When I was younger I used to listen to all those negative thoughts and let them guilt me into practicing more. It was a great way to get me practicing but it was a very unhealthy way to motivate myself. No matter how much I would practice or how good I would get I would always have those negative thoughts pulling me down.

Now, I try to stop those negative thoughts as soon as they start. I still have them pop up but I don’t listen to them. Thoughts like “This video stinks, I look like an idiot, I made a mistake, I stink”……………Yes, I still have those thoughts even after 30 years of playing the sax. I just ignore them and focus elsewhere. Be aware of your weaknesses and work on them but don’t dwell on them while forgetting all your strengths. I hope this video brings a little bit of joy and encouragement to your day. Steve

This is a clip I found  the other day on my hard drive where I am playing a sax solo on “This Love” by Maroon 5.  This isn’t normally a clip I would post but for some reason that day I was into using a bunch of approaches on that solo.  These lines sound killer on R&B when you want to morph into some fast runs during your solo.  On this clip I’m using my Lamberson J7 tenor mouthpiece.

In the Approach Note Velocity books I outline all the approaches and the different combinations that I practiced them in.  Besides that, I have included them in all 12 keys for your benefit.

Approach Note Velocity-Major-PDF

Approach Note Velocity-Minor-PDF

Approach Note Velocity (Printed)

If you wish to purchase the book  you can get them here in either print form or downloadable.

Technique Part 1


Technique Part 2

Following the Changes

Musical Vocabulary

Rhythym and Syncopation

The Illusion of an Instrument

To answer this question and help someone out I have to know the answer to certain questions:

1. How long have you been playing for?  How long have you been playing jazz and improvising?
2. What do you know?  Do you know all your major scales?  Do you know your blues scales?  Do you know all your major triads?  Minor triads?  Seventh Chords?  Pentatonics?  Bebop Scales?  Approaches?  Do you know some II-V-I patterns?  Diminished Scales?  Whole Tone Scales?  Altered Scales?  Chord Substitutions?  Have you transcribed a solo? Etc……….Print every  lesson category I have. You can find them here, and do this exercise for all the subjects.  Go through the list and rate your self from 0-10 for each item. (many of the lessons are listed in more than one category so be aware of that as you work through the list. I tried to put all the lessons either in Beginner,Intermediate or Advanced) 0 means you don’t know it at all. 10 means you have it mastered……(*Important! I’m not just asking if you know something intellectually  but if you know it so well that you can apply these things in a  live playing situation. For example: I’ve had many people tell me they know their major scales but then when it comes to improvising on a Db major chord they are hitting all sorts of wrong notes. It’s not enough to be able to write it out on paper. You have to be able to execute it and play it.)
3. Have you taken lessons before? What did you study?
4. Can you improvise on a jazz tune without getting lost?  Which songs are you comfortable on and which do you have trouble with?  (For example you might be able to get through Watermelon Man but get totally lost while improvising on All the Things You Are or Giant Steps”
5. What are your main goals in taking lessons?  How do you hope to change? How would you like your jazz improvisation to be different in 3 months? A year? 5 years?

Now these are the types of questions I usually ask someone who emails me  ”Where should I start?” To answer that question for yourself, you need to think about the questions above in an honest and truthful way.  Being in denial about where you’re at will not help.  If you don’t know all your major scales or  can’t improvise through a blues without getting lost then you have to be honest about that.

Now, what do you do with that information……….Well you start with the most basic level of lesson and move forward from there.  This will help you to see where you would jump in.  Look at the list you printed out above. Start in the Beginners section and work your way through. If you rated yourself a 7 or less on something then this is something you need to still work on. To me 8-10 is the level of competence that you want to have in any jazz improvisation area. 7 or less and it will most likely be a weakness and stumbling block in your progress later on.  Each of these subjects are building blocks to the foundation that you are laying to become a great jazz improviser.  If you have a 3 for major scales in all keys then this will cause major problems later on in your jazz development.

As you work through the list from Beginners to Advanced Pick 4 lessons that you rated lower. Go to the Neffmusic Store. Find the lesson and read the description and watch the sample video.  At this point you have to make a decision whether this is the right video or audio lesson for you.  It has to be something you need work on but to be honest, it also has to be something you are interested and excited about working on. (Although, sometimes you won’t be excited but you need to do what you know is right and work on the topic!)

If you are a saxophone player I would recommend 1 improvisation lesson, 1 lesson on a saxophone related subject, one lesson on a jazz tune (that you don’t have memorized and is appropriate for your level) and one lesson on ear training (If you play another instrument then you can skip the saxophone related lessons obviously).  If you don’t want to download them all at once then you also have the option to download one video lesson, work on it and then when you are ready download the next video lesson.  (One person might only need a week to master one triad pairs lesson, another person might need a month……….)

