[Saxophone] Recommended practice songs for saxophone beginners: Famous tunes you’ll want to try playing
When it comes to star instruments that shine across genres from jazz and classical to pop, the saxophone surely comes to mind.
Whether it’s the tenor sax or the alto sax, many people have been inspired by the sight of someone masterfully playing sax in a band or ensemble and thought, “I want to give it a try too.” Some may first encounter the instrument after joining a school wind band.
In this article, we introduce recommended practice pieces for brand-new saxophonists who are ready to start working on songs, regardless of genre.
These are all famous tunes with plenty of beginner-friendly sheet music available, and if you can perform even a bit of a melody everyone knows, you’re sure to bring down the house with applause! Take a look.
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[Saxophone] Recommended practice pieces for sax beginners: Famous songs you’ll want to try playing (41–50)
This roadYamada Kōsaku
Yamada Kōsaku’s compositions “Kono Michi” and “Akatombo” are not showy, but their expansive sonorities have a distinctive charm.
If you play them with a well-rounded, full tone, they become pieces well worth listening to.
Practice with an awareness of openness in the middle to high registers.
[Saxophone] Recommended practice songs for saxophone beginners. Famous songs you’ll want to try playing (51–60)
Paradise Has No BorderToukyou Sukapara Daisu Ookesutora
Paradise Has No Border by Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, which also drew attention for its collaboration commercial with Sakana-kun.
The latter half of this video really heats up with Sakana-kun’s appearance.
Even if you don’t have a bass sax, it’s fine to just learn the phrases that Sakana-kun plays!
CsárdásMonti
This piece was also composed to showcase Monti’s violin technique, as he is the composer and a violinist.
Today it is performed on many instruments, most notably saxophone, marimba, and trombone.
It features many sixteenth notes and tricky fingerwork that challenges performers.
In the slow opening section, the saxophone conveys a wealth of wistful emotion.
Although there are many difficult passages for beginners, the desire to perform a piece you’ve heard before is very important.
When practicing, work so that you can play each note cleanly and securely.
For the fast sections, it’s best to start slowly and gradually increase the tempo.
There are quite a few scalar passages as well, so practicing scales in parallel will help improve your technique!
LibertangoAstor Piazzolla
In Japan, it was featured in a Suntory Royal commercial performed by cellist Yo-Yo Ma, leading many people to mistakenly think it was a cello piece.
The work was composed by the Argentine bandoneon player and composer Ástor Piazzolla, who fused freedom with tango to create it.
The fingerwork is a bit demanding, but it’s a perfect piece for those who are getting bored with scale practice.
In the MoodJoe Garland
This song became a hit with the Glenn Miller Orchestra’s 1939 performance and is known as one of the band’s signature tunes.
It’s a piece almost everyone has heard somewhere.
In Japan, it has been used in many commercials, and for many people, it’s the song that comes to mind when they think of big band music.
It’s a jazz classic that saxophonists want to play at least once after they start learning, and it often appears in collections of saxophone practice pieces, making it one of the more approachable jazz tunes for beginners to work on.
It’s especially good for training syncopation, and for the swing feel, listen closely to the original and lock in the rhythm.
CanonJohann Pachelbel
Canon, composed by the German Baroque composer Pachelbel, is one of the pieces that has been included in practice collections for all kinds of wind instruments, including the saxophone.
However, compared to other wind instruments, I think the saxophone is by far the leader in the number of scores that are widely available featuring lots of arrangement and room for improvisation, rather than strictly straightforward notation.
Start by practicing exactly as written in the score, and once you’ve improved and can play it well, definitely enjoy trying various arrangements and challenge yourself with practicing improvised solos!
Mambo No. 5Perez Prado
“Mambo No.
5″ is a really fun piece to perform in multitrack settings, ensembles, or brass bands.
The main theme appears repeatedly at key moments, so if you firmly learn just the main phrase, you can pretty much get through the piece—one of its appealing points for beginners.