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You are here: Home / Free Lessons / Free Video Lesson on The New Ultimate II-V-I Primer-Major Keys by Steve Neff

Free Video Lesson on The New Ultimate II-V-I Primer-Major Keys by Steve Neff

June 12, 2020 by Steve 5 Comments

I decided to offer a free video lesson on my book The New Ultimate II-V-I Primer-Major Keys (Digital PDF Book) for everyone. I have sold many of these books and really want to make sure that everyone is getting the most they can out of them.  You can consider this an “overview” lesson on the various chapters in the book.  I cover tips on the best way to use the book as well as demonstrating the various exercises so you can have a better understanding of how to use the book.  Here is a description of the book:

The purpose of this book is to give beginner to intermediate jazz improvisers a complete method to learn all the notes in a II-V-I progression in a systematic and organized way.  I have written this book so that it starts with the simplest of exercises and progresses to more advanced exercises as you work through the book.  It is very important that you take the time to fully master each exercise before moving on to the next one.  For example, if you are having trouble playing through the 12 keys II-V-I play along with just roots and thirds, then it doesn’t make sense to move on to the 1, 3 and 5 exercises.  You will just become overloaded and frustrated.  On the other hand, if you master the root and thirds lesson then when you add the 5th to the exercises you can just focus all of your attention on learning just the 5th.

The New Ultimate II-V-I Primer-Major Keys (Digital PDF Book) 14.99

The book is divided up into 10 lessons. Each lesson is focused on adding one note to each chord of a II-V-I progression. I give you a number of patterns for each new note that is added.  The goal of these patterns is to master the new note in relationship with each chord and to add these new notes to the notes mastered in the previous lessons.  I’ve written the patterns out in a number of different combinations that I think sound good.  Mastering these patterns will give you a multitude of melodic options while improvising.

After the patterns in each lesson, I give you 10 examples of how to apply 10  different approaches to the patterns already studied.  These approaches help to connect the chord tones from measure to measure as well as multiplying the various lines and ideas you can use over the progression.  Although this section only gives you 10 examples, you should apply the approaches liberally to the patterns studied so that you can come up with your own lines and melodies. 

The last section of each lesson is focused on giving you some ideas to use to create more melodic lines.  Many times students who are studying and learning patterns have trouble making the jump from pattern to melodic improvisation.  For this reason, in each lesson I give you 5 melodic lines based off of the patterns and approaches and give you some insights into why they sound good and how I created them.  Your goal should not be to just regurgitate patterns while you solo but rather to use the patterns and ideas to truly improvise.   Each practice session should end with a time of improvisation where you try to use what you have learned to create your own lines and melodies.  I stress this concept throughout the book.-Steve Neff

The New Ultimate II-V-I Primer-Major Keys (Digital PDF Book) 14.99

 


The Ultimate II-V-I Primer Free Overview Lesson

I hope you enjoy the lesson and find it useful.  There are 600+ more lessons in my Neffmusic store on a variety of subjects to check out.  If you have a question on anything in the lesson feel free to email me or send a message and I will do my best to answer your questions. If this lesson stirs your curiosity in my The Ultimate II-V-I Primer-Major Keys book,  you can purchase one below as a PDF you can download immediately after purchase.  As I talk about in the video, the book is in all 12 keys and is 739 pages long.  I suggest only printing out one key and then trying to play the exercises in the other 12 keys without looking at the book if possible.  Thanks,   Steve

The New Ultimate II-V-I Primer-Major Keys (Digital PDF Book) 14.99

Filed Under: Free Lessons, Jazz Education Tagged With: free, Jazz Improvisation, modern jazz, saxophone, The New Ultimate II-V-I Primer-Major Keys, video lesson

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. AvatarIbon says

    June 14, 2020 at 12:14 pm

    Hi Steve! I am a saxophone player and teacher in San Sebastian, a city located in the Basque Country, in the north of Spain. I use to check regularly your blog, because I find it very interesting and guiding, specially in these times that we have lots and lots of disordered information available everywhere!

    I’m interested in your book as I consider it could give me an interesting approach to teach how to use many jazz lines over the II-V-I progression, but before buying it, it would be great if we could take a look inside the book, so that we can get a better idea of it. I would be very pleased if you’d put some images of the inner pages here.

    Many thanks for your help!

    Ibon

    Reply
    • SteveSteve says

      June 15, 2020 at 8:31 am

      Hi Ibon, There is a sample page posted at this link from a number of years ago when I released it. Steve

      https://www.neffmusic.com/blog/2008/10/the-ultimate-ii-v-i-primer/

      Reply
  2. AvatarFzona says

    June 21, 2020 at 6:34 am

    Hi Steve, Just downloaded your Ultimate II V I Primer and viewed your great 46 minute video review of the book. The book looks awesome and the video did a good job of explaining its purpose, content and how to approach and maximize it’s value.
    You’ve given me years of work to do. Thank you!
    Great job!!
    Frank

    Reply
  3. AvatarFred says

    June 28, 2021 at 12:25 am

    Hi Steve,
    I’m interested in your book ans just want to Know if your Ultimate II V I Primer exist in a french version. Thank!

