In this 30 minute audio lesson, I give a general overview of my Approach Note Velocity books and concept.  This is not a step by step lesson series like the “Approach Note Freedom” series of lessons but rather an overview lesson  to get you started and up and running with the concepts.  I teach you how to best use the Approach Note Velocity books for the maximum benefit.   I take you step by step through the process that I myself went through years ago as I practiced all my approach note lines and patterns.  I demonstrate how to play the exercises and practice in the Approach Note Velocity books as well as the best way to practice these against Jamey Aebersold’s play alongs.   I  give you  tips and hints on how to apply the approaches to real life playing situations.  This is a great lesson for those of you who have my book and want further insights on how to get the most from it.  If you don’t have my “Approach Note Velocity” books then I would strongly suggest you get it in order to learn the most from this lesson.   (30 Minute Audio Lesson)

Lesson Level: Beginner = 1 - Advanced = 5 ★★★★☆ 

In this audio lesson, I show you a cool method to navigate through rhythm changes using approach notes lines from my book “Approach Note Velocity”.   Approach note lines are lines and patterns that use a series of “approach notes” to approach a target chord tone.  Approach note lines cause a temporary tension and dissonance in the line that is then relieved when you hit the target chord tone.  The great thing about these approach note lines is that they weave in and out of a key center while at the same time highlighting the notes of that key center on the strong downbeats.  For example, the “A” section of rhythm changes has many chords in it that are only 2 beats in length.  At a fast tempo the rhythm changes chords fly by and many improviser’s rely on stock lines and patterns to outline these changes in a rote way.  By using approach note lines over the “A ” section, we weave in and out of the key of C while navigatiing these rhythm changes chords.  This has the effect of highlighting the key of C while at the same time creating lines that are bouncing and weaving around the key center.  The freedom that this approach can give to the improviser is liberating.  Instead of being tied to a specific set of chord changes you can float above the changes as you improvise your lines and create new and different melodies.

Mastering this lesson is a great way to add a new dimension to your playing over rhythm changes while at the same time mastering all your approaches in five different keys.  This lesson also includes a 2 page pdf with examples of approaches you can play over the bridge.  If you master this stuff  you’ll be burning on “Oleo” in no time.  You will need my book “Approach Note Velocity” to get the most out of this lesson.  (20 Minute Audio Lesson)

Lesson Level: Beginner = 1 - Advanced = 5 ★★★☆☆ 

Out of that experience came my “Approach Note Velocity” books.  As I started giving online video lessons, I started receiving requests to do some lessons on this approach note concept.   This is a new series that I’m starting to teach how to work through the “Approach Note Velocity” material.  In this series I will take you step by step through the process in each lesson.   I have found that many students enjoy how the approach note concept sounds but when it comes to applying it to their playing it can be difficult.  This  will be a step by step lesson series where I walk you through the process of how to learn and integrate these concept into your own playing.  In order to get the most out of this series you will need the “Approach Note Velocity” books, Jamey Aebersold Vol. 24 “Major and Minor”and  Jamey Aebersold Vol. 21 “Getting it Together”.  This an introductory lesson where I talk about the concept and how the lessons will progress.  I demonstrate the materials on alto for this lesson.

In order to get the most out of these lessons you should  already have a good grasp of your scales and chord tones in all keys.  If you master the material within these lessons and books, you will find a freedom and dexterity throughout all 12 keys that you never had before.  (31 Minute Video Lesson)

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In this lesson I assign 3 approaches to a major triad and talk about how to practice them around the circle of fifths so that you cover all 12 keys.  I demonstrate on my tenor sax how to practice the material and give tips and insights on how to use it and internalize it.  When you are done with this series of approach note lessons you will be amazed at the technique and vocabulary you will have gained through this process.  In order to get the most out of this lesson you will need the “Approach Note Velocity” book as well as the intro lesson to this series. (Video Lesson)

Lesson Level: Beginner = 1 - Advanced = 5 ★★★★☆ 

Lesson Level: Beginner = 1 - Advanced = 5 ★★★★☆ 

These lessons are an offshoot of my “Approach Note Velocity” books. Whereas those books are about playing approaches over static major and minor grooves, these lessons are about playing the approaches on standards that change chords quite often.

In this lesson, I pick up the pace by tackling two more approach note patterns.  I demonstrate how to use them to approach the Root, Third, Fifth and Seventh of each chord to build a solo that moves logically and musically from chord to chord.  Using the great jazz standard “All the Things You Are”, I show you how to put this method into use straight away. You’ll learn how to practice these approach notes so that they become an integral and automatic part of your playing style.  As we progress through these Approach Note lessons, you’ll find your technique and musicality improving tremendously as playing over standard changes becomes demystified and accessible.  I show you how to apply this method to any tune you’re learning.  If you’ve always wondered how the pro players manage to play over chord changes with such apparent ease, and longed to be able to do the same, then working on these “Approach Note” lessons will help you achieve that goal.

This lesson includes two PDF sheets that clearly explains all the approaches I use over “All the Things You Are.”  (Audio Lesson)

Lesson Level: Beginner = 1 - Advanced = 5 ★★★★☆ 

When you are done with this series of lessons you will be amazed at the technique and vocabulary you will have gained through this process. In order to get the most out of this lesson you will need the “Approach Note Velocity” book as well as the preceding lessons in this series.  This lesson also comes with an audio lesson as well as some updated pdf sheets that are numbered.  (Video Lesson)

Lesson Level: Beginner = 1 - Advanced = 5 ★★★★☆ 

When you are done with this series of lessons you will be amazed at the technique and vocabulary you will have gained through this process. In order to get the most out of this lesson you will need the “Approach Note Velocity” book as well as the preceding lesson in this series. (Audio & Video Lesson)

Lesson Level: Beginner = 1 - Advanced = 5 ★★★★☆ 

This is a continuation of my Major Approach Note book.  Volume 2 is focused on all 12 minor keys. This is an incredible resource for anyone wanting to master approach note patterns in all minor keys. The word “Velocity” is in the title because after I practiced these for a couple months, I found myself playing faster than ever over minor grooves. For more background on this book read the description below taken from the “Approach Note Velocity Vol. 1″ book. Enjoy!

A number of years ago, I was frustrated with my playing 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 wasn’t comfortable.  As a solution, I decided to come up with a comprehensive method 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. I really believe that  working on these exercises 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 performances. 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