My review of our October transcription challenge. Nice work!
Listening Lab: Branford Marsalis’ Exquisite Duet with Sting on “Roxanne”
This is one of my all-time favorite saxophone performances. Here’s why.
Members Play Branford Marsalis’s Solo On “Englishman In New York” (Pop)
Great work everyone!
Operating Instructions for Improvising Within a Modal Pop Song: Branford Marsalis on “Englishman in New York”
Branford’s playing on Sting’s “Englishman in New York” provides a great blueprint for improvising in a pop context. We’ll go over the song’s harmony, practicing wide intervals, and combining technique practice with musical practice.
Listening Lab: Branford Marsalis on “Mo’ Better Blues”
I learned so much about nuance and playing inside a “popish” context from Branford’s performance on this song.
What Do You Think about When You Want to Rip Over a Static Funk Groove? (+ Branford Marsalis on “The Road You Choose”)
Improvising over one chord—or a few that repeat—is more difficult than you might think.
Add More Grease to Your Groove Playing (by Practicing This)
A (conceptually) simple way to get to the next level when playing over static, repetitive, or loop-based chord sequences.
Improve Your Time Feel with This Long Tone Exercise
Practice getting comfortable with a medium tempo swing feel while simultaneously improving your tone quality.
Alto for Tenor Players: What You Need to Know (3 lessons)
Do you need to play alto and tenor? Should you? Let’s examine some pros and cons, as well as helpful strategies for making it easier to switch from your primary to secondary horn—without equal practice time.