HORIZONTAL vs VERTICAL Improvisation!

►Subscribe to stay up to date! bit.ly/2nDLbFN
This is the third video in my new series, "Real Talk Real Tips." Each video in the series will focus on a different tip or trick that will hopefully help you play saxophone and/or music in general. This episode is about horizontal vs vertical improvisation and how to smoothly get through chord changes while improvising. Let me know what you think!
►Email me to purchase a hat: davepollackmusic[at]gmail.com
►Smooth Jazz Playlist: bit.ly/2o29q0v
►Worldwide Sessions Playlist: bit.ly/2NNFeET
►IG - @davepollackmusic
►Website - www.davepollack.com/
►Facebook - / davepollackjazz

[@DavePollack]

Hope you enjoy this one! What should I do for the next one? I've been asked about transposition as well as equipment (and others). Let me know!

[@Saxologic]

You’re gonna have sooooo many subscribers dude I am honored to have been there before you had your first thousand.

[@keor443]

Saxologic I wish I was in that club of the first thousand.

[@DavePollack]

I appreciate that! I'm just trying to put out good videos- hopefully people keep enjoying them.

[@fhcidtx]

*He's pretty good at the saxophone*

[@ziruini5071]

10:00 "it's common knowledge but it's not common practice" Absolutely nailed it

[@Musibro3000]

1:22 “I don’t think that sounded that great” Me jamming to it : “oh” 👁👄👁

[@Musibro3000]

Ohh I see what he meant now lol

[@DavePollack]

Haha!

[@theblackbasketball]

@@DavePollack I’m relatively new to jazz. Do you know any resources that can get me started on the basics? There’s so much to learn and I don’t even know where to start. Edit: I play trombone

[@harpothehealer]

Excellent tutorial, I was a jazz sax player for many many years before injury. Your take on Horizontal and vertical is just what some of my guys were asking and I pointed them your way here. Its often the case as you describe using each chord which is stilted never gets going or stifles creativity. I always tells guys ear first work down the melodic line first, Bird ,British Pete King ,Jonny griffin Sonny Stitt that's what these Cats did, but students nearly always don't get it. What you touch on here very good to help bridge that gap.Best regards from UK

[@albertoguerrero3659]

Excellent analysis. Blew me away. This bad habit is the way my jazz teacher taught it to the class and never really explained how to get out of it. Thank you for this post.

[@DavePollack]

Glad it helped! Sadly a lot of people teach it vertically.

[@tawandamanika530]

Hearing his vertical improv and thinking it wasn't so bad reminds me that I've got a long way to go

[@Danox94]

I'm not even close to start improvising over chords yet, but I listen to Jazz a lot and that "vertical" demonstration was really clear on why it was off. Having seen more of your videos, I bet it took some effort to play disconnected phrases like that lol

[@DavePollack]

Ha, thanks!

[@noahtruth6554]

I heard your words and they didn’t quite stick (had nothing to do with you) then I heard your examples and my ears went ooooh. Your horizontal (I guess) example is exactly what I am doing when I try to improvise. When I heard you do the single note example I almost passed out. It was simple but fit right into the backtrack. I on the other hand try to do too much in the little time a measure allows. I don’t have the musical vocabulary but I still try to give a speech that impresses (not having much luck with that). I’m a senior beginner that sits in my room and tries to self teach. When it comes to learning music for me it’s going to be play and then understand what was played. I learned to speak english before I was taught how it really works. Hopefully it will be similar in learning to play music. I believe it will be because music is much more fun. It either sounds good or it doesn’t and you know immediately. When it comes to being a musician I may never get there but boy do I enjoy the journey. Thanks for sharing.

[@eatsleep8688]

Im a guitar player and I like your approach. Thanks your idea is general. someone can play rock/metal using that jazz approach.

[@tunbata]

I like what you said that it doesn't work smoothly 2:23,the chosen one knows a lot about being really smoothly enough 😉

[@billiongenius]

This is a huge problem for me in my improv. Playing chord by chord instead of through the changes. This video articulated that concept for me and gives me a lot to think about and work on.

[@amandarediger2178]

I 2nd that

[@MrRudolph2090]

Thank you so much for the way you explain jazz. I am 51 years old and have been playing for most of my life alto saxophone I thank God for you.

[@DavePollack]

I really appreciate that!

[@andrewharris502]

Thank you so much! I’m going into my freshman year of college and have always been more of a classical player! So I’m trying to get more versed in jazz and this helps ALOT

[@DavePollack]

Glad you got something out of it!

