2010 | Paul Maine Jazz Music

Modes of the Major Scale

November 20, 2010 By Paul Maine Leave a Comment

If we begin by naming the notes in the C Major scale and then placing numbers beneath each note we have the following:

CDEFGAB

1234567

The Major scale generates 7 modes and they are named Ionian, Dorian, Phyrgian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and Locrian.

C Lydian can be constructed as:

123#4567 or C,D,E,F#,G,A,B

C Ionian can be constructed as:

1234567 or C,D,E,F,G,A,B

C Mixolydian can be constructed as:

123456b7 or C,D,E,F,G,A,Bb

C Dorian can be constructed as:

12b3456b7 or C,D,Eb,F,G,A,Bb

C Aeolian can be constructed as:

12b345b6b7 or C,D,Eb,F,G,Ab,Bb

C Phyrgian can be constructed as:

1b2b345b6b7 or C,Db,Eb,F,G,Ab,Bb

C Locrian can be constructed as:

1b2b34b5b6b7 or C,Db,Eb,F,Gb,Ab,Bb

Notice that as you change from one adjacent mode to the next in the above list that only one note changes.

The next thing you need to do is to apply this information to the remaining 11 major scales and their respective modes.

Filed Under: Jazz Aids Tagged With: Aeolian, Dorian, Ionian, Locrian, Major Scale, Mixolydian, Modes, Phyrgian

TC-Helicon Voiceworks for Sax Sound Samples

May 20, 2010 By Paul Maine 2 Comments

I have received a number of requests asking me to post some sound samples of the TC-Helicon Voiceworks effects box. I am playing a tenor tenor saxophone in all of the samples.

The first sample is bypassing the Voiceworks box and is the dry sample:

The second sample sample is the Voiceworks box with the reverb effect. Reverb time is 420ms and Feedback is 25%:

The third sample sample is the Voiceworks box with the reverb effect and Chrous. Reverb time is 420ms and Feedback is 25%, Chorus is -6dB.

The fourth sample sample is the Voiceworks box with one unison voice, reverb effect and Chrous. Reverb time is 420ms and Feedback is 25%, Chorus is -6dB, unison voice is -6dB.

The fifth sample sample is the Voiceworks box with one unison voice,one harmony voice ( above), reverb effect and Chrous. Reverb time is 420ms and Feedback is 20%, Chorus is -6dB, unison voice is -3dB, harmony voice -3dB.

The sixth sample sample is the Voiceworks box with one unison voice,two harmony voices( above), reverb effect and Chrous. Reverb time is 420ms and Feedback is 20%, Chorus is -6dB, unison voice is -3dB, first harmony voice -3dB, second harmony voice -6dB.

Filed Under: Gear Tagged With: TC-Helicon Voiceworks

Improve your Sound with Audi-Graph-Part I

May 18, 2010 By Paul Maine Leave a Comment

How often is a beginning musician asked to develop a quality sound?

A new software application has been developed by a NASA engineer and it is named Audi-Graph. It turns out that the notes on our instrument consist of a fundamental frequency and a number of harmonic frequencies. The timbre of a flute playing a particular note sounds different than a saxophone playing the same note. The harmonics are what make the instruments sound different. If you compare a professional saxophonists sound to a beginner – you will notice a difference in sound quality. Once again the difference is the harmonics. Prior to Audi-Graph the student would listen to a good professional sound and then try to emulate that sound. This is usually a process that is trial and error and can take many years.

Audi-Graph provides visual cue’s that can allow a student to make changes ( e.g. more pressure on the reed or opening up the throat ) and see how the changes compare to a professional’s harmonics. Simply put – if you can match the harmonics then you will have a professional sound. The Audi-Graph software includes an ever expanding library of classical and other musical styles artists that the student can use as a reference point and try to match harmonics.

After visiting the Audi-Graph website, I was so interested that I purchased the software. I am not a beginner but I see many potential applications that I will write about in future blog articles. In addition to greatly accelerating the time it takes to develop a professional sound, I see many other applications of this software for the developing and professional musicians.

