6 Best Online Saxophone Classes For Learning To Play The Saxophone

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Can you ever imagine George Michael’s “Careless Whisper” without the iconic saxophone melody? If you look at it, some of our favorite songs would be soulless, had the saxophone not been a part of their music.

 

For enthusiasts of Jazz and Blues music, the saxophone stands as a timeless and iconic musical instrument. Invented in the 1840s, the saxophone has evolved into one of the most popular and distinctive woodwind instruments. Renowned for its versatility, the saxophone can seamlessly blend into various musical genres, thanks to its unique range of sounds.

 

While learning to play the saxophone may present challenges, it is not as complex as some other instruments found in orchestras. In comparison, mastering the saxophone is more accessible, offering a rewarding journey. Once you gain confidence in navigating those high notes, the world becomes your stage.

 

If you possess a musical inclination and are considering trying your hand at the enchanting saxophone, there’s no need to scour your local area for a saxophone tutor. Thanks to the internet, you can effortlessly access online saxophone lessons guided by highly experienced and passionate sax players.

 

TangoLearn, in consultation with 16 saxophone players, has curated a list of the six best sax lessons online. These courses not only cover saxophone basics but also enhance your skills, propelling your musical journey. With self-paced formats and affordable prices, opting for online saxophone classes can lead to significant cost savings compared to traditional, in-person saxophone tuition.

 

Let us unravel what these sax lessons online have in store for you and help you select the best online saxophone course to master the craft.

 

Best 6 Online Saxophone Lessons, Classes, and Courses

  1. Learn To Play Saxophone: Beginner To Pro In Under Four Hours [Udemy]
  2. The Complete Beginner Saxophone Course [Udemy]
  3. Beginner Alto Saxophone Lessons [Udemy]
  4. Getting Started With Saxophone [Sax School]
  5. Jazz Saxophone With Eric Marienthal [Artistworks]
  6. Master The Saxophone: Intermediate Instruction Made Simple! [Udemy]

 

1. Learn To Play Saxophone: Beginner To Pro In Under Four Hours [Udemy]

Learn To Play Saxophone

What Is This Course About?

Udemy stands as a prominent platform offering top-notch online saxophone lessons facilitated by experienced players worldwide. If you’re drawn to the saxophone and aspire to master it swiftly, our first recommended course compresses a year’s worth of private sax lessons online into just a few hours. Compared to the fees of traditional classes, this saxophone course online delivers equivalent quality instruction at a fraction of the cost. Ideal for complete beginners, adult learners, or those without access to a private teacher seeking online saxophone lessons, this course starts from the basics—unveiling your instrument for the first time to playing your inaugural melody.

 

As you progress through your lessons, you will learn all the necessary skills and techniques to become an avid saxophonist. Plus, you will also be familiarized with music theory and musicianship skills.

 

Crafted by MusicProfessor Online Music Lessons, a curriculum employed in nearly 100 U.S. schools, this course stands among the best online saxophone courses. Over 18,000 students and teachers have benefited from its top-tier saxophone lessons online. Spanning approximately four hours, the course encompasses 77 on-demand video lessons, complemented by 58 downloadable resources featuring sheet music, animated fingering charts, saxophone equipment recommendations, and troubleshooting tips. Familiar melodies, songs, and technique-building exercises, along with Major scale and scale exercises, provide a comprehensive learning experience.

 

This course is a bestseller saxophone course online on Udemy with a rating of 4.5 and 7,188 students on board. Purchase the course with a one-time fee for lifelong access to saxophone lessons. Access the lessons conveniently on mobile or TV. Plus, you will receive a certificate of achievement at the end.

 

What You Will Learn

The skills and techniques that you will acquire by undertaking these sax lessons online include:

  • Assembling and caring for a saxophone
  • Forming a correct and strong embouchure
  • Breathing techniques
  • Reading and interpreting music notation
  • Playing popular melodies and songs
  • Performing multiple Major scales
  • Playing the eight notes
  • Recognizing and playing any note on the saxophone
  • Learning slurring and tonguing techniques

 

Pre-requisites For This Course

To learn and benefit from these sax lessons online, you must:

  • Have a working Alto saxophone, which is considered the best moderate-sized sax for beginners
  • Sax reeds to be placed along with the mouthpiece
  • A neck strap to hold your saxophone the right way

 

Who Is This Course For?

