Creative Saxophone Workbook - Kellie Santin: Wrong CD ??

[rhysonsax]

I just bought a nice looking technique book called "Creative Saxophone Workbook" by Kellie Santin, published by Oxford Univesity Press. I bought it in a music shop in Scotland:

http://www.kelliesantin.com/books/books_4.htm

It covers techniques like long notes, harmonics, vibrato, alternate fingerings, altissimo, scales and arpeggios etc. It comes with 2 CDs, a green one for tenor (and soprano) and a pink one for alto (and bari).

Imagine my surprise when I was trying to play tonight with the tenor CD and I found out it was identical to the alto CD. Not only were all the examples played on alto, but they were at the wrong pitch for the tenor to use the book as all the examples and backings are for alto (chords, tunes) !

Has anyone used this book or the others in the series and found the same thing, or have I got a duff copy, or have I misunderstood how to use the book ?

Rhys

 

[Simon]

Duff copy, send it back and get a replacement.
Good book, and Kellie's a fine teacher.
Simon

 

[Jules]

it's very rare- but things like this do occasionally happen, I speak from experience. Great book- Nice grounding in various more advanced techniques in 'bite size' chunks.

 

[rhysonsax]

Er ....

The CD is the right one - it's just that all the examples are played on alto at alto pitch. They're no good for playing along with on tenor of course, but I suppose they are for listening to rather than joining in with.

The backing tracks are all at tenor pitch on the tenor CD and at alto pitch on the alto CD.

In fact, the book does say something about this, hidden away in the bits I didn't read in the rush to get playing along with it:

The CDs at the back of the book include examples of each technique introduced. Do listen to these early on, as you need to make sure you are playing each exercise correctly from the beginning. The examples are non-specific to the alto or tenor sax.

I think they could have expressed that a bit more clearly or, better still, have provided tenor sax key examples on the tenor CD.

Anyway, onwards with the practice.

Rhys

 

[o_c_v_]

Great book for any intermediate player wanting to improve technique. Also check out her book on improvising; excellent for the the saxist just getting going on impro.

 

[phil_edwards]

O.C.V. wrote:
Also check out her book on improvising; excellent for the the saxist just getting going on impro.

Very true. I have that one, it's good fun to work with,

Phil

 

[peedee]

Phil Edwards wrote:

O.C.V. wrote:
Also check out her book on improvising; excellent for the the saxist just getting going on impro.

Very true. I have that one, it's good fun to work with,

Phil

Just received my copy of "Improvising". Was a little disappointed that there are no playalong tracks only the backing track, so how do I know how the tune should sound. I can play the notes from the music ok, but it would have been nice to have an example of how it should be played as in the O'Neill and Guest Spot books.
If they were well known tunes, I would have some idea of the phrasing etc. But apart from that, it's a good introduction to improvising, hard work and concentration, but very rewarding when something works out ok.