Hey, thanks for poppin' in...!
Hi, I'm Bobby Stern, 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 *
From the Archives
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 Posts04/30/2025 - Face the Music... and dance to this Melodic Sequence!
_________________________________________ 03/28/2025 - Have You Met Miss Jones? - She awaits you on the bridge! _________________________________________ 02/28/2025 - Mostly 4ths in a line over a very common Chord Progression __________________________________________ 01/30/2025 - Looking for Inspiration? Try Adding Triads! __________________________________________ 12/22/2024 - John Coltrane's Tenor Solo on "I Love You" - A Transcription ___________________________________________ 11/23/2024 - Yet Another Case for ACE - A Melodic Minor ii-V7 ___________________________________________ 10/25/2024 - A Perfect Line in Fourths - 4 You!___________________________________________ 09/27/2024 - Augmentation Station: An Augmented Scale Sequence ____________________________________________ 08/29/2024 - The Fix is In - Broken Maj 9 Chords in 5ths, Major 3rds Cycle ____________________________________________ 07/30/2024 - A Snakey, Serpentine Warm-Up! ____________________________________________ 06/29/2024 - Messiaen Around With Mode 3 (Super Augmented) ____________________________________________ 05/23/2024 - Running Into Ideas - "Stablemates" - The Last 4-Bars of the "B-Section" ____________________________________________ 04/19/2024 - Four'll Get You 24 - A Few Half-Diminished Permutations ____________________________________________ 03/22/2024 - Whispering Familiar - An 027 Trichord Transformed ____________________________________________ 02/24/2024 - The Joys of Half & Whole Steppin'! ____________________________________________ 01/26/2024 - Connections & Directions - Alternating Triads in a Pair ____________________________________________ 12/15/2023 - Stocking Stuffer...and a ii-V in a Pair 3! ____________________________________________ 11/23/2023 - A Friendly Little I-VI-ii-V Sequence ____________________________________________ 10/26/2023 - Monkin' Around with the "Evidence" - A Self-Transcription _____________________________________________ 09/22/2023 - "Airegin" - Six Short Etudes - First Eight of the First Ending _____________________________________________ 08/25/2023 - Tailor Made - A Simple Melodic Minor V7-I Resolution ______________________________________________ 07/27/2023 - Plus Factor - An Augmented Scale Sequence ______________________________________________ 06/23/2023 - Major/ minor: A Diminished/ Blues Scale Hex-0-Tonic ______________________________________________ 05/25/2023 - Return of the SUPER 4 - A minor ii-V7 Sequence ______________________________________________ 04/27/2023 - Pairing Off! Fresh Twist, Familiar Combo ______________________________________________ 03/23/2023 - Flip 4 Real! - Using Mordents in a ii-V7 Melodic Line ______________________________________________ 02/24/2023 - Straight Ahead - Elements of an 027 Line _______________________________________________ 01/13/2023 - A Whole Lotta Sole - Giant Steps 027, sus2, sus4, 125 _______________________________________________ 12/17/2022 - 'Tis the Season - A Sleigh Ride at 250 BPM _______________________________________________ 11/27/2022 - NIDIAN & Her Sisters - Maj7sus4 Chords & Tetratonic Modes _______________________________________________ 10/28/2022 - On the Menu...Tasty Lines over a Neo-Soul Vamp! _______________________________________________ 09/28/2022 - "Coming on the Hudson" - A Johnny Griffin Tenor Saxophone Solo Transcription _______________________________________________ 08/27/2022 - "More... SUPER 4!" _______________________________________________ 07/27/2022 - 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 _________________________________________________ |
