Dan Graser and the Origins of Chops
review and insights to navigate a new resource
When we think about the literature written about the saxophone, texts from French greats like Londeix's Les Gammes Conjointes Et En Intervalles, Rosemary Lang's book on altissimo, and Rasher's Top Tones come to mind. If you play classical saxophone, chances are you not only can name these resources, but you own them. Kynaston's or Larry Teal's Daily Studies are excellent exercise books and provide an invaluable resource to get your fingers moving. However, these resources have an interesting commonality. The authors wrote them before 1985. This begs the question...Is there anything new out there?
Last week, I had the chance to sit down with Dr. Dan Graser, Professor of Saxophone at Grand Valley State University. Dr. Graser is also the soprano member of the acclaimed Sinta Quartet. He completed his undergraduate studies with Timothy McAllister at SUNY Potsdam before moving on to his master's and doctoral work with the one and only, Donald Sinta where he was Sinta's Teaching Assistant. Graser has presented master classes from Paris to Shanghai as well as all around the United States. When the music world went on sabbatical during the COVID-19 pandemic, Graser switched gears and began a new project—fleshing out ideas in his studio and plugging away with the music notation software Sibelius, synthesizing a much-needed update for the saxophone. What resulted was three volumes and nearly 1,000 pages of saxophone exercises and analytic studies that you can practice until your fingers go numb. Chops 221 Full Range Fundamentals and Technical Exercises for the 21st Century Saxophonist (2021)is over 350 pages of humbling fundamentals containing the patterns and building blocks needed to extend your range and technique as a player.
When I received Chops in the mail, it was overwhelming. The book is extensive and unlike anything I have used in past practice. I had trouble initially gauging how to use it effectively— with little context to guide the player on how to use the resource; I felt hesitant with where to begin, which exercises to focus on, and how to use Chops to its full potential. The title is no exaggeration; if you think you have chops, play through a few pages, and it won't be long until you find an exercise that offers an introspective to the gaps in your playing. Each exercise begins with something you find yourself comfortable with (or something new you've never even tried, like playing melodies using overtones) until moving into an uncomfortable register or significant leap that you have not come across in your practice routine. The book brings you back to the days when you get handed sheet music in middle school and feel you need to write in every note. Chops is a beast that quickly humbles, and that isn't a bad thing.
The book is broken down into nine sections beginning with extensive long-tone exercises and ends with a thought-provoking cooldown, something Graser borrowed from his athletic background. Calling section one long-tones doesn't do it justice. Section one contains everything from dynamic control exercises, timbre matching, and vowel experimentation. Chops isn't something you sit down and play through and call a day. Each exercise offered is designed to help improve an aspect of your playing that will carry over into repertoire practice and performance. I started working through the 350 plus pages, navigating one exercise to another, unsure how to make the most of each activity. I began to rethink what goes into an effective warm-up far extends long tones and scales. I reflect on this in a recent post here.
Dr. Graser illuminated the rationale and utility of using a book like Chops and reaffirmed my realization. In Graser's own words, Chops was "born of necessity…." Geared towards saxophonists looking to prepare for a professional career. These books contain what Graser felt was missing from saxophone pedagogy. "There was a gulf between technique book here repertoire here," Graser explains, making exaggerated hand motions indicated the missing steps. He mentions the infamous studio packets (click here to watch this part of the interview). Resources you get from every professor with secret tricks of the trade on improving and practicing effectively. This packet generally includes a list of books that develop skills needed to play the saxophone at the collegiate level. Graser pointed out that these books are over 50 years old and do not fully develop the fundamentals that saxophonists are expected to play at the collegiate and professional levels today. "What we don't have, is a book that could theoretically replace these studio packets that we are making." Chops does precisely that. It is a massive resource designed to build your technique and prepare you to play today's standard repertoire in the saxophone's complete range. It is important to note he includes altissimo when referring to complete range (not only the first few notes).
Dr. Graser's recalled that his days during the pandemic consisted of playing his warm-up, spending a few hours notating it into Sibelius, editing it in the evening, and finally playing through it once more the following day. The book isn't some massive list of scale patterns transposed in all 12 keys. It includes exercises and finger patterns that Graser himself finds utility in. Skills developed out of what he identified as gaps in his playing. Graser's written introduction explains how Chops should be part of an "extensive warm-up." Understanding this phrase is essential to make the most out of the book. I asked him for clarity on this statement during our chat (watch it here). He explains a warm-up is "essentially your practice that you do before etudes and repertoire… if you practice for 3-4 hours a day, your warm-up can be one hour long to make your practice later on more efficient." Committing up to an hour of extensive warm-up may have been the most frustrating realization I needed to internalize to unlock the utility in Chops. I spent weeks trying out different exercises from the text to scaffold what I wanted to work on and what would improve my playing. Think of Chops like a choose your own adventure story. If you make an honest self-assessment and build an extensive warm-up, you save time in the long run to better prepare yourself for more efficient practice sessions. After warming up using Chops, I find myself practicing rep more effectively. Everything is improving, from my core sound to altissimo accuracy (That's a back page blurb right there…).
