5 Ways to Improvise Over Basic Chords

[@jovanj2717]

6:03 Jay stares into our souls and instantly plays "the Lick". Jazz Meme creators around the world rejoice

[@steveblake3958]

thanks, this just made my day

[@rafaellessa5942]

😂 Verdade man, todo saxofonista toca esse lick.

[@rafaellessa5942]

Tem outro em 7:25 😅, muito usado também, no final da frase,

[@BeconHillJazz]

I have been playing the sax for over 70 years. I continuously find your videos inspiring. Keep up the great work.

[@pierrepineau5988]

The final solo is so tasteful. It demonstrates you can create great music without playing thousands of enclosures. We don't have to prove that we can play complex lines over the whole tune, especially if it's smooth music.

[@davidgee4260]

If only I had a teacher like you when I was searching for these tools by ear which took so much time. Thank you for all the future players that get these doors opened by your methods of simple understanding and quality craftsmanship of example. It took me years to discover most of what you express with your generosity of knowledge that is worth so much. Thank you for all of us trying express ourselves on this journey.

[@stephanca3274]

THANK YOU JAY I START STUDY WITH MY ALTO SAX, 62 YEARS OLD,

[@hecateswolf6007]

Wishing you the best. Respect.

[@SEAHARP11]

While sitting here watching you enjoy yourself playing and having fun with the melody and improvisation, it was amazing to actually see you slipping to that creative zone. The place We all want to be in. It was like you left for a few minutes. You're amazing to watch and listen to. Thank you so much for all you have given us.

[@00sinders]

58 years old, been playing for 5 months. Loving it!

[@snadwich9352]

Wow, that final solo was killer man

[@timtully8015]

Jay, You sound amazing with that horn and mouthpiece! I had to stop the video and check to see if you were playing tenor. I don't know if I've ever heard an alto have the thick, deep resonance you're getting here. Kudos, brother! It's also an excellent lesson, it's kind of opening doors for the way I think about soloing. Thank you.

[@DMV-SaxTv]

Oh yeah ... love the teaching approach that you have! I've played this tune many times with no real technical improv direction. I've always been somewhat lazy in my harmony and theory sessions, so being in the lab, working from home for the past year has taken all of my usual excuses away. I was searching for that inspiration to finally buckle-down and tie in all of my stage experiences (& mistakes) over the years. I'm truly am looking forward to your Harmony class, which I will start in a few days. Thanks for being straight up on the Sax teaching history and many methods of learning vs. traditional.

[@GordonZoot]

1:00 - the most important thing. Put down the dots and LISTEN. This is a great vid Mr Sax, thanks!!!

[@asafbeeri4037]

Great use of motifs from the melody line in the improv.

[@HarmoChopin]

I'm very fond of the modal approach!

[@mcreaper5158]

6:03 It's- It's- That's the-He played the li-

[@cashionsteven5695]

played the what pls? what is the song??

[@cashionsteven5695]

@@samimasri552 i mean what is the song :)))

[@cashionsteven5695]

@Joel thx :))

[@davemazur2062]

Hahahahahaaha

[@labonnemedia]

@@cashionsteven5695 It isn't from a song, its a lic that musicians throw in to things to be kinda silly. Its a musical meme.

[@taraadcock1503]

Thanks Jay! You are truly a great teacher!

[@jorgeduarte97]

Thank you Jay. I started playing sax about 5 months ago and have been using everything you taught me in your videos ever since. I just started learning this song and this video was so inspiring. I'm going to play around a lot more with this.

[@cathycuccia3385]

I saw Bill Withers perform Ain't No Sunshine many years ago at the Hollywood Bowl. He was the opening act for The Fifth Dimension. Your solo over the backing track was wonderful to listen to. You have an incredible sound. The modes and chord stuff was way over my head, by the way.

[@havidztoo7979]

I’ve played tenor sax for 32 years. I absolutely LOVE playing along to favourite tracks…..and I have NO idea what he’s talking about. Can’t read music and know nothing about scales. But…. I know every note on my sax and I play along and very quickly work out which notes fit….my point is, sure, it’s nice to know what scales you’re playing….but if you have a good ear, then don’t worry or be scared by what sounds very technical. Having said that…..this guy is definitely better than me, beautiful improvisation.

[@ollieroe4525]

I’m a bass player but love watching these informative vids on jazz theory! We appreciate the lessons man!

[@espr7564]

Jay playing cool as ever, great sound greets from Germany 🇩🇪

[@ntxmt]

Jay - this lesson is far above excellent. Thanks for all of your insight into the operational theory in this one.

