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The Art
Of
Jazz Saxophone
By
Warren Atiba Taylor

Copyright 2011
 THE ART OF JAZZ SAXOPHONE IMPROVISATION

Introduction

A rt Blakey said that “jazz is the only original classical music in America.” I would only slightly
disagree with him and include gospel music as well. However, in this book I attempt to cover
the fundamental framework that encompasses the broad category of music known as jazz. The
development of jazz improvisation as it relates to the saxophone can be traced to 4 primary styles of
playing on tenor saxophone and arguably less than a dozen saxophonists on alto. The major players
on tenor saxophone included players who pioneered jazz improvisation and they are Lester Young,
Coleman Hawkings, Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane. The alto saxophone has more players, but I
narrow the list down to eight players: Johnny Hodges, Benny Carter, Charlie Parker, Paul Desmond,
Cannonball Adderly, Jackie McClean, Ornette Coleman and Eric Dolphy. The history of jazz alto
saxophone playing could be classified as before, during and after Charlie Parker.

History of Jazz

Jazz history is quite often documented in relationship to the development of jazz bands and
the individuals who made those bands great. Prior to the development of the jazz bands we have
the foundational influences of jazz being formed in the slave plantation field hollers, the call and
response characteristics of negro spirituals, and the development of black and mulatoo classically
trained musicians. These classically trained musicians played in and around New Orleans. The pre-
jazz period can be chronicled from slavery to 1865 and from 1865 to the early 1900’s.
The first period in which there is documented evidence of the music called jazz occurred
just prior to the turn of the century and was referred to as ragtime. Scott Joplin is one of the prolific
composers of ragtime. During this period the emergence of brass bands became prominent. These
brass bands played variations of the ragtime music more commonly associated with the piano. During
this nascent period the brass bands started to include instrumental arrangements of popular songs as
well as blues of the early 1900s.
Jazz from 1910 through the 1930s is often described as New Orleans Style Jazz or the Dixieland
Style Jazz Period. Three major instrumentalists of this period include Buddy Bolden, Louis Armstrong
and the Sidney Bechet. The 1930’s marked the beginning of the Swing Period that included many big
bands; Count Basie, Cab Calloway, Jimmy Dorsey and Duke Ellington to name a few. Swing music
can be defined as dance music as played by the big bands from 1920 thru the early 1940.
During the swing period, the drums and string bass were played in a way that strongly
emphasized each quarter note, while the brass and woodwinds created the syncopation of playing the
weak pulse, thus the term swing.

The Age of Bebop

The age of bebop was ushered into American history by the two of the biggest names in jazz;
(circa 1940) alto saxophonist Charlie Parker and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie. Other major players who

Page 3
A-PDF Content Splitter Demo. Purchase from www.A-PDF.com to remove the watermark

The Art
Of
Jazz Saxophone
By
Warren Atiba Taylor

Copyright 2011
 THE ART OF JAZZ SAXOPHONE IMPROVISATION

Introduction

A rt Blakey said that “jazz is the only original classical music in America.” I would only slightly
disagree with him and include gospel music as well. However, in this book I attempt to cover
the fundamental framework that encompasses the broad category of music known as jazz. The
development of jazz improvisation as it relates to the saxophone can be traced to 4 primary styles of
playing on tenor saxophone and arguably less than a dozen saxophonists on alto. The major players
on tenor saxophone included players who pioneered jazz improvisation and they are Lester Young,
Coleman Hawkings, Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane. The alto saxophone has more players, but I
narrow the list down to eight players: Johnny Hodges, Benny Carter, Charlie Parker, Paul Desmond,
Cannonball Adderly, Jackie McClean, Ornette Coleman and Eric Dolphy. The history of jazz alto
saxophone playing could be classified as before, during and after Charlie Parker.

