Faber Music is delighted to introduce John Harle: The Saxophone – The Art and Science of Playing and Performing by legendary saxophonist John Harle.
Presented as a two-volume box set, this publication explores all aspects of saxophone playing and performance in depth. Drawing on the experience and expertise of its author, John Harle, and using photography, diagrams and new practice tools, it explores resonant tone production, breathing, fluent articulation, relaxation whilst playing and techniques for building flow and ease in performance.
Harle’s introduction of new concepts such as The Reed Fan, The Cathedral of Resonance and The Engine Room helps students to visualise and understand the different aspects of playing the saxophone in a completely new way.
“This book has been my absolute obsession over the last six years. As it took shape, I realised that it’s one of the most important things I’ve ever done – it’s my life’s work and experience in saxophone playing, presented in written form.” – John Harle.
The Saxophone started its life as a series of ‘worksheets’ for Harle’s students, exploring different areas such as breathing, tone production and articulation. These worksheets quickly grew into something much more substantial: “As I wrote more worksheets I saw a continuity to them, and with that continuity there was the opportunity to join them into a flow that took students from the basic principles of playing to a professional level. This is the heart of the book, and the rest simply flowed over time.”
The book was launched at a concert on 17th March at Milton Court, Barbican, London as part of the Guildhall School’s Faculty Artist Series, which also celebrated Harle’s 60th birthday with several London premieres.
John Harle: The Saxophone is available to buy now | ISBN: 0-571-53962-9 | Price: £48.00