As I’ve been playing jazz on the alto sax since 1981  and I have continually come up against the same question of what to play over a Dominant 7th chord.  That question remained until I came across Steve’s book Mastering the Dominant Bebop Scale.   I immediately started to benefit even after a few days of studying the opening pages. I have continued with my study of this book and the difference is truly remarkable; I am never lost for an idea of what to play when I’m on the Dominant 7th chord of any tune now.  I would highly recommend this book for the serious student of the jazz standard tunes.-Wil Greenstreet

Like most people I have numerous pattern books, most of which are largely useless, as the patterns are often so abstruse that one is never going to be able to use them in a natural-sounding way. The great advantage of Steve Neff's material is that a lot of it is immediately useful, being based on the jazz vocabulary of the great players. Even the more difficult material makes sense because it is offered as part of a method of developing improvisation based on clear principles. I find I use all Steve's books in two ways. 1) I pick up the material that feels fundamental and work on parts of it at length, which makes it easier to play in the trickier keys in an interesting way. 2) I just play through lots of the material before doing a gig, without repeating it. Because the material is musical this is a great way of getting one's fingers to articulate something new when one gets to the gig.-Professor Andrew Bowie

I'm an experienced player in the pop/soul/funk areas of music and, previously, classical.  Over the decades I've been playing, I've always felt that I could do what I needed in those styles of music.  However, recently I began to feel limited by my use of the same old licks. When I discovered Steve Neff's website, and heard the audio examples based on the exercises in his books, I realized they were what I needed.  I purchased all of them and have been working on them since.  It's very hard work - mind crunching sometimes - because I'm memorizing each exercise in every key, and using different rhythms as Steve suggests, but I can see the development taking place and the old barriers starting to break down already.  Steve has obviously put so much of his experience and time into these books and I think it's great that he's made it all available for others to benefit from.-Paul

As a jazz sax teacher, I use all of Steve Neff's Books. My students all want to cop jazz and swing feel, so often I play Steve's MP3 examples for them with confidence. Mr. Neff swings with the best of them. His sound is awesome and his ideas are easy to grasp. The key is daily practice. The books are just guides lines. I favor Steve Neff's books and any good Transcription in teaching jazz at all ages.-Ed Zlotnick, Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute, in D/FW, North Texas

I have been working regularly with both Steve's II-V-I patterns (major and minor) and his Approach Note Velocity books.  After over 40 years of playing, I have never worked through anything that has opened me up to new ideas and gotten me out of a playing "rut" faster than these books.  I am hearing new things in my playing and so are others and I am constantly getting more comfortable playing in any key.   Who says you can't teach an "old dog" new tricks?  I just wish I had access to something like this about 35 years ago.   Steve can expect that I will be adding his Mastering the Dominant Bebop Scale book to my arsenal very soon.-Randall S. Closson

Steve, I am a trauma surgeon with very limited time who is learning to play jazz guitar.  I have purchased all of your books ( The Best II-V-I Patterns, Approach Note Velocity or  Mastering the Dominant Bebop Scale) and have found them invaluable in giving me an insight into modern improvising.  The Mastering the Dominant Bebop Scale is much clearer and user-friendly than the Baker books thtat I had been using (How to Pay Bebop).  Instead of just a single riff, you provide building blocks that allow the student to really internalize the Bebop scales and actually make music with them.  I am also using Approach Note Velocity in combination with the New York Guitar Method to master the use of chromatics in my playing.   Thank you so much for taking the time to develop these books, and please let me know when you develop a new product!-Michele Holevar