lesson plan for saxophone first lesson

Saxophone First Lesson Plan:

Introduce yourself to the student, and learn their name.

„P First, show the student how to put the saxophone together:

1. Attach neck to the saxophone body

2. Then, attach mouthpiece to neck

3. Finally, attach the neck strap to saxophone

4. Tell them that it is a good idea to put the reed in their mouth while they put their instruments together, so it will be moist and ready for play by the time the clarinet is assembled.

„P Next, you show them the correct posture:

5. Get them to sit straight up in their chair

6. Get their backs off of the back of the chair. (You can tell them to sit up as straight as they can in the chair.

7. Tell them to put their feet flat on the floor.

8. Finally, get them to relax their shoulders.

„P Second, you should show them how to breathe properly:

„P Do breathing exercises with the student. (Have the student take deep breaths, with the whole torso.)

9. The Belt Test: If the student¡¦s belt of waistline moves when they take a breath, then they are breathing properly.

10. The Straw Exercise: Give the student a straw. Tape a piece of paper to the bottom of a music stand. The student should blow through the straw onto the piece of paper, thus moving the paper. This exercise allows the student to develop breathing skills.

11. The Yawn Exercise: Have the student yawn, so they can see what it truly feels like to have a torso full of air.

„P Next, you should do some mouthpiece exercises. Get the student to produce a nice steady sound without squeaking.

12. Work on dynamics with the mouthpiece, get the student to produce a clean loud sound, followed with a clean soft sound.

„P Finally, you should explain proper instrument care to the student.

13. An instrument is not safe unless it is in the hands or in the case.

14. Make sure that you put your reeds back in the reed holder when you are finished using them, so you are sure to avoid breakage.