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You are here: Home / Neff Book Reviews / NEW Book-Mastering Altered Pentatonics

NEW Book-Mastering Altered Pentatonics

September 9, 2017 by Steve 4 Comments

I just released a new book I have been working on for a number of years now.  It covers the basic pentatonic scale in all 12 keys with 29 great pentatonic patterns to practice.  It also includes 11 altered pentatonics in these patterns that you can use for a more modern “outside” sound to your lines that I love.  Here’s the full description of the book below:

Any serious fan of jazz has at one time or another heard a solo where the line being played made them turn towards the soloist with a look of concern. “Where were they going with this line?” “What are they thinking?” “Do they know they are playing the wrong notes?” If you have been in that seat looking at the soloist you know there is a moment where you feel some nervousness and anxiety. “Those notes are not right!” we think. Then the soloist masterfully weaves the crazy line he was just playing into sweet consonance and harmony. Our nervousness and anxiety melts away and we feel at peace with the world. Yet our heart is still pounding with excitement as if we just got off the world’s biggest roller coaster.

Digital PDF Version of “Mastering Altered Pentatonics”14.99

Printed Version of “Mastering Altered Pentatonics”29.99

The great players of jazz have learned the fine art of weaving in and out of a tonality whenever they please. It has the same affect on us listeners as riding a roller coaster or watching a tightrope walker performing sixty stories above the street. Those who have ears that perceive what is going on recognize the intricate balance of dissonance and consonance being played with by the soloist. Once we recognize it we are enthralled and unable to look away.

Mastering Altered Pentatonics

Digital PDF Version of “Mastering Altered Pentatonics”14.99

Printed Version of “Mastering Altered Pentatonics”29.99

 

In “Mastering Altered Pentatonics”, we are taking the most benign of scales, the pentatonic scale, through the ringer. We are working on mastering it using twenty-nine scale patterns that we then alter to create new and fresh sounds that are far from benign. At times, they sound almost dangerous in their tension and dissonance. By practicing these altered pentatonic patterns and weaving in and out of them we are practicing the fine art of balancing our lines between consonance and dissonance while we improvise. The more adept we become at this balancing act the more exciting and entertaining our lines and solos will become. Inside, we will take the pentatonic scale through eleven alterations. Each one having it’s own sound and flavor. Join me in discovering a new way to approach thinking and playing while improvising that will lead you to discover new and fresh sounding lines. I hope you enjoy the book as much as I have enjoyed working on it.

By practicing these altered pentatonic patterns and weaving in and out of them we are practicing the fine art of balancing our lines between consonance and dissonance. The more adept we become at this balancing act the more exciting and entertaining our lines and solos will become.

Inside, we will take the pentatonic scale through eleven alterations. Each one having it’s own sound and flavor. The book is 368 pages long and in all 12 keys.  It comes with a 49 minute overview video lesson of the book where I talk about and demonstrate the concepts from the book on the tenor saxophone.

Join me in discovering a new way to approach thinking and playing your lines that will lead you to discover new and fresh sounding lines. I hope you enjoy the book as much as I have enjoyed working on it.    Steve

Digital PDF Version of “Mastering Altered Pentatonics”14.99

Printed Version of “Mastering Altered Pentatonics”29.99

Sample Pages from Introduction of Book




Digital PDF Version of “Mastering Altered Pentatonics”14.99

Printed Version of “Mastering Altered Pentatonics”29.99

Filed Under: Neff Book Reviews, NeffMusic News Tagged With: book, Jazz Improvisation, Mastering Altered Pentatonics, modern jazz, steve neff

Steve

About Steve

Steve Neff has been playing and teaching saxophone and jazz improvisation around the New England area for over 30 years. He is the author of many best selling jazz improvisation methods as well as founding the popular jazz video lesson site Neffmusic.com.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Avatarfrank elmo says

    November 27, 2017 at 11:23 am

    Hi Steve, I just purchased Mastering Altered Pentatonics the print version. For years Chris Hunter has been telling me about this but it always seemed too complex to figure out. Hopefully this will help .Will I get access to the video presentation? Thanx , Frank Elmo
    PS ,I bought a Retro Revival Florida double Ring based on your review. I love It! Thanx ,keep up the good work!

    Reply
    • SteveSteve says

      December 13, 2017 at 12:56 pm

      That’s great to hear Frank. I’m glad you are digging the RR Florida piece! Not sure if you already have the video on Mastering Altered Pentatonics but if you email me the Lulu receipt I can send you a link to download the video lesson. Steve

      Reply
  2. AvatarGlen says

    September 19, 2018 at 6:09 am

    Hi Steve
    I find your playing brilliantly smooth which I like a smooth sax. Do you play an alto ? I notice in your video only Bb sax only. Do you do a beginner book ? I am a beginner but I intend to try things for more advance player. so I want to buy (playing outside new altered pentatonic lesson) but also interested in the other book also, (paper back only) so any tip it be most welcome. I blow a 54ref new style alto and curve & straight soprano. I am in hunt for a metal mouthpiece old stile playing but small in size like the Beechler metal but none so far, any thing you recc ? find rubber just big in the mouth

