Jazz Improvisation and Technique

Augmented Scale Pattern by Minor Thirds

The exercise on this page forms the basis of several patterns I’ve been using to develop facility with the augmented scale. Click on the image to enlarge it.

In each bar, the scale root moves up by a minor third. In other words, the pattern takes you through four different augmented scales that outline a diminished seventh chord with their roots, thus: C, Eb, F#, and A. Of course, you should transpose this exercise so that you also begin the pattern on C#, D, and Eb. After that, you wind up repeating material you’ve already practiced. That’s one of the nice things about this exercise–there are only four patterns to learn!

So how do you use this pattern? You can find your own answers to that question, but here are a few thoughts:

* The best use is probably static chords, either minor or altered dominant.

* The pattern also implies a cycle of fifths with a chord change at every measure. I won’t delve into why this is so, but if you do your own analysis, you’ll see for yourself why this pattern accommodates both the cycle of fifths and tritone substitutions moving down by half-step.

The unique sound of the augmented scale offers plenty of color, and the fact that it fits no commonly used chord perfectly makes it an interesting choice for many chords as a temporary device. This pattern will help get your fingers used to moving the augmented scale through changing tone centers. Work hard, experiment, and have fun!

Be sure to check out my jazz page, featuring lots of other exercises, practice tips, insights, and solo transcriptions.

September 16, 2010 by Robert Hartig

Filed Under: Jazz, Jazz Improvisation and Technique, Music, Saxophone Tagged With: augmented scale pattern, exercise, minor third, outline a diminished seventh chord

Shake It Up, Baby!

“…Uh, huh! Twist and shooouuuut! C’mon, c’mon, c’mon baaybee! Let it all”…er, hi there! Didn’t know anyone was listening to me sing.

Heh, well, then…as long as you’re here, let’s go back to that first line of the tune:

“Shake it up baaybeee!”

Are you shakin’ it up?

I don’t mean on the dance floor, I mean in your sax practice. If your sessions in the woodshed are starting to seem a bit stale, maybe it’s time you shook up your routine with the injection of some new material. Really, you should always be working on something new, not just perfecting what you already know.

It may be the introduction of a new pattern or lick. It could be a new tune, or a memorized solo that you’re taking to a different key. Whatever it is you choose, tackling new material will sharpen your mental edge and pay dividends in your technique.

So don’t be afraid to shake it up. Yes, you want to polish up the stuff you’re presently working on, and of course you want to revisit older material to maintain it. But it’s important to challenge yourself with an influx of fresh ideas. How often? That’s up to you. There’s a point at which new material is no longer new. You may not have honed it to perfection, but you’ve basically got it down. It’s time to cast your eyes on something else and move what you’ve been working on to the latter part of your practice session. Sure, you can warm up with familiar material, but then move on to newer stuff. Doing so will not only broaden your horizons, but also feed into the things you’ve been working on. And it will ensure that a year from now, you’ve got a year’s worth of woodshedding under your belt, not just a week’s worth times fifty-two.

September 12, 2010 by Robert Hartig

Filed Under: Jazz, Jazz Improvisation and Technique, Music, Saxophone Tagged With: new pattern or lick, new tune, sax practice, sessions in the woodshed, tackling new material will sharpen your mential edge, technique

Half a Step Away from Right

The old jazz improviser’s adage is true: You’re never more than half a step away from the right note. You can justify any clinker by calling it a chromatic neighbor as long as you play it like you mean it and resolve it to a chord tone or to the correct upper extension. That raised seventh you played over the dominant chord–that was intentional, right? Love how you used it as a leading tone to the chord root! The major third you landed on in that minor seventh chord–how clever of you to create such unexpected tension en route to the minor third.

I’m joking around a bit, but what I’m saying is perfectly true: the difference between a clinker and chromaticism lies in how you handle the note.

Knowing about the half-step difference can help you when you’re sitting in with a group and find yourself playing a tune by ear whose harmonies you’re not familiar with. Barring tunes whose chords are all purely diatonic, you’ve got to identify the qualitative differences in borrowed chords. Modulations are a different matter; often, though, you’re dealing with just a chord or two out of the norm. Can you identify the note (or notes) that has been changed? It has only been raised–or lowered, take your choice–by just a minor second; otherwise, it would be diatonic to the scale.