[@danielwan9242]

Completely nailed it. From talking about early beginner behaviors to the basics of improv. A video very valuable to early players!

[@bluetrane65]

For someone like me that already knows how to do improv, your videos enlighten me of how to teach these concepts to others. Sometimes I'll just play but i don't always know how to communicate what it is that I'm doing to others. You're very articulate, which i appreciate

[@DavePollack]

Thanks so much!

[@zan77460]

I have seen this video a number of times. This time, I get it. People making a line at a bar.

[@karencummins8820]

Hi Dave...I just saw this video. Please don't make the mistake (I think that you did) of labeling vertical improvisation as being disjointed, and disconnected, where the melodic ideas don't flow together from one thought to the next. That's just not very good playing, period. Vertical improvisation, when done properly is GORGEOUS, where the lines and ideas are indeed connected. Whereas Lester Young, his followers, and the rest of my favorites played horizontally, the kings of vertical playing were Coleman Hawkins, Johnny Hodges, and Benny Carter. Hawkins 1939 Recording of Body and Soul is probably the greatest "vertical" solo ever recorded. Also Sonny Rollins early to mid 1950's came right out of the Hawkins vertical approach...so great that it defies description. Call bad playing exactly that, but it has absolutely nothing to do with playing vertically. I liked every one of your videos except this one!

[@isaacmuscat5082]

7:43.

[@danielperkins4610]

Hi Dave, great video on playing changes. One thing that helps me gain a flow is learning bass lines over a blues or transcribing one . Agreed, playing through changes or forward motion is key!

[@keithridenhour7033]

your sense of time is very good. I am working on that laying behind the beat K

[@rafagxjunglezz]

Thanks Dave, that opened my eyes

[@titofernandez44]

Thanks for sharing, it is very helpful for improvisational practice !.

[@jazztranscriptionssax]

I'm staying at Your channel today for about 15 hours. Just looked for beginning for some funny sax videos and after I stay and listen to lessons from a so gifted and talented in explaining person. Thanks, Dave!

[@yakovsyskov191]

thank you Mr. Pollack, very cool!

[@matthewlim5030]

thanks for this! really helps

[@aidansears3307]

Wow! I am mind blown by this video! This was awesome. Thanks so much for this!

[@DavePollack]

I appreciate that - glad you like it!

[@keithridenhour7033]

voice leading , you are right. thats the key

[@mirelizsax5897]

Thank you! It helped me how to think about improvization !

[@MrRudolph2090]

Love your Teaching

[@DavePollack]

Thanks so much!

[@yonestar1167]

I finally found the perfect KZbin channel 🎷 thanks man

[@DavePollack]

Thank you so much!

[@burgessbrian9329]

Excellent advice- thanks Dave for posting this content cheers 🍻

[@jasminesmith7577]

Thanks for this helpful video

[@EliZevin]

Thanks this is really helpful

[@Choadeymcgriff]

Learned a lot, thanks, Dave.

[@DavePollack]

Glad you liked it!

[@joer3481]

Ive been struggling as a beginning improviser with that same approach, playing vertically over the changes.....when i move horizontally i sound like a hung over Ornette Coleman....having the practice books, Hip Licks, etc your video adds another approach making the licks themselves not as important for improv ...but as a "tool" for technique and ear learning....thank you for your videos and your insight . C# or Bb :-)

[@adamzilberman4846]

Very well explained! 😎

[@DavePollack]

Thank you! Hope it helps someone.

[@olabodesunday9137]

Fantastic

[@DavePollack]

Thanks!

[@viggoolofsson4779]

You explain things very well!

[@DavePollack]

Thanks!

[@TonyAguirreJazz]

Dave this was great!

[@DavePollack]

Thanks!

[@ypfilmz2776]

Awesome!

[@DavePollack]

Thanks!

[@PrinceSwaggy]

Do a video on reading music with eigth notes and leger lines as a jazz musician its hard to read fast music like that

[@noahv8671]

great video! but in case you didn’t notice, there’s something going on with the little metal part of your sax strap reflecting

[@DavePollack]

noah v I did notice while editing. In that lesson studio therr are overhead flouredcent lights (not ideal) and it just so happened that the metal piece on the strap was at the exact wrong angle, hahah.

[@noahv8671]

Dave Pollack ahhh haha, it’s no big deal

[@gerardbarrett8369]

Nice

[@joerumler48]

Subscribed!🎷

[@DavePollack]

Much appreciated!

