The Jazz Sax & Improvisation Blog of Saxophonist Bobby Stern - bobbysternjazz.com

Three's a Pair! Pt. 2 - Melodic Minor Triad Pairs - Rhythm Changes Bridge

4/27/2015

Three's a Pair! - Part 2
Melodic Minor Triad Pairs - "Rhythm Changes" Bridge

Back on the subject of Triad Pairs in general and Melodic Minor derived triad pairs in particular, this previous post would be a good preliminary read, containing the basic premises for this post.

As mentioned in that article, the pair of adjacent triads which most captures the sound of Melodic Minor are the Major & augmented triads, built off of the 4th and 5th scale steps, respectively.

(In C Melodic Minor = F Maj.(F-A-C) & G aug. (G-B-Eb) triad pair).

However, the quality of the pure diatonic triad built on 5th step of Melodic Minor is not augmented, but Major - G Maj. = G-B-D, which is exactly the same in C Major.

So?.........

Polly Juanna Safecracker? - Pentatonic b6 Combination Exercise

4/12/2015

Polly Juanna Safecracker?
Pentatonic b6 Combination Exercise

Ms. Polly Juanna Safecracker

Been feeling locked out (or up!) lately?

This pretty little combination exercise, which unlocks the door and lets you get "up close and personal" with the Pentatonic b6 scale and its modes, is similar in construction to an exercise which I posted previously, based on the Pentatonic b2 scale.

While the Penta b2 could be considered as a derivative of the 8 note diminished scale system (as well as the lesser used Harmonic Major scale), the Penta b6 is derived from the Melodic Minor harmonic system (scale steps 5-6-7-9-b3), but also found as part of Harmonic Major (scale steps 1-2-3-5-b6).

As its name suggests, the Penta b6 is a 5 note pentatonic scale with the 6th (as being the interval measured from its root, not its scale step), flatted (eg. G Penta b6 = G-A-B-D-Eb, derived from C Melodic Minor or G Harmonic Major).

Toot Your Own Horn Dept. - A Self-Transcription / Etude of "Like Someone in Love"

3/29/2015

Toot Your Own Horn Dept.:
A Self-Transcription of "Like Someone in Love"

The Rev. Dizman Tootoot

Welcome to another, "Toot my own horn!" moment, featuring a self-transcription of the van Heusen-Burke standard, "Like Someone in Love".

As I'd been checking this tune out lately (for about 30 years), I thought it would make good subject matter for a post, with a recorded solo example, as well as an audio file thereof; both downloadable.

Now ain't that generous?!

I think it's a very healthy thing, in terms of self-analysis, to record and transcribe one's self from time to time. The fact is, that if you don't happen to be one of the handful of "household (make that "practice room") names", you might as well transcribe yourself, for yourself.

Besides, "it's my blog and I'll toot if I want to"! Dig?!

More Blues Minor - The Coal, Hard Sax!

11/18/2014

More Blues Minor - The Coal, Hard Sax!

Miner Blues - The Coal Hard Sax

This post could be considered as an addendum to "C Minor Blues - The Last Four" from a few weeks ago.

This 4 bar mini-etude didn't make the cut, only because it was conceived at a much slower tempo (ca. quarter note = 120) as in, for example, Joe Henderson's "Out of The Night" or "Bags & 'Trane", than the dozen or so in that post.

It does, however contain the same premise; being based on bars 9, 10, 11 and 12 (bVI7-V7-i-i) of the type of medium tempo Minor Blues as those tunes named above.

This one contains a single, four bar phrase, presented in 12 keys, with a 16th note feel.

It works really well as a warmup type exercise.

Got the Digits? - Melodic Minor i-V7 Digital Patterns

11/4/2014

Got the Digits?
Melodic Minor Tonic to Dominant (i-V7alt) Digital Patterns

"Dig It All! Re: Doo-Doo" painting by Fo-Toh Zjiap

The Melodic Minor scale, being in reality, an "altered" Major scale (with a flatted 3rd), translates those alterations from Major to it's phrases and melodic patterns as well.