Often the sixth note of the scale will be lowered to serve as the minor third in a IVmin7 chord, or as the flat 5 in a IImin7b5. Or the fourth may be raised to serve as the major third of a secondary dominant (V7 of VI). Or the tonic may be raised to serve as the major third in a V7 of II. The point is, if something in the harmony you’re hearing creates a clear qualitative difference, try to identify the tone or tones involved. You may be able to simply skate over the altered chord using a diatonic scale, as you can in rhythm changes, but you really should pay attention to it so you can make judicious choices about how to handle it. Doing so isn’t necessarily a matter of using a different scale; think instead of using the same scale with a note or two in it changed, or perhaps a note added. Your scale options can become more involved, of course, but it pays to start simply until you know what you’re dealing with.

Some tunes will stretch your ears if you work with them; others are too complex to simply jump in on. Speaking personally, my ears have their limitations. If a tune has a lot of modulations and odd harmonies, I have no problem with sitting out that number. But if I think I stand a chance of playing something convincing over unfamiliar territory, I’ll give it a try. Such on-the-spot listening and response is part of the learning curve of an improvising musician. Mistakes can be embarrassing, I’ll grant you, but don’t be afraid to make them. How else are you going to learn?

If you found this post helpful, then make sure to check out my jazz page, featuring many more articles, solo transcriptions, and resources of interest to jazz instrumentalists.

September 10, 2010 by Robert Hartig

Filed Under: Jazz, Jazz Improvisation and Technique, Music, Saxophone Tagged With: borrowed chord, chord tone, chromaticism, diatonic scale, half a step away from the right note, half-step difference, improvising musician, jazz instrumentalists, scale options

Guest Post for Sax Station: Connecting Technique to Expressive Improvisation

For today’s post, I’m giving myself a break and connecting you with a guest post that I wrote for my co-conspirator in saxophonistic mayhem, Neal Battaglia. When Neal invited me to write an article for his topnotch blog site, Sax Station, I cast about for a bit and came up with a post titled “Connecting Technique to Expressive Improvisation.” After reading what I’d written, I mildly lamented the fact that I wasn’t posting it on my own blog, but I’m honored that it’s on Neal’s.

I hope you enjoy the read. And don’t stop with my article. Check out the rest of Neal’s site, because there’s a lot of really good stuff on Sax Station! Also, keep an eye out for a reciprocal post by Neal here on Stormhorn.com. I love featuring guest posts, and while Neal is less long-winded than I am, he offers some very worthwhile insights.

September 7, 2010 by Robert Hartig

Filed Under: Band, Jazz, Jazz Improvisation and Technique, Music, Saxophone Tagged With: connecting technique to expressive improvisation, Neal Battaglia, Sax Station

C Edition of “The Giant Steps Scratch Pad” Is Now Available

I’m pleased to announce that “The Giant Steps Scratch Pad, C Edition” is now published and available for purchase on Lulu.com. If you play the flute, piano, guitar, or any other concert pitch instrument and want a practice companion to help you master Coltrane changes, then this collection of 155 licks and patterns is for you!

Besides the new C edition, “The Giant Steps Scratch Pad” is also available in Bb and Eb editions. A bass clef edition is next in line. I’m not sure what kind of editing it will require, since the shift is to a different clef rather than a different key. I’m hoping that the process will be a simple one and I’ll be able to release the bass clef edition soon.

If you want to learn more details on what the book has to offer, read the initial release notice for the Eb edition. The description applies to all the editions, which are identical except for the keys in which the musical material is written.

At the risk of sounding immodest, I’m not aware of any other resource, either in print or online, that offers such extensive practice material for the Giant Steps cycle. You can find plenty of information on the theory of Coltrane changes, but it has been a different story when it comes to a hands-on, made-to-be-played book that jazz musicians can take with them to the woodshed. “The Giant Steps Scratch Pad” fills that gap. If you want to solo confidently and creatively over the challenging, lopsided changes of “Giant Steps,” then pick the edition that’s right for you and order your copy today!

