Fundamental Music Instruction

Welcome to the

Fundamental Music Instruction

First Songs for Band – a beginner’s “starter kit”.

The goal of this booklet (and the Supplement Book) is to help the very beginning student explore the first sounds, begin a study of basic rhythmic playing, learn to play in a smooth, pleasing fashion and master several notes appropriate for this level of study.

To make the most progress possible, a student must find a quiet place to practice and get in the habit of truly listening to the sounds being produced. Learning to critique one’s sound is the best tool for building a lasting mastery of musicianship on every level. The music in this book is sequential from initial sounds to songs that are appropriate for the first performance. It is designed to go along with the Supplementary Workbook so students should work through both books together – many concepts are repeated from book to book to help reinforce important aspects of musical development.

Ed Kelly, Fundamental Music Instruction Administrator

ASSEMBLY AND CARE OF THE SAXOPHONE Congratulations on your choice of instruments! You are playing one of the most expressive of all wind instruments. Your saxophone assembly includes a few main parts of your instrument:

• The main body • The neck • Mouthpiece • Reed • Ligature (the gizmo that clamps the reed onto the mouthpiece)

The first thing to be aware of is that some of the keywork (rods, keys etc.) can get bent. Normal light pressure is fine, but if you have to force anything, things could get bent out of whack. During any of the assembly, if you are in doubt, wait until you are with the teacher.

GREASE THE NECK CORK, NECK STRAP

• Before assembling the saxophone, the neck cork must be given a thin coat of cork grease prior to placing the mouthpiece in position.

• Apply cork grease onto the cork each time the instrument is assembled for the first week and then only as needed thereafter.

• Place the neck strap over your neck. With right hand grasp the bell of the instrument to remove the saxophone from the case.

• Hook the neck strap to the strap ring and adjust the strap so that the weight of the saxophone is on the strap.

• Make sure that the screw at the top has been loosened to allow the neck tenon to fit into the top of the body. Note that there are usually two screws at the top. One of them has a square hole next to it which is used to hold a lyre (marching band music stand). You need the other screw.

• Holding the neck in your other hand, slide it down into the body. A slight twisting motion might help. If this is very stiff you could try a small blob of oil or cork grease, but if it really does not want to go in, don’t force it - take the saxophone back to the shop or to a good repairer. Check that the loop of the (octave) key mechanism on the neck fits over the extending octave pin at the top of the body. These should end up being very close but not quite touching. The middle of the back of the neck should be lined up with the extending pin.

Neck Screw

Placing the reed on the mouthpiece:

• Pick up the mouthpiece and loosen the ligature. • Wet a reed in your mouth, being very careful not to chip the very delicate thin end! • Place the reed on the flat table of the mouthpiece with the curved end (the thin delicate bit) so that it lines up exactly with the

curved tip of the mouthpiece. • Slide the ligature over the reed, (being very careful again not to damage the tip), until it is approximately halfway between the

end of the shaved part of the reed and the bottom (straight thick) end. • Tighten the ligature screws so that it is just tight enough to hold the reed so that it cannot slip around • Push the mouthpiece onto the cork at the end of the saxophone neck, being careful not to catch the tip of the reed on anything. • You may use a twisting motion to help get the mouthpiece firmly on the neck. How far you push the mouthpiece on depends

on the tuning of the saxophone, so for now don’t worry, just make sure it is covering more than half of the cork and is a firm fit.

Lastly, adjust the sax to you. Many parts are adjustable and the idea is for the sax to come to you, not for you to twist to get to it. The parts that adjust are the Neck Strap, which moves up and down, the Sax Neck, which goes left and right and the Mouthpiece which spins from side to side so you can set your head angle without bending your neck at all. Let the Neck Strap take the weight of the Saxophone.

Your Mouth and Making a Sound

• Start with the neck and mouthpiece only. It is easier to set your mouth with just the mouthpiece to practice blowing and the neck gives you a nice handle.

• Your teeth will touch the top of the Mouthpiece and your top lip is used to make a seal around it so air does not get out. Your bottom lip covers your bottom teeth and acts as a cushion between the Reed and bottom teeth. You put the mouthpiece in your mouth so your teeth touch it at ¼ of an inch and your lip will look like it goes to the middle of the incline, top of the mouthpiece.

