I have recently created more backing tracks for use with Evan Tate’s 250 Jazz Patterns book. Be sure to practice 250 Jazz Patterns on the new Major Chord backing tracks in all 12 keys post.
You can purchase Evan’s book at the following url:
Review of “Approach Note Velocity Vol. 1 Major” by Steve Neff
April 28, 2009 By
Are you interested in learning how to improve your ability to improvise over static harmony such as grooves or modal songs? If you answered yes, read on.
I first learned about neighbor tones from Bert Ligon’s “Jazz Theory Resources Volume One” book. Chapter 4 of this book contans a 6 page section entitled “Neighbor Tones”. According to Mr. Ligon most music from the Baroque period to the present is to use the diatonic upper neighbor tone and the chromatic lower neighbor tone.
Steve Neff”s “Approach Note Velocity Vol. 1 Major” book starts off with a very basic but very nice sounding example that uses neighbor tones.
UNT = Upper Neighbor Tone
CT = Chord Tone
LNT = Lower Neighbor Tone
For a C major triad (C-E-G), one pattern is UNT,LNT,CT – try this pattern with each chord tone in the C major triad.
Steve’s book starts at this point and provides 98 pages of exercises for major chords. Steve also includes a short section on the major chords so that a beginner can brush up on their major chords before proceeding through the book. Mr Neff also has a demo audio track of him using these techniques while he is improvising over a groove on his website.
I highly recommend “Approach Note Velocity Vol. 1 Major” to anyone wanting to improve their improvising over static harmony.
I have a post entitled “Major Chord Backing Tracks In All 12 Keys” that you can use with Steve’s book or you can purchase Jamey Abersolds Major and Minor Volume for your backing tracks.
You can purchase the book at the following URL:
Major Chord Backing Tracks in All 12 Keys
April 28, 2009 By
Backing tracks have been created in all 12 keys. The tempo is a quarter note at 80. Each backing track is nearly five minutes.
Each backing track is in concert so if you wish to practice your D major Scale on tenor saxophone – you should select the C Major backing track.
Major Chord Backing Tracks in the Key of C Concert follows:
Major Chord Backing Tracks in the Key of Db Concert follows:
Major Chord Backing Tracks in the Key of D Concert follows:
Major Chord Backing Tracks in the Key of Eb Concert follows:
Major Chord Backing Tracks in the Key of E Concert follows:
Major Chord Backing Tracks in the Key of F Concert follows:
Major Chord Backing Tracks in the Key of Fsharp Concert follows:
Major Chord Backing Tracks in the Key of G Concert follows:
Major Chord Backing Tracks in the Key of Ab Concert follows:
Major Chord Backing Tracks in the Key of A Concert follows:
Major Chord Backing Tracks in the Key of Bb Concert follows:
Major Chord Backing Tracks in the Key of B Concert follows:
Super Offer on Sax and Jazz from Evan Tate
April 22, 2009 By
I have written several articles that refer to Evan Tate and his publications and podcasts. To date, I have purchased Evan’s “250 Jazz Patterns” and also his “Blues and Rhythm Changes in All 12 Keys” books. My website has several backing tracks to practice on using Evan’s books. These are excellent books. I have also subscribed to Evan’s monthly online lessons. I plan to write a formal review of his lessons after I have received a couple of them.
Please checkout the following offer from Evan – this is a super good deal:
Bebop Workout on Anthropaulogy in All 12 keys with Charts and Tracks
April 19, 2009 By
Next to the blues, the chord changes to “I Got Rhythm” appear in more jazz songs than any other harmonic structure. The importance of learning how to play over these changes cannot be over emphasized.
I am providing a bebop workout on Anthropaulogy ( Anthropology ) in all 12 keys. Be sure to try Evan Tate’s 250 Jazz Patterns and Steve Neff’s Dominant Bebop Scale ideas over this bebop tune in all 12 keys. The quarter note is 250 on the backing tracks.