September 2, 2010 by Robert Hartig

Filed Under: Band, Jazz, Jazz Improvisation and Technique, Music, Saxophone Tagged With: 155 licks and patterns, Coltrane changes, concert pitch instrument, flute, Giant Steps cycle, Giant Steps Scratch Pad C Edition, guitar, jazz musicians, piano, solo confidently and creatively

How to Growl on the Saxophone

After rereading one of my older posts on how to ghost a note on the saxophone, I’m reminded that even simple sax techniques–or tricks, if you wish–seem like a mystery at some point in a saxophonist’s learning curve. So it is with the growl. It’s easy once you know how to do it, but until then, you listen to players who use the growl–Phil Woods does so to great effect–and wonder how the heck they do that.

Let me enlighten you. The technique is so easy to acquire that if you’ve got your horn in your hand, you can be growling in fifteen seconds and have a pretty good feel for the growl in a few minutes. What’s the secret? Sing or hum into your instrument while you’re playing it. Pick a tone lower than the range you’re playing in.

That’s it.

I repeat: Just sing or hum into your instrument while you’re playing it. The extra source of sound creates conflicting overtones that jostle with each other to create a growling effect. (That’s my simple, non-technical explanation.)

You can experiment with humming certain pitches relative to the notes you’re playing–an octave below, a fifth below, and so forth. I don’t worry about such stuff myself, and maybe I should pay more attention to it. But I’ve never had any problems getting the essential effect.

Note that growling is not the same thing as flutter tonguing. The two techniques may sound somewhat similar, but I think that most ears can easily tell them apart. They’re very different approaches that produce different effects.

If you enjoyed this article, check out the many other helpful articles, exercises, and solo transcriptions on my jazz page.

August 28, 2010 by Robert Hartig

Filed Under: Jazz, Jazz Improvisation and Technique, Saxophone Tagged With: flutter tonguing, ghost a note, growl on the saxophone, overtones, Phil Woods, sax techniques, saxophonists

Bb Edition of “The Giant Steps Scratch Pad” Is Now Available!

Tenor sax, soprano sax, trumpet, and clarinet players, I’ve kept my promise and haven’t forgotten you! I’m pleased to announce that The Giant Steps Scratch Pad, Bb Edition is now published and available for purchase on Lulu.com.

In case you haven’t followed any of my related posts, “The Giant Steps Scratch Pad” is a book of licks and patterns on the Giant Steps cycle. Made for the woodshed, it had its inception over ten years ago during a period in my life when I was immersing myself in Coltrane changes. Finding nothing in the way of practice material, I bought a spiral-bound book of staff paper and began writing down my own ideas, which multiplied over time into more material than I could wrap my arms around.

In recent months, it occurred to me that the material could benefit other jazz musicians. So I transcribed it using MuseScore, and after more hassles and delays than I care to describe, finally published the Eb edition for alto sax and baritone sax players just two weeks ago. Read the release notice for more information on what the book has to offer jazz instrumentalists of every stripe who want a practice companion to help them develop their technique for improvising on “Giant Steps.” In a nutshell, information abounds on the theory of Coltrane changes, but this is the first book I know of that actually gets you soloing on “Giant Steps.”

Flutists and other concert pitch instrumentalists, fear not: The C edition is next in line, and I’m already underway with editing. Bass players and trombonists, a bass clef edition will follow after the C edition has been published. So, campers, be patient. Nobody’s going to be excluded from the party.

“The Giant Steps Scratch Pad” is now priced at $10.95. I had initially settled on $13.95, but when I factored in the cost of shipping from Lulu, I decided to trim down by a few bucks. Head to the Scratch Pad landing page to access both the Eb and Bb editions, and other editions as they become available.

I’m hoping to have the C edition published within a week, so look for another announcement soon.