[@biganchovie]

Is this idea similar to the use of passing tones between chord changes?

[@DavePollack]

Yes it is! Smoothly transitioning from chord to chord using passing tones is a great way to get a smooth, horizontal melodic solo.

[@navnavnav99]

Hey Dave, I haven’t been able to play my alto for the past 2 weeks because of a wisdom teeth removal. When I picked up my horn today I felt really out of shape and my tone was super affected. It has kind of made me demotivated to practice and I’m not sure how to approach the situation. Do you have any advice? Should I just try to resume a normal practice routine and just always keep my tone in mind? Or are there any specific approaches to solving the issue that you know? Any help would be appreciated!

[@DavePollack]

navid a that happens to most people if they take time off- sound is the first thing to go. Don’t sweat it- just continue with normal playing/practicing and it’ll come back!

[@afairbien]

6:13 isn't Kenny G. at the right-down corner ? Why ? lol

[@DavePollack]

I always keep Him around

[@Samuelee97]

Because Kenny is smooth, like smooth jazz. Yeah man, did you check Kenny G's improv over giant steps? Smooth as hell

[@jesusbalandin]

Even in the moment you try to play bad you did it nice , not possible for you to play bad !

[@sergej100qca4]

Dewey Square in the background?

[@bradmalinowski]

Thank you very much for that clear illustration. Do you know about the Lyle Murphy System of Horizontal Composition based on Equal Intervals? I just started this study and have not found anyone on KZbin that can explain it clearly and in simple terms. Who knows, maybe I'll have to be that guy. Thanks!

[@DavePollack]

Sorry never heard of it!

[@joelpierson2628]

Dave, is this concept the same as voice leading? Many teachers emphasize chord tones which I find to be too much thinking. It’s good to know the chord tones to pick a starting point, but beyond that, I can’t think quick enough to keep up with chord to chord. The best I can do is play over larger parts of the harmony as in the A section and the B section. Is this a problem?

[@coolkid6751]

Oh yes 300th like let’s go boys!

[@coolkid6751]

I was the 300th like

[@coolkid6751]

Btw nice Bb blues I wish I could solo that good

[@XIIMonkeysMusicGroup]

What about playing outside the changes? And hitting tension notes then resolving! Interval practice and ear training is what improved my own improvisations.

[@DavePollack]

Yes, harmonic alterations work really great but mean nothing if the phrasing sucks

[@XIIMonkeysMusicGroup]

@@DavePollack true. Working on phrasing is a lot like creative writing, to get each line flowing to the next. Also, space, and even repeating a phrase, makes it more musical as well.

[@hemanthkamana1886]

Oatts says he plays diagonally. What does that mean?

[@DavePollack]

It means he's much better than ALL of us!

[@hemanthkamana1886]

@@DavePollack Lol I suppose everyone’s understanding of jazz is really personal. Also, I’m a bit confused because I heard of vertical playing as just an alternative to playing horizontally that can be just as good.

[@Joshua-gv1ep]

So how often do you normally know the chord changes. Should I start memorizing standards?

[@DavePollack]

If you want to play jazz and improvise, then yes learn the changes to lots of tunes! I have hundreds memorized.

[@danieljbsax]

That jeopardy theme hits different rn

[@Thoughtsinmykitchen]

I guess I’ll just disregard the swing era sound ?

[@AozoraNoUta]

This video was full of good advice. Thank you for demonstrating so well your point! Having played the saxophone for 2 years, I think I tended to do that beginner style improvisation thinking "As long as it sounds good, it should be okay, right?" (besides my teacher never pointed that out to me), but now I see that the melody would become way more beautiful if I tried to connect all of the phrases. :)

[@DavePollack]

AozoraNoUta hey- my golden rule is “if it sounds good, it IS good” but sometimes playing in a different way will sound BETTER ;)

[@pickinstone]

Can we have this video and those like it on the front page of the jazz internet? Not Reddit, that gets too mean and weird. Building a phrase. Being rhythmically informed. Developing a theme. The contour of a line. Register and range. Question and answer. Playing off of the... ahem... original melody of the tune that the composer wrote. Getting ideas from melodies the like of George Gershwin and Wayne Shorter. I want to see more videos on that. Period. Instead, we get chord scale video #1. Chord substitution video #2. That's not the end all be all, but according to the internet... it is :(

[@jotajazzz]

Wena la wea weonooo