"The book was meant to be daunting. Page one goes up to a double G…" Graser explains when asked how players should navigate the book. It's a resource for a saxophonist throughout their college and professional career. His intro also pays homage to the resources like Londeix's Les Gammes and Rousseau's Saxophone High Tones. Graser wasn't looking to create an encyclopedia of all things saxophone. He developed a resource that incorporates these skills into your practice.
Chops 2 provides clarity and direction for saxophonists. Volume two is a streamlined focus of scale patterns, including a 30-day scale course designed to hold yourself accountable. (watch this portion of the conversation here) "We(saxophone teachers) always encourage variation in the way people practice their scales… but a lot of times it’s not always followed through with… the other foundational concept behind that book; we have this bizarre notion that there is only one way to play a scale… no reason for that to have some sort of primacy," Graser explained he designed the book to serve beyond traditional scale patterns. The book has you beginning on varied scale degrees ascending and descending throughout the horns range, which instantly made me rethink scale practice (altissimo included). Beyond the scale course, it has sections on diatonic and chromatic patterns that will melt your brain. The book will keep you busy as you progress through it with increasingly more intricate patterns, incorporating the patterns with varying subdivisions like quintuplets and septuplets. I often use subdivision practice when practicing scale patterns, but the ability to see where the pattern lines up on the paper is a great visualization to audit your accuracy. Chops 2 came out this summer ('21), and Graser has another one on the way.
Chops 3 piqued my interest. Volume three is for quartet work. Graser equates it to "...Chops One, but with a bit more text and explanation." A band director could use the book to coach with, or a quartet could use it independently. He mentions that it will include skills on how to function as an ensemble, scheduling rehearsals, and preparing individually on your instrument before rehearsal. Chapters include exercises on uniformity, blend, with exposition that spells out how to approach ensemble development. Graser mentions how a handful of collections of approachable repertoire exist to get a quartet playing, but nothing addresses quartet fundamentals. Every quartet I have ever participated in always feels like a tiring reboot where you are starting from scratch. Having a resource to help guide a group's sound and orient goals would be a game-changer. "The fact that it (quartet work) occupies about half your time some weeks; some years, and there's no method for it - well no, let's get this down." The book only includes a handful of playing examples, and they are all in concert pitch, a skill he thinks is necessary to develop in quartet work to get the players to read directly from the score (watch out discussion on Chops 3 here). Chops 3 release date is set for September 2021, and I can't wait to get my hands on it.
During our talk together, Dr. Graser mentioned three "gripes." Saxophone fundamentals are not being written in the full range, there is a lack of creativity in scale practice, and the community is missing a quartet book. Graser buried himself in a project of great benefit for the saxophone community. Graser reached out to French saxophonist Claude Delangle for some feedback on Chops One. Delangle explained it would take him a good five months to work through before giving any helpful notes. Graser ends the story with a bright smile saying, "If this is taking Claude this long, I've got something here."
With the help of Conway Publications, Graser was able to write, edit, print, and release all three volumes in less than two years. A feat rarely actualized in the publishing world (check out our discussion on the publishing process here). Each book costs less than the price of two boxes of reeds and can be purchased together at a discounted rate. Graser explained that he created Chops to be used for years to come, and I can attest that any player looking to level up their playing will find use from volumes one and two. You can get your hands on a copy directly through the publisher or order from Meridian Winds. Both options arrived to me in less than a week. However, I encourage you to stop down to your local music store and ask them why they don't have these fantastic books in stock already. My work with volumes one and two have kept me busy this summer, preparing myself for my first year of doctoral study. I'm sure I'll offer a few more deep dives on the material as I better understand them and continue to build my "chops" (see what I did there?).
Note:
I did not plan to release the audio or video of my interview with Dr. Graser and originally only recorded it for personal notes for this article. I found the opportunity to talk with Dr. Graser to be invaluable and thought it was important to share with anyone interested. You can find much of the interview on my Youtube here be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss any segments. If some hyperlinks do not currently work, it is because the segment is not yet uploaded to my channel so check back soon. I would also like to mention the I am not affiliated with any of the purchasing links for Chops. I just find it to be a quality resource.