• Applying a moderate amount of pressure to the reed, blow into the mouthpiece. You should hear a note when you blow. You want to try and get it steady and strong with just the mouthpiece and neck before putting the Neck on the Sax Body.

Your Left Hand

The left hand thumb goes on the back of the sax on a thumb rest. The next 3 fingers go on the buttons opposite the thumb. Many Saxes have 3 big white buttons with one little one. The 3 fingers go on these bigger 3 buttons. Some Saxes have an extra big white button above where the 3 fingers go. You can tell by looking and counting how many white buttons you see in the left hand area. If you see a total of 5, skip the first one, put your index finger one the second one, skip the little 3rd one and put the next 2 fingers on the last 2 buttons. It should pretty much fit your hand and will be very natural after a few sessions. You pinky will just hover over a complicated key with 4 gold buttons and rollers between them. Thumb, 1, 2, 3 is the left hand. Your Right Hand The right hand is easy. Your thumb goes in the thumb rest on the inside close to you, and your fingers go 1, 2, 3 on the only 3 white buttons in a row on the opposite side of your thumb. Your hand can pretty much find these keys without even looking. Your pinky will hover over 2 gold keys with rollers. It will not be needed for a while.

Your First Notes

Once you have your hands in place, put your left hand index finger down and close just the one button. Make sure you only close this one button. You are pressing a B note. Following the same set up you used for the neck and mouthpiece only, play this note (B) If the B does not come out, a few things could be wrong. You might have your left hand too high and be touching a side key that will make you squeak. Another way to check your left hand placement is to make sure your ring finger is on the bottom of the white buttons, and then put your middle finger on the next button up, then skip the little one and place your index finger on the next button, leaving the top button or leaver open. If this sounds complicated, check the pictures again and know you will only have to think about this for a few times and it will fall right into place after a few practice sessions. Other issues could be the way the neck and body are working together. The neck might need to be adjusted for the little key on the neck to work right. If it is open, even a little, it will make the note want to play too high. This little key could have a damaged little pad on it, or be missing the pad all together too. This is a simple repair and will need to be fixed before you can go on. If the sax has not been checked out, there could be adjustment problems, even on new saxes. When in doubt, blame the sax and get it checked out. Once you know the sax is working right you can really get focused on playing with confidence.

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First Songs for BandPreliminary Songs

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Inch Worm 2

Vitamin A

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B A G Song Section

Hot Cross Buns

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Apache Warrior

French Song

Christmas Chimes

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Mary Had a Little Lamb

Down by the Station

Gotcha Cha Cha

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To be awarded this level you must: Know the Notes, Fingerings and Rhythms. You must also play with a pleasing Tone, use Breath Control and Style.

Belt Level Awarded______________________

Hot Cross Buns

Apache Warrior

Mary Had a Little Lamb

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G A B C Song Section

March

Indian Song 1/2 Scale

Rockin'

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Whose on First

Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers Polka

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Ladders

Looney Tunes

Circular Motion

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Indian Song

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G A B C D Song Section

Oats Peas and Beans

Rain Rain

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Jingle Bells

Dreydle Dreydle

Old English Song

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Small World

Sweetly Sings the Donkey

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Good King Wenceslas

5 Note Scale

Cuckoo

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Rain Rain

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To be awarded this level you must: Know the Notes, Fingerings and Rhythms. You must also play with a pleasing Tone, use Breath Control and Style.

Belt Level Awarded______________________

Elements of Music Whole Note: Four beats OR Four evenly timed taps of your foot

Half Note: Two beats OR Two evenly timed taps of your foot

Quarter Note: One beats OR One note for each evenly timed foot tap

Fine Does Boy Good Every

Always Fine Do Boys Good

Grass Eat Cows All

E C A F

Some helpful terms: Allegro: a quick and lively tempo Andante: a moderate tempo Adagio: a slow and relaxed tempo Piano (p): soft Mezzo forte (mf ): medium loud Forte (f ): loud Fortissimo (ff ): very loud

Fermata: hold note for longer than its value

Sharp sign: raise note 1 half tone

Natural sign: note returns to unchanged pitch

Flat sign: lower note 1 half tone