HOW TO IMPROVISE USING A MAJOR SCALE

[@aljerones99]

So, Scott ... firstly ... This was an excellent tutorial. As far as I'm concerned, this is a fantastic way to introduce improvisation to students because we always start learning to play the sax by learning the major scales (ionian). The other modes and other scales always come after. We learn the scales with the least accidentals, increasing the number after we've gotten comfortable with the easier ones. Then we learn triads/arpeggios for each scale. Then we learn the chromatic scale. The student who has this basic knowledge and skill is ready to learn how to improvise, thusly! I am of the conviction that it's, perhaps, strategically the best way to whet the appetite of the student and so they can see the value of scales and advancing more complicated knowledge, skills and techniques in improvisation. Fantastic rudimentary tutorial, Scott! This was an impressive introduction!

[@ScottPaddock]

That's my exact plan!! make it super easy and accessible, and then once confidence is built, continuing adding new steps to the basics.

[@pearseobyrne]

Just got my first alto sax and having played guitar for four hundred years I'm knocked out by your insights. Thank you so much, I'm delighted to have found you. Pearse

[@ScottPaddock]

Hey Pearse! Welcome to the saxophone world. Glad you are enjoying my KZbin videos. If you'd like a quick headstart in your sax playing and some step by step directions, check out my Sax School: www.scottpaddocksaxschool.com

[@EnlightenedRogue24]

I love the way you exude so much passion even when just playing with a major scale. 🎷😎👍

[@ScottPaddock]

Thank you! The trick is to play everything like a musical idea. Like you are trying to make a statement. If you listen to how I play that scale I gradually get louder when it goes up, then a bit softer when it goes down, then swell into the last note. It really shapes the phrase. Then on the last note fade out.

[@carleenkerr1906]

This video is 3 years ago oh...well... I got the clear clarity & understanding that I need about improvisation....wow 👏 Keep doing what you doing Scott, thanks in abundance for sharing....

[@josepholiveri299]

I got to say I've been searching for a fun way to approach scales..and you have enlightened me and given me some hope as far as learning the saxophone goes. .I'm actually looking forward to practicing...

[@marklicciardo1180]

Cool AS... great place to start on GMag Scale for improv... Loven That...Thanks Scott

[@jrphartley]

Never watched a youtube and taken notes before. Brilliant stuff.

[@Ramen_Sensei]

THANK YOU!!!! THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN MISSING!!!! THX SCOTT!!!!!! KEEP IT UP!!!!👍👍👍👍

[@ScottPaddock]

Glad I helped you unlock the puzzle. Check out the one I did on the blues also.

[@tomasznowak7938]

Very inspiring Lesson. Thank you Scott!

[@gaoldroyd]

Excellent video - very clear

[@ScottPaddock]

Hey Andrew! Thanks, if you liked that video you should check out my new online sax school www.scottpaddocksaxschool.com I teach improv and break down each chord and scale this way.

[@thomasschneider1785]

Great as usual

[@user-no2ez9qw5w]

Love your videos, I learn something from all of them, and your explanations are the clearest I have yet to find on the internet, thank you

[@ScottPaddock]

Thanks Dylan!

[@dorisfigueroa4027]

Once again Scott just love the way you teach. Straight to the point that matters. You make it sound so good.

[@ScottPaddock]

Thanks you!!!

[@Deise.dcssss]

YOU are SUPER! Greetings from Brazil!

[@fargesprak]

Really nice.

[@pauldance7387]

Gift of teaching

[@angiehoosen4570]

Hi Scott,i am really impressed with your teaching method ,keep up the great work

[@ScottPaddock]

Thanks Angie!

[@B.PYADAV-gi7bf]

You're God for me

[@MrCashK]

You have SO many good pointers! Thanks for all your videos!

[@ScottPaddock]

Thanks Cash!

[@carleenkerr1906]

Awesome 👌

[@medicussapiens]

Great introduction for beginners! Thanks a lot.

[@stefanie.4571]

Clear and simple! And there is a helpful advice about Improv I didn't know yet. I like!!! 😍🎷 Thanks a lot Scott !!! 😊👍

[@ScottPaddock]

Thanks Stefanie! Glad you found it helpful :-)

[@gedduncan2454]

Very helpful introduction. Thanks.

[@ScottPaddock]

Thanks!