Stay tuned for future articles.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous, Software Reviews Tagged With: Audi-Graph, harmonics, professional sound

TC-Helicon Voiceworks and Saxophone

May 18, 2010 By Paul Maine 2 Comments

I recently acquired a TC-Helicon Voiceworks box and even though it is advertised as a vocal harmonizer – I wanted to experiment with it and the saxophone.

I am a full time computer programmer and a part-time professional musician. The first thing that struck me was that the user interface is not very user friendly. I suspect that since the Voiceworks box has so many features – it is extremely difficult to make the user interface easy to learn and use. I next visited the TC-Helicon website and looked for free downloads. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that TC-Helicon provides an editor for the Voiceworks box that runs on PC or Mac. A Midi IN and Midi Out interface is required to interface from a PC to the Voiceworks box. The editor software is easy to use and quick to learn.

Here is the first screen shot of the editor:

Here is a second screen shot:

Here is a third screen shot:

The Voiceworks box has a a long list of tweaks you can make. After much experimentation and using the box on a few gigs here is how I setup the box. I use a wireless microphone. The output of the microphone is input into the Voiceworks box. At the gig I run a midi cable from the voiceworks box to the keyboard so the box can harmonize the note I am playing with the real-time chords that are played on the keyboard. I used the Voiceworks software on my PC to copy the first five presets on the box and I next totally changed the presets to what I wanted. Three of the presets are used to harmonize the saxophone and the other two presets were just using the top notch effects that are built into the box. I did learn not to use the pitch correction feature with the saxophone because it did not work on the saxophone. Here are the setting I used in my presets:

Paul Unison – Chorus -6dB, lowered unison voice to -6dB, Reverb Time 420 ms, Feedback 20%

Paul 1Un1Up – Unison voice -3dB, 1st harmony voice -3dB, Chorus -6dB, Reverb Time 420 ms, Feedback 20%

Paul 1Un2Up – Unison voice -6dB, 1st harmony voice -3dB, 2nd Harmony voice Chorus -6dB, Reverb Time 420 ms, Feedback 20%

I added 2 more effects only presets that are setup as follows:

Paul FX - Reverb Time 420 ms, Feedback 25%

Paul FX+C - Reverb Time 420 ms, Feedback 25%, also has Chorus set at -3dB

The street price for the Voiceworks box is about $500. I ordered a 3 button footswitch for $50.

I am very pleased with the Voiceworks box and how it works on sax. I am playing a tenor saxophone.

If you are considering a new effects box for sax you may want to consider this one with the added harmony capabilities.

Are you using a TC-Helicon box with saxophone? If yes, what is your experience and how have you setup your box?

Filed Under: Gear Tagged With: Saxophone effects box, TC-Helicon, Voiceworks

Missy and Andrew’s Wedding Reception

April 20, 2010 By Paul Maine Leave a Comment

The jazz trio will be performing at the wedding reception for Missy and Andrew from 6-9PM.

Filed Under: Events, Miscellaneous

Making a Sax Mouthpiece Stand

March 21, 2010 By Paul Maine Leave a Comment

A good friend of mine in Houston Texas just posted a “how to” article on constructing a nice mouthpiece stand. Many of us have collected a number of different mouthpieces over the years – it is nice to be able to see all of them rather than keeping them packed away. Its also convenient to try some of your old friends!

Don Kelly Mouthpiece Stand Article

Filed Under: Gear, Miscellaneous

3-5-7-9 Arpeggio Exercise-all 12 keys

March 21, 2010 By Paul Maine 1 Comment

I wanted to include backing tracks for a very useful 3-5-7-9 arpeggio exercise that appears in Bert Ligon’s “Comprehensive Technique for Jazz Musicians” book. If you don’t already have a copy of Bert’s books you should invest in them. They contain a wealth of practical information to improve your jazz chops.

The exercise is 2.20 on page 43 of this book. Due to copyright restrictions I am not able to include the chart. I have included backing tracks in all keys. The tracks are in concert key.

