Related Manuals for Nuvo Play It Today Series
Summary of Contents for Nuvo Play It Today Series
- Page 1 Play It Today! jSax FREE DOWNLOAD METHOD BOOK BACKING TRACKS & VIDEOS www.nuvo-instrumental.com...
- Page 2 Dropbox folder or on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@NuvoInstrumental Don’t forget that NUVO instruments are pitched in the key of C (concert pitch). This makes it easy to add other instruments like piano, guitar and ukulele to create a mixed ensemble.
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Page 3: Table Of Contents
Let’s Play a New Note: High F Introducing the F Major Scale Let’s Learn 2 More Notes: A and E Congratulations! - Paly It Today Certificate jSax Fingering Chart Copyright © 2016 Nuvo Instrumental (Asia) Ltd. All rights reserved. 2023 Edition. -
Page 4: Introducing The Jsax 01 02 03
Many of the tunes in this book can be played in conjunction with the Play It Today for Dood and Toot book, so if you are in a group with other NUVO instruments, it’ s easy to make music together. - Page 5 jSax Introducing the jSax! VIDEO - Introducing the jSax Your jSax is easy to assemble; it has main parts which simply push together. The mouthpiece cap keeps the reed safe between practice sessions. Make sure you remove the mouthpiece cap BEFORE trying to make your first sound. Mouthpiece Cap Mouthpiece Curved Neck...
- Page 6 The “Straighten Your jSax Kit” is available from your local NUVO retail store. There is a video on our NUVO YouTube Channel...
- Page 7 Changing the Reeds: If using NUVO synthetic reeds, you will notice there is a rib on the back of the reed that fits into the groove on the mouthpiece. If using a cane reed, make sure it is centered and pushed down as far as the mouthpiece will allow.
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Page 8: Holding The Jsax
jSax Holding the jSax Hold your jSax in front of you with your left thumb covering the hole on the back, and your right thumb under the thumb hook. Place the first three fingers of your hand on the top three keys, and the four finger of your right hand over the lower four keys as shown below. -
Page 9: Playing Your Jsax 04
jSax Playing Your jSax VIDEO - Playing your jSax Make sure your mouthpiece is positioned so the reed is at the bottom. Start by resting your top teeth on the top or “beak” of the mouthpiece about 1cm from the tip, and close your mouth around the mouthpiece. -
Page 10: Introducing The Staff Or Stave
jSax Introducing the Staff or Stave Musical notation is written out using lines called the staff, or stave. The notes are placed either in the spaces between the lines, or on the lines depending on which notes they are. Time signatures tell us how many Bar lines divide the music staff beats per measure. -
Page 11: Let's Play Some Notes: B, A And G
* Teachers - If you want to teach NUVO in a pre-band classroom setting, check out our WindStars curriculum at... -
Page 12: Introducing Note Lengths
jSax Note Lengths Music notes don’t just tell us what notes to play, but also how long to hold the note on for. Whole note, Half note, Quarter note, count 4 beats count 2 beats count 1 beat Let’s Play Some Tunes The first tune we are going to play only uses one note –... -
Page 13: Introducing The Half Note Rest
jSax Now try the same with this tune which uses just the note A, remember to try NOTE clapping the rhythm of the tune first. A Tune Graham Lyons This means rest for the count of 1 beat Finally try this on the note G NOTE G Tune Graham Lyons... -
Page 14: Introducing The Repeat Sign
jSax If we want the music to sound more interesting we need to use more than one note in a tune. Try playing these 4 tunes that use B, A and G. Notice the repeat sign at the end of each piece - this means you repeat the tune again from the start. - Page 15 jSax More B, A, G Tunes Baggy Pants 1 Graham Lyons Graham Lyons Baggy Pants 2 Baggy Pants 3 Graham Lyons...
- Page 16 jSax When you play Time Traveller first listen to the backing track, then try to play with the music. In the classroom you could split into Group A and Group B, taking a line each. Time Traveller Graham Lyons Group A Group B Group A Group B...
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Page 17: Introducing Duets
jSax Playing Duets Music is usually played by more than one instrument at a time. A duet is a piece written for two players. Sometimes the two players have similar sounding lines, other times they have very different lines, but they always sound great when played together. Rock Duo Paul Barker Part 1... -
Page 18: Introducing Eighth Notes
jSax Eighth Introducing Notes eighth When we need notes that are shorter than quarter notes, we can use notes. Each eight note is worth half a quarter note. A Single eighth Eighth notes beamed together note equal 1 quarter note See if you can spot the eighth notes in Donkeys, clap the rhythm, listen to the track, then try to play it. - Page 19 jSax Eighth Note Workout! Bruce Hunnisett Disco Duet Paul Barker Moderato Part 1 Part 2...