This exercise is a technical study in the use of inherent Melodic Minor "1235 type" "digital patterns" over a common Tonic to Dominant (i - V7alt) harmonic movement, aka the "A" sections of "Softly as in a Morning Sunrise", or "A Night in Tunisia" (which has a bII7 sub for its V7).

By "digital patterns", I don't mean "ones and zeros" or Boolean Algebra; just good ol' analog left and right hand "digits", more commonly known as fingers.

While one might be familiar with the common Major Scale "digits" (ie, 1235 4568, 2346 5679 and so forth), the altered Melodic Minor versions of these same patterns might be less familiar, both in feel as well as sound.

The downloadable exercise is designed to familiarize oneself with these Melodic Minor "altered" digital patterns.

B. There! - "Invitation" - The Last Eight

10/29/2014

B. There! - "Invitation" - The Last Eight

Here's another in a series of "Last Eight" (or "Last Four") groups of etudes; designed to zero in on a certain section of a particular tune, where the chord / scale choices and their connectivity might be somewhat ambiguous, and might in general, might make you say "Huh?!"

This time, we'll take a look at the well known and oft played standard "Invitation", by Bronislau Kaper, the Polish born film composer who also wrote "On Green Dolphin Street'.

At the very end of last year, I posted an etude based on the complete set of changes of "Invitation" (here), for what it's worth.

The last eight measures (and especially the last four) of "Invitation" used to make me scratch my head (I'm sure it wasn't dandruff, or worse), before I knew how to recognize and handle Melodic Minor chord / scale relationships in these situations.

And if you didn't already realize it "Invitation" is a Melodic Minor lover's dream!

See Myna Fuddah Boids! - C Minor Blues - The Last Four

10/22/2014

Tweet 'Dis! See Myna Fuddah Boids!
C Minor Blues - The Last Four

"See Myna Blues" Bird

Hello "Bird" Lovers!

Actually, the subject of this post is neither the bird, the man, nor his "Ornithology".

Rather, based on the positive reaction to recent posts (here & here), which take 8 bar sections of tunes for study and analysis, this one focuses on the last 4 measures of a typical "Mr. PC" type C Minor Blues (bVI7-V7-i), for which I've scribbled out a dozen (12, count 'em) 4 bar mini-etudes.

A good precursor to this post, and where you'll find the basic premise for this exercise, would be this post from 2013, which deals with the same bVI7-V7-i movement, with the accompanying exercises focusing on the Melodic Minor derived Pentatonic b6 mode.

It's probably a good idea to check that one out, as there isn't much to add here in the way of a basic harmonic breakdown.

The dozen lines presented here are a bit looser in their scale choices, although Melodic Minor still predominates.

After all, it is supposed to be a Minor Blues, right? ...or a piece of one, anyway.

Three's a Pair! - Melodic Minor ii-V7-i Triad Pairs

9/4/2014

Three's a Pair! - Melodic Minor ii-V7-i Triad Pairs

The use of Triad Pairs (adjacent diatonic triads which form a hexatonic, or six note, scale), has been a relatively recent addition, historically speaking, to the general vocabulary of improvised music, becoming more prevalent among improvising musicians during the past 30 years or so.

One of the earlier examples of the use of triad pairs can be found in the well known 1959 recorded TV version of John Coltrane's solo on Miles Davis' "So What", when he was still a member of the trumpeter's quintet.

Coltrane can be heard to clearly enunciate both G and F Maj. triads (built from the 5th and 4th scale degrees, respectively, of the C Major scale) in sequence over a basic D-7 for most of the first 10 bars of his second chorus, beginning at 4:51 of the above linked YouTube video.

There are many subsequent examples of the use of these, and other, triad pairs to be found in 'Trane's solos on numerous versions of his own compositional adaptation of the "So What" changes; namely, "Impressions".

Likewise, the same G and F Maj. triad pair is in evidence on Coltrane's 1962 trio recording of his original, "Big Nick" (solo transcription here).

