I started with Jay around a year ago maybe longer and use his patterns as a daily warm up.now I have just finished year two playing and although I study in various places Jay's methods have been invaluable and nothing developed tone quicker than The Pentatonic course, I really couldn't recommend this enough, I need to finish Jay's playing by ear as I got side tracked and that works too. Thanks Jay will add this to my routinesKind regardsMark
At the young age of 71, i have just started to play (alto) ,Jay, you are talking my language !!! I've been listening to funk,soul,jazz & world music since i was a kid & i know i have a good ear,however my brain froze over,every time i opened an Abersold book, total information overload ! Definitely agree with everything you say about the traditional music education hierarchies, praise be that i happened upon your channel & will be signing up to foundation soon,(when i clear a coupla debts)!! BTW, that's a beautiful looking horn you have there & i love your sound on it....will be in touch,keep on keeping on & BIG THANKS !!
Tony, you're not the only one with that information overload experience. I'm determined to teach this stuff in a way that doesn't overwhelm students and comes more from the ear than rules about music theory...
I'm a starter saxophonist and watching your vids from the start. Good thing we have people like you who can shorten my rookie times. Hah Keep rocking hard this way, Enjoy life! Greetings, Jeff
I gotta say that I've had my Tenor Sax for a minute and haven't really been able to do much but on it. After finding these videos, I am actually making her sing. All of the videos from Better Sax have been such a great help. Now I just need to learn to actually play music , rather than just random notes. 🎷
Really enjoyed the video and the simplicity of using the pentatonic scale. Thanks for keeping it simple Jay so a guy picking up the sax again after a 40+ year break can have fun doing it. I'll be investing in your pentatonic course.
I played the tenor and baritone saxophones for 7 amazing years during my middle and high school years, and now im on my own playing the soprano sax watched a couple of these Better Sax videos and they where pretty good👍. Just found out about the website and i fell in love with the improvisation tutorials! Thanks Jay😁
Definitely something to work towards Reuben. Try to eliminate all unnecessary movement. Watch your favorite sax players playing live, and they are probably staying very relaxed as well.
I had a go with the pentatonic scale today together with some improvisation, which I've never done before because I've always been a strictly 'play with sheet music' pianist. I definitely had fun making up my own music with the backing track and the notes of the pentatonic scale (1 octave at the moment).Thank you for your fantastic advice. It's a wonderful freeing feeling being able to play anything you like. The pentatonic scale is so versatile.
Trumpet player here. Congratulations on your fantastic approach for making practice FUN and meaningful. I was taught the extremely boring practice concept called Arbans-Clarke scales and arpeggios and is still today considered sacred. They are meaningful for discipline of rudiments but are great only if you really want to be a fantastic player of scales. For YEARS I've searched for a concept of practicing these scales/arpegg in all keys played to music backing tracks. Imagine practicing scales and music at the same time, WHY IS THIS NOT TAUGHT WIDELY? And here it is! Fantastic job, complete, well thought out. Thank you.
very good tip! I like to play by ear using what I (barely) listen in chords (1,3,5,7,9...), but I sound boring or lost when I go on adding 'strange' notes all the time. But now those pentatonic scales (or tetratonic! :) ) give me a 'center', a basic skeleton to build up from. I can go away and then come back to them. I realize now that it's better to play a very simple lick first, and then add new notes one by one later. Everyone knows the 'pentatonic sound', it sounds familiar, everyone likes when you come back to it from time to time. But they also like it when you add a new precious 'strange' note to a simple lick, though! :) Is really amazing to realize how many great solos were built using those basic scales. thanks (excuse my bad english)
I think your advice is great? I enjoy your lessons, I've been playing for four years on alto saxophone I started on clarinet, which I found really difficult to get anything out of? But perseverance paid off, I found sax a bit easier,with your tutorials , I'll keep watching your lessons and hope to get better, I'll always mention you as someone who helped me in getting "There" thank you.
Thank you so much for the quick lessons. I have a Student Alto sax (a cheep one - lol). Practicing everyday for 1hr. I would love someday to play like you man! Again thank you so much and Merry Christmas!
Hi Jay. I really enjoyed watching (and listening) to this video. I play clarinet and I know most of my scales, but improvising seems daunting. You are making it less so. Thanks.
I'm so glad I saw your video. Your brief and simple way of explaining things is just what I was looking for. I'm convinced that this is the course for me. Invested immediately without hesitation. Thx so much.