The best online saxophone lessons of this course are meant for:

  • Complete beginners who do not know the saxophone
  • Sax students and adult learners looking for a refresher course
  • Students who cannot find or afford a private sax tutor

 

Review Hao Tran:

Very organized and easy to follow. I attempted a few songs after this course (including Besame Mucho and Lambada [the easy version]) and was able to play. Highly recommend this course.

2. The Complete Beginner Saxophone Course [Udemy]

The Complete Beginner Saxophone Course

What Is This Course About?

Enroll in this comprehensive Udemy saxophone course for a complete learning experience. From your first note to confident performances, the online saxophone lessons cover theory and practice. Master 16 saxophone works with backtracks and receives ongoing guidance from the instructor. Upon completion, you’ll have a strong foundation, ready to progress to intermediate levels. Learn to read sheet music and bring melodies to life on your saxophone with these effective sax lessons.

 

Enroll in this 5-hour, 34-minute Udemy saxophone course with 63 on-demand videos and 57 downloadable resources, including 20 backing tracks. Created by Karin Kroch, a highly-rated saxophonist/clarinetist, teacher, and composer, this course has a 4.8 rating with 1,338 students already enrolled.

 

Access these saxophone lessons online with a one-time fee, covered by Udemy’s 30-day money-back guarantee. Receive a downloadable certificate upon completion and enjoy full lifetime access to the course. Don’t miss this cost-effective alternative to private tutoring.

 

What You Will Learn

This best online saxophone course offers both theory and practice lessons, which include:

  • How to assemble, care for, and maintain a saxophone
  • The best breathing techniques
  • Reed placement, embouchure, and hand position
  • All about the pitch – note names, left-hand and right-hand notes
  • Reading music notation – beat and rhythm, the clef, key signature, time signature, and note value
  • Types of rests, sharps, and flats
  • The octave key, knowledge of “The Break,”
  • Playing the eight notes
  • Scales in different rhythms
  • Slurring and tonguing techniques
  • Articulation and dynamics
  • Playing famous melodies (classical and pop)

 

Pre-requisites For This Course

If you plan to enroll for these sax lessons online, you would require:

  • An Alto saxophone
  • Alto saxophone reeds – strength 1 or 1.5
  • A neck strap or sling

 

Who Is This Course For

This course can prove to be the best online saxophone course for:

  • Someone with no prior knowledge of sax or music in general
  • Sax players with some knowledge of music
  • Other musical instrument players who want to learn an orchestral instrument

 

Review Andre Sims:

This course is excellent! Very well thought out and detailed. Delivered with much style and class. I’ve learned so much, Can’t wait for the follow up course!

3. Beginner Alto Saxophone Lessons [Udemy]

Beginner Alto Saxophone Lessons

What Is This Course About?

Diverging from traditional methods, this instructor emphasizes an ear-centric approach to saxophone learning. Suitable for all ages, this distinctive online saxophone course encourages you to rely on your ears, eyes, and brain, fostering a connection between information and your fingers and mouth.

 

Engage in unique lessons where you play traditional songs alongside the instructor, honing your skills through listening and playing. While sheet music reading is covered, the initial emphasis is on playing, allowing you to jazz up, slow down, or transform melodies as you become more adept. Experience the joy of making music in no time.

 

This course spans approximately four hours, delivering 24 comprehensive online saxophone classes. Supplementing the instruction are 14 downloadable MP3 backing tracks for practice, accessible on various devices. PDF files, available for download and printing, offer additional support for those who prefer written instructions.

 

Whether used independently or as a supplement to private or school-based saxophone learning, these top-notch online saxophone lessons prioritize cultivating musicianship over mere instrument playing. With a one-time fee on Udemy, you gain lifetime access, a digital certificate of completion, and the flexibility to access this saxophone course online via mobile or TV.

 

With a rating of 4.0, it has garnered approval from 1,131 students.

 

What You Will Learn

In this introductory saxophone course online for beginners, you will learn:

  1. Fundamental saxophone components – neck strap, mouthpiece, and reed placement
  2. Proper saxophone assembly
  3. Correct use of mouth and tongue techniques
  4. Safe disassembly of your saxophone
  5. Playing the first three notes
  6. Expanding your repertoire to include more notes
  7. Playing well-known melodies
  8. Exploring new notes and mastering C and D Major scales
  9. Practicing sustained notes and developing proper breathing techniques
  10. Playing popular songs on your saxophone

 

Pre-requisites For This Course

To follow the instructor and his best online saxophone lessons, you should have:

  • Access to an Alto saxophone
  • A strong belief in music and enthusiasm to learn

 

Who Is This Course For?

