“Just play the blues scale!”  All across the country, you hear this advice given in every band room. Students sit with blank looks on their faces as band directors tell them to use this or that blues scale on their solo. The advice usually doesn’t go much further than that and many kids end up playing solos that they are less than happy about. What many of these students need is a jump start. A few examples of what to play and how to play it………..Here you go!

In Mastering the Blues Scale Volume 2, I demonstrate using the Blues Scale to create great blues licks you can use over dominant grooves on the blues, funk or rock and roll. I show you how to go about getting your blues vocabulary together as you greatly improve your technique with these essential blues licks and scales. Play along with this book at your own pace, as you learn hundreds of great sounding and easily adaptable blues licks and patterns in all 12 keys. Playing these patterns is a fun and exciting way to make that transition from knowing the Blues Scale, to actually having it in your ears and under your fingers.

These blues licks combine many of the idiomatic sequences, intervals and finger patterns, you really need to have down, if you want to get burning on the blues scale. If you are stuck playing your blues scales straight up and down, practicing these licks will soon have you playing with the technique and flexibility required to be able to play what you hear.

Mastering the Blues Scale Volume 2 Dominant Chords has 127 great blues licks in all 12 keys.  It is a PDF file that you can download immediately so you can get to work.  I have also included two sample mp3′s of the G7 lines in the book.  One for alto sax and one for the tenor sax.  The alto track is 29 minutes long and the tenor is 24 minutes long.  I have had many requests for audio samples that students can listen to as they work on the book.  I think these will be a real benefit for those who want to hear how I play the licks and play along with me.

Here is a mixed sample of the alto and tenor mp3.

Thanks,

Steve Neff

This book is a pdf file and can be opened and printed immediately after you download it. The exercises are written in all 12 keys and are great concepts for any musician involved in jazz improvisation.  2 mp3′s are provided for alto and tenor saxophone of all 127 licks in the key of G7.

In this lesson I teach what the dominant 7th chord is, how to create it and what it sounds like.  I demonstrate the sounds on piano as well as on the tenor saxophone.  Included in this lesson is a pdf with five exercises on it that will help you master the dominant 7th chords in every inversion.  I talk in depth about how to practice these chords and get the most out of your practice sessions.  Have fun mastering one of the most common chords in jazz!  (29 Minute Video Lesson)

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

This is a brand new idea for me that I’ve been working on over the last few days.  I’m excited to see where practicing this with the dominant bebop scale will take my lines over common ii-V-I progressions.  Join me as we work through this altered dominant bebop scale concept together.  I have included 12 PDF sheets of the scale in all keys and a few exercises to practice in all keys in order to start getting the scale under your fingers.  I play many examples on my soprano to a background track so you can hear how it sounds.(27 Minute Video Lesson & PDF)

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

In this lesson I take on the job of showing you exactly how to use each note of the blues scale over major,minor and dominant grooves. In Part 1, I talk in depth about how to use the blues scale over dominant chords and major 7th chords.   I teach about each individual note of the scale and how it relates to the chord behind it.  I also talk in depth about what I feel are the tendencies of each note and tactics that I use when playing the blues scale over static backgrounds and chords.  Part 1 is mainly focused on using the A blues scale over a C7 chord as well as the added notes of Bb and F.  I demonstrate all of these sounds on the tenor sax with a background track playing behind me so you can hear how these ideas sound to the music.  Listen to these 3 lesson on the blues scale, practice like crazy and I’ll see you out there on a gig one of these days!  Enjoy! (31 minute video lesson)

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

In this lesson I take on the job of showing you exactly how to use each note of the blues scale over major,minor and dominant grooves. In Part 2, I continue toh about how to use the blues scale over dominant chords.   I teach about each individual note of the scale and how it relates to the chord behind it.  I also talk in depth about what I feel are the tendencies of each note and tactics that I use when playing the blues scale over static backgrounds and chords.  Part 1 is mainly focused on using the A blues scale over a C7 chord as well as the added notes of Bb and F.  I demonstrate all of these sounds on the tenor sax with a background track playing behind me so you can hear how these ideas sound to the music.  Listen to these 3 lesson on the blues scale, practice like crazy and I’ll see you out there on a gig one of these days!  Enjoy! (27 minute video lesson)

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

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

Mastering The Dominant Bebop Scale
The Dominant Bebop Scale is a scale that can be used over a dominant chord. It has both the major 7th and the flat 7th in the scale so in the key of G the scale would be GABCDEFF#G. The reason that the dominant bebop scale sounds so great is that when it is started on any of the dominant chord tones (G7 would have the chord tones of G,B,D or F) the downbeats of your lines will all be chord tones.

So if you start the dominant bebop scale on a G,B,D or F  and play it stepwise in any direction the  downbeats will always be the chord tones. When you play the dominant bebop scale like this over a dominant chord it sounds great. The reason for this is  because in jazz the eighth notes are played with a long short long short long short feel. The downbeats are the longer notes. The ear has a  bit more time to hear those notes because they are held slightly longer. When you are stressing the consonant notes on the downbeats it just feels and sounds right.  The up beats are the more dissonant notes but when they resolve into the downbeats it sounds great. The more you practice the dominant bebop sound the more you will get use to the sounds of the notes and how they resolve.
Each chapter of “Mastering the Dominant Bebop Scale” is in one key. I’ve written the book so it goes around the circle of fifths and all the jazz patterns are written out for you. Although I prefer to have students learn jazz licks and patterns by ear,  having them written out can be useful if you need an idea on say a F#7 chord for a solo.  You can just go to that section of the book and pick one out that you like .  The first part of each chapter is to help you learn the dominant bebop scales and which notes it can be started on. Jamey Aebersold has a volume in his play along series that is just focused on dominant chords.  It is Volume 84 “Dominant Seventh Workout”. It would be good to practice these along with the dominant chords so that you can hear the way the notes fit with the dominant chord sound as the rhythm section plays behind you.
After the dominant bebop scales are learned ,  the next step is to add the dominant bebop links.  I suggest just adding one at a time and inserting it into the scales that you have just learned.  After each dominant bebop link I give an example of how to insert it. Many times I also provide a “Mix” which is a line that uses many of the “Bebop links” together. As you practice these it is important that you mix them together so that you build a strong and varied musical vocabulary for jazz improvisation.
A great way to practice these is to a standard 12 bar blues. Since a blues is mostly made up of dominant chords it is a great tool to use to practice these.  The last section of each chapter deals with dominant resolution links to the tonic chords.  You will find these useful while playing the Blues when going from the I7 to the IV7 or the V7 to th I7.  Once the scale is learned in all keys a good exercise is to play them on a blues and go up a half step every chorus until you play it through in all 12 keys. This can take weeks and months to master so take your time with it and have fun.
At the end of the book, I provide an example of how to play the dominant bebop scale through the blues form while improvising. I also have written out a Blues solo to demonstrate how the bebop scale and it’s links can be used for improvising over a blues form.
The dominant bebop scale can be used over any dominant chord but it can also be used on a ii-7 chord that is connected to the V7 chord. Many times in jazz you will see these two chords connected. The dominant bebop scale can be used over the entire measure and is a great sound while improvising.
I hope you enjoy studying the materials in this book.  You will find that it is filled with many musical gems that once mastered will add greatly to your jazz vocabulary while improvising.  Just click here to purchase “Mastering the Dominant Bebop Scale” as a pdf file or printed book.  You can also  hear a sound clip and see sample pages.  Have Fun.
Steve