History of Jazz

Jazz history is quite often documented in relationship to the development of jazz bands and
the individuals who made those bands great. Prior to the development of the jazz bands we have
the foundational influences of jazz being formed in the slave plantation field hollers, the call and
response characteristics of negro spirituals, and the development of black and mulatoo classically
trained musicians. These classically trained musicians played in and around New Orleans. The pre-
jazz period can be chronicled from slavery to 1865 and from 1865 to the early 1900’s.
The first period in which there is documented evidence of the music called jazz occurred
just prior to the turn of the century and was referred to as ragtime. Scott Joplin is one of the prolific
composers of ragtime. During this period the emergence of brass bands became prominent. These
brass bands played variations of the ragtime music more commonly associated with the piano. During
this nascent period the brass bands started to include instrumental arrangements of popular songs as
well as blues of the early 1900s.
Jazz from 1910 through the 1930s is often described as New Orleans Style Jazz or the Dixieland
Style Jazz Period. Three major instrumentalists of this period include Buddy Bolden, Louis Armstrong
and the Sidney Bechet. The 1930’s marked the beginning of the Swing Period that included many big
bands; Count Basie, Cab Calloway, Jimmy Dorsey and Duke Ellington to name a few. Swing music
can be defined as dance music as played by the big bands from 1920 thru the early 1940.
During the swing period, the drums and string bass were played in a way that strongly
emphasized each quarter note, while the brass and woodwinds created the syncopation of playing the
weak pulse, thus the term swing.

The Age of Bebop

The age of bebop was ushered into American history by the two of the biggest names in jazz;
(circa 1940) alto saxophonist Charlie Parker and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie. Other major players who

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were pioneers on their respective instruments include drummers; Max Roach, Kenny Clarke and Art
Blakey, pianists; Bud Powell, Erroll Garner, Art Tatum, Thelonius Monk, bassists Milt Hinton, Ray
Brown and Oscar Pettiford to name a few.
Bebop is difficult to define. It could be defined as swing music on steroids. Many bebop songs
were actually the chord structures of broadway songs and popular hits of the 30s and 40s in which
the bebop musicians used as frameworks to compose fast, complex and often vertical melodies. The
harmony is complex, using European harmonies and chordal structures deeply rooted in the gospel
and the blues traditions. The rhythmic pulse is the syncopated accent of the weak pulse or beats two
and four of the measure which propels the music forward like a fast walk. The melody is full of twist
and turns and uses harmonic extensions like 9th, 11th and 13ths chords. Bebop is technically very
sophisticated, often employing wide melodic intervals, unusual use of blues and European melodic
devices and often played at unusually fast tempos.

The Post Bebop or Neo-Bebop

The post bebop period or neo bebop period was one in which the use of scale modes was
prominent. (Often referred to as modal) The use of odd rhythmic meters also became quite common.
The more commercial success of pop music would also became an influence jazz composers, who
began to use simpler harmonic forms with rhythm and blues backbeats as improvisation structures.

Fusion Period

Fusion music became very popular toward the end of the 1960’s and early 70’s with the
invasion of the British Rock bands. Electric amplification in various forms became a major influence
on the jazz sound.
Recorded in 1969, Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew album was a landmark recording. This album
is one of the first times that a brass instrument was given an electric sound. Miles uses electrical
amplification on his trumpet to pioneer electric a brass or wind instrument that would be mirrored by
Eddie Harris, and most recently Michael Brecker.
(Google the EWI, or electronic wind instrument for more info on electronic wind instruments.)
Miles Davis’ band also included the use of rock style guitar amplification and electric keyboards.
In this period as in the Avant-Garde period that runs parallel (1960-1969); “creating a sound’’ and
interplay between the musicians became more important than improvising over a set of chord changes.

Jazz has many influences, including the indigenous music of Africa, latin and Brazilian rhythms and
European classical music.

One of clearest distinctions between jazz and any other music is its rhythmic complexity, its classical
and neo-classical harmonies as well melodic and scale influences from cultures all over the world. The
most pronounced rhythmic characteristic is the negroidal phenomenon known as swing. In this book
I cover the influences which are the foundation of the traditional jazz musician, which consists of a
good grasp of swing idea, blues, the II V I progression and more advanced techniques and scales like
fourths and diminished scales.

