Saxophone Lessons in Denver
Colorado Honor Band offers saxophone lessons in Denver, Westminster, Thornton, Centennial, and Littleton. Our after school music program provides weekly one-on-one coaching and band classes, seasonal public performances, a yearly summer camp, and national and international travel opportunities.
Saxophone General Information
Adolphe Sax invented the saxophone in the mid-nineteenth century. It is a fusion of a single reed mouthpiece and conical brass body. Saxophones have a wonderful voice-like sound quality, and they are appropriate for many musical genres and styles.
Types of Saxophone
Saxophones are transposing instruments, meaning they are in a different key than concert or piano key. There are several types of saxophone, including soprano saxophone (key of B), alto saxophone (key of E), tenor saxophone (key of B), and baritone saxophone (key of E). The bass saxophone (key of B) also exists, but is rarely written for and is not commonly available. All saxophones use the same fingering system. The major differences are key, size, and playing resistance, and the saxophonist must make slight embouchure adjustments between the different instruments.
Saxophone’s Role in Music
The saxophone is most often used in jazz, wind ensembles, concert bands and Big Band Jazz bands. Although originally not popular in orchestral venues, the saxophone’s orchestral popularity has grown dramatically. Composers seeking to extend tonalities are including the saxophone in their compositions.
Famous Jazz Saxophonists
Alto Saxophone
- Charlie Parker
- Ornette Coleman
- Johnny Hodges
- Eric Dolphy
- Art Pepper
- Benny Carter
- Anthony Braxton
- David Sanborn
Tenor Saxophone
- John Coltrane
- Sonny Rollins
- Ben Webster
- Coleman Hawkins
- Lester Young
- Wayne Shorter
- Melissa Aldana
Soprano Saxophone
- John Coltrane
- Steve Lacy
- Wayne Shorter
- Sidney Bechet
- Jane Ira Bloom
- Dave Liebman
Baritone Saxophone
- Gerry Mulligan
- Harry Carney
- Serge Chaloff
- Pepper Adams
- Hamiet Bluiett
Famous Classical Saxophonists
- Marcel Mule
- Sigurd Rascher
- Donald Sinta
- Eugene Rousseau
- Frederick Hemke
- Jean-Marie Londeix
Saxophone Repertoire
Studies
- 48 Famous Studies Ferling
- 25 Daily Exercises Klose
- Universal Method
- Rubank Method
- Douze Etudes-Caprices Bozza
- Top Tones Rascher
Solos
Standard high difficulty include the following:
- Caprice en Forme du Valse, by Bonneau
- Concertino, Scaramouche, by Bozza
- Sonata, by Creston
- Concerto in E♭, by Glazounov
- Sonata, by Heiden
- Sonata, by Hindemith
- Pulcinella, by Bozza
- Sonate, by Denisov
- Concertino da Camera, by Ibert
- 4 Sonatas, by Bach (Marcel Mule Leduc)
- Improvisation I, by Ryo Noda