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You are here: Home / Jazz Lessons / Modern Improv / Playing Outside-NEW Altered Pentatonic Lesson
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Playing Outside-NEW Altered Pentatonic Lesson

Playing Outside-NEW Altered Pentatonic Lesson

Rated 5.00 out of 5 based on 1 customer rating
(1 customer review)

$9.99

Category: Modern Improv Tags: altered pentatonic, jazz improvisation, jazz instruction, modern improv, playing outside, video lesson
  • Description
  • Reviews (1)
  • Lesson Sample

Description

In this lesson, we are taking a more in-depth look at the use of altered pentatonics to play “outside” a key center.   I made a lesson many years ago that was called “Playing Outside-Altered Pentatonic-One Degree of Separation” that looked at 5 altered pentatonic scales and how we could use them to play “Outside” on a minor tonality.

In this lesson, we take another look at those 5 original altered pentatonics but also look at 7 more altered pentatonics.  I demonstrate using them over a groove in D minor (C concert) as I apply the altered pentatonics to them on the soprano saxophone.  I teach you the importance of getting the scales down but also of hearing the altered notes and how they sound against the minor chords. I teach how to resolve the notes and demonstrate weaving back and forth between the altered pentatonic scale and the home base scale of D minor pentatonic.  

This is a great lesson if you struggle with adding variety and “outside” lines to your favorite minor grooves.  Mastering these altered pentatonics will give you access to a range of sounds that will make other musicians ask what you were playing and thinking on your last solo……..

(47 Minute Video Lesson, PDF of altered pentatonics in D minor)

1 review for Playing Outside-NEW Altered Pentatonic Lesson

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    Rated 5 out of 5

    Jan (verified owner) – September 8, 2017

    Super lesson. You hear the sound of Branford Marsalis, Coltrane (My Favorite Things), Brecker come to life. Steve’s reference to Kenny Garrett playing Human Nature is most fitting. I remember a video where Kenny just kills it and Miles is so excited, he’s chewing his gum like there’s no tomorrow and sweat is dripping from beneath his wig. Moreover Steve sounds unleashed on some examples… great playing. Pentatonic 7 is what Herbie Hancock plays in Summertime (w. Joni Mitchell), I analysed it as augmented major 7 on the 7th of the 1 chord, and here you have it.

    • Steve

      Steve (verified owner) – September 9, 2017

      Thanks Jan! I just finished the book I talked about in this lesson. http://www.neffmusic.com/blog/2017/09/new-book-mastering-altered-pentatonics/ I’m very excited about it. Now comes the hard work of practicing it and trying to get these altered pentatonic patterns down! Glad you liked the lesson!

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

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I am a music book junkie and I have to say that your books are the most clear, user friendly, and helpful books I own.  They are my absolute favorites and I only wish I had them years ago.  I wouldn’t change a thing about the experience I had in acquiring my degree at Berklee, but my playing has perhaps grown more in the time I’ve spent buried in your books and lessons.  Keep up the great work!!! Thanks, John
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I bought Steve’s dominant bebop book and took a couple of online lesson from him. I really appreciated Steve’s careful listening of what I wanted to get done in a lesson and his clear, concise ideas on next steps to improve my playing and musical interpretation.  His mastering  the Dominant Bebop Scale has lots of exercises to use a scale that addresses the largest percentage of chords I come across in pop/blues music. The dominant V7.  Needless say it has improved my playing.  I teach and a… Read more
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Thanks so much for putting all this great learning material out there. I don’t often have the time to take a lesson with a teacher, so the ability to download lessons is really invaluable. My playing has improved enormously (I think :)) – and the lessons are so varied there’s always something to be inspired by. Incredible value too!
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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
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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)
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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
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