Page 4
How to Use this Book

In ten chapters I have covered the fundamental rhythmic, harmonic and melodic ideas that are essential
to the beginning, intermediate, and advanced level jazz saxophonist. The more advanced ideas can be
found in the music of John Coltrane and the chapters on diminished scales and fourths. Read through
all the chapters and find what you like. I suggest mastering the chapters on the Swing Idea, Blues and
II-V-I patterns first before going onto other chapters.

The most important idea necessary to getting an authentic jazz sound is understanding the ‘’swing
articulation’’ or as I call it ‘’ The Swing Idea.’’ I would recommend listening to playing examples and
mastering this section along with playing the patterns that follow Chapter I “The Swing Idea”. I have
playing examples of swing on my website.

Atibataylorstudios.wordpress.com

I have heard many jazz saxophonists with good jazz ideas but who don’t really understand the concept
of swing. Thus they don’t sound nearly as effective improvising as they would if they would master
this simple but profound secret.

Tips and Tricks

1. Understand the Swing Idea
2. Play through the Ideas
3. Try to play the ideas perfectly the first time
4. Record and listen to yourself and as many great jazz players as you can find.

I am available for lessons. I have samples of mp3 examples for all the chapters on my website.
I am including a link for free ‘’play along’’ mp3 songs that you can use to monitor how well you have
learned the songs and patterns you are studying.

Website for free play along mp3 = http://www.jamtracks.ru/en/mpjam_jazz_standards.html

Thanks for purchasing this book. God Bless

Contact Info
realatiba@yahoo.com
Tel: 55 – 82 – 3231 – 1775
55 – 82 – 9608 - 6363 (c)
Website: http://atibataylorstudios.wordpress.com

Page 5
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction 3

Chapter 1 Swing Section 9

Chapter 1 Exercises 11

Chapter 2 Blues Section 12

Chapter 2 Exercises 15

Chapter 3 Pentatonic Patterns 19

Chapter 3 Exercises 22

Chapter 4 Dominant 7ths 25

Chapter 4 Exercises 28

Chapter 5 Minor Scale Patterns 31

Chapter 5 Exercises 34

Chapter 6 Diminished Scales and Patterns 37

Chapter 6 Exercises 41

Chapter 7 Major Patterns 44

Chapter 7 Exercises 46

Chapter 8 John Coltrane Patterns and Ideas 50

Chapter 8 Exercises 53

Chapter 9 II-V-I 55

Chapter 9 Exercises 58

Chapter 10 Fourths 61

Chapter 10 Exercises 63

Page 7
 CHAPTER I

The Swing Idea

T he three distinguishing characteristics of all music are: rhythm, melody and harmony. In this
book I take fundamental approaches to providing the jazz saxophone student and professional
with all three characteristics.

Jazz and the Swing Idea

To be able to play jazz properly and to articulate jazz in the great tradition of Louis Armstrong, Duke
Ellington, Charlie Parker and Miles Davis; the saxophonist must be able to play scales, jazz phrases
and melodic ideas in a specific manner typically referred to as swing.

The idea of swing was once described by Wynton Marsalis as a way of walking in which the movement
of the feet or legs has inherent accent, an inherent groove that makes jazz so distinctive. In the early
days of jazz this was typified by the rhythms of New Orleans Marching Bands, and the syncopation of
songs like the Entertainer.

Specifically, in the swing section I have focused on the eighth note idea in which the weak pulse is
accented to give the legato jazz sound of ooh pah, or doo bah, with the accent being on the second
syllable, or in a group of 8 eighth notes, the accent would be on the following notes 2,4,6,8.

Example 1A

In the early days of jazz and even now in blues and boogie woogie styles the four notes would be a
group dotted eights followed by a sixteenth note.