A Perfect Fourth Story; Ch. 2 - Melodic Minor ii-V7-i Application

8/28/2014

A Perfect Fourth Story - Ch. 2:
Melodic Minor 4th Shape ii-V7-i Application

Judging from the title, this post is a follow up to last week's, with some ideas on how one could apply these particular Melodic Minor 4th shapes in a ii-V7-i situation; at least in theory.

What I've done here was to copy one of the single measure shape patterns from a particular MM scale for the ii7b5, and another one from the MM scale a minor 3rd above it for the V7alt, but not from the same identical scale degree, so that while the shape remains the same, the pattern's interval makeup is slightly different.

A common Melodic Minor device is that whatever you play on the ii7b5, you can transpose that same phrase up a minor 3rd as a parallel sequence for the V7alt and it should sound pretty cool, right?

Eg: Line 1, measure #1 of last week's exercise: D-G-C-G Ab-D-G-E = D-7b5 (from the 6th scale degree of F Melodic Minor).

Now drop down to Line 7, measure#1: F-Bb-Eb-Bb B-F-Bb-G = G7alt (7th scale degree of Ab Melodic Minor, up a min. 3rd from F, although the pattern begins on the 6th of Ab MM).

Now that you've gotten this "up a minor 3rd thing" digested, please be informed that we'll be avoiding it like the plague this time!

A Perfect Fourth Story - Melodic Minor 4th Shape

8/20/2014

A Perfect Fourth Story:
Melodic Minor 4th Shape

4 Leaf Clovertone

The interval of a perfect 4th, being an inverted perfect 5th (the 2nd harmonic overtone in the natural overtone series), is predominant, both melodically as well harmonically (where harmony exists), in all types and styles of music on Planet Earth.

Traditionally, western music is based on a series (cycle) of 12 consecutive perfect 4ths (5ths) i.e.: (C-F-Bb-Eb-Ab-Db-Gb-B-E-A-D-G), which when juxtaposed to create a row of 12 equidistant semi-tones (C-Db-D-Eb-E-F-Gb-G-Ab-A-Bb-B) becomes known, of course, as the Chromatic Scale.

It's from this Chromatic Scale that we commonly draw our 7 note Major Scale matrix based on the interval scheme of:

Whole Step/ Whole Step/ Half Step/ Whole Step/ Whole Step Whole Step/ Half Step. (C-D-E-F-G-A-B = C Major).

But you already knew that, right?

Or, we can take a series of 6 consecutive perfect 4ths (eg. B-E-A-D-G-C-F), and we have the same 7 notes of that same C Maj. scale.

We can even drop the first and last notes (B & F), which create a tritone, and that'll give us a good ol' C Maj Pentatonic Scale (C-D-E-G-A).

Smashing! Wouldn't you agree?!

It's only when we bust up that plan by messing with the note E (the hallowed Maj. 3rd); altering it down a half step, (making it an Eb and a min. 3rd), that we enter the dark netherworld of C Melodic Minor....

And then the real fun begins!

NOT Olympics - Pentatonic b6 Speed & Agility Exercise

7/31/2014

NOT Olympics - Pentatonic b6
Speed & Agility Exercise

The playing of music, in it's purest form, isn't often looked upon as a truly competitive human activity.

As with athletics, a musician ultimately measures growth and progress against one's own accomplishments, just as a runner or long jumper might; constantly trying to better the quality of his or her performance.

For the contemporary improvising musician, technical facility on one's instrument makes it possible to express more complex and challenging musical ideas, and is a necessary requirement to do so.

In both disciplines, speed and agility, not only physical, but mental as well, are important acquired skills, obtained through many hours of focused practice` and training, which enhance and augment any innate, natural ability or talent.

Melomina's Delight - Minor Tonic to Dominant (i - V7alt)

7/22/2014

Melomina's Delight - Minor Tonic to Dominant (i - V7alt)

Princess Melomina von Melodicus

This minor Tonic - Dominant (i - V7alt) exercise is the third in a series, and works in tandem, more or less with the posts from 02/25/2014 and 03/10/2014.

Checking them out, particularly the former, might not be a bad idea.

