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You are here: Home / Jazz Lessons / Approach Notes / Approach Note Velocity Overview Lesson
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Approach Note Velocity Overview Lesson

Approach Note Velocity Overview Lesson

Rated 5.00 out of 5 based on 2 customer ratings
(2 customer reviews)

$9.99

SKU: 004 Category: Approach Notes Tags: approach notes, audio lesson, jazz improvisation, jazz lines, jazz patterns
  • Description
  • Reviews (2)

Description

Approach notes are notes that are headed towards a particular target note.  Usually, the target note is a chord tone that you are aiming for that will give resolution to the line you are playing.  As you are playing these “approach note lines”, quite often there is dissonance in the line but when  you resolve it by achieving the target note it sounds great!  Many intermediate jazz improviser’s never get the knack of the dissonance resolution battle that goes on while they improvise  because they never work on nor master their approach notes.  Learning all your approach note patterns and lines is a great way to master the elements of tension and resolution.  It is also a fabulous way to  improve your ears, play faster more fluid jazz lines, understand how all 12 notes fit against a tonality  and finally, play some really fast cool jazz patterns that weave in and out of the changes in a hip and modern way.

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)

2 reviews for Approach Note Velocity Overview Lesson

  1. Avatar
    Rated 5 out of 5

    Donato Soviero – March 11, 2010

    Thanks Steve! Your insights have really opened up a whole new area of study for me. These approaches are something I used to stumble on as isolated licks. You’ve really explored and organized the whole concept beautifully!
    Thank you, thank you!

  2. Avatar
    Rated 5 out of 5

    John Tattersall – July 24, 2013

    I just thought I would let you know how I’m getting on with the book. I totally get it now and am delighted with it. I’ve been working on C major only with the Aebersold Major backing track. Having memorized the patterns up to about No 4 and then combining them with existing jazz language which I already use I have found it is really opening another door to my improvisation improvement. I intend to make working on the patterns a priority over the next year.

    Many Thanks

    John

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I have NEVER seen material like yours.  Amazing!!
Jerry

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
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

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
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

Steve,  Just want to say thanks for all you are doing for all of us. I’ve learned more from you than anyone else in my 40 years of playing.

If you can give some tips on One Note Samba, Ceora, and Wave… that would be cool.  I really like learning how you apply your concepts to actual songs!

Have a great year,

Kevin Ledbetter

I've learned more from you than anyone else in my 40 years of playing.
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
I would like to say that in the last year my sax playing has progressed loads from your lessons. I have had a sax for about 20 years and dabbled with lessons from a few teachers and have learnt very little from them. As you have said in your lessons many teachers tell you to use the blues scale and leave it there, not even showing you the resolution points!!. I am now believing I can in time become a good improviser.
Thanks again,
Shane
Shane
Just a brief note to compliment you on your teaching skills and in particular for the honesty of your lessons.  I am a returning alto sax player in my 50’s and I was looking for a no nonsense, straight to the point kind of guidance. I had intended to email you with a few questions regarding the use of the bis key but then I noticed that there was a lesson on that specific topic and after viewing it,  all my questions were answered. I once took a group lesson with a well known professional sax … Read more
Patrick
I just started looking at my lessons and I have to say, dude you are awesome.  I ABSOLUTELY will learn from you!  I started the tenor about 1 ½ yrs ago and have since picked up an alto, and more recently a soprano.  I spend most of the time on the tenor, followed by soprano, and have only gotten to the alto a few times.  I think I’ll be sticking with tenor.  I’m having a great time and hope one day to play well enough to get regular gigs.  I’ve been playing keys for about 35 years (… Read more
Wil

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