-You-Play-Sax/2500

Other options I use as kids become advanced enough:
-Klose Daily
-Klose Mechanisme Etudes
-Top Tones (great for warming up and making long notes interesting.)
-AMEB or similar exam books. Often these pieces are really boring, but there are some good ones out there.
-Jazz Conception. These are great books. They come in different levels and have chord symbols, so you can transpose and accompany the student yourself at a slow tempo if your piano skills are up to it!
-66 Great Tunes - Mark Walton
-Jazz Incorporated by Kerrin Bailey. These are kind of a staple of Australian music education. I don't love all the pieces, but some kids enjoy them.

Keith - I'd recommend Jazz Conception. These are great for reading skills and getting an intro to jazz articulation and phrasing.

 

[Keith Ridenhour]

I have the niehaus series and use those for jazz phrasing, you are right about them. I have the klose, Top tones and the berklee series I have ,lets see how her reading chops are and what she wants to get into (bands). Thanks again K

 

[Keith Ridenhour]

These are all things I have used and heard of but I'll check out the learn as you play series. tHanks K