I hope this blog post will help you find the right place to start with my improvisation and saxophone video lessons.  For those of you who have been members and are reading this please feel free to add any comments and tips that you have realized that might be able to help others out there.  If I think of anymore ideas I will be sure to update this post.  If you want more information on becoming a member click here.  Enjoy the journey!       Thanks,    Steve

“Approach Note Velocity” by Steve Neff

Approach Note Velocity is a book that I created for myself so that I could master all the different approach notes in every key.  I have divided the book up into sections by key and have written out the exercises so that you can practice them and read them if you need to. I added the word velocity to the title because as I practiced these approaches I found that I could play faster and faster over chord changes. Below is the intro to the book and a little more detail into it’s genesis and creation.

A number of years ago, I was frustrated with my jazz improvisation over static major and minor grooves.  It seemed like I always ran out of ideas and the ideas I had were stale and unoriginal.  At that time, although I could play in all keys,  more often than not I was held back to the same old diatonic patterns and licks I had studied as a kid.  Besides this frustration,  I felt like there were many keys with which I just wasn’t comfortable.  As a solution,  I decided to come up with a comprehensive method (Approach Note Velocity)  using approach notes that I could use to systematically solve these perceived weaknesses in my playing.  I started by writing out every approach I could think of in every key.  For about 4-5 months,  I worked on these approaches while playing along to Jamey Aebersold’s Volume 24 “Major and Minor” CD.  As I worked on, and added to, my collection of approaches,  I saw the positive results in my performances. Not only was I able to play faster over tunes, but I was feeling a confidence that I could start an idea on any note and find a way to resolve it and make it sound good.  As I worked on them in depth,  I began to notice that my confidence in every key was improving.  Also, the method I was using was helping my ear to more easily hear key centers, and something cool was happening to my time concept.  I was starting to play ideas in odd meters against 4. I wasn’t tied down to the 1,2,3,4 groove, but was playing across the bar lines while improvising.  I really believe that working on “Approach Note Velocity”  has helped my playing immensely.  I hope that you get as much out of these exercises as I have and that they will improve your improvisation also..
To get the most out of these exercises, I highly recommend that you practice them the way I did. I bought Jamey Aebersold’s Volume 24 “Major and Minor”.  I would practice every exercise while playing the background track in that key.  Some of the approach note patterns can sound a bit dissonant on their own, but when playing them with a background track you can really hear the approach notes and their resolutions.  You can also easily hear when you make a mistake.
Although many of the exercises are written in different time signatures, it makes no difference in regard to playing them over a 4/4 groove.  If anything, it varies your phrasing so you’re playing 3 against 4 or 5 against 4.  The tempo and rhythm isn’t all that important either.  I found that these patterns were great when playing quarter notes, eighth notes or as a variety of triplets or sixteenth notes.  As I practiced them,  I would speed up and slow down where I wanted, and this created a certain freedom of time for me that was liberating musically.  Although most of the approach note patterns are written in eighth notes; don’t feel you need to be held to that rhythm.  When I practiced them I would start with quarter notes then move to quarter note triplets.  Once I felt comfortable, I would go to eighth notes, then triplets,sixteenth notes…… My goal was to master the approaches, but also come up with new and fresh rhythmic ideas.  I also had a lot of fun looping the approach note patterns. If a pattern is in 3 and you loop it over and over, it resolves on different parts of a 4/4 beat. Let your ear and imagination guide you as you play through these.
I would also like to add that I received the most benefit from these when I was systematic and thorough. I spent about 4-5 months working on these patterns in every key; usually about 1-3 hours a day.  When I felt I had really mastered a pattern in one key, I would put a check mark next to the exercise and move on to the next key or approach note pattern.
Note that near the end of the book, I’ve included some pages for beginning improvisers who still need to learn their major triads. It’s extremely important in studying these exercises that you have a firm grasp on all your major and minor triads in all the keys.
You’ll also notice that in exercises 9-30, the exercises are only 4
measures long and usually written within one octave. I recommend playing these throughout the range of your instrument and if you can even into the altissimo range.  Also, it is valuable to play them not only forwards, but also backwards. I would also play them jumping every other measure. So in exercise 10, you would play measure 1, then measure 3, then measure 2, then measure 4 and so on.  You would also do the same thing backwards through the exercise. Measure 4, measure 2, measure 3, measure 1 and so on.
The real gold mine in these exercises are the combination’s I’ve written and the ones you come up with yourself.  These are what will help your playing sound less like a pattern and more random or improvisational.  The ultimate goal is to get to a point where you are creating combination’s on the spot and coming up with new and exciting ways to play these approaches as you improvise. The best feeling is when you are improvising and these approach note lines are flowing and being created by you in a random and unpredictable way. When you can do that you will be amazed at the lines you can create on the spot.
Lately, I have been adding detailed online lessons to my site with step by step instructions on how to master this material.  Each online lesson is about half an hour and I assign you homework from the book to work on for that week or until the next lesson. I demonstrate how to work on these concepts and utilize them in  real playing situation.  You can see a sample video clip of each online lesson to get a feel of what it is like.  Just go to the “NeffMusic Lessons” tab of the site and do a search for “Approach Notes” to see all the online lessons available. These are one of the best concepts that I have worked on over the years and I hope you can join me to become the best player you can be.
Thanks, Steve

