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You are here: Home / Jazz Lessons / The Blues / Guide Tone Blues Lesson
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Guide Tone Blues Lesson

Guide Tone Blues Lesson

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

$9.99

SKU: 400 Category: The Blues Tags: blues, guide tones, jazz improvisation, video lesson
  • Description
  • Reviews (2)
  • Lesson Sample

Description

Over the years, many of you have probably heard of the terms “guide tone lines” and “voice leading”.  In this lesson, I take you through an exercise to work on these resolutions without thinking about it too much. I never really worked on guide tones very much as a student but through the years I have worked a ton on this exercise that I am giving you in this lesson.  I not only use it on a blues but over every tune I work on.

Using the concept of “enclosures” to surround the target resolutions, you will become very familiar with the way notes want to resolve and move through a chord sequence.

This lesson comes with a PDF over a blues in C with 10 lines written across 3 pages.  I demonstrate all the examples on the tenor saxophone but you can apply these concepts to all instruments. (37 Minute Video Lesson & PDF)

 

2 reviews for Guide Tone Blues Lesson

  1. Avatar
    Rated 5 out of 5

    Matthew Staples (verified owner) – August 27, 2013

    Being able to navigate the guide tones over a blues is a good precursor to being able to play smoothly over the changes, and an essential tool for every blues/jazz musician. Steve has taken the time to prepare a PDF that outlines 10 different guide tone lines over a D Blues. This itself is worth its weight in gold, but he also takes the time to play through each guide tone line and explain the note choices and how they fit over the chord. Overall, this is an excellent lesson and one that I plan on learning in all 12 keys. Now, it’s off to the shed to work on these guide tone lines!

  2. Avatar
    Rated 5 out of 5

    John W (verified owner) – November 3, 2013

    This lesson provides a clear description of guide tones and how and when to use them. The information is presented in such a way that its applicability is not limited to just blues. Steve also explains how to encapsulate notes which, for me, was a key missing concept and one that will add agility to my playing. This lesson really cleared things up. Awesome value!

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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
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

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
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
I have been a member of Neffmusic for more than a year now and have enjoyed every minute of it! I have not only been going thru the Dominant Bebop Scale lessons and book (OUTSTANDING!) but the mouthpiece reviews, solo clips and transcriptions are very interesting. Steve approach to beginning and intermediate improv have given me many new pathways to teach my high school jazz ensemble students. Congratulations Steve, great product!
Craig
I can see from your instructional videos that you are a fantastic teacher – one that can truly relate to all ages – humble yet very positive in approach – never coming across as superior and yet so totally capable of demonstrating the principles and techniques that you seek to impart to the students. I have gained so much confidence in my playing from “pouring over” time and again these invaluable lessons. Invaluable not only in musical content, but also in human interaction content. I am absolu… Read more
Ron

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
I like so many other subscribers feel so encouraged by Steve’s learning techniques; you will enjoy reading the comments of praise others have left as you too will feel that you share a common view and path. I feel very lucky to have come across Neffmusic and that feeling will remain with you as you search through a treasure trove of learning materials on offer, you will quickly find the lessons that you are suited to. You will instantly recognize the unparalleled quality of Steve’s teaching … Read more
Stephen
Hey Steve, My name is Jason Freese and I play keyboards and sax in the band Green Day.  I grew up taking sax lessons from Eric Marienthal when I was a kid and got out of it for a long time. I ran into you on youtube while searching for sax stuff. I bought a whole bunch of your lessons and have been loving it! Thanks! Here is my wikipedia so you can see the albums I’ve played on….Thanks again. It’s sparked my interest in practicing again.   Jason
Jason Freese (sax player for Green Day)
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

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