The premise of all three exercises is to familiarize oneself with Melodic Minor, both technically and aurally, over a basic minor i - V7 cadence; which as explained in the first post, happens to be the first eight bars of the well known and oft played standard, "Softly As In a Morning Sunrise".

As in the first post, this exercise utilizes all 7 diatonic scale tones of the D and Bb Melodic Minor scales, alternately; D MM for the tonic (i) D min. chord and Bb MM for the altered dominant (V7alt) A7alt chord, each lasting a measure apiece.

The difference here is that the scales are laid out in directionally alternating diatonic 3rds; ascending / descending, etc., in an ascending direction and descending / ascending on the way back down.

2 B Continued...Continuous Melodic Minor ii-V7-i, 3 Scale Exercise

6/19/2014

2 B Continued...
Continuous Melodic Minor ii-V7-i
3 Scale Exercise

The purpose of this minor ii-V7-i exercise, which utilizes 3 Melodic Minor scales (in directionally alternating diatonic 3rds), is at least three-fold:

1) Because Melodic Minor has no "avoid" notes, one can start and resolve the ii-V7-i cadence on each and any scale degree.

2) To smoothly connect, by whole or half step, from one scale to the next, moving in the same ascending or descending direction.

3) Most importantly, to help train the ear to the sound of Melodic Minor in general and to the sound of this type of polymodal ii-V7-i in particular, as well as to build instrumental technique.

Rep. Tile Dept. - Express Your "Scales" as Arpeggios

6/5/2014

Iguana play some scales

Musically speaking, a scale (in German "Tonleiter" or "tone ladder") is an ordered set of pitches, either ascending or descending. Such scales can be expressed stepwise (horizontally) or intervalically as arpeggios (vertically).

The subject of this exercise is the arpeggiated version of the Melodic Minor Scale starting on it's 4th scale degree (Lydian Dominant), over a minor ii-V7-i root movement.

A wealth of information on Melodic Minor harmony can be found in previous posts on this blog, together with ii-V7 exercises.

Descending the Spiral Staircase - More Altered Pentatonics

3/20/2014

Surprise! Another ii-V7-i exercise dealing with altered pentatonics.

Can't get enough, huh? Me, too!

I mean, why practice this stuff? Why practice scales, patterns, etc.

In fact, why practice.......period!?

I expect there might be different answers depending on the skill level and intentions of the player.

As for myself, and players like me who have been doing this for a while, it's about making new connections (musically, not necessarily politically or professionally), creating new pathways, growing new synapses, etc.

In other words, trying to get away from playing the S.O.S.

As I mentioned on my home page, the more you learn, the more the universe seems to expand exponentially, whereby, instead of feeling larger within it, you realize how little you really know.

The great part about that is: There will always be something interesting and challenging to learn, and get this:

YOU WILL NEVER RUN OUT OF THINGS TO PRACTICE!

Softly - The First 8, Part 2

3/10/2014

Softly as in a Swarm of Flying Marshmallows

This exercise works together with the post from 02/25/2014, and the basic explanations can be found there.

What we've done here, basically, is omitted 2 of the notes from each of the original Melodic Minor scales (D Melodic Minor, omit G & C#, and Bb Meodic Minor, omit Bb & Eb), thereby creating 2 altered pentatonics.

For the D min tonic chord, we'll use a D pentatonic b3 (D-E-F-A-B), which has a more "obvoius" tonic sound than our other MM choice, the pentatonic b6, which is what we'll use for the A7alt dominant chord (F pentatonic b6 = Bb Melodic Minor = F-G-A-C-Db). The D min pentatonic supplies us with a good old Dmin6 9 sound, while the fore mentioned F pentatonic b6 gives us an A7 #9b13, and includes the tritone C#(Db) & G.

As in the previous exercise, both scales are played alternately in a single direction, each measure beginning on the next available scale tone.

Note: Measure 4 of Line 4 should be labeled as an A7alt chord.

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Treble Clef Bass Clef

B. Stern

Three Flavors! - Mixo, MM & Aug ii-V7-I

3/4/2014

This exercise comes in 3 flavors, and I don't mean your standard vanilla-chocolate-strawberry, either.

