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My name is Bobby Stern. I'm a long time professional saxophonist, jazz player, educator, Bari Woodwinds and Brancher-France Saxophones endorser, as well as the author of  "The Melodic Minor Handbook: A Jazz Player's Perspective" published by Jamey Aebersold Jazz, as well as a pair of self published eBooks "Slick Licks That Stick!", Vols. I & II, available right here.

I've been performing, teaching and studying for many years and the more I've learned, the more I've come to realize, that it's a constantly expanding universe; meaning that no matter how much you think you might already know, there's always so much more to discover and learn; and that we are all students, regardless of our present levels of awareness.

I've performed in many diverse musical contexts worldwide with some of the greats, near-greats as well as a few not-so-greats (-;!.
So come on in and:
                                          
  • check for the latest blog posts, as well as lots of free downloads: B Natural.
  • check out some of my music & vids on RadioB.Tube.
  • find out how you can study elements of "The Melodic Minor Handbook" and much more, with me, via Lessons Online.

Contact me at: bobby@bobbysternjazz.com

Follow Me on Twitter @bobbystern

What would you play when you see the chord symbols A7b9#9, F7+5, Csusb9 or DbMaj7+5? What would you "blow" over a D Locrian #2?

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 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

Here's a short video of a demo transcription of myself playing examples on tenor saxophone from the "Melodic Minor Handbook".
Go here to download pdf and / or mp3

