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You are here: Home / Jazz Books (PDF Downloads) / The New Ultimate II-V-I Primer-Major Keys (Digital PDF Book)

The New Ultimate II-V-I Primer-Major Keys (Digital PDF Book)

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

$14.99

Category: Jazz Books (PDF Downloads) Tags: approach notes, II-V-I, jazz improv, melodic improvisation, patterns
  • Description
  • Reviews (5)

Description

The “New and Improved” Ultimate II-V-I Primer is finally done.  The purpose of this book is to give beginner to intermediate jazz improvisers a complete and thorough method to learn all the note possibilities in a II-V-I progression in a systematic and organized way.  I have written this book so that it starts with the simplest of exercises and progresses to more advanced exercises as you work through the book.

The book is divided up into 10 lessons.  Each lesson is focused on adding one note to each chord of a II-V-I progression.  I give you a number of patterns for each new note that is added.  The goal of these patterns is to master the new note in relationship with each chord and to add these new notes to the notes mastered in the previous lessons.  I’ve written the patterns out in a number of different combinations that I think sound good.  Mastering these patterns will give you a multitude of melodic options while improvising.

After the patterns in each lesson, I give you 10 examples of how to apply 10 different approaches to the patterns already studied.  These approaches help to connect the chord tones from measure to measure as well as multiplying the various lines and ideas you can use over the progression.

The last section of each lesson is focused on giving you some ideas to use to create more melodic lines.  Many times students who are studying and learning patterns have trouble making the jump from pattern to melodic improvisation.  For this reason, in each lesson I give you 5 melodic lines based off of the patterns and approaches. I give you some insights into why they sound good and how I created them.

This PDF book is a massive 750 pages long because it is written out in all 12 keys.  I suggest just printing out pages 1-78 for the section in C major for a reference and then printing out other keys and pages if you need them later when stuck.

Included with this book are:

40 Play along tracks, 12 of piano at 85bpm, 12 with a trio at 110bpm,  12 with trio at 140bpm and 4 tracks at different tempos of a 12 key play along.

This book is an excellent resource for any student of jazz improvisation.  It will help you  internalize the chords, learn a number of approaches, learn to play melodically and  improve and grow your creativity.  When you have completed this book, you will have laid a great foundation on which you can build.  I hope you enjoy the journey.

Steve

 

5 reviews for The New Ultimate II-V-I Primer-Major Keys (Digital PDF Book)

  1. Avatar
    Rated 5 out of 5

    Jonasson – October 9, 2013

    I’ve really had much use of your II-V-I primer book. It has made my ears twice as big and in just one month my technique in all keys has evolved tremendously. I am basically an autodidact, which means i usually skip the “easy bits” and go straight to the things I’m not likely ever to be able to manage. This book has given me the opportunity to start all over again and do things correctly from the start. I’ve spent years on various scales and patterns without much happening, but with this “easy” book and band in a box things are starting to happen. My best lesson ever! Jonasson

  2. Avatar
    Rated 5 out of 5

    Frank – October 9, 2013

    Just started working on your II-V-I Primer. It’s absolutely
    aaaaaaaaaaaaaaawsome !!!! Exactly what I was looking for, just right on !!!
    I started today and oh boy, I don’t know if I’ll ever play like Bird, but I know I’m gonna enjoy learning and playing my alto like I never did before.

    Thank you so much, it’s so great to have people like you in the music community.
    Keep up the good work !!! Can’t wait to start my lessons.

    Frank

  3. Avatar
    Rated 5 out of 5

    Robert (verified owner) – June 22, 2014

    “Where did that note come from? Just one of the question answered just by playing with the play-alongs and reading Steve’s short and very clear notes that accompany the exercises. This “Primer” is easily worth many times the price. None of this, “Memorize these pages before you start playing” stuff. You’ll be playing in less time than it takes to wet a reed. This starting over theme has been great for me. I have a decent ear, but it many times leads me into Clam City. Starting over (in all keys yet) is giving me a better foundation. Even if you feel weak in only a key or two, this Primer will be worth much more than you are paying. Steve’s server should be waiting. You can have this primer in about 10 minutes, including the ton of play-alongs. And NO, I don’t know Steve, but I am a very satisfied user.

  4. Avatar
    Rated 5 out of 5

    Robert (verified owner) – October 10, 2015

    I want to thank you for your “Ultimate II-V-I Primer” which has sent me off on a much better path to improvisation. The primer and the four bound books I have will keep me busy for a long time. I like your lessons for two reasons. The lessons work and THEY ARE FUN. Thanks again.
    Robert

  5. Avatar
    Rated 5 out of 5

    Jim – November 5, 2020

    Steve- Your ii V7 I Primer is a great book- I am happy to find a book which addresses these fundamentals logically and sequentially…this is a valuable resource for my teaching. This book addresses the study of chord tones and various approach notes while studying ii-V7-I progressions progressively from the most basic concepts into more advanced ones and subsequently offers practical insights and suggested exercises into using these ideas melodically when improvising over this very common chord progression.
    Jim

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Just a brief note to compliment you on your teaching skills and in particular for the honesty of your lessons.  I am a returning alto sax player in my 50’s and I was looking for a no nonsense, straight to the point kind of guidance. I had intended to email you with a few questions regarding the use of the bis key but then I noticed that there was a lesson on that specific topic and after viewing it,  all my questions were answered. I once took a group lesson with a well known professional sax … Read more
Patrick
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 want to say something about Steve Neff’s series of lessons, Beginner Jazz Improvisation. For a couple of years I tried many beginner lessons and my problem was that there was a gap between lessons that were fairly simple and ones that I was not quite ready for and my progress stalled out. That problem was solved with the series Beginner Jazz Improvisation. He guides you step by step along the way and builds a foundation for learning jazz and blues. He leaves no question about what to practice … Read more
Pete

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
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’m an experienced player in the pop/soul/funk areas of music and, previously, classical.  Over the decades I’ve been playing, I’ve always felt that I could do what I needed in those styles of music.  However, recently I began to feel limited by my use of the same old licks. When I discovered Steve Neff’s website, and heard the audio examples based on the exercises in his books, I realized they were what I needed.  I purchased all of them and have been working on them since.  It’s very hard work… Read more
Paul

Hello Steve,

I have not received my alto yet but have already gone through 14 lessons. I love your approach, style, knowledge and competence. I now regret so much to have stayed away from playing the sax for the past 45-50 years…(I am 65).  But It is never too late to get back to your first love. After 23 years in compuer sciences and 22 years in finances…I am now back to music for the rest of my life.

Doing some research on the net, I found this:

http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?1… Read more

Claude

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
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
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
Keith

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