August 23, 2010 by Robert Hartig

Filed Under: Band, Jazz, Jazz Improvisation and Technique, Saxophone Tagged With: Bb edition, clarinet players, Coltrane changes, concert pitch, flutists, Giant Steps cycle, Giant Steps Scratch Pad, jazz instrumentalists, jazz musicians, licks and patterns, soprano sax, tenor sax, trumpet

The Giant Steps Scratch Pad: NOW PUBLISHED!

You read right: The Giant Steps Scratch Pad has finally hit the streets!

I hadn’t wanted to give further updates until now because it seemed that I kept running into snags and delays. That kind of news gets embarrassing to write about after a while, and no doubt it’s tiresome to read. But all the hurdles have finally been crossed, and I am extremely pleased to announce that my book of 155 licks and patterns on Giant Steps changes is at long-last published and available for purchase.

Let me quickly follow with this caveat: The Eb edition is the one that is presently available. However, with that trail finally blazed, Bb, C, and bass clef editions are all in the works and will be following shortly. I finished editing the Bb edition earlier today, and I hope to complete the job tomorrow, so look for it in a day or two, or at least sometime this week. After that will come the C and bass clef editions. (UPDATE: ALL FOUR EDITIONS OF THE GIANT STEPS SCRATCH PAD ARE NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE. SEE BOTTOM OF PAGE TO ORDER. CLICK AND ENLARGE IMAGE TO YOUR LEFT TO VIEW A PAGE SAMPLE FROM THE Bb EDITION)

If you’ve ever wanted to build the technique to blaze your way through the changes to John Coltrane’s jazz landmark, “Giant Steps,” this is the book to help you do it. It’s truly a one-of-a-kind. Here’s the cover copy for it:

Build Your Technique and Creativity for the Giant Steps Cycle

Looking for a practice book to help you master “Giant Steps”? The Giant Steps Scratch Pad will help you develop the chops you need.

Plenty has been written about the theory behind Coltrane changes. This is the first book designed to help you actually improvise on John Coltrane’s benchmark tune. In it, you’ll find

* A brief overview of “Giant Steps” theory

* Insights and tips for using this book as a practice companion

* 155 licks and patterns divided into two parts to help you cultivate facility in both the A and B sections of “Giant Steps”

“Giant Steps” isn’t innately hard. It’s just different and unpracticed. This book gives you a wealth of material to help you take Coltrane’s lopsided chord changes and make music with them. Choose the edition that fits your instrument—Bb, C, Eb, or bass clef—and then get started today.

“Ever since John Coltrane recorded ‘Giant Steps,’ its chord progression has been a rite of passage for aspiring improvisers. Bob’s book The Giant Steps Scratch Pad presents a practical approach to Coltrane changes that will challenge advanced players and provide fundamental material for those just beginning to tackle the challenge of Giant Steps.’” —Ric Troll, composer, multi-instrumentalist, owner of Tallmadge Mill Studios

“In this volume, Bob has created an excellent new tool for learning how to navigate the harmonies of ‘Giant Steps.’ This is a hands-on, practical approach with a wealth of great material that will be of assistance to students of jazz at all levels of development.” —Kurt Ellenberger, composer, pianist, jazz educator and author of Materials and Concepts in Jazz Improvisation

I’ll of course be putting up an advertisement for the book on this site. But no need to wait for that. If you’re an alto sax or baritone sax player, you can purchase the Eb edition right now!
Trumpeters, tenor saxophonists, soprano saxophonists, and clarinet players (did I miss anyone?), the party is coming your way next, so keep your eyes open for the next announcement.

It seems strange to me that something like this book hasn’t been done before, but as far as I know, The Giant Steps Scratch Pad truly is unique. It has been a lot more work than I ever anticipated, but I’m really proud of the results. Major thanks to my friend Brian Fowler of DesignTeam for creating such a totally killer cover for the print edition. But there’s more to this book than good looks alone. I trust that those of you who purchase it will find that its contents live up to its appearance. If you’re ready to tackle Coltrane changes, this book will give you plenty to keep you occupied for a long time to come.

NOW AVAILABLE IN C, Bb, Eb, AND BASS CLEF EDITIONS, AND BOTH IN PRINT AND AS A PDF DOWNLOAD.