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12/28/2013 - Practice Room Instigation - Etude "Invitation"
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11/22/2013 - Ubop Chabang! - "The Steppes of Tiang" - Giant Steps Etude
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11/13/2013 - Etude - "The Real Bella (by Bar Light)"
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11/05/2013 - Front Burner! - More Penta b6 ii-V-i Apps
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10/27/2013 - X-Centric Gonzatonics - Penta b6 ii-V7-i Applications
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10/16/2013 - 013, 1+2, 3-4-5 - Super Augmented?
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10/09/2013 - iii - VI - ii - V - Alternating Abbott & Costello
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09/30/2013 - It Never Gets Old! - Etude: "Body and Soul"
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09/19/2013 - Korner Karnataka #4 - Mela #18 - Hatakambari
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09/09/2013 - 1235 Melodic Minor Circle - Apt. #251
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09/04/2013 - Rhythm Changes - ReCycling the Cycle
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08/19/2013 - Lucky 13 - Major Scale Polymodal 13th Chord Arpeggios
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08/07/2013 - Sonny Stitt - "How Many Keys on the Saxophone?"
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07/20/2013 - Marvin Gaye Sessions #3 - Tomorrow's Gone
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07/16/2013 - Kissin' Cousins - 1-2-5, Pentatonics & P4ths
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07/09/2013 - 1-2-5 Pattern - Coltrane Changes
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07/03/2013 - 1-2-5 Patterns - ii-V7-I Applications
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06/26/2013 - Marvin Gaye Sessions #2 - Tomorrow Comes
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06/20/2013 - Marvin Gaye Sessions - 'Til Tomorrow, Pt 1
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06/13/2013 - Korner Karnataka #3 - "Yagapriya", The Jazz Version
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06/07/2013 -  Korner Karnataka #2 - Melakarta #15, Double Harm. Maj. & Graha Bedham
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05/29/2013 - Korner Karnataka - Charlie Mariano - Konnakol/Solkattu & Prof. Dave King
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05/21/2013 - Changing 'Trane's, Part 2
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05/16/2013 - Changing 'Trane's, Part 1
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05/08/2013 - 1-2-5 Street, Part 2 - 3 Note Group Combos & Maj7#11
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05/03/2013 - 1-2-5 Street, Part 1 - 3 Note Groupings & Min7 (11)
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04/26/2013 - The Augmented Scale as Sub for Melodic Minor Harmony
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04/18/2013 - Sub-way Samidge! - VI7 Sub, Minor Blues & Penta b6
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04/09/2013 - Get Nutty, Buddy! - X-Centric Pentatonic b6 Modes
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04/04/2013 - Unchained MM Melody! - Melodic Minor in 4ths
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03/27/2013 - Transcriptions That Stick! - Dig "Big Nick"!
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03/19/2013 - Augment Your Diminished Returns - Diminished Scale b6ths
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03/13/2013 - Fun-da-Mentals! - Major Triads & Inversions.
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03/12/2013 - Guest Post! X-Centric Pentatonics on the "Best. Saxophone. Website. Ever".
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03/06/2013 - Inspired From "A Study in Fourths" by Walter Bishop, jr.
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03/02/2013 - Gonna Have Some Fun! - 3-6-2-5-1
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02/25/2013 - Sympathy for Melodic Minor - Major's Evil Twin, Pt. 5 ________________________________________________________________________
02/21/2013 - Quickety Lickety! - Coltrane Changes Sequence Finger Exercise
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02/20/2013 - Sympathy for Melodic Minor - Major's Evil Twin, Pt. 4
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02/17/2013 - Sympathy for Melodic Minor - Major's Evil Twin, Pt 3
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02/16/2013 - Sympathy for Melodic Minor - Major's Evil Twin, Pt. 2
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02/16/2013 - Feature: Russ Nolan - Jazz Composition and Improv - "One & the Same" 
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02/12/2013 - Pentatonic Power Drill, Pt. 3 - Note-centric Major Pentatonics, Bergonzi Shapes 2 & 6
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02/11/2013 - Sympathy for Melodic Minor - Major's "Evil Twin". Pt. 1
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02/03/2013 - Pentatonic Power Drill, Pt. 2 - Pentatonic b3 One Note Jam & the Bergonzi Factor
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01/31/2013 - Quick Picks That Kick - Bobby Hutcherson's "The Kicker"
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01/15/2013 - Bari Good! The "Bari Hybrid" Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece
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01/07/2013 - Stanley & Shirley - A Lovely Couple (of Musical Giants).
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12/28/2012 - Slick Licks that Stick! Intervalic ii-V7 Pattern.
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12/23/2012 - Whaaaap! "I don't think so". Miles don't play dat!
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12/19/2012 - Jazz Solo Transcription & article on John Coltrane's "Satellite" tenor saxophone solo.
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12/09/2012 - Transcribe! - One of the most incredibly useful music software tools available.
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12/08/2012 - Jazz Improvisation Technique Builder - Pentatonic Power Drill - Five Scales from any note.
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12/02/2012 - Synthetic Reeds - Cane Mutiny?
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Attention Serious Improvisers of all Levels!
Looking to Expand Your Improv Vocab?


Treat yourself or someone else!
"Slick Licks That Stick! Vol. 2"
369 pages loaded with non-cliche exercises, patterns, licks & etudes.
Now available for immediate download!
....or even better yet...!
"SUPER! Slick Licks That Stick!"
Both "Slick Licks" Vols.
in one 556 page PDF eBook.
BEST VALUE!!
Vol. 1 of "Slick Licks That Stick!" an 177 page, interactive pdf eBook compilation of technique building, non-cliche musical exercises, patterns and licks,
is still available for immediate download!
See More (Take An Even Better Look!).

Attention Bassists & Trombonists
BASS CLEF VERSION NOW AVAILABLE!
Download your copy and help support this website.
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B Natural - Recent Blog Posts