3. Don’t be afraid to communicate with me so I can provide more detailed online lessons for you……Some of my video and audio lessons can be overwhelming because of the amount of info I am giving you. You have to remember that I’m making these online lessons for a wide audience.  One person who gets the Dominant Bebop Lessons could be a player who has played for 30 years and can crank through the material.  Another person might only be playing for a couple of years and have a harder time.  If you are in the latter group and need more specifics and direction email me or write in the forum and I can provide more detailed step by step lessons to meet your specific needs.  If you are working on something but are having trouble applying it to a jazz standard just email me or post in the forum and I can do a online lesson on that so you can learn how to apply it.  I can’t respond to every individual email but I can provide more lessons that everyone can use. I am more than happy to provide lesson for your specific needs.

4. Don’t be afraid to post in the Neffmusic forum. This is an area that I made so that we could all communicate to each other.  You might be able to get some different perspectives from other members that are in the same place you are in or that have already worked on the lesson that you now have.  I also like thinking of this as a hub of ideas where I can go to see what you are all thinking and how you are doing.  The more we use this area the better the results for everyone.  In a one on one teaching scenario there is communication back and forth.  The student and teacher both shift and change their approaches and styles to help each other along. Even though this is the internet and the lessons are online we can still have some communication through the use of the forum so that I can meet your needs in a better way.

I hope these four steps help you with my lessons and I wish you lots of success. Thanks, Steve

potterized-rhythm-changes

These are just some general ideas for the practice time needed. Again, each student is different. It is best to consult myself with any questions you might have about a practice schedule. Naturally, the more a student practices the better the results. (I do recommend at least one day off)

Here are some tips that I have used or seen used by parents that have been successful:

1. In many instances, the students that practice the most consistently are the ones that have a set schedule. Many parents are very scheduled, organized and on top of there children when it comes to homework. Of course it isn’t something that is optional or that the child only has to do when they feel like it. The students that are the most consistent with practicing are the ones with a schedule. For example, they will practice every MWF at 3:15 when they get home from school. Some students I have practice right after they finish their homework and it is given an equal importance with the homework. Some practice every night after dinner. Some practice on Saturday and Sunday and once during the week. The schedule that works for you is the best.

2. Many times it helps to keep the instrument set up and out in their room. It also helps to have a music stand with the material to practice out in the open. Many times if the student sees their instrument and the material it will remind them to practice. The worst thing to do is for the student to come home and put the instrument in the closet. Usually, when that happens they will forget about it until the next lesson.

3. I find that writing notes on the fridge is a great help to my daughter. Many times I can’t be home when my daughter gets home so I’ll put a note on the fridge reminding her to practice her saxophone. This usually helps her to remember and she does practice.

4. The more a parent can be involved the better. When the lesson is over ask your child what their assignment was. Encourage them to practice during the week. If you hear something that sounds good……tell them! Nothing will encourage a child to practice like getting recognition or praise from their parents!

5. Although music can be incredibly rewarding and fun for students many times the practicing isn’t. It can be hard, challenging and frustrating. When a student is running into a time like this many times it’s ok to take a break and regroup. If they come back to the piece later when they are fresh the obstacles they encountered before will be easier to overcome.

6. Motivation……. the more you can do to motivate your child the better. Cracking the whip and threatening a child to go practice will only go so far. When i was a kid the number one thing that motivated me was……….music. When I started listening to recordings of music and going to concerts you couldn’t stop me from practicing. It lit a fire under me. I would listen to sax player and be enthralled by what i was hearing. The more you can have any music around your house the better. I’m always writing out songs for the students……Star Wars, Harry Potter, Pink Panther….. the reason I do that is because it excites the students when they can play many of these songs.

Music can be very rewarding and exciting! That’s the reason I went into it for a living. I love playing it, I love teaching it. Even with all my passion and excitement about it, I can tell you of countless times where I was practicing for hours and hours and I was driving myself nuts trying to become better. It was not always easy and there were many times that it was the last thing I wanted to do. I have to say though that now 30 years after starting the saxophone, I have the same excitement and passion when I play or listen to music as I did back in 8th grade. I wouldn’t choose any other path if I could do it all over again. I hope, that no matter what future many of my students may have, that music will be an enjoyable and meaningful part of it. I hope that the many hours of practice will in the future pay off as it has for me.

Learning these fundamentals and getting them mastered will help a musician to improvise in a more creative way. Below is a sample from the book. What I’ve tried to do is make the exercises very systematic and progressive. If you go to my Lesson on “The Ultimate II-V-I Primer”, the book is included when you purchase Part 1 of the audio lesson.
This book is also an excellent resource to use while improvising through tunes that you are memorizing. Playing these exercises will force you to really internalize each chord and it’s upper structures. Once you can play through these exercises it will make my “Best II-V-I Patterns” that much easier to master and learn. I hope you enjoy it. Steve
the-ultimate-ii-v-i-primer-sample

and we can try to set something up during a time that works for the both of us.