Following are links to my written articles, solo transcriptions, and video tutorials that deal with theoretical and technical issues of interest to jazz students and practitioners.
The video tutorials are a newer addition. To help keep this page organized, I’m assigning them their own section, which appears first. Another section for solo transcriptions follows; and below those, you’ll find the larger body of written material.
Some of the older posts acquired formatting glitches when I switched to WordPress. I don’t have time to fix them all, but I think the value of the content outweighs the flaws, so I’m putting them out here as they are.
Video Tutorials
Solo Transcriptions
- I Would Be a Sinner: Rich Lataille Alto Sax Solo Transcription
- One for Daddy-O: A Cannonball Adderley Solo Transcription
- Shakin’ the Shack: A Dave Koz Alto Sax Solo Transcription, Part 1
- Cannonball Adderley Alto Sax Solo on “Hurricane Connie”
- Lynn’s Grins: A Charles McPherson Alto Sax Solo Transcription
- Sonny Stitt “Au Privave” Solo Transcription for Alto Sax
Articles and Technical Exercises
- Practicing “Giant Steps”: Static and Chord Tone Sequences
- Practicing “Giant Steps”: Isolating Dominant Sevenths
- How to Flutter Tongue on the Saxophone
- Technique-Builder: Intervals within a Perfect Fifth
- Fourth Patterns with Altered Dominants
- Fourth Patterns: Three Exercises to Build Your Technique
- “Round About” Jazz Etude for Bb and C Instruments
- A Jazz Etude Based on the Jamey Aebersold Tune “Round About”
- Altered Dominant with Pentatonic b6 Scale
- Diminished Whole Tone Scale Exercise with Pentatonic
- The Augmented Scale: A New Pattern to Whet Your Fingers On
- Altered Major Scales for Secondary Dominant Chords
- Pentatonic Scales by Major Third
- Double-Time Solos: Tips on Playing Fast
- Pentatonic Pattern in Mode Four
- A Diminished Whole Tone Lick
- Angularity Exercises
- A Table of Non-Diatonic Tones and Their Common Uses
- Voice Leading for the Giant Steps Cycle
- Half a Step Away from Right
- How to Growl on the Saxophone
- Chromatic Exercises: Descending and Ascending Lines Against Static Tones
- Patterns on Diatonic Fourths
- How to Use the Flat Sixth of the Major Bebop Scale
- An Easy Way to Use the Augmented Scale in Major Keys
- A Charlie Parker Lick Around the Cycle of Fifths
- Dominant Seven Flat Nine Exercise on the Cycle of Fifths
- Sixth Interval Exercises for Jazz Improvisation
- Sweeten Your Sax Solos with Sixths
- How to Practice the Saxophone: Four Key Principles That Can Help You Advance
- Ghosted Notes on the Saxophone
- Chromatic Couplets: Another Way of Unlocking Diminished and Augmented Scales
- Augmented Scale Triad Patterns
- Double-Tonguing on the Saxophone
- A Favorite Augmented Scale Lick
- A Lydian Flat Seven Workout
- Exploring the Lydian Flat Seven Sound
- “Giant Steps” Licks and Patterns
- Using the Augmented Scale with “Giant Steps”
- Diminished Lick for Cycle of Dominants
- How to Master Circular Breathing on the Saxophone
- The Augmented Scale
- Using Angularity in Jazz Improv
- “Will I Ever Become a Good Jazz Improviser?”
- I Hope You Don’t Mind if I Repeat Myself
- Using Sequence in Jazz Solos: Some Exercises
- Using Substitute Dominants
- Bracketing: Changing Tones for Jazz Musicians
- Bracketing: Some Chromatic Exercises
- Phrygian Dominant Licks: Capturing the Essence of Minor Bebop
- Triad Couplets for Jazz Improv: Two Written Exercises
- Putting It Together
- Saxual Development: Growing as a Player
- Why I Love Playing “Rhythm” Changes
- Jazz Contrafacts
