Hey, thanks for poppin' in...!
My name is Bobby Stern.
I'm a long time professional saxophonist, Jazz player, educator, Bari Woodwinds and Brancher-France Saxophones endorser. To date, I've authored close to forty books - tailored to the improvising musician of all levels - including "The Melodic Minor Handbook: A Jazz Player's Perspective" published by Jamey Aebersold Jazz, as well as a growing number of self-published eBooks, all available right here. Have a look at my current library! Over the years, as I've been studying, teaching, as well as performing globally in a wide range of musical contexts, I've come to realize that the more knowledge and insight one accumulates, the more apparent it becomes that it's an ever expanding universe; meaning that there's always so much more to discover and learn; and that we are all students, regardless of our present levels of ability and awareness. It never stops, and to me, this is very exciting! Since its launch in 2012, bobbysternjazz.com has developed, for the most part, a natural focus on the theoretical and practical aspects of Jazz Improvisation, as this has always been a passion of mine. As I've continued to grow and discover new concepts for myself, I've been able to share these ideas in the form of blog posts, most often accompanied by free pdf downloads, as well as in book form. As there is already a profusion of basic "Improv 101" type information available online, it's my desire that this website continue to provide an informative and entertaining resource to all who wish to advance their musical concepts - as I do - to the perpetual next stage of development. Bobby Stern So come on in and join me:
Contact me at: bobby(at)bobbysternjazz(dot)com
What would you play when you see the chord symbols A7#9, F7+5, Csusb9 or DbMaj7+5? What would you "blow" over a D Locrian #2?
The Melodic Minor Handbook provides musicians, of all levels, with these answers in presenting a concise, practical, easy to absorb method of exposure, study and practice in the components of Melodic Minor Harmony, and its use within the Jazz vocabulary.
Although the sound of Melodic Minor Harmony has been a staple of Jazz music over the last half century, familiarity among many aspiring musicians with its derivative modes and chord types still seems to remain a mystery; and even though touched upon to a greater or lesser degree by various books and methods, a comprehensive study stressing Melodic Minor Harmony as a unique harmonic universe of its own has been absent. Until now!! 176 spiral bound pages. "Hats off to Mr. Stern for this extremely well conceived and catalogued book, which I highly recommend to anyone involved in expanding their jazz improv skills. Guess work is eliminated as scales, modes & exercises are cross referenced & presented in all keys. The material presented here will definitely broaden the jazz vocabulary & inspire the imagination of anyone, student or pro, who gives it half a chance." Dr. Edward Morris - Cleveland, Ohio "This book takes no prisoners and explains everything you need to know about the scales and modes of Melodic Minor in all keys and includes some great ii-V exercises. I found that as I went though the book, there was always a line that opened my ears and kept me in the shed that extra hour to take it though the keys. This not only helped me to develop my dexterity and harmony, but most of all - my sound - as these exercises really work your chops from the top to the bottom of the horn." David Angol, Saxophone Professional / Jazz Musician - London, England Here's a short video of a demo transcription of myself on tenor saxophone using material from the "Melodic Minor Handbook", as in a "real world" playing situation, over minor ii-V7s
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* This Month's Featured Post *
Ready to take your
Improvisation Skills to the Next Level?! 
Goin' Up!!
  
Vols 1 & 2 of "Slick Licks That Stick!"
in one 556 page PDF eBook, loaded with non-cliche exercises, sequences & etudes Optimized for viewing on your tablet.. For Improvisers of All Levels! Available for Immediate Download! Purchasing a book
(or three) will not only help you improve your improvisational skills, it also helps keep this website up & humming! Now that's good 
all the way around!
Thank you! 
