Beginner Books and suggestions to supplement formal saxophone lessons suggestions

[nomad]

Good morning fellow miscreants, insomniacs and saxophone enthusiasts, what I'm looking for this morning is suggestions for books and anything else people would recommended - be it DVD's, exercises or anything else, to supplement formal lessons, I'm not looking to drop the formal saxophone lessons - even though the teacher is insisting I wear long sleeved dark coloured tops to hide tattoos because tattoos offend him, but for things to supplement formal lessons. Now I'm not looking to take my level examinations, I'm learning the saxophone purely for my own enjoyment and S&G.

Now this is what I have already purchased and ordered to help me with my journey:

Saxophone For Dummies - don't knock it, I find this series of books to be extremely good
A New Tune A Day For Alto Saxophone with DVD and CD - I saw this mentioned in quite a few threads
Metallica Best Of For Alto Saxophone - Because on the seventh day he said let there be rock
Team Woodwind Alto Sax Book and CD - I saw it being sold in a lot of music shops and it was cheap
Progressive Beginner Saxophone with DVD and CD - It seemed fairly comprehensive
Jools Holland Saxophone Instruction DVD from Taming the Sax - It gets mentioned quite a lot in this forum.
Haynes Saxophone Manual - It gets a lot of mention on this forum

This is the stuff I'm loking at and am in two minds about:

Taming the Saxophone Volume 1
Taming the Saxophone Volume 3 - is there no volume 2? Or does it jump straight to 3?
Play Alto Sax Today book with CD and DVD edition - It has that song from Beetlejuice in it, banana boat song

So if you good people have anything to add to my list or suggestions, please let me know, I would be extremely grateful, especially from those of you who teach and might have some tricks and tips to share.


Nomad

 

[jimmylh]

Being a dummy myself, I learned a lot from the Saxophone for dummies book. The cd comes with a lot of good tracks to play along with.

 

[ProfJames]

You have plenty to be getting along with!!! You don't need any more! Good luck, keep your wallet shut, get your reed wet and get blowing!

 

[Nick Wyver]

I've found the Creative Saxophone series to be very useful.

 

[nomad]

Being a dummy myself, I learned a lot from the Saxophone for dummies book. The cd comes with a lot of good tracks to play along with.

The dummies series of books are excellent, they are highly under rated.

You have plenty to be getting along with!!!

You could be right, I might be giving people here the wrong impression that I can read.

You don't need any more! Good luck, keep your wallet shut, get your reed wet and get blowing!

Are you sure we're not married? You sound awfully like my wife here, next you're going to be telling me to get a hair cut, shave more often, stop getting ink, and to grow up.

By the way I'm in the mood for pasta tonight, and it's your turn to cook and do the dishes.


Nomad

 

[ProfJames]

Nomad....I could do better than a bloke who sleeps with an earring in his tongue! Just suggesting that you start with the books you've got and you'll find the one(s) you like. Keep shopping darling!

 

[kevgermany]

Jazzology

 

[ProfJames]

He has eight books including three DVDs.....................let's recommend more!

 

[trimmy]

He has eight books including three DVDs.....................let's recommend more!

Introduction to GAS.......John O'Neill Jazz Method

 

[ProfJames]

Ha ha ha! Great one Trimmy! Nomad....you'll need this.....................

 

[Jeanette]

Stick with what you have for now until you hit a point where a different book will help you progress in an area you want to. I have a bookshelf full of books I bought on recommendations and haven't used them all in 3 years................ mind you I am pretty rubbish at this saxophone lark 🙂

Jx

 

[Ivan]

..... mind you I am pretty rubbish at this saxophone lark

How can we know?

 

[Colin the Bear]

To be a proper saxophone player you need to have the standard set. Bb Soprano, Eb Alto, Bb Tenor and Eb Baritone. This can be supplemented with a Bb Bass, Melody C, C soprano and Eb sopranino. There is also the straight Eb Alto and Bb Tenor. The mighty Eb Contra bass should also be on your radar and the Tubax

Please be aware though, that the more saxophones you acquire, without being able to play, the less seriously players will take you and there may be mischief in answers to questions.

 

[Nick Wyver]

You forgot a soprillo.

 

[c9off]

buy what you like - it's only money... and books are way cheaper than instruments!

Have a look at the Hal Leonard play along series, the range is huge & not just jazz. Amazon can often have used/new books at around £8 delivered) all with CDs). Also Jamey Aebersold play alongs, similar, not so favoured on here but I find fine.

A trio in either Bb or Eb favourite of mine is the Car Strommen play alongs, this example is a bargain for £7.29 delivered (with others to make up minimum £10 spend)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-li...?ie=UTF8&condition=used&sr=1-1&qid=1417019196

 

[Jeanette]

How can we know?

Hmmm perhaps not that bad after all if you don't remember my soundclip 🙂

Jx

 

[nomad]

I just realised, one of the books I bought is a repair manual so it doesn't really count as a teach yourself to play saxophone book, and I have at least the next 18 months off of work, so I have plenty of time to kill, so I figured learning the saxophone and working my way through saxophone books was more productive and healthy than my other idea, playing lots of xbox and ps4.


Nomad

 

[ProfJames]

Which part of the country do you live Nomad?

 

[jbtsax]

There's a lot to be said for leaning and mastering everything contained in one resource before going on to the next.

 

[nomad]

Which part of the country do you live Nomad?

The Scottish Borders, near Jedburgh.

There's a lot to be said for leaning and mastering everything contained in one resource before going on to the next.

Like I said, I have at least 18 months of free time, it could be longer, but I have been written off for at least 18 months, and it's not music theory I need to work on, after all I did do both piano and classical guitar up to grade 8, it's practical work / tuition I really need, I can read the music and even transpose it no problems, it's working the saxophone that is the issue.

Nomad