I'd even venture to claim, from my own biased point of view, that it's even more yummy, and certainly less fattening.

It could even help you sweat off a few pounds in the process, plus it'll most definitely keep your cholesterol in check..

Having gotten those preliminary points out of the way, what I'm really trying to say here is............

Softly - The First Eight

2/25/2014

This is a basic exercise, written out in Tenor Key, which I recently developed for several of my Skype students which I thought I'd share here (hope they don't mind). It utilizes 2 Melodic Minor scales, D & Bb Melodic Minor to be exact, alternating over a tonic minor (i) chord (D-6, D- Maj7), and an altered dominant (V7) chord (A7alt), each chord lasting a measure apiece.

This is also a simplified version of an exercise found in "The Melodic Minor Handbook" by yours truly and published by Jamey Aebersold. The exercise in the book consists a 4 bar minor ii-V7-i using 3 different Melodic Minor scales. Both exercises are "continuous scale' types, where the inherent first note of each new scale picks up where the last note of the previous one left off.

For example: measure #1, (D- = D Mel. Min. = D-E-F-G-A-B-C#-D).
measure #2, (A7alt = Bb Mel. Min = Eb-F-G-A-Bb-C-Db-Eb)
measure #3, (D- = D Mel. Min. = E-F-G-A-B-C#-D-E).

And so on. Get the drift?

Stowell from John - 4 Melodic Minor Scales as Dominant Subs

1/17/2014

John Stowell

Actually, your honor, I ain't stole nuthin'! I just borrowed a little bit, which I'm tryin' to return, by way of the Universe!
Hey, I hadn't even heard of Master Guitarist & Educator, John Stowell until a few months ago, when my long time buddy, Prof. Dave King of the University of Music & Performing Arts in Mannheim, Germany (see post from 5/29/2013), took part in one of John's master classes which was given at the school and sent me some video links.

Needless to say, I was intrigued by Stowell's harmonic and scalar concepts; especially his ideas of mixing and integrating modes of Melodic Minor with modes of Major (e.g. C Dorian with Bb Melodic Minor), not necessarily a measure at a time, but fusing them together as one scale.

Practice Room Instigation - Etude "Invitation"

12/28/2013

Happy New Year, everybody!

I've been absent from these pages for over a month now, mainly due to the time it's taken me to complete and release my new eBook, "Slick Licks That Stick! Vol. 2" available for download right here.

Anyway, I couldn't let December go by and 2013 go out by posting "0" for the month, soooo..............

Here's is an etude, re-titled "Instigation" based on the changes of yet another popular standard "Invitation", by Bronislaw Kaper, from the 1952 film of the same name.

Kaper, who emigrated from Poland in the mid 1930's, was a prolific composer for Hollywood films and Broadway theater, and is also best known as the composer of another standard and improvisational vehicle which we all know and love (don't we?), "On Green Dolphin Street".

The tune "Invitation" makes an excellent study in Melodic Minor usage. Some form of MM can be organically utilized on virtually every chord of the tune.

MM elements Pentatonic b3 & b6, altered scale, triad pairs, etc. abound throughout the etude.

Hopefully, this etude will "instigate" your curiosity to isolate and identify them.

So here's your "invitation to instigation". Enjoy!

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Bb Concert
Eb Bass Clef

B. Stern

Front Burner! - More Penta b6 ii-V-i Apps

11/5/2013

Here's another Pentatonic b6 (Melodic Minor derivative) exercise, applied over a minor ii-V7-i, using a different MM scale, and therefore Penta b6, for each chord.

The basic pattern is a descending retrograde pentatonic b6 , in diatonic (to the pentatonic) thirds, with a simple scheme of:

Step Up / Skip Down - Step Up - Skip Down - Step Up - Skip Down - Step Up/

with the first 2 eighth notes of each Penta functioning as a pick up and anticipating the chord on beat one of the following measure.

Each pentatonic begins on the note closest to that of the first penta, which starts off the line.

