Hay Jeff, I've been watching your lesson videos for the past 2 month now whenever im eating, waiting to fall asleep or even having a smoke. And it really adds alot to my practicing sessions. So i just wanted to stop today and say thank you for doing that, it's so much appreciated. Please don't stop. Cheers.
Saw this vid last year and have been using this approach for students... bandmates... even for writing new tunes! Another AWESOME idea from the mighty JS. It's all about the feel in soloing, and you've got that in abundance.
This is so good. I just tried one note plus the octave above it, shuffled them around as short and long notes, interspersed with rests, played on a single one chord (sometimes 1+5, sometimes 1, 1+5+1), on a synth steady rhythm pattern, and I found myself improvising a groovy tune. Amazing! Big thanks Jeff.
This is the best ever advice on improvising. Get the feel right and ADD notes to the phrase. Build on your ideas."It Don't Mean a Thing if it Ain't Got That Swing". It's not about the notes so much. It's about PLACING the notes you choose to play. Listen to Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis.This video is great. Thanks for sharing.
Yes, groove and feel is where all the fun in music is. Like you said, it doesn't have to be a lot of notes or complicated. If your listeners are tapping their toes or bobbing along with you, your are doing what you're supposed to be doing.
I've watched a lot of your videos and you have helped me considerably. You seem to always know exactly what I'm struggling with or hoping to focus on next. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
This is really wise advice. One of the people that helped me learn the saxophone, had similar advice, and your video really helped me along with playing my saxophone again. Thanks a lot Jeff!
I just want to let you know that I really enjoy your videos. I'm just in high school and am just starting to develop my improv ideas, and your videos have been really helpful. I'm also loving the more frequent uploads. You're a great teacher and are easy to listen to and learn from. Keep it up!
Never fails, everytime i watch your youtube lessons, that little lightbulb in my head comes on and its another aha moment. You've got a real gift, my friend. Thank you for doing these videos.
+Jeff Schneider well, I am able to get the notes out, all the way up to a D above the palm key d, but it causes physical pain and discomfort in my mouth and lower lip because I can't get the notes out without biting. and they don't sound as great as the rest of my range. is there anyway (besides long tones on these notes which I've been trying forever) to get these notes out easier, and to sound better?
+supersalsa If I could interject. One thing to work on is overtones which will train your tongue to change position as it will have to when playing altissimo. Also, blow cold air into your hand and use that tongue shape when blowing for altissimo. Fast cold air!
I think you explain everything very understandable , also your sound is really incredible and each video is totally informative , a big thank you for such a brilliant context I hope my english is not so very bad and incomprehensible . : D
Can it be that thou hast thou ancestors from a German -speaking country , on the basis of the surname which in Germany a professional describes the clothes of the cutter . Thanks for the answers to the last comment. :)
I think your idea about the broadcast thing is a good idea. Thanks for the videos and keep up the good work! If you don't mind me asking, how can I learn to identify 2-5-1 progressions?
Really great, thanks. Emphasises the point that rhythm comes first in jazz, then melody. Something I'm struggling with is the beats 2 and 4 thing. Any tips about that? How do I bring out those beats? Chris
+Chris Elston Slllooooooowwww down the tempo. Everything will be easier at a slower tempo. More time to think. Start by tapping on 2 and 4 without playing and just counting 1 2 3 4. Then introduce some notes on your instrument. Maybe just quarter notes. Keep counting in your head...1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4. Make the rhythms more complex until you can play melodies like twinkle twinkle little start to billies bounce!
+Jeff Schneider Thanks! I'll try that today. Incidentally, I've noticed that the simplest things done right (one note per bar, even) can sound incredibly good. It's bit like learning a foreign language: if you try to make your sentence constructions too complex you get all tangled up but if you keep it simple you get your message across easily. I think Jerry Bergonzi's instructional videos illustrate this perfectly - your readers might like to check him out.
Hey Ethan, first off, try sucking out the spit. Sounds gross, but it's the quickest way to get rid of that spitty sound. If the problem persists, a new reed may help. If you're still outta luck, I'll have to take a listen to hear what's really going on. Keep me posted.
I'd suggest taking the mouth piece further out of your mouth and curling your bottom lip over your bottom teeth (it sounds like you're not making a good seal on your mouth piece), I had the same problem for ages and my tutor suggested having only a little bit of it in my mouth and the lip thing helps with control
Yea I already roll my bottom lip over my bottom teeth and when i went to a master class they told me I need to take in more mouthpiece (which i still haven't gotten used to yet)
It's never a problem when we're playing loud charts in jazz but when I'm playing in concert band it's so hard to play a soft dynamic while not having a "spitty" sound. I think it might be the instrument because whenever i suck the spit out of my instrument, other people seem to get a lot spit out of their instruments than me. Even their sound when sucking it out seems like its getting more spit out. May just be an instrument issue which will go away in a year because im going into high school. Cant wait for it i dont know if youve heard of tarpon springs but im in their middle school band.
You are a n experienced teacher. And Am intrested in the half hours section meet up you mentioned at the end of your show.. Please add me to the meetup my friend .
Just out of curiosity, but can this exercise be applied to genres other than jazz? I'm having a hell of a time figuring out decent melodies no matter how hard I try to use target notes. It all sounds like mush. HALP.
Voodoo is the truf! If you see this: check out Prince's "Musicology" from 2004, I think. The whole thing kicks ass, but the track "On The Couch" is basically Prince giving D'Angelo a nod for giving Prince a nod lol
Jeff another great help for me. Love the fact that your vids are so short and sweet but every one contains a nugget that can keep me busy for days and days! One bi-product of this 4-note one is that it forces you to play some weird interval leaps you might not be used to playing. eg As you suggested I tried for ages to just play the root and the 6th and that forces you to jump around the horn. all good practice - your vids keep learning fresh every time thanks
Jeff, this is such a great lesson! It speaks volumes to me, someone who's really been hitting the music theory hard lately, because you are not advocating to not learn the theory, but to simplify it. I hope I wasn't the only person who took it this way. Thank you so much Jeff. Keep them coming!
I've watched 4 videos, and I've been learning a lot from you for the last couple of hours. But, when you said what you said about D'Angelo - Voodoo album, I said "OMG, I'm subscribing". I learned groove from that album/Pino, being that I'm a bass player, and Mr. Jeff, you've got an awesome channel here. Keep making videos and don't let anyone or anything distract you from doing so. You've affected a man all the way in St. Louis, Missouri. Thank you for you!
Hi Jeff, I'm following with a lot of attention your lessons, despite I play from so many years. I've started to study saxophone by my self many years ago when there was no sign of internet, unfortunately and doing everything by myself was very hard sometime. Today the net gives so many opportunity to learn to play and channel like your demostrate that learning is never enough, especially talking about music, and even the most simple lesson like the one over here can teach something very interesting anyway. Thanks for you effort over here. :)
Ethan Auringer just asked a similar question. I'll post my response here: first off, try sucking out the spit. Sounds gross, but it's the quickest way to get rid of that spitty sound. If the problem persists, a new reed may help. If you're still outta luck, I'll have to take a listen to hear what's really going on. Keep me posted.