Anyone from the age of 10 to 100 is fit to enroll in this course. If you see yourself as a successful Jazz musician or a rockstar, you can begin your journey with these online saxophone classes.

Review Maureen Olalere:

I can learn at my own pace. The tutor is fun and clearly explains what to do, so the lesson is not boring. Tutor gives practice notes which is user friendly and easy to follow so I can practice in my own time before logging on for another session.

4. Getting Started With Saxophone [Sax School]

Getting Started With Saxophone

 

If this is the first time you will be picking up a saxophone, you may first want to try out free sax lessons online. Many students are apprehensive about purchasing a saxophone course online since they are still unsure if playing saxophone is their cup of tea. Keeping this sentiment in mind, Nigel McGill, the founder of McGill Music Sax School, has created this free course that will help you get started with saxophone. Though 11 online saxophone lessons, this beginner course will cover everything that you need to play your first notes to your first tune.

 

The reason why we have shortlisted this course as one of the best online saxophone lessons is that the instructor of this course holds an experience of more than 30 years. He has played with several bands and also performed at festivals and clubs around the globe. He has established the Sax School, which is the largest community of sax learners in the world.

 

The learning doesn’t stop here; once you are through with these free sax lessons online, you can purchase a membership of the Sax School to access the extensive course library where you can undertake beginner, intermediate, and advanced online saxophone classes. You can enroll for this best online saxophone course for free by simply signing up on the official website.

 

What You Will Learn

Even though this is a free saxophone course, it rivals paid options on our list. Here are some fundamentals covered in this course:

  1. Assembling the mouthpiece and attaching the reed
  2. Proper saxophone holding technique
  3. Producing your initial sounds
  4. Playing first notes B to D
  5. Mastering the tonguing technique
  6. Exploring low notes C to Bb
  7. Advancing to the second octave
  8. Playing melodies or themes on both Alto and Tenor saxophones

 

Pre-requisites For This Course

No prerequisites have been stated to undertake this course. However, you must have access to an Alto and Tenor saxophone to follow these best online saxophone lessons.

 

Who Is This Course For?

  • Anyone who has no prior knowledge of saxophone
  • One who wants to learn the instrument but cannot afford paid lessons

 

Review Don Wood:

I have learned more in the last month working with you than I have for the past two years on my own! Many kudos to you for the sax lessons and especially the pace of each lesson segment. Perfect for me!

5. Jazz Saxophone With Eric Marienthal [ArtistWorks]

Jazz Saxophone With Eric Marienthal

What Is This Course About?

If you aspire to excel as a Jazz saxophonist and are dedicated to learning from an industry veteran, explore the online saxophone lessons on ArtistWorks. This platform offers lessons crafted by Grammy® award-winning Jazz saxophonist Eric Marienthal. With 13 solo albums, five Grammy nominations, and experience with the Chick Corea Elektric Band, Eric brings a wealth of musical knowledge to this best online saxophone course. The sax lessons online cover both Alto and Tenor saxophones, providing a comprehensive and enriching learning experience from a renowned artist.

 

What differentiates this course from the other online saxophone classes is the facility to submit your videos to Eric for review. In return, he will go through each video and share a feedback video offering proper guidance to improve your skills and technique. All these videos are uploaded to a Video Exchange Library, which you can access at any time and also watch other student’s interactions with the mentor. This personalized help is hardly offered by any of the online saxophone classes.

 

To enroll in these best online saxophone lessons, you can opt for a 3-month, 6-month, or 12-month plan. In addition to 100s of video classes in the yearly plan, you will also get unlimited access to the Video Exchange Library, unlimited video submissions to the mentor, a music theory workshop, backing tracks, and bonus content. You can also watch the online saxophone lessons in slow motion or on a loop to learn at your own pace. This course, however, will not provide any certificate of achievement.

