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Author Topic: Anyone have more tricks to the sax?  (Read 3552 times)

Offline Mr_Blues

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Anyone have more tricks to the sax?
« on: April 30, 2006, 06:10:31 PM »
Anyone have more tricks to the sax?

Or if you have good licks

It would be great if you share some

Offline baldeagle

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Re: Anyone have more tricks to the sax?
« Reply #1 on: May 01, 2006, 03:27:56 PM »
Do you know all of your Major scales? If so, try this.

Take the notes of each Major scale and break them into patterns. I'll use C Major because it's the easiest.

Play the first note and jump to the 5th. Walk back down to the 2nd and jump to the 6th. Walk back down to the 3rd. Keep doing this until you get all the way to the 2nd octave of the note you started on. (1-5-4-3-2-6-5-4-3-7-6-5-4-8-7-6-5-9-8-7-6-10-9-8-7-11-10-9-8-12-11-10-9-8)

The actual pattern is: Jump up 4 Major scale steps, walk down 3 Major scale steps; jump up 4, walk down 3; up 4, down 3.

Example: C, G F E D, A G F E, B A G F, C B A G, D C B A, E D C B, F E D C

Learn this pattern in all of your Major scales and you will also be able to use it in the Dorian minor (shouting music) and Aeolian (natural) minor. If you don't know what a Dorian is: it is a major scale but starting on the second degree of that scale. If you don't know what an Aeolian is: it is a major scale but starting on the 6th degree of that scale.

Example: "D" Dorian is actually the C Major scale, but you start and end on D (the second note in the C Major scale). This gives it a minor feel.

"A" Aeolian is actually the C Major scale, but you start and end on A (the sixth note in the C Major scale). This gives it a slightly different minor feel.

I hope this helps. Happy practicing.
It's God's way. . . or Hell to pay

Offline Mr_Blues

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Re: Anyone have more tricks to the sax?
« Reply #2 on: May 06, 2006, 10:43:22 AM »
Thanks for this, do you have more? :)

Offline baldeagle

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Re: Anyone have more tricks to the sax?
« Reply #3 on: May 10, 2006, 01:56:51 PM »
Thanks for this, do you have more? :)

Actually, yeah. But honestly, all of my chops are based on scales. What I've tried to do, however, is develop my style by trying to play like a guitar player would play (specifically Jonathon Dubose). That helps me when it's time to do improv during service. I also try to listen to how singers do their curves and runs. Then, when it's time to solo on a specific song, I try to mimic the runs that a singer would do. That way the people feel like I'm singing through my sax, not just throwing some technical junk at them. I wouldn't describe Charlie Parker's playing as beautiful or melodic. But the guy's fingers and control of his horn was phenomenal!! But people at church don't want to hear me do a bunch of scales and patterns while the musicians are playing "Jesus, You're the Center of my Joy." ;D The music calls for melody, singing. So anything I give you, if you like it, try to use it as guidelines, not as as stone laws.

These are the scales that I use in almost everything I do:

Chromatic scale, Major (Ionian scales), Minor (Dorian, Aeolian, Harmonic, Blues), Major Pentatonic, Myxolydian.

If you know these scales, practice the same pattern as I showed you with the Major scales. Also learn the number of each scale step. That way instead of someone having to give you 7 different scales, you can know the number of the scale step and apply the pattern no matter what key you're in.

This is something I like to do as well. When you're playing the 3rd note of a major scale, try to play 1/2 step below and slide up to the note you're trying to play. For instance, if you're in G Major your 3rd note would be B. Instead of just playing B, try sliding from Bb to B. It sounds a bit smoother. You can also do that with the 5th note and 7th note of each scale. It just depends on the sound you're going for.

I hope this helps also. Happy practicing.
It's God's way. . . or Hell to pay

Offline Mr_Blues

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Re: Anyone have more tricks to the sax?
« Reply #4 on: May 14, 2006, 10:51:51 AM »
Hit me up with more stuff

I Would be grateful

 :)

Offline baldeagle

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Re: Anyone have more tricks to the sax?
« Reply #5 on: May 15, 2006, 09:53:32 AM »
First of all, how much theory do you know? I'm not insinuating that you are musically inept, but I do need to know how much explanation you need for something I give you.
It's God's way. . . or Hell to pay

Offline Mr_Blues

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Re: Anyone have more tricks to the sax?
« Reply #6 on: May 15, 2006, 04:37:26 PM »
I Would say I'm rather good  at theory, I have studied theory in school

Offline Cherri

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Re: Anyone have more tricks to the sax?
« Reply #7 on: June 02, 2006, 08:22:37 PM »
Do you know all of your Major scales? If so, try this.

Take the notes of each Major scale and break them into patterns. I'll use C Major because it's the easiest.

Play the first note and jump to the 5th. Walk back down to the 2nd and jump to the 6th. Walk back down to the 3rd. Keep doing this until you get all the way to the 2nd octave of the note you started on. (1-5-4-3-2-6-5-4-3-7-6-5-4-8-7-6-5-9-8-7-6-10-9-8-7-11-10-9-8-12-11-10-9-8)

The actual pattern is: Jump up 4 Major scale steps, walk down 3 Major scale steps; jump up 4, walk down 3; up 4, down 3.

Example: C, G F E D, A G F E, B A G F, C B A G, D C B A, E D C B, F E D C

Learn this pattern in all of your Major scales and you will also be able to use it in the Dorian minor (shouting music) and Aeolian (natural) minor. If you don't know what a Dorian is: it is a major scale but starting on the second degree of that scale. If you don't know what an Aeolian is: it is a major scale but starting on the 6th degree of that scale.

Example: "D" Dorian is actually the C Major scale, but you start and end on D (the second note in the C Major scale). This gives it a minor feel.

"A" Aeolian is actually the C Major scale, but you start and end on A (the sixth note in the C Major scale). This gives it a slightly different minor feel.

I hope this helps. Happy practicing.

Okay.
What can I $ay Juanita Bynum is my cicerone.

Offline baldeagle

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Re: Anyone have more tricks to the sax?
« Reply #8 on: June 07, 2006, 04:03:47 PM »
Hit me up with more stuff

I Would be grateful

 :)

Check the "Blues Scales" thread. I put some websites on there.

It's up to you to start implementing the concepts.

Hope this helps.
It's God's way. . . or Hell to pay

Offline Cherri

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Re: Anyone have more tricks to the sax?
« Reply #9 on: June 10, 2006, 01:56:15 PM »
I got it. Thank you~
What can I $ay Juanita Bynum is my cicerone.

Offline ifiwereu

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Re: Anyone have more tricks to the sax?
« Reply #10 on: June 23, 2006, 11:17:19 PM »
This may come across as kinda harsh but I must say it. Talent and knowledge without the annointing doesn't get one very far.
There are a lot of popular and unpopular singers who do not know a single piece of music theory but they are annointed. That's what we must alll seek for. When I listen to Kirk Whalum play he doesn't sound like he's applying a lot of theory although he's well studied but he's playing under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

That's what we should seek after.
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