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Page 20: Let's Learn 2 More Notes: C And F
jSax Let’s Learn More Notes: C and F NOTE NOTE C Freeze! Bruce Hunnisett Merrily Trad. -
Page 21: Introducing Slurs
jSax Slurs If there are notes in a tune which should not be tongued, we connect the notes with a slur; this means those notes should be played in one breath, moving your fingers smoothly to change the notes. Remember to keep your air moving from one note to the next, so no gaps can be heard between the notes. -
Page 22: Let's Play A New Note: B
jSax The Flat Sign NOTE A flat sign can be placed in front of any note, it lowers the note by a half-step. The next note we are learning is a B . It sounds slightly lower than a normal B. Try playing this note, it should sound half way between A and B. -
Page 23: Introducing The Dotted Half Note
jSax Introducing the Dotted Half Note A dot after a note adds half the value of the original note, so the dotted half note will be worth beats. Look out for the dotted half notes in this tune. When The Saints Trad. -
Page 24: Let's Learn D: Introducing The 2Nd Octave 05
jSax Let’ s Learn D: Introducing the nd Octave VIDEO - Playing the 2nd octave on the jSax The next note we will learn is D, this is the first note in the next register. To play the D we need to uncover the small thumb hole on the back of the jSax. -
Page 25: Introducing Key Signatures
jSax NOTE Key Signatures If you look at the start of Twinkle Twinkle, you will notice a flat sign on the B line at the start of every line. This is called the key signature, and it means all the B notes in the tune should be played as B . Twinkle Twinkle Trad. -
Page 26: Three Three More Notes: E, Low D And Low C
jSax Let’s Learn Three More Notes: E, Low D and Low C. NOTE NOTE NOTE Now try playing these notes. The low notes can be hard at first. If you are struggling to get the correct sound, it might be because your fingers are not covering the left hand holes correctly. Playing in front of a mirror can help you see what your fingers are doing. -
Page 27: Introducing The C Major Scale
jSax Suo-Gan trad. Welsh Up and Down Bruce Hunnisett Practice all the notes by playing the scale below, it goes from a low C all the way up to a high C. In music we call this a major scale, these types of scale are the foundation for all kinds of music. The C Major Scale Try playing the scale both slurred and tongued, it’... - Page 28 jSax Now that you have learnt to play more notes, it’ s possible to play more interesting tunes. Take your time with each tune, and try to master each one before moving on. Remember it’ s a good idea to start slowly and gradually practice the tunes a little faster each time.
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Page 29: Introducing Time Signatures
jSax Introducing Time Signatures All of the music we have played so far has been in , meaning it has quarter note beats in each measure. This is called the time signature. Country Waltz and Morning have a time signature of , meaning they only have quarter note beats in each measure. -
Page 30: Introducing The Dotted Quarter Note
jSax Introducing the Dotted Quarter Note The dotted quarter note is worth beats. It is often paired with an eighth note, to make complete ½ beats as in Michael Row the Boat Ashore and Ode to Joy. Michael Row The Boat Ashore Trad. - Page 31 jSax Don’t forget to check the key signature before playing the next tune. Ode To Joy Beethoven 1770-1827...
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Page 32: Introducing Ties
jSax This Old Man Trad. This old man. played one, played knick knack drum. With a knick knack pad-dy whack, give a bone, this came roll home! Ties A tie is a curved line connecting two notes of the same pitch. The two notes are added or ‘’tied’’ together and played as a single note. - Page 33 jSax See if you can spot the ties in Flashlight before you try playing it. Flashlight Paul Barker Introduction...
- Page 34 jSax Jingle Bells Trad. Arr. Paul Barker Part 1 Part 1 Part 2 Part 2...
- Page 35 jSax Chinese Whispers Paul Barker Blues in C Paul Barker...
- Page 36 jSax Good King Wenceslas Trad. feast Ste - phen. Good king Wen-ces las looked out, When snow round a - bout, deep crisp ven. Bright - ly shone moon that night, though frost When poor man came in - sight, gath’-ring win - ter Notice the 2/4 time signature of the next tune.
