Let’s begin with a simple thought experiment: There are two tenor players sitting in at a straight-ahead jam session. Player 1 has a great sound, solid command of the harmony, superb chops, a fulsome and controlled altissimo, creative ideas, but a tendency to rush the time. Player 2 has an average sound, a limited grasp [read more…]
Many saxophone players (and horn players in general) have a complicated relationship with harmony. This can be for a whole spectrum of reasons ranging from a) the feeling that you struggle to stay on top of it, and essentially leave it up to whoever’s playing the chords to take care of it while you try [read more…]
SPOILER ALERT: There really aren't that many melodic and harmonic "tricks" you need to know to play great solos. After going through just a few of these etudes and their brief analysis, you'll be well on your way to having a rock-solid "improvisational arsenal".
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This begins as a simple exercise in practicing 2-octave major scales in all 12 keys, ascending and descending, at increasing speeds. General Idea Start from low Bb, and play each scale in 2 octaves up and down, repeating the bottom note before moving up a half step to the next scale. Instead of speeding up [read more…]
Secondary dominants play a crucial role in harmony theory, especially in jazz improvisation. They add richness and excitement to diatonic progressions, while expanding the possibilities of cadential harmony. To explore this important concept effectively in the context of jazz improvisation, I have designed a series of chord progressions. Each progression incorporates all secondary dominants, offering [read more…]
House music is one of the most exciting and sax-friendly genres of electronic music. Unlike other styles such as techno or trance, house music is characterized by its infectious 4/4 beat, soulful vibes and deep grooves. The chord structures are usually simple and repetitive, almost always in minor keys, there is a lot of open [read more…]
Introduction If you’ve ever had any interest in creating arrangements for saxophone quartet, or if you’re simply curious about how those arrangements are created, the read on, as there are few people walking the planet would be as qualified on the subject as the man you’re about to hear from. René Blom is a conservatory-trained [read more…]
During my 45 years of playing the saxophone, 25 of which have included teaching at the university level, I’ve developed a teaching philosophy that boils down to two pretty simple things: Help students develop strong fundamental musical skills (instrumental technique that is relaxed, flowing, and confident; rhythmic/metric integrity; fluency in theory and harmony; broad knowledge [read more…]
Introduction For some saxophonists, developing palm key technique is a challenge. These keys, used to finger the notes of the upper register, specifically high D, Eb, E and F, can feel awkward to many performers since to depress these notes, the left-hand palm must be used. In addition, high E and F are notes whose [read more…]
If you ever witnessed the iconic “jazz flute” scene from the Will Ferrell comedy, Anchorman, then you’ve heard my flute playing. My improvised flute solo for that scene has since become a great calling card, which is interesting because I’m primarily a saxophone player. My Journey to the Flute I began playing the saxophone when [read more…]
To anyone who’s ever played a wind instrument, the advice to use proper air support is not exactly “insider information”. We’ve all heard it before, many times. Over the course of my years on the saxophone, I certainly have been advised to “support the air from the diaphragm” , but I have to admit – [read more…]
Tips and Techniques from the pros PLUS free access to the Sax Lessons with the Stars archive - 10 years worth of interviews and exercises featuring the likes of David Liebman, Bob Mintzer, Ben Wendel, Bob Reynolds, and many more!