I am including a player for all of the backing music. The backing tracks are all in Concert key. For example, if you play the tenor saxophone and select a backing track in the key of C – you will use a pdf chart in the key of D.
Have fun working through all 12 keys!
Anthropology Key Fsharp pdf (159)
Anthropaulogy in the Key of C follows:
Anthropaulogy in the Key of Db follows:
Anthropaulogy in the Key of D follows:
Anthropaulogy in the Key of Eb follows:
Anthropaulogy in the Key of E follows:
Anthropaulogy in the Key of F follows:
Anthropaulogy in the Key of Fsharp follows:
Anthropaulogy in the Key of G follows:
Anthropaulogy in the Key of Ab follows:
Anthropaulogy in the Key of A follows:
Anthropaulogy in the Key of Bb follows:
Anthropaulogy in the Key of B follows:
Blues Workout in all 12 Keys with Charts and Backing Tracks
April 19, 2009 By
I am providing a simple three chord rock shuffle blues in all 12 keys. Be sure to try Evan Tate’s 250 Jazz Patterns and Steve Ness’s Dominant Bebop Scale ideas over the blues in all 12 keys.
I am including a player for all of the backing music. The backing tracks are all in Concert key. For example, if you play the tenor saxophone and select a backing track in the key of C – you will use a pdf chart in the key of D.
Have fun working through all 12 keys!
Three Chord Rock Shuffle Blues - Key C (263)
Three Chord Rock Shuffle Blues - Key Db (158)
Three Chord Rock Shuffle Blues - Key D (169)
Three Chord Rock Shuffle Blues - Key Eb (151)
Three Chord Rock Shuffle Blues - Key E (164)
Three Chord Rock Shuffle Blues - Key F (161)
Three Chord Rock Shuffle Blues - Key Fsharp (144)
Three Chord Rock Shuffle Blues - Key G (163)
Three Chord Rock Shuffle Blues - Key Ab (137)
Three Chord Rock Shuffle Blues - Key A (169)
Three Chord Rock Shuffle Blues - Key Bb (148)
Three Chord Rock Shuffle Blues - Key B (134)
Rock Shuffle Blues in the Key of C follows:
Rock Shuffle Blues in the Key of Db follows:
Rock Shuffle Blues in the Key of D follows:
Rock Shuffle Blues in the Key of Eb follows:
Rock Shuffle Blues in the Key of E follows:
Rock Shuffle Blues in the Key of F follows:
Rock Shuffle Blues in the Key of Fsharp follows:
Rock Shuffle Blues in the Key of G follows:
Rock Shuffle Blues in the Key of Ab follows:
Rock Shuffle Blues in the Key of A follows:
Rock Shuffle Blues in the Key of Bb follows:
Rock Shuffle Blues in the Key of B follows:
Review of “Mastering The Dominant Bebop Scale” by Steve Neff
April 18, 2009 By
I recently learned about the website of Steve Neff from Jacob Lampe. I visited his site and purchased a pdf book entitled “Mastering The Dominant Bebop Scale.
The book covers the bebop dominant scale in all 12 keys. After Steve provides you with a number of suggestions and exercises in a particular key – he introduces bebop scale links. These links are very powerful and cool sounding and really help you to use the bebop scale without sounding like a scale exercise. Steve also demonstrates the use of the bebop scale in the blues. Since the dominant chords prevail in the blues – the blues are an excellent way to practice the bebop scale and linking patterns.
This is a very good book that you should work through if you desire to play bebop.
Review of “How To Play Bebop 3″ by David Baker
April 18, 2009 By
This post is the third in a series of my posts that review David Baker’s “How To Play Bebop” series. I am reviewing the third volume in this post.