Therefore, at least five of these lines (one for each pentatonic note position) can be generated from this pattern and it's interval scheme. It will work with Penta b3 (it's ii mode: aka, In-Sen scale) and b2, or for that matter, any 5 note scale of your choosing.

As I mentioned in my last post, I really like the sound of the Penta b6, due to it's open, augmented quality, so, if you haven't noticed, it's been sitting on my front burner as of late.

Cool! Heat 'em up!

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Treble Clef Bass Clef

B. 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.

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

10/9/2013

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".

1235 Melodic Minor Circle - Apt. #251

9/9/2013

Our old friend Mel Minor (MM to friends and family) is back with an exercise featuring an alteration of Major's basic 1-2-3-5 diatonic pattern. To begin with, we know that MM is an altered form of Major in itself.

If you are familiar with running Major 1-2-3-5 combinations such as CDEG FGAC, DEFA GABD, FGAC BCDF, etc., this MM version will be at once familiar, yet strange and exciting.

Using a four bar ii-V7 phrase, measure 1 of Line 1 starts out with a 4 note 1-2-3-6 grouping starting on D (D-E-F-Bb), the root of the Dmin7b5 chord (Locrian #2 mode) and the sixth step of it's parent scale, F Melodic Minor.

The second 4 note grouping starts, as with it's Maj. counterpart, by turning back a whole step, to Ab in this case. It then does a MM diatonic 1-2-3-5 (Ab-Bb-C-E).

Another way to think of this is to start the first group on the sixth step (D) of F Melodic Minor and the second group on it's third (Ab).

In measure 2, G7alt (Ab MM) the first group mimics the shape of it's measure 1 counterpart (1-2-3-6), while the second grouping, again turning down a whole step and starting on Ab, breaks the symmetry and resolves to the fifth of the tonic chord (C Maj. or min.).

Although not notated here, if we flip the scrip' and start the first measure pattern on the third of F MM (Ab-Bb-C-E), drop a whole step again and continue on it's sixth (D-E-F-Bb), the symmetry continues in measure 2, G7alt (Ab MM) with straight 1-2-3-5s (Ab-Bb-Cb-Eb and Db-Eb-F-Ab) outlining a Db7 (tritone sub) resolving again to a G in bar 3; maybe a bit more symmetrical and logical, but who says symmetrical and logical are always the best or the most fun, anyway?

Check 'em both out!

Read earlier posts on the subject of Melodic Minor, starting with
"Sympathy for Melodic Minor - Major's Evil Twin, Pt. 1"

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Treble Clef Bass Clef

B. Stern

Unchained MM Melody! - Melodic Minor in 4ths

4/4/2013

Here's a groovy little line, based on 3 note groupings of diatonic 4th intervals of the Melodic Minor scale, which morphed into being today as I waxed saxosophical.

In my recent series of posts entitled "Melodic Minor: Major's Evil Twin", Pts. 1 -5, it was mentioned that:

1) The Melodic Minor scale system does not contain an unbroken row of 6 perfect fourths, as does Major (i.e. C Maj: B-E-A-D-G-C-F). As a result of altering the Maj. 3rd "E" to "Eb", the newly created C Melodic Minor scale now has 4 perfect fourths, 2 tritones (Eb-A, F-B) and a diminshed fourth (B-Eb, which sounds as a Maj. 3rd).

This means that different finger patterns are created than if you were to play purely Maj. diatonic 4ths or lines based on perfect 4ths, a la Walter Bishop, jr's method. In fact, getting MM 4ths under your fingers will enhance your ability to create hybrid lines using all of these methods.

2) Melodic Minor has no "avoid notes", as does Maj. (i.e. "F" in C Maj.), so that theoretically, nothing will sound "wrong", plus diatonic melodies, chords, and bass lines are all pretty much interchangeable.

Each 2 bar phrase, one ascending & one descending, contains all 7 notes of the Melodic Minor scale.

There are myriads of ways which you could harmonize this line, so knock yourself out.

Thanks, I think I will.

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Lots more Melodic Minor material is available in my recent eBook, "Slick Licks That Stick!", including a Melodic Minor 4th Stack Workout! Check it out!

B. Stern