[@bsmith993]

Good lesson here, Jay. Thanks! As I am still picking back up after a 20+ year hiatus I know now more than ever that I can't "shortcut" learning my scales or just fake it anymore. I totally get everything you are talking about here... Now I just need to put in the work!!

[@jaymichael91]

Ain't no sunshine sound so pure. Thank you.

[@parkerpolen]

Cats, b6 pentatonic adds a nice flare as well That DV NY makes the setup look and sound great by the way.

[@bettersax]

that's another place to take this for sure.

[@timtully8015]

After having gone through this in detail and thinking of playing this way, I came away inspired and happy. Outstanding lesson! I particularly like your idea of playing the pentatonic on the 5 of each chord; it gives it a real jazzy edge without challenging the ears of the general public. Can you suggest a simple way to take a song just a tiny, little step farther out that this? Again, without scaring people who might not be all that urbane in their tastes?

[@davemazur2062]

So smooth jay , great improv. I often get bored with pentatonics, I’m always shifting around looking for new techniques so thanks for sharing. Color of that horn visually is awesome along with its tonality. Can’t wait to buy one.

[@bettersax]

Thanks so much.

[@lonnybierman2548]

Yeah that horn is in my list too.

[@MelissaBytwork]

I cant wait for my sax to get here ❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@ohadvaserman9845]

I’m not sure what I like more the lesson or the outcome of the lesson Amazing

[@bettersax]

glad you enjoyed both

[@MTNPANTS]

You’ve got a way of explaining things that are fairly complicated to a beginner like me and bringing them more within my reach. A sign of a great teacher! (*involuntary foot tapping and head nodding at end solo 😆👍)

[@2249sw]

I always enjoy your musical conversations.

[@peterdrake5156]

Jay Metcalfe. The coolest man on the internet.

[@lisalowell2545]

In encouragement of playing the saxophone….He/You are absolutely are!

[@MichaIsraelKovler]

Great content Jay, thanks, that modal, (6:04), awesome, takes my breath away, end solo I give you smooth clapping, missing you screamin' outside and coming back to us... upload some alternate takes, Jay, seems you can afford it (-: Nice lighting, excellent camera and graphics. a big THANK YOU!

[@bettersax]

Thanks Micha

[@nataullmann5908]

I'm from Brazil, I like it a lot and I follow his work.

[@jagabanofsaxophonistadesax1383]

I really enjoyed the class thanks ...

[@Nearzy12]

I just bought this backing track from better Trax!

[@davidczajkowski5956]

Been playing sax for 30 years and there’s no doubt Kenny is an amazing player. You want to like or hate his music…that’s a different story. It’s almost a prerequisite for college jazz musicians to bring the Kenny G hate…most of them posting this are average players at best, just finished their first Jerry Bergonzi book and think they’re superstars cause they learned some outside lines. Older musicians can at least appreciate his skill level. Even sir Valor Sax has Kenny as a must listen to for saxophone sound (kid tone doesn’t change on all the horns). And yeah that lick is hard AF at that speed. Been playing sax for 30 years and there’s no doubt Kenny is an amazing player. You want to like or hate his music…that’s a different story. It’s almost a prerequisite for college jazz musicians to bring the Kenny G hate…most of them posting this are average players at best, just finished their first Jerry Bergonzi book and think they’re superstars cause they learned some outside lines. Older musicians can at least appreciate his skill level. Even sir Valor Sax has Kenny as a must listen to for saxophone sound (kid tone doesn’t change on all the horns). And yeah that lick is hard AF at that speed. Been playing sax for 30 years and there’s no doubt Kenny is an amazing player. You want to like or hate his music…that’s a different story. It’s almost a prerequisite for college jazz musicians to bring the Kenny G hate…most of them posting this are average players at best, just finished their first Jerry Bergonzi book and think they’re superstars cause they learned some outside lines. Older musicians can at least appreciate his skill level. Even sir Valor Sax has Kenny as a must listen to for saxophone sound (kid tone doesn’t change on all the horns). And yeah that lick is hard AF at that speed.

[@mourafmarcos]

Great, Jay. I'll buy Harmonic Foundations to improve my Improvisation technique. Thank you.

[@hecateswolf6007]

That was a great solo Jay, let alone the mechanics that you explained b4hand. Thanks.