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Page 37: Playing Staccato
jSax In the tune Donkeys, you can see dots below some of the notes. These tell us that these notes should be played “Staccato”. Staccato notes should be played short and detached, so each note is clearly separate from the note that follows it. - Page 38 jSax The Chase Paul Barker Part 1 Part 2...
- Page 39 jSax Forever Disco Paul Barker Introduction Part 1 Part 2...
- Page 40 jSax Molly Malone Trad. - lin’ s fair ci - ty, where grils pret - ty, first eyes sweet Mol - loy Ma - lone. wheeled wheel bar - row through streets broad and nar-row, cry-ing ‘cock - les mus-sels a - live a - live oh!’...
- Page 41 jSax We Three Kings Trad. three kings O - ri - ent are. Bear - ing gifts tra-verse far. Field and foun - tain,moor moun-tain foll-ow-ing yon - der star. star der star of night. Star with roy al beau bright.
- Page 42 jSax The Elephant Can Can Offenbach 1819 - 1880 Space Trax Paul Barker...
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Page 43: First And Second Endings
jSax First and Second Endings 2 towards the end In Smooth Trax and Reggae Trax you can see sections marked 1 and . These are called first and second endings. The first time you play the measures marked , and then when you repeat the piece you skip the first ending and play the ending marked Smooth Trax Paul Barker... - Page 44 jSax Reggae Trax Paul Barker Introduction...
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Page 45: Let's Play A New Note: F
jSax NOTE In the next tune – Reggae Land, you can see it has an F in the key signature. If you still have the training wheels on your jSax you will need to take the first one off to be able to play F To play the F we keep the F key pressed down but move our finger to the edge of the key so the hole in the key is open. - Page 46 jSax Reggae Land Paul Barker Introduction Part 1 Part 2...
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Page 47: Let's Play A New Note: High E
jSax New Note High E NOTE As we learn the top notes on the jSax you may find that they still come out sounding low, even with your left thumb in the correct position. This is because we also need to tighten our “embouchure” a little, and blow a little bit harder. - Page 48 jSax jSax Rap Paul Barker Introduction Part 1 The jS RAP! Part 2 Make People Happy! The coda sign To coda on repeat (Make People Happy) The jS RAP! Make People Happy! The coda sign The jS RAP!
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Page 49: Introducing Accidental
jSax In the tune Wonderland, there is no key signature, but if you look at bar 16 you can see an F , we call this an “accidental”. All the other F notes are normal or “natural” as we call them in music. Wonderland Paul Barker Introduction... -
Page 50: Let's Play A New Note: High F
jSax New Note High F NOTE Now you can play the high F, you know all the notes in the F major scale; have a go at playing the F major scale below. If you’ve taken the training wheel off the F key, be extra careful to make sure you are covering the hole completely. - Page 51 jSax RAP Trax Paul Barker Coming through! What you wanna do - it’s on you? Yeah, yeah, yeah! Coming through! What you wanna do - it’s on you?
- Page 52 jSax Rock Steady Paul Barker Introduction...
- Page 53 jSax Mexican Wave Paul Barker Audience Clap! Introduction Part 1 Part 2...
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Page 54: Let's Learn 2 More Notes: A And E
jSax NOTE NOTE For our final tune we need to learn two more new notes, A and E . We are going to use our left little finger to play A . To play E you will need to remove any remaining training wheels. If you have not yet played your jSax without the training wheels you might want to go back and try playing some easier tunes from earlier in the book without the training wheels on to help you get used to covering the holes. - Page 55 jSax Funky Monkey Bruce Hunnisett...
- Page 56 If you want to learn even more great tunes, you can check out the WindStars website. When you set up a free online account, you can search for new music by instrument and specific notes. www.nuvo-windstars.com Visit our website for more details about this, and other NUVO products. www.nuvo-instrumental.com Recorder...
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Page 58: Jsax Fingering Chart
jSax jSax Fingering Chart Fully Closed Open... - Page 59 jSax Notes:...
- Page 60 The “Play It Today” series has been prepared and edited by 4 widely experienced music educators to provide a basis for learning the fundamentals of any NUVO instrument. This book introduces basic technique and enough notes to play simple fun tunes solo or in a group. This is the perfect method for developing the necessary skills to further explore the wealth of music available to download from the WindStars website.