[@markoprlic7171]

Great stuff, Scott! For me as an older man trying to learn sax you make great videos! Keep up the good work!

[@ScottPaddock]

Thanks Marko!

[@sarge-lb4702]

Thanks your really helping me with improv that I have to do for school :)

[@michaelmilano4457]

awesome!! so simple so effective!! thanks Scott!!

[@ScottPaddock]

👍👍👍👍

[@arkonhaze3582]

A great teacher and always a great sound quality...keep on doin it

[@ScottPaddock]

Thanks, will do!

[@alanfriend7899]

One. of your best videos, Scott. Just taking one scale and working on interesting rhythms and shaping the line is a great idea and really helps me a lot. This is how I'm going to practise scales in future, but also with tha metronome going as well. Thanks a lot

[@ScottPaddock]

Hey Alan! Thanks, I think this video is really effective because it doesn't veer off the path at all. It just shows you the step by step process to turn the scale into an improv idea. I'm getting ready to do a whole video on rhythmic improv in the very near future.

[@genef3160]

Love the way you break things down, really simplifies music. Thanks

[@ScottPaddock]

That's what I try to do! Explain it in really easily digestible bites :-)

[@TheWFamilyMusic]

great! Thanks, that helps me lot!

[@ScottPaddock]

Awesome!!

[@someguy17433]

that intro never gets old! keep doing what you do, scott!!

[@ScottPaddock]

Thanks Juan!

[@nicolebee6282]

thank you for your videos! really thorough and engaging. You make a great teacher!

[@ScottPaddock]

Thanks Nicole!

[@sebbi5419]

You are one of the best music-teachers i've ever seen. Even better then my personal teacher ;)

[@ScottPaddock]

THANK YOU !

[@eduardowilkinson3668]

Amazing

[@ScottPaddock]

Thanks!

[@Mr.Blu3.]

This is the only truly great and useful video about this topic. Thank you so much!!!

[@ScottPaddock]

Thanks Scott!!

[@litoffe]

Great teaching

[@wikstik1]

Really glad to see this channel growing.

[@ScottPaddock]

Thanks me too!! 10K is on the horizon :-)

[@kervitzer]

Thank you for your videos!

[@ScottPaddock]

👍👍👍

[@moeeljabi]

thank you man so much you are the best

[@radhadiaz4488]

Thank you so much! That was very helpfull.👌

[@sandwich44]

I found this info on turning a scale into an improvisation quite enlightening.

[@Michael-ol7wm]

Wow, Scott , outstanding video. Your teaching skills are really good. Thank you for posting your videos. Keep up the great work, we all appreciate this. How can I apply this technique to contemporary jazz or contemporary worship music?

[@ScottPaddock]

Thanks Michael!

[@lennoxsookoo2892]

Thanks

[@Nuel.Music14]

I love watching your videos. it is very informative!

[@ScottPaddock]

Thanks!

[@germygon60gonzalez2]

Thanks a lot are really good, this exercises .

[@andrewsantos7141]

Thanks so much for such a great job God bless you

[@ScottPaddock]

👍👍

[@ericalbert6954]

Merci beaucoup l'Ami !!!

[@SaxDBA]

Just got my Aerophone AE-10 and I love it! I see yours behind you in the video!

[@ScottPaddock]

Yeah! they are awesome!! Make sure you do the update to version 3.0 it improves the fingers a bit and the new sounds that start around the 100s are great!!! I'm going to be doing a few more videos on it as well.

[@pierreashba]

Thanks man. Excellent teaching skills. Simple and practical. I'm trying this immediately... I'll let you know 🙂🎷😎

[@ScottPaddock]

👍👍👍

[@avitus7]

This was really helpful. And after trying it I realized I really need work on my articulation at speed.

[@ScottPaddock]

Yeah, the tonguing is super important.

[@pauldance7387]

I am trumpet player 1 year , this is cool stuff...thx

[@ScottPaddock]

👍👍👍

[@raseshgandhi6702]

Beautiful❤

[@normanwylie7347]

Snakin and jumping, I like it!

[@spontaneousgroovincombusti2902]

Well done Scott. This is precisely how I think about and teach improv as well. Nice to see it put out there. I would add a bit of chromaticism to break out of the scale feel. Really good alto tone.

[@ScottPaddock]

Thanks! Yeah, I've got a video coming that is going to address chromaticism, but this video is barebones how to turn a scale into improv. I've found that once most students build confidence in improv it is really easy to introduce new techniques.

