When I Started Practicing THIS, Everything Changed

#bettersax #saxophone #improvisation
Jay Metcalf teaches how to build jazz improvisation vocabulary over a ii V I chord progression to maximize results.
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[@bettersax]

40% Discount for the Launch of my Two, Five, Win! improvisation course. Use coupon code 25WIN at checkout bettersax.com/course/two-five-win/

[@sidneiramalho]

I bought my today Jay. Thank you. I can't wait to start.

[@NicholasLeone-hq9ib]

Thank you so much! Just got my first sax solo in my school's jazz band and this really helps.

[@bettersax]

great to hear! good luck!

[@DirkJ.]

SOLD! haha. This is exactly the kind of content I need for where I'm at musically. Thank you so much for what you do Jay. This is going to help me (and others tons).

[@bettersax]

Glad to hear it helped. Thank you!

[@DrLogical987]

just what I need at this moment and, good to see you back in teaching mode.

[@coin777]

2:35 Please Don't leave the Licc hanging like that. Finish it.

[@bettersax]

😂

[@jellewils3974]

Starting doing this last week and I actually always expected it to be harder. It still takes concentration but that's fine and always a good thing to work at. Same as what I've found before with transcribing licks in all keys applies, use simple short and sweet segments that incorporate a clear but distinct concept. Like segments with chromatics, with both major and minor notes as well as the blue note, the sharp 7 in a minor lick for that desertvibe etc. I can't find the time to write all licks I like down anyway, besides that's not practicing. Might as well pick something I hear that I like and play it through all keys right away, no writing needed. Hopefully, store it in my brain with repetition

[@floridaguy1955]

Hi Jay! Mark here, north of Atlanta. Purchased your 251 course yesterday. Excellent resource. I watched your preparatory video and there was a question about slowing down backing tracks for beginner improv players. Your logic was correct but if they really want to do that put the mp3 into "Transcribe" and you can slow it down just like I do to figure out stuff by ear that is too fast for me. There are others that do this but have used Transcribe for at least 9-10 years.

[@bettersax]

Thanks.

[@mickmann6779]

@floridaguy1955 Is there a full name for "Transcribe" if you google it everything that comes up is speech to text.

[@jasminduncanson2520]

This video is the kind of help I need

[@bettersax]

Awesome, thanks for watching.

[@davideiotti9725]

Very helpful thanks

[@bettersax]

great to hear.

[@joel6427]

I am enthused about this lesson after working on it for a couple days. Not that I am qualified to give advice, there is years of material in the course. In the past, I have been overwhelmed by the abundance of lines to work on in books and courses to the point where I get nothing done. I am going to limit my work to this first page to the point where I can recall these lines from memory, work some into my improve and call it good! This way I won't defeat myself before ever getting started!

[@floridaguy1955]

Good point. That is the way to do things. The tortoise eventually crosses the finish line!! If I learn something right the first time I will put X down and redo it in 6 months and you will be surprised about how much you do RETAIN. The name of the game for the most part is building muscle memory.

[@robstevens9590]

Good stuff!

[@bettersax]

Thanks!

[@keir.08]

This video was very helpful.

[@bettersax]

Very glad to hear it. thanks for watching.

[@saxnoob]

This is so cool! More and more I understand this mystic of jazz and now I can’t wait to learn. One day I’ll get there (with your help ofc) cheers Jay 🎉

[@jeffmonungolh3233]

It's fun to think that the notes in tritone sub and the backdoor dominant sub can be found in the G dominant altered scale. I used to compare different scales just to find so much similarities. The most important thing is that you can hear the melody in your head. You have great contents, Jay! I share most of your videos to my friends.

[@bluphoenix2229]

Can you review on a gen 3 origin saxophone

[@Mooritz7]

Thanks! Would you say there is anything special on baritone improvisation? Every time I do that it sounds wrong or not very good even if I play the right notes, etc.

[@bettersax]

Nothing different for baritone sax. This works for all instruments.

[@glen.s9860]

Hi Jay I listen to you and others play and when I play the note on the screen of low d 2 g is dark the low octave but yours sounds like the 2nd octave is what i try to play to match your sound. I haven't been playing for a number of years, but i pick up mysax once in a while because for the last 3 yrs i have had serious breathing issues and always have a problem playing beam 1/4 and 8th notes always feel it's wrong

[@bettersax]

The music on screen is concert pitch.

[@stuartp8658]

As well as the notes you are playing, it seems to me that you are playing slightly before the pulse (1 & 3) or is that your dynamics that gives that impression?

[@precisionhoops3652]

I gave up😂 too much work 🎷. Funk more fun 😊

[@aarono2301]

The title should be how to embellish The Lick.

[@TobiasLeonHaecker]

I'm really sorry, but this is the first video from you, where I heavily disagree!!! 1) when I start improvising with my students they probably wouldn't have the technique to play this line, since I start in one of the first 5 sessions with them. 2) there is already so much theoretical requirements to understand the lines no beginner would understand. (What's Dorian? what's a Bebop scale? Or even, what are the chord tones,? Backdoor dominant?). For advanced students, no problem. 3) those lines are not fun. If I start with that with my kids they wouldn't be interested at all in jazz improvisation. So my big problem with this concept, you already have to be advanced as a student before you can start improvising?? I start improvising with my students before they mastered a C major scale. They learn chord tones through and because of improvisation. I only start expecting the modal scales, after they've mastered the blues scale in all 12 keys, with the phrasing for different styles. I really think, that this theoretical overloaded thinking of us professional jazz musicians is the biggest hurdle for Jazz beginners.

[@bettersax]

Thanks for your comment. I also have beginner improvisation lessons for people that don't know how to read sheet music, and/or don't know any music theory. I have many students who have been playing music for many years, know basic music theory and know how to read but consider themselves beginners at jazz improvisation. This content is directed at those students who want to learn to improvise over chord changes because they want to play jazz standards. This is one of many effective approaches. Each individual needs to find what works best for them.

[@TobiasLeonHaecker]

@@bettersax I have those too, but specially with them, they often have the problem that they are theoretically overloaded and blocked. And the best thing was to reduce that to just playing a blues with one tone, then two up to the blues scale. After they have overthrown all their theoretical baggage they startet to play freely. And after that I slowly introduce step by step the theory. And especially I avoid all the names for the modes. Works wonders every time... My point, your structure and idea is good. It would be an amazing lesson after one or two years of improvisation. But you say "start here" and from a didactic point of view I disagree strongly.