In this series we’ll explore insightful nuggets from Bird we can use on the blues–and many other places. Things like guide tones, thinking numerically, visualizing shapes, mixing subdivisions to make your lines swing more, a trick to injecting more “drama” in your lines, half-tonguing, alternate fingerings, and more.
An Athletic Approach to Converting the Major Scale Into 7 Important Chords
This diatonic 7th chord exercise is a must for developing better technique with the building blocks of improvisation: chords, scales, and modes.
The Way You Look Tonight: Applying Erroll Garner’s Lick
In this lesson I’ll show you how I take vocabulary from a transcribed solo and begin to apply it and make it my own.
How I Shed: Working Out New Ideas Over a Snarky Puppy Groove
I’m often asked how I go about incorporating new ideas into my improvising. Here’s how.
Diatonic Tensions: Why Some Notes Sound Good and Others Don’t
The natural 9th will give you trouble over two of these chords. Here’s why.
A Detailed Case Study in Copying a Solo from a Recording and Harvesting Material Inside It – Michael Brecker’s Solo on “Escher Sketch”
A deep-dive, nitty-gritty case study on how to break down an advanced solo, copy it in small doses and turn it into etudes, exercises, and vocabulary you can apply in your own unique ways.
Listening Lab: Erroll Garner, “The Way You Look Tonight”
This month’s transcription challenge is a masterful rendition by Errol Garner of this “must-know” standard.
The Rhythmic Density Scale will improve your technique, time feel, and improvisations
There’s more to “60 bpm” than just a metronome setting. Use this important technique to open new levels of accuracy and rhythmic control in your improvisation.
Things to practice away from the saxophone
Some things you can do when you’re away from the horn (by choice or circumstances) but you want to maintain your chops (and make musical progress).
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