The Jazz Sax & Improvisation Blog of Saxophonist Bobby Stern

Transcriptions That Stick! - Dig Big Nick!

3/27/2013

Here's a transcription of John Coltrane's soprano saxophone solo on his composition "Big Nick", recorded April 11th, 1962 at Rudy Van Gelder's famed studio in Englewood Cliffs, NJ and was released as part of the album "Coltrane", on the Impulse! label.

This is the first of two versions of the tune recorded by Coltrane that year; the second, which appeared on the aptly titled Impulse! classic, "Duke Ellington and John Coltrane", was recorded in September.

The main difference between the two versions, is the form (and the intention). The "Ellington" version is a standard 32 bar, AABA classic American song form with a typical late 1940's, Rhythm & Bluesish chord progression on both the A sections and the bridge (in honor of former mentor, saxophonist Big Nick Nicholas, for whom Coltrane wrote the tune). Both 'Trane's and Ellington's solos are played over the complete form.

0 Comments

Augment Your Diminished Returns - Diminished Scale b6ths

3/19/2013

0 Comments

Here's an intriguing and suspenseful sounding exercise / pattern based on the whole tone / half tone diminished scale, broken down into the interval of a minor 6th, moving in minor 3rds.

The diminished scale, as you may know (or maybe you don't), is an 8 note symmetrical scale. It's construction can be viewed as:

alternating whole and half tones, a 2 note pattern which repeats itself 4 times per octave, thus dividing the octave into 4 equal parts, each consisting of a minor third. This division creates 3 distinct diminished scales (2 per note).
e.g. Whole tone/ Half tone (C-D) (Eb-F) (F#-G#) (A-B). Half tone/ whole tone (Auxiliary diminished): (C-Db) (Eb-E) (F#-G) (A-Bb).
2 diminished seventh chords, a whole step or half step apart (C-Eb-Gb-A, D-F-Ab-B) or (C-Eb-Gb-A, C#-E-G-Bb).
4 minor or Major triads, a minor third apart (C, Eb, F#, A Maj. / min triads).

0 Comments

Fun-da-Mentals - Major Triads & Inversions

3/13/2013

0 Comments

This is a basic, fundamental exercise dealing with Major Triads and their inversions.

The triads are spaced a whole tone apart with the scheme being ascending / descending in an upwards direction for 2 octaves, then ascending / descending back down.

Each inversion is presented in four groupings, as each measure is a Major Third apart, thus dividing the octave into 3 equal parts. Therefore, the triads repeat after the fourth grouping.

Triads are one of the more basic tools in an improviser's arsenal. A good technical facility, as well as a basic theoretical understanding of their usage both in and of themselves as well as their use as chordal extensions or upper structures, is an important part of building vocabulary.

Two Major triads a whole step apart are found diatonically in the Major and Melodic Minor scales (on the fourth and fifth degrees of each).

This exercise is but a starting point, as triad exercises can be built in half steps, thirds, etc., changing direction, Major, minor, mixed quality, etc., and all with inversions.

That should keep us all out of trouble, at least for a while, anyway.

Download PDF
B. Stern

0 Comments

Inspired from "A Study in Fourths" by Walter Bishop, jr.

3/6/2013

2 Comments

Here's an exercise inspired, for the most part, by the late, great pianist Walter Bishop, jr., from his book, "A Study in Fourths", published in 1976 and now, unfortunately, out of print.

I was fortunate enough to have bought this book from Mr. Bishop personally in the late 1970's or early '80s, after seeing him perform. I seem to remember him autographing it for me, but the book contains no autograph. Either I had asked him, but there was no pen available or he used invisible ink (or I was............never mind!).

*I remember now. As I had several copies of the book, I inadvertently lent or gave the autographed copy away to a student without checking. Careless maybe, but I know I wasn't trippin'.

It is said that Woody Shaw practiced out of this book, and maybe he did. But it is well documented that he played the way he did (using lines comprised of 4ths, not common on trumpet), long before this book appeared in 1976.

2 Comments

Gonna Have Some Fun! - 3-6-2-5-1

3/2/2013

0 Comments

3-6-2-5-1

Here's another finger exercise similar to the "Coltrane Changes" exercise I posted recently. This time it's a snakey ascending pattern over a iii-VI-ii-V-I chord sequence. This chord sequence is extremely common and found in most standard tunes.

The formula here is (as in Line #1):

Scale steps 7-8-9-7, 5-6-7-9 from the Major Scale (F Maj) from which the iii chord (A-7) is derived.
Scale steps 3-4-5-3, 1-2-3-4 from the Melodic Minor (Eb Mel. Min) scale from which the VI chord (D7alt; an altered dominant 7th chord) and it's altered dominant scale is derived (Altered Scale = 7th Mode of Melodic Minor).

Scale steps 3-4-5-3, 2-3-4-5 from the Major Scale (F Maj) from which the ii chord (G-7) is derived.
Scale steps 1-2-3-1, 6-7-8-9 from the Melodic Minor (C# Mel. Min) scale from which the V7 chord (C7alt; an altered dominant 7th chord) and it's altered dominant scale is derived (Altered Scale - 7th Mode of Melodic Minor).
Scale steps 7-8-9-7, and resting on the 6th scale step (D) of the Major scale (F Maj) from which the I (F Maj 6 or 7) chord is derived.

In other words, the scale / chord relationship would look like:
iii (FMaj.) VI (Eb MM) ii (F Maj.) V (C# MM) I (F Maj).
A-7 / D7alt / G-7 / C7alt / F

This is a perfect example of how Major, and it's "Evil Twin", Melodic Minor, can work together "in harmony", so to speak.

Download PDF

B. Stern

0 Comments

Transcriptions That Stick! - Dig Big Nick!

Augment Your Diminished Returns - Diminished Scale b6ths

Fun-da-Mentals - Major Triads & Inversions

Inspired from "A Study in Fourths" by Walter Bishop, jr.

Gonna Have Some Fun! - 3-6-2-5-1

Categories

Archives