The Jazz Sax & Improvisation Blog of Saxophonist Bobby Stern

X-Centric Gonzatonics - Penta b6 ii-V7-i Applications

10/27/2013

This exercise is for practicing Pentatonic b6 (1-2-3-5-b6) over a minor ii-V7-i cadence, using three derivative Melodic Minor scales (from which Penta b6 is formed), one for each chord, to do the job.

As an added "bonus", we're using "formula" or "shape" #1
from tenor master Jerry Bergonzi's popular book,
"Vol. 2 - Pentatonics" (Advance Music).

To add even further excitement, we'll start each Penta b6 from a common tone, giving it the "X-Centric" treatment.

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013, 1+2, 3-4-5 - Super Augmented?

10/16/2013

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I recently discovered an awesome book by NYC alto saxophonist / composer John O'Gallagher, entitled "Twelve Tone Improvisation" (Advance Music) after stumbling upon it via a Dave Douglas podcast. O'Gallagher is a monster alto player with a fresh & unique concept. After hearing some of the music from the podcast off of his latest CD "The Anton Webern Project" and how "sophisticatedly funky" it sounded (Anton Webern gets jacked by Ornette meets Sun-Ra meets Bitches Brew), I got so excited I bought both the book & the CD.

Although I've previously had some minimal exposure to twelve tone rows in both composition and improvisation, it wasn't something I had been thinking about lately. However, just the idea itself woke me up enough to realize, "This is something I would definitely love to (and need to) check out!"

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iii - VI - ii - V - Alternating Abbott & Costello

10/9/2013

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I'm trying not to beat this Melodic Minor thing to death, but here's one more exercise (#2) over a iii-VI-ii-V cadence, highlighting the use of alternating Major and Melodic Minor scales.

Major and Melodic Minor in a diatonic context work together like yin & yang, dark vs. light, Adam & Eve, Abbott & Costello...................
KnowwhatI'msayin'!?

This 4 bar line typifies everything bebop, and it's elements have been a staple of the vocabulary for about 75 years, so there's nothing new here, unless of course, you happen to be new to it!

In that case I would recommend checking out some of the earlier blog posts, starting here, on Melodic Minor harmony.

What still amazes me to no small degree, is and has been the historical misunderstanding and confusion on the subject, in both the available literature as well as our hallowed institutions of "higher learning".

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X-Centric Gonzatonics - Penta b6 ii-V7-i Applications

013, 1+2, 3-4-5 - Super Augmented?

iii - VI - ii - V - Alternating Abbott & Costello

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