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You are here: Home / Jazz Lessons / Scale Studies / From Scales to Improv Lesson

From Scales to Improv Lesson

$9.99

SKU: 065 Category: Scale Studies Tags: jazz improvisation, melodic soloing, scales, video lesson
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  • Lesson Sample

Description

“I’ve learned my scales…Now what do I do with them???”

If this sounds like you, you’re not alone. This is a question I hear from many of my own students. They’ve been practicing their scales and arpeggios but can’t seem to make the transition to soloing or improvising over chord changes with these scales. They know the scales but have no idea how to use them, much less, how to use them correctly.

This lesson will address this common sticking point. I show you how to take the scales that you’ve learned and create great lines and solos that sound logical and musical over the chord changes. I demonstrate how to do this over ii-V7-I chord sequences in both Major and Minor. I show you which notes of the scale sound good over each of the chords. I show you how to create lines that utilize the all important concept of emphasizing chord tones on the downbeats. This is an idea that all the great players have learned to do to the point where it becomes almost automatic. You can learn to do this too and by using this idea, your lines will immediately sound more mature, logical and musical.

I also demonstrate and explain how to resolve your lines to the chord tones so that your improvised phrases sound complete and definite rather than unfinished and uncertain. By learning to resolve your phrases you’ll start to sound like you know what you’re doing and where you’re going.

I teach you how to write out your own lines to practice so that you can really get these concepts down and start to have these ideas become a natural part of your playing. I discuss analyzing the solo transcriptions of the masters where you’ll see these same ideas used time and time again. From swing to bebop, the placing of the chord tones on the strong beats is what makes the solos of the great players sound so great.

This lesson comes with a PDF sheet containing several ii-V7-I lines which demonstrate these ideas in both Major and Minor. I play these lines on the tenor sax so you can hear how these ideas work. I also demonstrate and explain where many new improvisers go wrong and why just playing any old scale tone over a chord can often sound terrible even though the notes might belong to the “correct” scale for the chord they are played over.

What makes this lesson so important for beginning and intermediate improvisers, is that once you know where you’re going wrong and why, and have a firm grasp of the right way to play your scales over chord changes, you can begin to play with more purpose and conviction. Soon you’ll train you ears and fingers to discern these concepts automatically as you solo. Once you get this down, your solos will immediately sound more professional.

This lesson provides a logical and methodical way for you to take that essential progression from knowing your scales, to knowing how to improvise confidently with them.  (22 Minute Audio Lesson & PDF)

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Lesson Sample

https://public.neffmusic.com/From%20Scales%20to%20Improv%20clip.mp4

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Testimonials

Steve- I joined your site this month and have downloaded 4 lessons and also purchased your new book and video on diatonic patterns. I just want to say I am very pleased with your approach and teaching techniques. I am getting back into playing after laying off for some time. The information you offer on your site is of great value and I am enjoying being a member. Thank you for what you are doing for the saxophone community.
Tony

Hello Steve,

I just want to say thank you so much for your unbelievable work, it is just mind opening, thanks for sharing it.

Wolfgang from Berlin

Wolfgang from Berlin
I have NEVER seen material like yours.  Amazing!!
Jerry
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
Jon

Mr. Neff,  I want to thank you for sharing your God-given talents through your on-line lessons.  My husband, Michael, is blind, but he is a great sax player and he has been enjoying your lessons for quite some time now.  It’s not unusual for me to hear “Hey, babe, listen to THIS!” – and he will cut loose on his sax, just thrilled at what he learned during his session with you.  His excitement warms my heart!  You have no idea how much you have poured into my husband.  You have opened musical … Read more

Carole B

Steve,

I have played for many years and have enjoyed going “back to the basics” in some of your lessons!  You have such a gift for explaining concepts.  As I have gotten older, some of the basic things have gotten muddled because I just play, not knowing why.  As I refresh myself with “why”, it increases my confidence and expands my playing.  Thank you so much for using your gift!  You are a blessing!

Julia

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

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 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
I’ve been a member of Steve’s site for about six months now and the difference it has made to my playing is immeasurable. The (many) benefits of this membership are that you can have lessons at time convenient to you, they work out A LOT cheaper than face-to-face lessons with a teacher of the same calibre and you can replay them ad infinitum. I don’t know how many times have I had lessons in the past where I’ve ended up covering the same concepts when really a ‘replay’ of the last lesson would h… Read more
Nick

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