I need to get into your better sax courses, I Hage 2 tenors and an alto in which I'm relearning at the same time. Yeah I could use your classes. 👍🏼👍🏼🎷🎷
A truly excellent sax video lesson that has opened me up to the all important pentatonic scale on the saxophone. There I was learning and practicing the major, chromatic and blues scales in different keys, completely oblivious to the fact that the pentatonic scale had so much immediate application, especially to the kind of music that I like. I am a beginner alto sax player but it did not take me too long to learn to play the entire solo in this video (okay so I slowed the speed down to 0.75 to make it even easier! Just being honest!). I thoroughly enjoyed this lesson and on the back of this lesson I have now subscribed, downloaded the "Pentatonic Patterns for improvisation e-book sample" and the mp3 backing track used in this video (I love soloing to it!) and I have also signed up for the free crash course "Play Sax by ear" and the Pentatonic Foundation Course (currently discounted by 40%). As you can see, I am both inspired and enthused by this video and I thank you for posting this great video. I look forward to rapidly improving my sax solo / improvisational playing and also my enjoyment of this great instrument. Thank you for posting Jay.
When you are making a lick to use in solos, are you still improvising when having a solo? One more thing, I really want to have the concert key. In my quartet, nobody cares about "what key is for my tenor". Neither do I. When that said, I'm impressed about your videos, and that goes for both your style, technical aspects and not to talk about the content which makes a lot of sense.
I love watching your videos and feel a real connection with the saxophone but am undecided whether I could really get to grips with it. I am very competitive and don't want to be a complete idiot floundering around. I would like to get a hold of it and make some real progress. I am 61 and semi retired so time isn't the issue for say an hour or two every day.
Ha! I’m doing the course now and just when you think your getting up to speed, you try this lick. It’s like my fingers are broken. 🤣🤣🤣 nothing like jacking up a 4 note lick. But darn fun anyway.
I'm 76. Just got my first sax yesterday. Played guitar , and sang in bands all my life, until the the Chinese virus ruined everything a few years ago, and the band ended.. Always loved the sound of a well played sax, so I figured get one and see how much I can learn before I die. I don't have enough time left to get good,... but I'll make some kind of noise with it. I learned a lot , and am inspired by Jay, and other great players making helpful videos.
I just bought this mouthpiece from your link. I had been thinking a metal mouthpiece would be too bright but this vid has a sound close to what I'm after.
I also bought the Rigotti Gold 4s you recommended on another video, and they just came in today. I wasn't sure I could play on a 4 since I've been using Vandoren 2.5s but I love them! Already darker/jazzier even on my original Yamaha 4C mouthpiece!
Sweet! Love your tone, Bro... Please do a separate video on your recording setup. Mic, Eq, DAW... etc. Much magic and juju in getting that golden tone. Thanks, again. Enjoy your vids!
+Joseph Miller Thanks! I have been trying lots of different stuff lately but do plan on making a video about recording saxophone at home. My room has a terrible natural sound so it's challenging in there...
I am an absolute Beginner. I learn things by Seeing first and hearing second. So I wish while you teach us, that we could see both of your hands or all of your fingers. Just a thought. I get my sax mute in the mail on Friday. So I’ll actually be able to Play then, as my apt neighbors would get me evicted if I play before I get my mute. Thanks for the videos.
Hello, I’m a member on your Better Sax website and I really would like to find the backing track you’re using. What is the name of the track, if you don’t mind?
+Dewayne Magee that's one of the tracks that comes with the Pentatonic Patterns for Improvisation Course. You can download it in the bonus lessons section.
I feel like I'm doing alright and then hear your tone and feel like trash. 🤣 but I'm having fun so whatever. Thanks man. Your vids are super fun, educational, and interesting. Good on you.
+Ben Rodenburg Thanks! In my course I teach that these two scales share the same 5 notes and we learn to practice the scale starting on each of the 5 notes so yes, you can think of that as A minor pentatonic as well.
Thanks Jay, Very nice lesson on how to use this pentatonic lick! I recently discovered Eric Alexander (his solo on "One For All" is awesome!). Thanks also for the PDFs. They are a real help. I have been playing (by ear) for about 20+ years, but am just now learning to read. When I read charts written for alto, I have a very hard time improvising if the chord names are also written for alto, as I am used thinking about chords in concert pitch. It's like trying to think in 2 languages at the same time.
Rob, Try to use your ear for the chord progressions as well. Also try thinking of the chords as numbers like I IV V etc. This will help you get past that problem...