[@Adamswelltroddenpathways]

I’m a big fan of your alto sound and playing , be it in a bebop or a Grover Washington Jr context, it’s always right on. Thanks for the inspiration

[@edwardjohnson8841]

Hi Jay . I’m just starting out learning to play the alto sax. I watch your videos all the time. E Johnson.

[@digin_9014]

thankYou Great teaching!

[@albertoguerrero007]

Very nice sound and phrasing.

[@Normantnt]

Thank you Jay for a wonderful video on how improvisation is born and nurtured. You are a rare combination of being a great player and teacher. Better Sax indeed!

[@hecateswolf6007]

Great lesson and such lovely playing man

[@Handle2point0]

Really love that sound, man 😎🎷

[@StacyRose7]

This is very talented and beautiful. Thanks

[@oboeash]

Thanks for putting this up with all the demos. I was working on some other Bill Withers tunes with one of my students yesterday and I know he'll enjoy seeing this.

[@ronhowe5933]

Nice work. My favourite version of 'Ain't No Sunshine' is Grover Washington Jr's. I believe, in the second half improv', he runs through the Wholetone Scale (there's only two of them). Nice effect and simple to get to grips with although, I've not used it for quite some yeas. This is a song that pops up over and over agin at open mics and well worth getting to grips with.

[@fluteluc1]

Ooooo...The soft lights, that great alto tone. Je crois tomber en amour, Jay😉

[@lonnybierman2548]

Fantastic brother. It’s always a pleasure to listen to you groove.

[@davidstuart4489]

This is an EXCELLENT demonstration and lesson.

[@abhimalavalli]

Love it all of it every word you said and every note you played

[@scottquickel6462]

Better Sax Tenor come out yet? Can't wait!

[@andrewbishop1874]

Hi Jay, your sessions are very helpful. Are you able to give some tips, or maybe a whole lesson, on writing music? I dont mean composing, actually writing by hand pencil on paper. I’ve noticed some people can dash off very clear sheets in no time at all. I have tried some music apps but didnt like any of them. Thanks Andrew.

[@mattlee2405]

Love this video... Perhaps it may be a good idea to make another advisory video about what go thru your mind when improvising in real time.

[@ramasawmysokanaden4298]

Many thank for your guidance

[@jsazparren]

Beautiful videos like ever Jay, thank you very much!!!

[@bettersax]

Thank you very much!

[@elijahfast1246]

This is really gonna help, thanks

[@scottquickel6462]

Great playing...inspiring, thanks.

[@davidherron7564]

Truly inspiring, Jay 😊

[@egdavis0820]

Jay what is your setup .... are you playing your Better Sax ... Sax and what mouthpeice

[@meldavis7183]

I’m pentatonic attached. For my improvs I use the five modes of the pentatonic (major or minor) while starting a riff or phrase on different notes of the scale. What ya think. Oh I add some dirty fifths plus any note that sounds right to me. No formal training here just 60 years of listening and performing.

[@robstevens9590]

Very nice step by step advice for playing over this classic! I love Bobby Blue Bland's rendition of this song (as well a Bill Wither's & Eva Cassidy's). Your Better Sax sax is sounding even better!

[@bettersax]

thanks Rob!

[@aaronkarlin3241]

Amazing material!

[@edwarda1787]

1 pentatonic scale 2 blues scale (flat 5th) 3 modal approach 4 pentatonic scale(s) 5 pentatonic scales (flat 5th)

[@anthonysmith9226]

Are all of the scales mentioned in concert key and will need to be transposed to play on the sax?

[@nataullmann5908]

Thanks

[@mourafmarcos]

Very useful concepts. Great!

[@adamwest3404]

Thanks for the lesson. Awesome

[@troybranch]

Great lesson sir.

[@ericsconyers8781]

I loved this video! It would be so coo to see more videos on soloing over chords because that's something that I've been trying to work on but don't undersand excatly how to talckle it yet but I'm very proficient in using bebob scales, pentatonic, and blues but I'd love to learn more modal improvisation

[@XIIMonkeysMusicGroup]

Try playing with a drone. That helped me a lot!

[@ericsconyers8781]

@@XIIMonkeysMusicGroup what is a drone?

[@XIIMonkeysMusicGroup]

@@ericsconyers8781 There are standalone drone synths, and hold and freeze effects pedals that can sustain a "drone" indefinitely. Sorta like bag pipes.

[@dennisd2531]

Great clip and useful information as usual Jay... Bye-the-way, when are you delivering us the Bettersax Tenor? I currently use the Bettersax Alto but want to progress to the Tenor hopefully this year, so what's the news...