Example 2A

Page 9
The example above (2a) is an older way of playing jazz and quite common in blues and boogie woogie
styles. I do not focus on this style of articulation in this book.

As a note of caution I have created the second example because many students will play the second
articulation because of a lack of understanding of the eighth note articulation found in modern jazz.
(Particularly from the 1940’s to present day)

How to practice the Swing Idea or Swing Articulation

1. The student will need a small tape recorder and a metronome.

2. The student will begin by playing the C scale as written in Example 1 of the exercises of
Chapter 1. Quarter Note =60,

3. Record yourself playing the scales.

4. Check your progress. I have mp3 examples on my saxophone and jazz improvisation website
http://www.Saxophonecolossus.wordpress.com

It is very important that the student master the articulation as written in all major and minor scales
before going on to any faster tempos.

I usually have my students play the Dorian scale as minor scales. It is easy to play and remember
because the student can create the Dorian by simply lowering the third and seventh degree of the major
scale. The student can also create the Dorian by starting on the second degree of any major scale.

CDEFGABCD GABCDEFGA
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 89 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 89

The student will make the best progress if he or she records himself playing the scales, because it is
easy to turn the pattern around and play it incorrectly as in the example I have provided below. I have
had a number of students that have practiced this exercised diligently for several months. When played
with discipline and accuracy in a short time the instrumentalist will show incredible improvement
technically and began to intuitively create jazz ideas that are interesting and fun to listen to.

Ex 2

In Example 2 the articulation is the opposite of what should be played.

This is a typical march or classical articulation.

Page 10
  
Chapter
ChapterI1Swing
Swing Exercise
Exercise
Warren Atiba Taylor Atiba Taylor

> > > >

> >œ œ >œ œ >œ œ >œ œ >œ > > > > >
4 œœœ œœœœ œ
Flute &4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœœ
œœ

> > > > > > > >

œ >œ œ >œ œ > œ > >
> > >œ >œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ >œ œ >œ œ >
œ
& œœœœœœœœ œœœ œ œ œ
5

> > > > > > > >

&œœœœœœœœ œœœœœ œ Œ Ó ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑
10

œ œ œ

∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑
17

&

∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑
26

&

Page 11
 CHAPTER II

Blues Patterns and Scales

T he Blues Patterns that I have written in this book are patterns that I have played, learned and
experimented with over the years.

I have written and created patterns that are fun to play, sound good and can be found in blues tradition
of Chicago down home players as well as great jazz players like John Coltrane, Sonny Stitt, Paul
Desmond, Gene Ammons, and Stan Getz.

The typical blues scale is C – D - Eb - E - F - F# - G- A - Bb - C. This blues scale is often referred to

as the major blues scale.

The pattern numerically is 1, 2, b3, 3, 4, #4(b5), 5, 6, b7, 8.

The minor blues scale can be played in two variations that specifically are effective.

Variation I = 1, 2, b3, 4, #4(b5), 5, 6, b7, 8 or Variation II = 1 b3, 4, #4(b5), 5, b7, 8. Notice the second
variation omits the 2nd and 6th degrees.

In creating effective lines on the blues I have followed these patterns but not in a strict sense. I have
added chromatic tones and dropped key notes when necessary to create melodic ideas that give a
traditional and jazz sound to the patterns and lines.

How to Practice These Lines

Suggestions:

1. Play through the entire set of patterns and melodic ideas

2. Take a few patterns, memorize them and try them in different keys
3. Try to find blues backing tracks in traditional concert keys and improvise using the blues lines
given. Try learning the blues in a few keys. For example, E, F, G A, Bb and C. But don’t limit
learning to play the blues in all keys. To quickly master the lines it might be a good idea to learn
them in keys that you will immediately use in live performance situations.

A good backing track website is http://www.jamtracks.ru/ there are good blues backing tracks
and jazz tracks on this site.

