Steve Neff Music Blog » jazz licks

4 Note Groupings Lesson 1

steve — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 19:49:53 +0000

Most jazz improvisation teachers will teach on 4 note groupings at one point or another. I had a few teachers as I was growing up that taught me this way. I remember studying out of “Patterns for Jazz” when I was a kid and working on 4 note groupings in every key. I also studied it with the great jazz improvisation teacher Jerry Bergonzi as well as learning about them at Berklee.

To be honest, every time I studied this method when I was younger, I hated it. It wasn’t until years later, as I look back, that I realize the great benefit that these studies had for me. In this video series, I will try to teach you this concept in a way that is appealing and understandable.

In this first lesson on 4 note grouping, I focus on taking a simple 4 notes from a chord and showing you all 96 permutations of these 4 notes. I talk about how I went about choosing which of these I worked on by playing them and judging them on there melodic strength (this is subjective). I show you how to work through the patterns and how to pick out the best ones for you. I also stress the importance of thinking of these as melodic fragments rather than number patterns (which was my mistake when I was younger)

This is the first lesson in a series of lessons on this topic. As we move through the series you will discover how to use these 4 note groupings as melodic material to use in your improvised solos. This is a great lesson to learn about all the possibilities that a simple four notes can give you. (34 Minute Video Lesson)

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

Diatonic Fifth Patterns Lesson

steve — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 04:45:03 +0000

A diatonic pattern is a pattern of notes that stays within a specific key or scale. If you know a key well, then playing the diatonic pattern is just a matter of repeating the pattern as you travel through the scale. Diatonic patterns are a must for any serious student of jazz. They are valuable because they give you tons of melodic material you can use while improvising. Practicing and mastering your diatonic patterns equip you with a thorough knowledge of the major scale and by working on them you improve your technique. Also, by working on these larger intervals, you are opening up your jazz lines to more options including a more modern intervallic sound.

In this lesson I show you four common patterns using diatonic fifths. A diatonic fifth is just an interval that spans or jumps to the fifth note away from it while staying in the same key. An example would be if you started on C and wanted to go up a fifth you would jump to G. If you count all the notes in the C major scale between C and G and include C and G you will see that there are 5. CDEFG. This is a diatonic fifth. Another in the key of C would be D to A. DEFGA. D to A is a diatonic fifth.

In “Diatonic Fifth Patterns Lesson”, I give you tips on how to best practice diatonic fifths and demonstrate them for you on the soprano sax with some background music. Practicing with a play along is so much more fun and turns a boring scale exercise into a lesson in ear training. This lesson also includes a 12 page pdf of the patterns in every key. It is important that you master these in all 12 keys so that you have agility in any and every key you play in. This a vital and fundamental lesson to master so you have a firm foundation on which to build later. Enjoy! (25 Minute Video Lesson)

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

The Ultimate II-V-I Primer-Major(PDF Book)

steve — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 03:45:04 +0000

Over the last few years as I have sold many of my “Best II-V-I Pattern” books, I have received some great reviews and feedback from the books. Every once in a while I would get an email from someone who loved the books and the patterns but wasn’t ready to handle II-V-I patterns of this complexity. These emails would usually ask how to work on the patterns or how to learn them in every key………..etc. I decided to write a II-V-I primer for all of you who would like to master the II-V-I patterns but also gain a firm grasp on 95% of the chords that you will see in the jazz standards that you will encounter.

I start at the very beginning and add one note at a time to the exercises. In the beginning I just focus on the roots, then the root and 3rds, then the 1,2,3, then the 1,3,5…….. The exercises are written so that you can learn your chords and scales in a progressive logical order. Whether you are a beginner improviser or a intermediate player who wants to go back and make sure you have covered all the bases, this is a great book to work from. The cost for these patterns is $9.99. You can print this file and get to work immediately. Have fun. I hope you dig these as much as I have over the years.

Thanks, Steve

Mastering the Major Bebop Scale & Sound (PDF Book)

steve — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 02:45:14 +0000

The first scale most musicians learn is the major scale. We learn it in all 12 keys up and down our instruments. Even though this is one of the first scales we learn many intermediate jazz musicians are quite frustrated when trying to improvise over a major tonality. I was one of those frustrated musicians. I could never come up with interesting and fresh ideas when playing over those major sounds. The material in this book comes from years of learning how to play over those major chords. I explain the major bebop scale and how to use it so you sound great. I then give you 26 major bebop links to add into your lines and ideas. These are ideas, licks and patterns that have come from years of listening to jazz and practicing improvisation. As you work through this book you will see your jazz playing change in an incredible and exciting way.

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 anymusician involved in jazz improvisation.

The Best Major II-V-I Patterns (PDF Book)

steve — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 21:17:18 +0000

The II-V-I pattern is the most common pattern in jazz music. The more adept you are at playing this pattern in all the keys the better your facility in the jazz language. In the past 20 years I have been keeping a notebook of these patterns. I’ve tried to limit the ones in this 122 page book to the hippest ones and to strain out the ones that are more popular or overused. In my opinion these are the best II-V-I licks that I’ve come across in the past 20-25 years. There are 120 licks in this 122 page pdf file. Each lick is transposed into all 12 keys in treble clef using Finale and is easy to read.Trust me when I say that these things will keep you busy for a long time but once mastered your playing will improve incredibly. The cost for these patterns is $9.99. You can print this file and get to work immediately. Have fun. I hope you dig these as much as I have over the years. Thanks, Steve

Here’s a sample of some of the lines that are in the book. I’m playing them on the soprano sax.