    Reply
    • SteveSteve says

      June 28, 2021 at 9:25 am

      Hi Fred, No, it is only in English. Steve

      Reply

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Thank you for all the educational information you provide.  I am a classically trained musician.  Professionally, I am a 4th and 5th grade band teacher.  I have played piano and sax for many years, but now I am starting to gig out more. I have always improvised by ear in the past. I have gotten by with my strong sense of pitch, rhythm and melodic contour. However, I want to go deeper. I want to play with a greater variety of melodic and rhythmic ideas to pull from.  I have studied to gain a … Read more
Ray
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
For anyone living in remote areas away from live jazz sax teachers, Neff is the way to go. In fact this is a great resource for anyone seriously interested in mastering the sax. I’ve never been disappointed in a lesson.
Oliver
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

After reading your story I will never feel quite right about complaining about any of my MINOR health issues!!    God bless Steve and I really hope that your health doesn’t stop you from fulfilling your calling.    These books have been such a help to open up my jazz vocabulary…   Thanks so much for sharing your story and for providing these great teaching tools…   John Leclerc   Saxophonist / composer/ EWI player and professional working musician of 35 years….

John Leclerc
I have NEVER seen material like yours.  Amazing!!
Jerry
I can’t say enough about my membership at Neff Music. Steve has taken the mystery out of playing the saxophone well and improvising both jazz and rock music. Like most struggling players I have a load of all sorts of books on my shelf just gathering dust. Books that I didn’t understand or know how to put to use…or just have the time to go threw them. Steve’s lessons really simplify things and he puts it in a way that I can understand. They inspire me to keep pushing and having him as my guide or… Read more
Ken
Absolutely the best learning experience in my 40 years of playing.These books are awesome!!
Alfred LaBella

Steve, just a note to say thanks.

I’ve been playing a long time, but your material, laid out in such a thoughtful way, helps me to understand concepts in a new and deeper way.

You are a true gift to the jazz community.

60 lessons and going strong,

Kevin Ledbetter

Kevin Ledbetter
Hi Steve, I can’t express just how much I appreciate your teaching. My playing has improved so much over the past year since I have been studying and practicing with your lessons. It is possible to teach an old dog new tricks, these lessons are proof! Thanks, Michael Byington
Michael Byington
Your major diatonic patterns book is great. I”m studying the first twenty patterns (first twenty pages) each day with different articulation each day and slowly increasing the tempo each week or so.  There is a noticeable improvement in finger coordination across all keys and its amazing how much more secure I feel on the difficult keys when attempting to play pieces with 5+ flats/sharps. I’m able to sort out the fingerings for these pieces now much more quickly than before, often in one or two … Read more
Geoff
Just to say thanks for your advice and lessons.  I’ve just read your amazing story.  I really appreciate what you do in regards to teaching.  I have bought a couple of your lessons and frankly they’re undersold.   I’ve learned much more with these two lessons than with 2 years of sax teachers.   Thanks so much………..
Mike
Steve really changed my way of practicing: I got a whole lot of new ideas for my playing the tenor.  His lessons are really helpful, give a lot stuff to practice and give clear answers to complicated stuff.  Steve has a lot of humor and I wish I had laughed so much in my former days with the horn.  All topics, from Blues to Approach note are dealt with clearness that wet ones appetite to play and practice that great ideas.
Uwe

Never really had lessons before just kinda worked things out on my own. Was in a rut but your lessons are really helpful in opening melodic possibilities. Ur an awesome resource to the saxophone community. Thanks for sharing. 

Anthony
Your lessons on playing the blues is so clear . I have been through many books on blues playing and not one of them explains as clear as your lessons . Most of them say “Play the same blues scale over all three chords of a 12 bar blues ” Its very misleading .     Thanks
Martin

Love your lessons!  I have been using your lesson packages for many months now, and am learning a lot.  It is so perfect for me with a very busy adult schedule and difficulty in taking jazz/improv music lessons from reputable instructors who live and hour or more away from me.

Lenore

Your material is great! I got your New Altissimo Lesson 6 months ago and I have learned more from that than in all my 44 years of playing! I appreciate your down to earth teaching method and I really appreciate the heart that you teach with. I have been a subscriber to your lessons for the past 6 months and I have learned a great deal. Over that period of time I have had some questions and you have never failed to respond. Thanks! I have already recommended your lessons to a number of players in… Read more

Michael Byington

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
Hi Steve, I have been shedding your materials for quite a while now and I love them! They are extremely well organized and presented and there are tons of ’em! I really appreciate your methodical approach and find myself referring students to your resources often.  Thanks so much!  
Kenyon Carter
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
Just wanted to send you a quick note to say thank you for being you, your playing, your website and your desire to help others. I’m a professional musician in the US Army and I’ve visited your website almost every day since discovering it a couple of months ago. Your lessons are profound and easy to use. I’ve purchased most of your PDF books and now am starting to delve more into the video and audio lessons.  Thank you for being a great resource!
James
Steve’s monthly lessons are entirely valuable. Without brow beating, he tells you all the stuff you deep down know you really should be working on, instead of just relying on the same old patterns. In spite of the fact that you’re taking a video lesson, Steve’s presentation is comfortable and “real”. In a little more than a year, he’s developed a library of lessons that seem to offer any player a lifetime’s worth of practice material. I’m just glad I stumbled upon it.… Read more
Grant
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Pierre
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