Instant PDF download, $9.50
C edition
Bb edition
Eb edition
Bass clef edition

Print editions–retail quality with full-color cover, $10.95 plus shipping: order here.

August 16, 2010 by Robert Hartig

Filed Under: Band, Jazz, Jazz Improvisation and Technique, Music, Saxophone Tagged With: 155 licks and patterns, alto sax, baritone sax, benchmark tune, clarinet players, Coltrane changes, Giant Steps changes, Giant Steps cycle, Giant Steps Scratch Pad, improviser's, Jazz, John Coltrane's jazz landmark Giant Steps, lopsided chord changes, soprano saxophonists, students of jazz, technique, tenor saxophonists, theory, trumpeters

Chromatic Exercises: Descending and Ascending Lines Against Static Tones

The thumbnail to your cleft contains a couple of patterns I like to practice from time to time to limber up my ability to interpolate chromatic lines with common tones. I’ve also included a third exercise that I just thought of, and since I’ll be incorporating it into my saxophone practice sessions from now on, I figured I’d drop it into your lap as well. Click on the thumbnail to enlarge it.

The repeat signs don’t mean repeat just once; they mean repeat ad infinitum until the pattern is laying easily under your fingers. Then bump it up or down a half step and practice it in the new key. Repeat this process until you own the pattern in all twelve keys throughout the full range of your instrument.

While each pattern begins by outlining an A minor triad, it implies other harmonies as the chromatic line descends or ascends while the remaining tones remain static. I’ll leave it to you to figure out different practical applications.

You’ll find plenty more patterns, exercises, solo transcriptions, and articles of interest to jazz musicians on my jazz page.

July 26, 2010 by Robert Hartig

Filed Under: Jazz, Jazz Improvisation and Technique, Music, Saxophone Tagged With: chromatic exercises, chromatic lines, common tones, full range of your instrument, jazz musicians, pattern, practice sessions, Saxophone, static tones

Double Tonguing: It Doesn’t Come Easily, But It Does Come

Last November I posted an article on double tonguing on the saxophone, a technique I was just beginning to incorporate as a regular part of my practice sessions. Eight months have elapsed since then. I’d like to say that I’ve mastered double tonguing, but I’d be lying. I have, however, kept at it, and the gains, if slow, have nevertheless been significant.

This is a HARD technique to master! At least, it has been difficult for me. Maybe it has come easily to other saxophonists, but not to this one. By comparison, when I took up circular breathing years ago, I was quite comfortable with it within a few months. But double tonguing…well, the best thing I can do is to keep on keeping on with it, and to strive to apply it increasingly in my playing.

I have in fact gotten to the point where I’ve finally begun to use double tonguing when I’m playing out. It’s not a steady feature of my sax solos, just something that I experiment with.

But it’s in my practice sessions that I’ve been pushing myself, working on scales and licks using double tonguing. Does it sound polished? No. But it’s coming together, and at times it even sounds reasonably convincing.

As is true of any other musical challenge, repetition and perseverance are undoubtedly the key to mastering this technique. It’s a discipline, trying to get my tonguing to not only coincide with my fingerings, but also to make the results sound halfway musical rather than clunky. I seem to be able to handle about ten minutes of double tongue work, after which I move on. My patience is probably integrally tied to my tongue and embouchure’s endurance, and my philosophy is, work it and then leave it be.

At the time of this post, I’m capable of executing sixteenth notes at a tempo of around 135-140 mm. Not gracefully, to be sure, and not on the turn of a dime. I have to work into it. But that’s better than where I started.

Why am I even writing about this? Well, I’m not aware of anyone else who has actually chronicled their efforts to master this technique. If you’re working on it and it’s coming easily for you, then bully for you! But if you’re one who, like me, is finding double tonguing to be a real challenge to bring to a point of usefulness, then you might find it reassuring to know that you’re not the only one. You might also take courage in hearing that improvements, while slow, do come.

July 17, 2010 by Robert Hartig

Filed Under: Band, Jazz, Jazz Improvisation and Technique, Music, Saxophone Tagged With: circular breathing, double-tonguing on the saxophone, practice sessions, sax solos, saxophonists