Running the Chords Lesson

Description

In many of my lessons, I talk about “running the chords” on the saxophone.  On the piano or guitar you can play the chords to a tune and hear there qualities and motion.  On the saxophone you obviously can not play chords……but you can “run the chords”.  This is a method I use to have students learn the chords to a song by using arpeggios.

As an example, I use “On Green Dolphin Street” to show you how to do this in 6 steps.  Running the chords from the root, back down from the 7th,in a random way,running the chords without the roots, from the 9th and then randomly again.

This is a great exercise to use to practice and internalize the chords to a song.   It is also a great way to break away from being enslaved by the roots of each chord.  I demonstrate everything on the tenor saxophone but this lesson can be applied to every instrument.   I have included a simple PDF of the chords in the key of Bb, Eb and C. (30 Minute Video Lesson & PDFs)