In the key of F the progression is:

|Gm7|C7|Fmaj7|Bbmaj7|Em7b5|A7|Dm|D7| and repeats

The point of the exercise is to start on the third of each chord. Octave displacement is used in every other measure of the arpeggio on the second note. The seventh resolves into the third of the successive chord by a step.

3-5-7-9 Arpeggio Exercise in the Key of C follows:

3-5-7-9 Arpeggio Exercise in the Key of Dflat follows:

3-5-7-9 Arpeggio Exercise in the Key of D follows:

3-5-7-9 Arpeggio Exercise in the Key of Eb follows:

3-5-7-9 Arpeggio Exercise in the Key of E follows:

3-5-7-9 Arpeggio Exercise in the Key of F follows:

3-5-7-9 Arpeggio Exercise in the Key of Fsharp follows:

3-5-7-9 Arpeggio Exercise in the Key of G follows:

3-5-7-9 Arpeggio Exercise in the Key of Aflat follows:

3-5-7-9 Arpeggio Exercise in the Key of A follows:

3-5-7-9 Arpeggio Exercise in the Key of Bflat follows:

3-5-7-9 Arpeggio Exercise in the Key of B follows:

Filed Under: Jazz Aids

Sharps and Flats Brain Crutch

March 18, 2010 By Paul Maine 1 Comment

Wouldn’t it be nice to have something that is easy to remember that tells us the order of sharps or flats in a certain key?

If you answered yes then read on.

I learned the following from bass man Rob Jewett. For sharps use the phrase “Five Cowboys Got Drunk At Ed’s Bar” ( what do you expect I live in Texas ). The first letter of each word indicates the order that sharps are added from left to right e.g. F,C,G,D,A,E,B.

You can use the word “BEAD” and the acronym “GCF” ( greatest common factor ) to remember the order of flats from left to right e.g. B,E,A,D,G,C,F.

Do you have a different brain crutch that you use to remember the order of sharps or flats?

Have fun with your new found brain crutch!

Filed Under: Jazz Aids Tagged With: brain crutch, flats, Rob Jewett, sharps

Diminished Chord Shortcut

February 10, 2010 By Paul Maine Leave a Comment

Do you know the notes in all of your diminished chords? If not – here is a shortcut method that works provided that you know all chord tones in your dominant 7th chords.

Here is an example:

What are the chord tones in an F# diminished 7th? The shortcut is to use the root of the diminished chord with the 3,5 and b7 from the dominant 7th chord a half step below. So we would combine the A,C and Eb from the F7 with the root of the diminished chord.

The notes in the F# diminished 7th chord are F#,A,C,Eb.

Hope this helps!

Filed Under: Jazz Aids Tagged With: brain crutch, diminished chord shortcut

Review of “Amazing Phrasing” by various authors

January 6, 2010 By Paul Maine Leave a Comment

I purchased my copy of Amazing Phrases by Dennis Taylor about a month ago and wanted to take time to write a review.

The book is published by Hal Leonard and includes a CD. I purchased the version for tenor sax but the book also exists for also sax, trumpet, keyboard and guitar. The book includes 50 ways to improve your improvisation skills with a focus on phrasing. The contents of the books can apply to just about any instrument.

The author breaks phrasing down into three components: Harmony, Melody and Rhythm. Due to the wealth of material covered in the book – some of the topics are covered in a couple of pages whereas in other books entire chapters or even entire books have been written about the topic. For example the Bebop Mixolydian scale is introduced in a couple of pages and Steve Neff has written a book entitled “Mastering the Dominant Bebop Scale” that is 191 pages. David Baker has written an entire book series on “How To Play Bebop”. You may be thinking that I am slamming the author for his short treatment of many topics but I’m not. I really like how the author introduces the improvisor in a condensed form to so many fascinating and practical ways to approach improv. Once you are exposed to the concepts and the good examples you can then dig deeper using some of the other jazz resources I have written about and or to use the backing tracks on this site.

I recommend that you purchase this book.

For Tenor Sax

For Alto Sax

For Guitar

For Trumpet

For Keyboard

Filed Under: Jazz Book and Method Reviews Tagged With: jazz improvisation, jazz phrasing