[@bettersax]

Coming soon. It's going to be fantastic and will definitely be available this year.

[@2005rosebud]

great sound!

[@mikesmusiclessonsllc]

Jesus Christ this is a bad ass video. Thanks for this! Awesome!

[@alphonsechanekayebone7871]

Wonderfull tuto...

[@devsaini7367]

As a guitarist, this video was very informative

[@jimsheaksmusica-z3675]

awesome! great intro to riffs.

[@Zakvasir]

If I can ever play a solo as good as the one at the end of this video i would feel so complete, so free

[@KaviSivyer]

Appreciate how you explain here which notes can be used in the 5 examples, but where can I find a lesson on how to creatively put the notes together in an order that sounds interesting, like you did in your final solo. You did so many creative ways of putting them together. Is that just from memorising those kind of licks, or is there another way of learning that language?

[@annaperera4166]

You explain what to use really well but how do you know when to choose say an Aeolian scale or a Dorian - or is this that your ear is telling what would sound better. If so, how can I learn this?

[@rickyhoward8025]

Thank you for sharing!!!🔥❤️.

[@javierm_uk1588]

Great info and great improv Jay. Thanks for both. I am a student of your Harmonic Foundation course and although I still haven´t finished going through all of the course, I understood most of what you explained here without many problems. The course itself is fantastic. Worth every penny. Now, the missing link for me is how to know when to apply those scales or modes. For instance, I do know and understand dorian works well on minor chords usually, but how did you come with the Aeolian twist? (even if the notes are pretty much the same I wan´t to understand the logic behind thinking "hey, let´s try this"). Also ,what´s with the pentatonic scale on the 5th? is that a common trick?

[@juso86]

Thanks!!❤

[@Thedondurrett]

Dude that sounds so damn good. I can play the basic melody and that's about it at this point.

[@estebanvenegas89]

Always good content and solos :) thanks!

[@harpharpharpharp1971]

I am not even a sax player, but I hope you will find this useful. I am a harmonica player and when I watch tutorials like this but about playing the harmonica, I find I can play everything the guy plays without a problem, but what he is talking about I have no idea. If you are an aspiring sax player, and you are having that problem, I suggest you listen to the whole video again and just play everything he plays. Copy it like a parrot. Don't even think what the notes are called or what kind of scale it is. Just play the damn thing and put your heart and soul into it. It will be great. I haven't a clue what he is talking about, but I just played all that on a little blues harmonica which theoretically should not even be possible. In theory, I should need a Chromatic harmonica as played by Toots Thielemans or Stevie Wonder. Try it. No disrespect to the gentleman. It's great stuff, but just this one time, disregard what he is saying and just play what he plays. You might be surprised how much the great sax player inside you instinctively understands, even though you still don't know what he is talking about..

[@alexdeltierro8122]

Amen!

[@lonnybierman2548]

Great advise. That’s exactly what I do. I amaze myself sometimes doing this. I’ve been playing for about 3 months now and my wife just stares at me like “How?”

[@matta5348]

Good stuff Jay, thanks! 💪🏼 🎷 And RIP Bill Withers, a true genius we lost recently.

[@LoneBear-one]

I’m enjoying my new Better Sax 🎷 alto saxophone. 👍🏽

[@bettersax]

I'm soooo glad to hear this!

[@penyepongNASA]

thank sir, your help so helpful

[@aristevons]

Cause I would like to get one!

[@thecuriositytheory]

Very Nice Lesson

[@Ashorsax]

"The Lick" is @ the 6min 3sec mark! 😂great videos as always Jeff! 😃

[@bborgan7611]

Excellent!

[@93tyty]

Way to go.

[@Jake-in4wh]

Hi, I recently got a saxophone but I cant get any notes out? I can make a sound but when I press the keys, nothing happens...can you help me out?

[@mariorescio1843]

Congratulations, what mouthpiece are you using in this video?

[@aristevons]

That looks like an awesome mouthpiece what's it called?

[@ramasawmysokanaden4298]

I like your sound 💖

[@kenromano3355]

Hos do you like the Jody Jazz Ring Ligature?

[@dextermorrisjr]

Harmonic foundation site here I come. Thanks Jay. Nice solo improv. What mouthpiece are you using?

[@bettersax]

That's the Jody Jazz DV NY 7 in this video.

[@dextermorrisjr]

@@bettersax Cool deal, I have that one sitting in my Amazon cart. Can't wait till it's in my hands.