Here are a few Lesson Plan Ideas that can help your students learn about the saxophone in their music class.

A popular instrument these days is the Saxophone. It has uses from Jazz to Classical and Rock music. Saxophones are often featured in “big band” music.”Big Band” music often features the saxophone. The typical “big band” sax section consists of two altos, two tenors, and a baritone. Players typically double on other woodwind instruments in the saxophone section.

Here are a few ideas for learning the names of the saxophone family. Divide students into groups of four. Left over students can be incorporated into groups of five. Ask students to arrange themselves by height within each group, and make labels or cards for the saxophone which corresponds to their size – baritone, tenor, alto and soprano saxophone (continuing on to bass saxophone for groups of five). Therefore the tallest student will be the baritone or bass saxophone, the next largest the tenor, etc

This activity could be repeated with other attributes like shoe size, length of hair and birthday if you wished, you could even make a full music lesson plan out of this one activity.

If the students can read notes, distribute pieces of paper with single notes on them, and ask the students in each group to arrange the notes from lowest to highest and match them to the appropriate saxophones.

For an extra challenge and a quieter classroom, have the students complete some of these tasks without speaking.

Suggested Listening:World Saxophone Quartet, Metamorphosis album. Elektra Nonesuch 9 79258-2