The standard blues progression or form is 12 measures. However, there are many other types of blues
patterns with regard to measures and progressions.

Page 12
The standard blues is typically three melodic phrases with supporting harmony. The first two phrases
are blues phrases that are similar or almost exact in their structure and the third phrase is a response
to the first two.

For example, the lyric to Sweet Home Chicago 1. “Come on home, baby don’t you want to go, 2.
“Come on home, baby don’t you want to go
The response to phrases 1 & 2, is 3. Back to the Same old place Sweet Home Chicago”

Example I

The harmonic form is

/F7 /F7 /F7 /F7
/Bb /Bb7 /F7 /F7
/C7 /Bb7 /F7 /F7

Only one type of chord is used, the dominant 7th chord, in which the dominant scale or mixolydian
scale. In the above example the key of F is the tonic.
Notice we are only using the chords of I, IV, and V.

Most standard traditional and jazz blues have some type of turnaround or progression that leads back
to the root tone. Typically in a 12 bar blues the turnaround or final progression occurs during measures
9 through 12.

Notice in the above example that the turnaround is /C7 /Bb /F, which is the ninth and tenth
measures and then home to the tonic or root at bar twelve.
Using the scale of F7, dominant or mixolydian, (F, G, A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F) The turnaround progression
or harmonic pattern is So-Fa-Do, or V, IV, I.

In the blues patterns I have incorporated several typical but soulful patterns. Check out the patterns at
measures 21 through 24.

This pattern would fit in a Bb blues with the form total structure listed in the example below.
Root or tonic scale pattern Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb

Page 13
Example II

/Bb7 /Bb7 /Bb7 /Bb7

/Eb /Eb7 /Bb /Bb7
/F7 /Eb7 /Bb7 /Bb7

Lastly, the notes that give the blues its distinctive sound are referred to as blue notes.
They are b3, #4(b5) and b7.
Note -When I talk about tension in this book, I am talking about the idea of dissonance that is used as a melodic or
harmonic device leading to or away from the root, third or fifth tones. In more advance playing dissonance is created by
the chromatic tones that lie between all diatonic tones.

Page 14
  

ScoreChapterBlues
II Blues Patterns
Patterns and Turnarounds
and Turnarounds
[Composer]

4
& b 4 ‰ b œj n œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ ‰ b œ n œ # œ œ b œ n œ n œ œ b œ n œ # œ œ b œ n œ
3

œ #œ œ œ bœ œ œ
Vari 1

&b ∑ œœœ œœŒ Ó ‰ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ

5

œ œ # œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ nœ bœ œ
Vari2 Fdominant 7
b œ b œ b œ œœ
&b ‰œ œœ œ
œ bœ Œ b ‰
œ œ ∑
10

œ œ œ nœ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ
bb n œ b œ n œ b œ b œ œ œ œ n œ b œ n œ b œ b œ œ œ œ œ Œ Ó Ó
15

&
blues turnaround
F7
œ œ œEb7 œ
bb œJ ‰ Œ Ó œœ b œ œ œ b œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ bœ œ œ œ.
Bb7

Ó Œ J‰ œ œ
20

&
3 3 3 3 3 3
blues turnaround

œ œ nœ ˙ œ bœ nœ ˙ œ œœœœ
F7 E b7
b bbb œ œ œ œ œ n œ
Bb blues pattern
œœœ Ó
Bb7

&b ‰ ‰ œ nœ bœ œ
25

œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
bb
& b œœÓ œœœ œ Œ œœœœœœœœ œ Œ Ó bbbb
30

Eb blues pattern
bb j œ nœ œ bœ nœ nœ œ
& b b ‰bœ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ ‰bœ nœ nœ œ bœ nœ
3