02/21/2015 - Colonel Bleeped! - Coltrane's "Satellite" - The First Eight
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02/05/2015 - Be=Boppin' the Harmonic Major
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01/22/2015 - Harmonic Major - Cinderella Scale Story?
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01/08/2015 - Signs of Augmentia - Augmented Scale Major / Minor Triad Pairs
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12/18/2014 - Funkman's Delight #2 - Children of the Damned (Diminished Scale)!
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12/02/2014 - Granted! - A Joe Henderson Solo Transcription
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11/18/2014 - More Blues Minor - The Coal, Hard Sax!
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11/04/2014 - Got the Digits? Melodic Minor Tonic - Dominant (i-V7alt) Digital Patterns
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10/29/2014 - B. There! - "Invitation" - The Last Eight
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10/22/2014 - Tweet 'Dis! See Myna Fuddah Boids! - C Minor Blues - The Last Four
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10/15/2014 - Joe Henderson's "Black Narcissus"
- The Last Eight
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10/08/2014 - One Cool Warm Up...Comin' Up!
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10/01/2014 - Deep Space b9 - Descending "Tritone Minor" Scale Shape
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09/24/2014 - Who Put the "Hex" on My Hexatonic?!
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09/17/2014 - On Ramp, Off Ramp - ii-V7 Fourth Cycle Vamp
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09/11/2014 - A Curious Case of Temporary Outness in the 4th Dimension - Inspired by
"A Study in Fourths" by Walter Bishop, jr.
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09/04/2014 - Three's a Pair - Melodic Minor ii-V7-i Triad Pairs
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08/28/2014 - A Perfect Fourth Story; Ch. 2: Melodic Minor 4th Shape ii-V7-i Application
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08/20/2014 - A Perfect Fourth Story: Melodic Minor 4th Shape
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08/14/2014 - Funkman's D-Lite - Contortion, Distortion & 7#9 (Maj / min)
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08/06/2014 - 251 Measure Relay - ii-V7-i Penta b6 Speed & Agility Exercise
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07/31/2014 - NOT Olympics - Pentatonic b6 Speed & Agility Exercise
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07/22/2014 - Melomina's Delight - Minor Tonic to Dominant (i - V7alt)
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07/10/2014 - Chops Duster! - Fingerbuster!
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07/04/2014 - BRANCHER-FRANCE TSG Tenor Saxophone Play - Test
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06/27/2014 - Korner Karnataka #5 - All Aboard! Take a Ride on the "South Indian Line"
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06/19/2014 - To Be Continued...Continuous Melodic Minor ii-V7i, 3 Scale exercise
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06/12/2014 - 'Trane Fare for Slonimsky - A Diminishe Scale Sequence
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06/05/2014 - Rep. Tile Dept. - Express Your "Scales" as Arpeggios
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05/29/2014 - Like A New Pair of Blues Shoes - More X-Centric Gonzatonic b2s
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05/01/2014 - Joe Henderson's "Inner Urge" - The Last Eight
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04/22/2014 - Curacaoan of Reknown - A Conversation with Guitarist / Bassist Roy Louis, Pt. 1
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04/17/2014 - Sonny Stitt Redux: Was he the "Stinkmeaner" of the Saxophone?
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04/10/2014 - Two's the News - X-Centric Gonzatonic Pentatonic b2s ________________________________________________
04/03/2014 - Unstable, Mates! - An Etude Based on Benny Golson's Quirky Classic "Stablemates"
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03/27/2014 - Add Some Augmented Scale Patterns to "+" Up Your Day!
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03/20/2014 - Descending the Spiral Staircase - More Altered Pentatonics
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03/10/2014 - Softly - The First 8, Part 2
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03/4/2014 - Three Flavors! - Mixo, MM & Aug ii-V7-I
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02/25/2014 - Softly - The First Eight
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02/18/2014 - Notnowmom! - An Interview with Saxophonist Carolyn Breuer
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02/11/2014 -Square in the Circle, Part 2 - Diminished Scale 4ths, ii-V Application
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02/1/2014 - Square in the Circle - Diminished Scale 4ths
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01/24/2014 - Inspired from "A Study in Fourths" by Walter Bishop, Jr. - Part 2
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01/17/2014 - Stowell from John - 4 Melodic Minor Scales as Dominant Subs
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01/08/2014 - Payin' Dues and Playin' Blues with Pentatonic b2's
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