 

What You Will Learn

This course is certainly one of the best online saxophone courses as it will teach you about scales and modes, ear training and improvisation, Jazz sax warm-ups, and much more. The sax lessons online in this course are divided into three levels, beginner, intermediate, and advanced, along with weekly exercises and “Lick of the Week” archives. The topics covered under the three levels include:

 

Basic

  • Selecting the right saxophone
  • Sax care and maintenance
  • Choosing a mouthpiece and reeds
  • Hand position basics
  • Neck strap positions
  • Embouchure and tongue position
  • Fingering and reading basics
  • Introduction to chords and improvisation
  • Basic ear training
  • The right standing and sitting postures

 

 Intermediate

  • Eric’s secret warm-up exercises
  • Playing scales in all keys – Major, Minor, Diminished, Pentatonic, and Blues
  • Introduction to Modes
  • Using a metronome and tuner
  • Jazz inflections and using vibrato
  • Improvisations on Tenor and Alto

 

 Advanced

  • Improvising techniques
  • Soloing using Ionian, Dorian, and Phrygian modes
  • Correct tonguing – reverse and muted tonguing
  • Phrasing a melody
  • Dynamic changes
  • Different ways to play scales
  • Creating rhythm
  • Transposing
  • Trick licks
  • Finger twister exercises
  • Improvisation: Advanced Blues
  • Playing high notes

 

Pre-requisites For This Course

While no prerequisites have been mentioned to attend these online saxophone lessons, you will need an Alto or Tenor saxophone to follow the instruction of the mentor.

 

Who Is This Course For

This course offers one of the best online saxophone classes for all levels. Whether you are a beginner, intermediate, or advanced player, you will gain something by enrolling in this saxophone course online.

6. Master the Saxophone: Intermediate Instruction Made Simple! [Udemy]

Master the Saxophone: Intermediate Instruction Made Simple

What Is This Course About?

This is another excellent course offered by MusicProfessor. If you have already completed their beginner online saxophone lessons, which have been listed as the first course in our list, then you can proceed to the next level of sax lessons through this intermediate course. The reason why we have included this course in our best online saxophone classes is that you will get to learn more complex rhythms, scales, and tones that will hone your saxophone skills.

 

This course will take 4 hours and 9 minutes to complete, and it comprises 89 sax lessons online. This course also offers 80 downloadable resources that include sheet music, animated fingering charts, equipment recommendations, and troubleshooting tips. Through the best online saxophone lessons of this course, you will be able to play dozens of familiar melodies and songs, learn technique-building exercises, and work through Major scales and scale exercises.

 

And, you will learn about music theory. You can register for this course with a one-time fee which will give you full lifetime access to all its classes. You will also bag a certificate of completion for this saxophone course online. This course has earned a student rating of 4.5 and has already been enrolled by 2,227 students.

 

What You Will Learn

By enrolling for the intermediate online saxophone classes of this course, you will learn about:

  • Dotted quarter and eight notes
  • Forming the perfect embouchure
  • Notes in the highest range and Major scales
  • Full-range scales and dynamics
  • Tempo markings and accents
  • Reading complex rhythms and meters like 6/8, 16th notes, triplets, and cut time
  • Playing expressively with phrasing, dynamics, and vibrato
  • Strength-building exercises to play for longer periods without fatigue

 

Pre-requisites For This Course

To benefit from this best online saxophone course, you must have:

  • Working knowledge of an Alto saxophone
  • Alto sax, reeds, and a neck strap or string
  • Understanding of the music theory and notation

 

Who Is This Course For

Since this course contains intermediate online saxophone lessons, it is most suited for:

  • Intermediate learners and adult saxophonists
  • Advanced players who wish to refresh their skills
  • Beginners who want to take their skills to the next level
  • Students who cannot afford a private sax tutor

If you are a music enthusiast, you might want to check out our selection of Violin lessons online too.

 

Review Madhuri Fichtmueller:

Brilliant teacher. Good pace. Perfect length of videos. I have different sax so not all keys same and difficult to see fingering on phone. Maybe he could also say which finger and on what key rather than just show it

Conclusion
Playing the saxophone can be a gratifying and liberating experience. Not only can you showcase your talent as a musician, but it can also serve as a medium to express your emotions. And if you plan to choose sax as a career path, then being great at it can open up several avenues.

 

We hope that these best online saxophone lessons will set you off in the right direction as a beginner, and if you already know the craft, you can always take these sax lessons online to refresh and sharpen your skills. So cheers to playing your first tune, and best wishes for the musical journey ahead.

 

If you also wish to enhance your vocal skills, here are some singing lessons you could take.

Another set of courses that you shouldn’t miss out on are these Piano courses online, Guitar classes, drumming lessons,and Cello Lessons!

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