The subject of the dissertation was chosen as a result of observing a need to provide the college saxophone major in the first or second year of study with a reference text focusing primarily on problem solving. Sources exist describing accepted fundamentals of saxophone performance; however, these noticeably omit solutions to a vast number of problems which inevitably arise for some students during their course of study. It was the aim of the dissertation to fill this void by offering practical solutions to a breadth of performance problems encountered during private studio and class saxophone teaching experience at Ball State University.Solutions to performance problems were formulated through the development of original and learned techniques and procedures, and by synthesizing applicable pedagogical information by other saxophonists and instrumentalists whenever possible. The resultant compilation of knowledge gleaned through personal experience, experimentation, and research of other disseminated information has produced a unique and comprehensive problem-solving reference for saxophone.The format of the dissertation is designed for easy reference. Causes of performance problems are systematically arranged under the following categories: mouthpiece, reed, ligature, instrument, and player. A solution follows each performance problem cited, which generally consists of a corrective physical or mechanical adjustment, a rehearsal technique, or some other course of action required to correct the problem. Subjects addressed include: (1) mouthpiece--designs, defects, selection; (2) reed--designs, conditioning, positioning, deficiency and defect adjustments; (3) ligature--designs, placement, tension; (4) instrument--mechanical adjustments, altissimo vent key adjustment, defective neck, dents; (5) player-tone production, technical problems, air control, tonguing, vibrato.The final chapter functions as a checklist when the cause of a problem is uncertain. Under four categories of performance-problem. symptoms (poor tone quality, intonation problems, response problems, squeaking), the reader may isolate the specific problem by symptom, then refer to the main body of the dissertation for the solution to the fundamental problem. Conclusions follow each topic.The text should contribute to the library of the saxophone instructor and the graduate assistant as a problem-solving reference manual for students. Woodwind instructors required to teach saxophone without extensive performance experience on the instrument should find the text to be a helpful teaching aid as well.

Many texts and pedagogical works address the production of the saxophone’s altissimo register. The focus of these resources, however, is predominantly directed towards initial altissimo production for intermediate players, as well as fingering choices, scales, and brief exercises for advanced performers. There is a current dearth of longer studies and etudes designed to bridge the gap between short exercises and the demands of solo repertoire. In an attempt to remedy the relative lack of advanced instructional material, I have composed a collection of 14 etudes based on altissimo passages from the alto saxophone solo repertoire. The purpose of this project is twofold: to give players an opportunity to increase their technical proficiency in the altissimo register, and to demystify prominent solo passages by employing them in various forms. Chapter One illustrates the near absence of altissimo etude collections by surveying existing altissimo resources including books, magazine and journal articles, dissertations, and video and audio instructional materials. The chapter concludes with my views regarding successful altissimo production. Chapter Two discusses my original etudes, which draw upon numerous compositional methods (applied separately and in combination) of transforming and integrating musical material from the original solo excerpts. The 14 etudes are provided in their entirety in the Appendix. In general, they have a technical focus and are appropriate for performance during private lessons or master classes. Each one is relatively compact at one or two pages in length, with performance durations ranging from one to four minutes. / text