[@davebailey1582]

Your the best!

[@ScottPaddock]

👍👍👍

[@peterdrake5156]

Great video. YOu need to do a video tht allows us to practice listening to and repeating back some simple jazz phrases. My teacher says I should be listening to great jazz tracks and trying to play back some of the phrases but they are too hard to me - even with a slow downer, the r - section makes it too difficult to hear it easily. With just a sax I would be able to pick out the phrases more easily thanks Peter

[@ScottPaddock]

Thanks! That's more of something I'd do in lessons than in a video. But if your looking for a good starting place, try Miles Davis - Freedie Freeloader or a Chet Baker trumpet solo. They are easier to breakdown.

[@precisionhoops365]

Sweet

[@ScottPaddock]

😁😁

[@waynewojnarowski3697]

Scott this is a very good lesson thanks so much. If you read this how much does your Syos mouthpiece cost??

[@ScottPaddock]

Hey Wayne, I think it's around $200. I have a discount code SCOTT

[@daluxolotunzi9049]

Afternoon Scott I'm in South Africa.. Your lesson was quite interesting using a major scale to improvise. It is quite clear and straight forward. Now my question is using the same technique in major scale can you utilise the 9th, 11th, 13th?. Secondly the 4th degree note does it form part of improvisation in major scale? Thanks for lesson I really needed this.

[@nhr27]

great video... ive noticed your playing is about the same volume as your voice. is that through editing or do you play soft?

[@ScottPaddock]

Editing. I record the sax to one track and my voice to another one and then edit them down to one. If I do them both on the same mic, it's a nightmare.

[@paigecarr3254]

Is it better to improvise with a major scale or pentatonic scale

[@ScottPaddock]

Neither, it depends on the chords of each song which scales you use. Every song has it's own set of changes so there is no one scale that fits everything.

[@flaviosilva9061]

Bom dia professor, você simplesmente é o melhor. 👏👏👏🙌🙌🙏

[@pauldance7387]

How about going up the G scale and coming down the D scale adding different rhythms .... and a vises-versa? ( new player here )

[@ScottPaddock]

That would work if you were playing over a Gmaj chord that went into a Dmaj chord. You have to stay in the correct key. If you play C#s over a G major scale chord (G maj) then it will sound like a wrong note.

[@drchristofor]

Why is it third from g to b, because its 4 steps of half notes. Sorry, I don‘t get it and yes, I am a beginner. Like your videos very much. Just subscribed ! I think I get it: it’s the third note in the particular scale , right?

[@ScottPaddock]

Yeah, it's the 3rd note of the scale. So if it were a Bb it would be called a flat third or minor third.

[@drchristofor]

Hi Scott, I don‘t find an email address on your homepage. How can I contact you regarding lessons? Yours, Joe, Germany (why not? 🤪)

[@timedriverable]

Really enjoy your vids. What brand of saxophone are you playing?

[@ScottPaddock]

P. Mauriat 67RX Influence

[@johnwhyte-venables2167]

Does this advice also apply to improv on a blues scale?

[@ScottPaddock]

I've done a few videos on improvising using the blues scale. These concepts would work, but this is more gear towards traditional scales.

[@eliaslopez-me6kg]

Can you please tell me what kind of mouthpiece you have?

[@ScottPaddock]

Barkley Brazil Kustom Pop 7 Blue

[@baronvonmaximillionsnell2757]

How do you become creative with a rhythm, this is a bit I can't get.

[@ScottPaddock]

That sounds like a great topic for a video.

[@nailasyamsiatulmarifah2896]

what its your saxophon &mouthpice mr scott ?

[@ScottPaddock]

It's all in the video description

[@danbunch1514]

what MP is that?

[@ScottPaddock]

Barkley Brazil Kustom Pop 7 Blue

[@thahdeepseadivuh7501]

I play piano but whenever I try to use the scale it sounds cheesy

[@ScottPaddock]

I just did a video called 4 ways to make your improv sound more interesting. Check it out.

[@thahdeepseadivuh7501]

@@ScottPaddock thank you

[@SaxandRelax]

Snaking my way downtown, walking fast, faces pass...

[@ScottPaddock]

😁😁😁

[@daviddiaz4716]

He talks so fast I can't tell it he is sayin D scale or G scale

[@ScottPaddock]

I'm saying G