    Glen

    Reply
    • SteveSteve says

      September 19, 2018 at 12:20 pm

      Glen, I do play alto sax on a lot of lesson. If you look at the lesson list there are beginner lessons near the bottom http://www.neffmusic.com/blog/lesson-index/ . In each lesson description I write what saxophone I am using for the lesson. The altered pentatonic lessons and book are pretty advanced. For a beginner I would suggest working on improvising using the blues scale and major and minor scales to start. Also using my II-V-I primer to learn your chords and melodic patterns. I also have lessons on Patterns for Jazz which is a great book to start fairly new players on. If you mean you are brand new to the saxophone I would check out the embouchure lesson as well as the articulation lessons. If you build bad habits with those it makes it 10x times as hard to fix it later in your development.

      I have reviewed quite a few metal alto mouthpieces on my site here. You can check those out and see what you think. Steve

      Reply

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Two years later I began a search for a sax teacher and happened to come across Steve Neff when I was searching YouTube for sax teachers.  I went to neffmusic.com and was very impressed with the lessons Steve Neff was offering.  The concept of selecting lessons was an approach that I thought was unique and purchased a few lessons.  I liked the lessons so much that I signed-up for a 6 month package. I was very happy with all the lessons I selected.  I also purchased Steve’s book Mastering the B… Read more
Michael
I am enjoying your style of teaching, and you’ve done a great job with the videos….good sound quality and well constructed lessons.  Balances the more guitaristic material found on the majority of guitar based programs.  Jazz vocab is what I’m all about at this point in the journey.   I especially dig the fact that you’ve studied with Bergonzi…helps me see his voluminous output in a more  bite sized way.
Milton

Hi Steve,

First, I want to thank you for all of your great lessons. They are like a “For Dummies” version of all the books on my shelf. The lessons break things down into manageable pieces, and give me the confidence that I’m practicing the right pieces. I’m starting to make progress.   Thank You,   Kim

Kim
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Karin

Hello Steve,

I have not received my alto yet but have already gone through 14 lessons. I love your approach, style, knowledge and competence. I now regret so much to have stayed away from playing the sax for the past 45-50 years…(I am 65).  But It is never too late to get back to your first love. After 23 years in compuer sciences and 22 years in finances…I am now back to music for the rest of my life.

Doing some research on the net, I found this:

http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?1… Read more

Claude
Hey Steve, I’m a 22-year-old from Australia. I thought it would be worth saying. You’re an absolute legend. I can’t thank you enough. You have helped me rekindle my love for the saxophone and music as a whole. All the best for the future, your work doesn’t go unnoticed. PS. I am loving your devastating minor lines pdf.
Sapph

Thank You Steve. I think that I will be busy for years. Thank You for your great contribution to jazz music. Your books, more than teaching “how to play jazz”, actually teach “how to speak jazz”. I wish I found your methods years ago.  

Jean-Eric

I want to thank you again, because, not only are you an inspiration to listen to, you are a fine teacher!

I have been teaching sax and other winds for over 20 years, and you give me that “push” to give my students more!

Mark Peotter

Mark Peotter
It is so refreshing to have a great player, who can provide lessons and examples in a manner which is understandable to most any enthusiastic saxophonist who is ready to improve. not just the, do this, do that, memorize this, memorize that… while all that is absolutely necessary, you go on to give reasons and examples to explain and validate why you have to do all of these things, the benefits, if you will… that is the key for me, you tell, explain, demonstrate, explain some more, you give perso… Read more
Cedric
Thank you so much for the great job you are doing to help further our jazz studies. Though I make my living as a repairer of musical instruments I am a student of jazz and have been fortunate enough to be involved with a big band and a combo for the last several years. As my children began to leave “the nest” I had decided to dedicate the next half of my life to a more serious study of the sax but I didn’t know exactly how I would go about doing this until a friend of mine turned me onto your si… Read more
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Alfred LaBella
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Paul
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Wil

I must say again how much I appreciate all your material. Including the video tutorials. It help keep me focused and knowing what to aim for. And your laid back teaching style appeals to me too. 

Thanks

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P
First, I’m really excited about your materials! This site is a vast resource for any aspiring (and maybe already inspired) jazz musicians. I’m not a sax player, I play mandolin and fiddle, but have been learning jazz and playing weekly with a quintet for the past 6 months and have been struggling with all of the issues you get into in your lessons. I bought several books and lessons and plan to continue with some others as soon as I organize my practice routine. Thanks again for a great site … Read more
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Wolfgang from Berlin

Wolfgang from Berlin
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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… Read more
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Michael Byington

I am enjoying your style of teaching, and you’ve done a great job with the videos….good sound quality and well constructed lessons.  Balances the more guitaristic material found on the majority of guitar based programs.  Jazz vocab is what I’m all about at this point in the journey.  I especially dig the fact that you’ve studied with Bergonzi…helps me see his voluminous output in a more bite sized way.

Milton

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