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Using Intervallic Studies from Bach’s

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TOPICS Toccata and Fugue for Technique and
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Overviews In my first article for the Best. Saxophone. Website. Ever. I discussed
Saxophone Lessons
using melodic shapes from J.S. Bach’s music to expand your vocabulary
and improve your technique and range. We then took those shapes
Saxophone Parts
and applied them to a standard chord progression.

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Using Intervallic Studies from Bach's Toccata and Fugue for Technique and Flexibility » Best. Saxophone. Website. Ever. 4/7/19, 8)56 AM

Saxophone Technique Today I want to delve in to just one piece of Bach’s music, the Toccata
and Fugue in D Minor for organ. You know, the one that goes like this:
Tone Production

Transcriptions

Video

I will be devoting an entire chapter of my next book to this piece as

there is a wealth of material here, most of which I discovered while
playing Stokowski’s orchestration of the piece for Orchestra last year.

In my first book, Bach Shapes, I created ascending and descending

diatonic major and minor patterns from various sources. I did not cover
diminished material. Here is one great way, from the Toccata, to work
on your diminished chords. I advise looping each section until it is
comfortable, then moving up as shown here:

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I would then start this exercise a half step lower, and then another to
cover the three diminished chord types. You could go the other way
but I find it easier to start here rather than to start with a low Bb
diminished triad.

A little later in the piece we have this nice melodic segment, more of a
static pattern that you can work up and then move up or down as you

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Using Intervallic Studies from Bach's Toccata and Fugue for Technique and Flexibility » Best. Saxophone. Website. Ever. 4/7/19, 8)56 AM

see fit.

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You want to make sure each of your intervals is resonating and is in

tune. For more of a challenge with this shape, displace the static note
up an octave, like this:

Playing this on soprano as I write this article, it’s quite a workout! Watch
your embouchure, and make sure you are not moving too much as you
play this, but a slight taking in of more reed for the high notes will
really help.

Moving on to the fugue section of the piece, the fugue subject itself
makes for a nice intervallic pattern, which I move up chromatically like
this:

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Using Intervallic Studies from Bach's Toccata and Fugue for Technique and Flexibility » Best. Saxophone. Website. Ever. 4/7/19, 8)56 AM

This one is a beast on clarinet if you are so inclined. Again just loop one
key before moving on if it is difficult. The key is to focus in a certain
groups of notes, certain intervals and really be aware of the quality of
your notes, and also any tension that might form in your embouchure
or hands. Slow and steady.

There are also a number of diatonic sequences that I have taken from
the piece, but I will save those for another article. I hope you find these
useful, and are inspired to look for different sources for your practice
material, there is so much out there. If you haven’t, please do check out
my book, Bach Shapes, at bachshapes.com. Happy Practicing!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE EXERCISES IN PRINT-

FRIENDLY FORMAT

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Pre-order Jon’s new book of sequences for saxophone, Bach Shapes

Shapes, now at
www.bachshapes.com.
The Jon De Lucia Group’s new CD is now available at www.jondelucia.com/shop,
and for download on iTunes at https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/as-river-sings-
feat-greg-ruggiero-chris-tordini-tommy/id1213968985?app=musicThey will
perform on May 13th, 2017 at The Drawing Room in Downtown Brooklyn, see
jondelucia.com for more info.

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Jon De Lucia
Jon De Lucia is a woodwind performer based in Brooklyn, NY. He
has released three albums as a leader, most recently As The River
Sings on Fresh Sound New Talent in 2017. He holds an MA in Jazz
Studies from the City College of New York and has studied with
Lee Konitz, Andrew Sterman, Bill Pierce, George Garzone, Greg Osby, Joe Lovano and
many more. His interest in the music of the baroque led to the forming of the Luce
Trio, a new take on early music for saxophone, electric guitar and bass. This group has
performed on WQXR’s Bach 360 and released Pieces, Vol. 1 on Musaeum Clausum
Recordings. He can be found regularly performing in the NYC area.
→ Jon De Lucia

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4 Comments

REPLY
Kathy Marshall
JANUARY 8, 2018 @ 9:53 AM

I signed up previously but I don’t think I ever received the FREE sax tips
booklet + 3-part audio master class series with Bob Sheppard, Tim
Price & Ricky Sweum. Can I still receive this? Thank you. Kathy Marshall

REPLY
Kevin
JANUARY 8, 2018 @ 12:31 PM

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Using Intervallic Studies from Bach's Toccata and Fugue for Technique and Flexibility » Best. Saxophone. Website. Ever. 4/7/19, 8)56 AM

I did not receive the FREE sax tips booklet. Is there a download site?

REPLY
Doron Orenstein
JANUARY 8, 2018 @ 1:05 PM

Hey Kathy and Kevin, apologies if you didn’t get the booklet, let me
take a look and get back to you asap.

REPLY
Doron Orenstein
JANUARY 8, 2018 @ 1:11 PM

Hello again Kathy and Kevin, I just tried subscribing myself and upon
confirming my email address, I got an email back with the subject line,
“Best Saxophone Website Ever List: Subscription Confirmed”. This
email contains a link that reads, “click here to get your FREE
saxophone tips booklet”.

Can you please confirm whether or not you received an email with this
subject line?

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