This volume is all about techniques for learning and utilizing bebop tunes. This book consists of the following eight chapters:
- The Contrafact
- A Technique for Learning Tunes
- A Technique for Learning and Internalizing a Composition Using Bebop Tunes
- Using Bebop Compositions and Arrangements As a Means of Learning to Play Bebop
- The Use of Quotation in Bebop Solos
- An Approach to Developing Thematic Fluency Using the “Piggyback” Technique
- Another Approach to Learning to Improvise on The Blues
- An Approach to Improvising on “Rhythm” Tunes
The author also includes “A List of Essential Bebop Tunes for Memorization” in the appendix.
Chapter 1 provides a definition and historical perspective of the contrafact and then lists 15 bebop songs and other songs that are contrafacts of those songs. The most important thing to take of from this description is that next to the blues there are more bebop songs that are contrafacts of “I Got Rhythm” than any other bebop song. The author lists 48 bebop songs that are contrafacts of the “Rhythm” changes. This explains the importance of spending a great deal of time on the “Rhythm” changes.
Chapter 2 provides a detailed method for learning tunes. Guide tones and example exercises are provided.
Chapter 3 describes ways to internalize bebop tunes. For example learn the melody, learn the roots, use of root-based digital patterns.
Chapter 4 provides a list of tunes that will aid in the learning of bebop.
Chapter 5 discusses the use of quotes from other songs in bebop.
Chapter 6 discusses constructing lines that have a smooth flow.
Chapter 7 disccuses a different approach to improvising on the blues. The author provides a list of riff blues and asks that you learn them in all keys. Examples are provided.
Chapter 8 provides an approach to improvising on the “I Got Rhythm” tunes. Different variations are provided along with some model lines.
David Bakers bebop books are well written. In my opinion this series is best approached by an intermediate or higher level jazz improvisor.
Review of “How To Play Bebop 2″ by David Baker
April 17, 2009 By
David Baker has written three books on how to play bebop. This review will take a look at volume two.
The book begins with a preface that traces the beginning of bebop.
The book is divided into the following 8 chapters:
- The Use of the II,V7 Progression in Bebop
- The III, VI, II, V Progression in Bebop
- The Major Chord
- The II, V7 Progression in Minor
- The Cycle in Bebop
- The Use of the Turnback in Bebop
- Other Important Formulae in Bebop
- A New Approach To Constructing Bass Lines Based on the Bebop Scales
Chapter 8 is followed by an appendix entitled “A List of Essential Bebop Tunes for Memorization”.
The author includes a 101 bebop era II, V7 patterns in chapter 1.
Chapter 2 consists of a list of songs that contain the III,VI,II,V patterns followed by 100 III,VI,II,V patterns.
Chapter 3 contains 101 major patterns.
Chapter 4 provides a number of II,V7 patterns in Minor.
Chapter 5 provides a number of Cycle patterns.
Chapter 6 includes a number of turnback ( or turnaround ) patterns.
Chapter 8 begins by stating that the blues and “I Got Rhythm” chord changes occur most often in bebop and perhaps in all of jazz. The chapter lists several different formula and a list of songs that use the same formulae.
Chapter 9 provides a discussion on constructing bass lines using the bebop scale.
If you are serious about the bebop scale – this book should be in your library.
Review of “How To Play Bebop 1″ by David Baker
April 17, 2009 By
David Baker has written three books on how to play bebop. This review will take a look at volume one.
The book consists of two parts. Part one begins with a brief background of the bebop scales and then begins with the bebop dominant scale. In the most basic terms the bebop scales takes a 7 note scale and adds an extra chromatic note. The addition of the extra chromatic note creates an 8 note scale with all of the chord tones occurring on the downbeats. Mr. Baker provides numerous examples of the following:
- Starting the scale on any note of the scale
- Bebop endings
- Extending the Bebop line
- Using enclosure ( adding a half step above the target chord note, a half step below the target chord note and then the chord note )
- Joining the bebop scale with other scales
- The bebop major scale
- An example Bebop Solo
Part two of the book is a scale syllabus.
If you are looking for a series of books with a serious study of the bebop scale you should consider this series.
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