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Playing Outside on Standards Exercise

Playing Outside on Standards Exercise

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

$9.99

Categories: Jazz Lessons, Modern Improv Tags: jazz improvisation, modern improv, playing outside, saxophone, standards, video lesson
  • Description
  • Reviews (1)

Description

In this lesson, I talk about a method to practice playing outside the chord changes while still being aware of them and following them. This lesson demonstrates a concept I work on with students as a means to learning how to play outside and get comfortable with that playing style in a methodical way. I demonstrate the concept over the tune “There Will Never Be Another You” on the soprano saxophone. A play along of that song is also included for you to practice with. (37 Minute Video Lesson,Play along)

1 review for Playing Outside on Standards Exercise

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    Rated 5 out of 5

    Jan (verified owner) – February 26, 2017

    What a great lesson. I had a standards trio and invited a great sax player who played all this weird stuff but with taste, 🙂 i was always asking him about it and his comment was the same as yours: just do something, but keep the changes in mind. I didn’t get it and thought there was some substitution theory behind it, but now I’m getting it. To this day I have never dared to play something “out” in a performance, because I know I get lost. This lesson is wonderful advice.

    • Steve

      Steve – March 14, 2017

      Glad you liked it Jan. When I discovered how to do this in college it really opened up the possibilities for me and like you, every time I played stuff like this other players would be asking me what I played. I think they would always get miffed when I said “Whatever” or “it doesn’t matter”. they wanted a formula or equation…………

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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!
Roger
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

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

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’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
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
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
Cedric
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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