∑
35

bœ nœ

Page 15
2 [Title] Ab Blues Pattern

œ nœ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ nœ bœ œ œ
b œœœ œ Œ Ó bbbbb ‰ œ œ œ
& b bb ∑
40

nœ bœ nœ bœ bœ œ nœ bœ nœ bœ bœ œ
bb b
45
œ œ œœ œ Œ Ó œ œ œ nœ œ bœ œ œ
& bb

œ œ
Ab7
œ œ
Gb7
bb œ
&bbb œ œ Ó Ó Œ œ œ b œ œ œ b œ œ œ ‰ œ œ∫ œ œ œ∫ œ œ œ œ .
49 3

J œ
3 3 3 3 3

b ‰ œ œ nœ ˙ bb b b œ œ œ œ œ n œ œ
& b bbb œ ‰ œ bœ nœ ˙
Ab7 Gb7 Db7 Db Blues Patterns

œœœ Ó
53 Db7
bb

œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
bb b b œ œ œ œ œ n œ b œ œ œ Ó œœ œ œ Œ
58

& bb œ

bb b b b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ Ó #
n n n n n n # # # # ‰ n œj# œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ
F#blues Patterns
62

& b
3

œ #œ œ œ nœ œ
#### œ
# ‰ nœ #œ #œ œ nœ #œ #œ nœ #œ #œ œ nœ #œ ∑ œœ œœŒ Ó
66

&
BBlues Patterns

#### ‰ œ œ œ œ œ n œ nnnn #### ‰ nœ œ œ œ #œ nœ œ œ

∑ œœœœ œ
71

& # n œ

Page 16
  
[Title] 3

#### #œ nœ #œ nœ nœ œ #œ nœ #œ nœ nœ œ
∑ œ œ œ Œ Ó
75

& œ œ

#### œ œ œ # œ œ n œ œ œ œ œ œ Ó œ œ
B7

Ó Œ œ œ nœ œ œ nœ œ œ ‰ œ œ nœ
79

& J
3 3 3
3

œ œ #n # # œ œ œ œ œ # œ œ
E7
#### œ œ n œ ˙
A7 E Blues Pattern

œ œ œ. ‰ œ œ #œ
83

& œ œ
3 3

### œ œ œ œ œ # œ n œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœœœœœœ
œÓ œ œœœœ œ Œ
87

&

### œ Œ Ó n# œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
A Blues Pattern

# œ œ œ œ œ#œ œ œ œ œ œ œ#œ nœ œ œ Ó
92

& œ

## œ œ œ œœœœœœœœ œ Œ Ó #n œ œ œ œ œ # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ # œ n œ œ
D Blues Patterns

œ œ Œ
97

&

œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
# œœœ œ Œ œœœœœœœœ œ n
& œœÓ Œ Ó
102

œ #œ œ Œ Ó œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ # œ œ œœœ œœŒ Ó œ œ #œ œ œ
œ.
107

&
3

Page 17
4 [Title]

bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœœ œ œœœ œ
œ
& œœŒ Ó bœ ‰ bœ œ Ó ∑
112

3 3
3 3

Page 18
 CHAPTER III

Pentatonic Scales and Patterns

T he word pentatonic comes from the root “penta’’ and means five.
I have concentrated primarily on the minor pentatonic scales.
But I have included a section of examples using the major pentatonic patterns.

In this book I have focused on 7 patterns of the pentatonic scale. The seven patterns are 3 minor
patterns and 4 major patterns. There are other variations than the ones included in this book, however
for the practicality of time and space I choose the patterns I found particularly useful

The major patterns include two typical major patterns, one pattern that includes the flatted fifth and one
major pattern that also includes the augmented fifth degree.

The minor pentatonic variations are

Variation I

I bIII IV V bVII, C Eb F G Bb

Variation II

I II bIII IV V VI bVII, G A Bb C D E F (See measures 14 -20,)

Notice that Variation II has 7 tones.

But the pattern of five tones will be established using rhythmic groups of 4 and 5 note patterns which
give the ear the sound of the pentatonic.
In essence Variation II is a Dorian scale. A Dorian scale is a scale built on the 2nd degree of the major
scale.

Page 19