B Natural - Most Recent Posts07/27/2022 - NEW Shortbook™ - "The SUPER 4" - A 4-Note Swiss Army Knife for Improvisers
__________________________________________________ 06/25/2022 - "Nutville" - Joe Henerson's Tenor Solo Transcribed __________________________________________________ 05/26/2022 - Vamp Like a Champ! - ii-V-iii-VI Arpeggiated Sequence __________________________________________________ 04/23/2022 - Check Your Connections! - A Multi-Pentatonic Sequence in Minor 3rds __________________________________________________ 03/26/2022 - The Daily BoopaDoop - "LuLu's Back in Town" __________________________________________________ 02/24/2022 - Getting an Angle - "The Eternal Triangle" Bridge __________________________________________________ 01/19/2022 - Some Fresh Air for Your Practice Routine! __________________________________________________ 12/17/2021 - Stuff This One in Your Stocking! __________________________________________________ 11/25/2021 - Joe Henderson's Tenor Solo Transcription - "You Know I Care" __________________________________________________ 10/21/2021 - Hey! You've Got an ACE up Your Sleeve! __________________________________________________ 09/24/2021 - Playin' the Numbers - A Pentatonic Shape in 12/8 ___________________________________________________ 08/19/2021 - "Come Rain or Come Shine" - An All-Weather Etude ___________________________________________________ 07/20/2021 - A Jug Full of Ammons - Gene Ammons' Tenor Solo Transcription on "Exactlly Like You" ____________________________________________________ 06/18/2021 - The Andalusian Cadence, Triad Pairs & "Song for my Father" ____________________________________________________ 05/19/2021 - 'Tranein' with Triads - "Coltrane Changes" Alternating Major & Minor Triads ____________________________________________________ 04/21/2021 - Kalimbaphone? - Try These Pentatonic Scale Spreads! ____________________________________________________ 03/26/2021 - 'Ning's the Thing! Monk's "Rhythm-a-Ning" - Self Transcription ____________________________________________________ 02/25/2021 - Monk's Time Again - "Bye-Ya" - A Self-Transcription ____________________________________________________ 01/26/2021 - Monk's "Bemsha Swing" - A Self-Transcription ____________________________________________________ 12/18/2020 - Step Up Your Game! - The Major 3rds Cycles - Descending & Ascending ____________________________________________________ 11/25/2020 - The Last 8 - "Night and Day" - JoHen Style ____________________________________________________ 10/29/2020 - Components: Triad Pairs, Melodic Minor ii-V7--I with a iii-VI Turnaround ____________________________________________________ 09/25/2020 - Go Ye 4th: Fourtitude + Lines in 4ths ____________________________________________________ 08/28/2020 - An Etude for a Brighter Day - John Coltrane's "Mr. Day" ____________________________________________________ 07/31/2020 - Trichord 027 - A Fresh, New Old Piece of Musical Language ____________________________________________________ 06/27/2020 - The Lines Are Open! - An open 027 Trichordline ____________________________________________________ 05/31/2020 - Changin' Trane's / Retrosteps - The Ultimate Book on Coltrane Changes ____________________________________________________ 04/28/2020 - Oh 2 Slick Blues - A 12-Bar Blues for the Socially Distanced ____________________________________________________ 03/28/2020 - Oh-2-Slick! More Fun & Games With the 026 Trichord ____________________________________________________ 02/27/2020 - Oh-Two-Six - An Improviser's Guide to the 026 Trichord ____________________________________________________ 01/29/2020 - Jazzitudes 3 - Ten More Solo-Styled Jazz Etudes With Attitude! ____________________________________________________ 12/28/2019 - Super Augmented II - Further Explorations ____________________________________________________ 11/29/2019 - 013 Trichord...Super Auugmented! ____________________________________________________ 10/29/2019 - Beboppin' the 6th / Diminished Scale - An Essential Element ____________________________________________________ 09/24/2019 - Vertical Structures - Scale the Heights! ____________________________________________________ 08/28/2019 - Bluesitudes! One Dozen 12-Bar Blues Etudes With Attitude! ____________________________________________________ 07/26/2019 - We Got Rhythm Changes! ____________________________________________________ 06/25/2019 - The Harmonic Minor Primer ____________________________________________________ 05/29/2019 - Your Daily Bread - 100% Whole Tone ____________________________________________________ 04/23/2019 - Hexatonic Triad Pairs II - Mixed Pairs ____________________________________________________ 03/21/2019 - Hexatonic Triad Pairs: Vol 1 - Major Scale Pairs ____________________________________________________ 02/12/2019 - Pentalogy - A Multi Pentatonic Scale Practical Practice Guide _____________________________________________________________ 01/23/2019 - Triadicisms II - Minor, Augmented & Diminished Triad Workout _____________________________________________________________ |
