Donna Lee - Bob Reynolds demonstrates improvisation practice technique

[HendrixcommaMartin]

This video is so tasty I want to have it for brunch.

[androidguitar]

He's got everything going on here. If you know the changes to this tune, you don't need anything else to know where he is.

[bluesinpenguin13]

all i hear like a metronome in the back. Is that the only thing? Like are you improvising kinda acapella as one might call it? this is really good by the way :)

[bobreynolds]

@bluesinpenguin13 You got it.

[PetersJazz1]

Very good. I'm trying to learn that tune but I just can't get it right. Should I sell my baritone sax or what?

[SomeBody5170]

since I found this donna lee I no longer feel the urge to play it fast

[TripleOctaveMusic]

AHH HOW DO YOU PLAY ON A 9* MOUTHPIECE SO WELL LOL

[bt017]

Love the articulations. Tonging that upbeat and making in swing... HARD! Dig this video.

[rasmus00666]

@bobreynolds what do you mean with "outline harmony through melodic ideas"?

trying to stay in the harmonic structure throughout your solo?

thats the hardest part for me when improvising... really.

[graftonacrylic]

Nice - very tasty playing!

[Francozen]

Very nice job, man! I'm a big fan of your work and I'm really glad to see that you also pay some tribute to the history of jazz, that you don't forget it! Bravo!

[RMcGO28716]

Dude New School is great . A lot of work but hey that's cool. You will do great for sure.. Make sure you hook up with Reggie Workman DB. Reggie is a wonderful musician & even better human being.. Shoot for the Coltrane Ensemble directed by Reggie Workman.. I wish you all the best bud..

Knock em out !!! !!!! !!!

R.....

[XxD3ADxTR33xX]

be bop?

[vcfreak]

1:35 to 1:43 Nice

[djbot]

hi. im a guitar player and just recently learned this song and found a video of you playing it. you're very good. i loved your solo in stitched up

[fabriziodalisera]

Oh , great time and phrasing.

I love that reeeally relaxed time feel , great playing!

I've played a solo sax version of body and soul (without metronome, rubato feel) played by me , if you want check it out , feel free to give your impressions.

Bye, Fabrizio

[12345678910aaronable]

Please bob make another album

Is that a mark six

[pascal62]

nice relaxed solo, man. nice sound, too.

[lucasantini0]

grazie, Bob. Molto bravo. Spero di arrivarci, prima o poi.

[notexactlydexter]

More, please. It's edifying to hear a player at your level solo at a tempo

we mortals can play along with. Maybe some Rhythm changes?

[lucamoltojazz]

It's fantastic! few notes sounds great!

[12345678910aaronable]

ehat kinda of mouthpiece, reed, and saxaphone do you use and have

[RMcGO28716]

Nice tone, beautiful improv , sweet articulation, fine air stream totally natural.. Dude could you demonstrate seting the Metronome on 2 & 4 before you begin . Studied with Bergonzi, Garzone, etc ex New School Jazz Graduate who never admitted to being unable to work with a metronome. Ashamed yes , but know it's a simple fix. My teachers told me my time was great but I know I do even better. Love the idea & use it Slow Mo Practice using 8th notes Beautiful way to get inside the changes Best Rob

[bobreynolds]

The main thing is getting it out of your head that when you hear that first click it's one. That's the natural reaction. Let it click for a few beats, then start subdividing quarters in your head and then use one of the clicks as beat 4 and start counting that way. Ex.: Click/rest/click/rest/4/1-2-3-­4.

[jakedeving]

@RMcGO28716 im applying to the new school of jazz:D was it a good experience?

[avril2]

That's nice.

[kirkrapport]

Nice playing. i play gtr, but study tenor saxophone players for ideas. where can i purchase sax workbook by teal? also r those cds on the wall back there? i have over 600, mostly jazz, love trane and sonny stitt. always learning more :-)

[bjazzer795]

The great Charlie Parker once said "You've got to learn your instrument. Then, you practice, practice, practice. And then, when you finally get up there on the bandstand, forget all that and just wail."

[astaire2012]

wow! i like your interpretation of this song, i keep coming back to this page just to hear you play! keep it up

[drumstyx6464]

WOW! I love the smoky tone, especially down low, EXCELLENT!

[Timothyjazz]

Great playing ! I heard lots of Dexter. Good job

[SaxophoneProductions]

Bob, are there any jazz books that you believe are a "must have". I mean in the sense of jazz theory like chords, melodies, triads, etc to study

[thepeople1325]

no book can teach jazz in my opinion- feeling and timing is what jazz is about- i mean look at miles davis' playing. a lot of his notes notes make no sense, but they are placed and played in a way that sounds incredible. some of these people on youtube who play really fast and you hear of all these child prodigies who play with no feeling and are concerned only with being the fastest players but they dont play jazz- that's just notes. learn your triads by ear and improvise from your heart

[SaxophoneProductions]

as beautiful as your words are, music requires knowledge, and knowledge comes from good musicians to newer ones through writing and oral transfer. Jazz is a music style. Anyone can play jazz, but there are people who play jazz and jazz musicians

[thepeople1325]

yeah i totally agree and i didnt mean for my words to negate that fact- thank you for pointing that out. The message I meant to convey was that jazz is about feeling and as good as people can be from taking lessons means nothing if they dont put feeling into their playing.

[bobreynolds]

RE: thepeople1325: "learn your triads by ear and improvise from your heart " ...I like that. :)

[thepeople1325]

thanks man! youre great you connect the chords so well in this i love the feeling

[tenorman3456]

@bobreynolds "There are no wrongs notes, just wrong rhythms."

[bobreynolds]

I like to transcribe and use things I like from solos to make up exercises. For books, I'm a fundamentals guy: The Saxophonist's Workbook by Larry Teal has always been with me, and I like the Rascher 158 Saxophone Exercises. Walt Weiskopf's Intervallic Improvisation is a heavy one, too. All of these are just to hone technique.

[kenyoncarter]

Checkout the book of Bob's transcribed tunes on my profile- let me know what you think!

[birdndiz10]

Has anyone transcribed this?I'm trying so hard and struggling....

[user3222]

take it one note at a time you can do it

[Brotteo]

i love it. thanks for all the cool ideas.

[cdyel]

Oh my goodness! I saw your name on a Bona video, so I decided to check you out before I even heard you on that song, lol. You're instantly one of my favorite sax players. Great stuff, I'm hooked for life...

[leeonpiano]

Incredible!! Your phrasing is awesome!

[ficojazz]

Bravo!

[HeyDorian]

very good phrasing

[jonrittmann]

Nice, real nice. Im a guitar player but my favorite sax is tenor. Good job on the accuracy of Donna Lee, I hear a lot of people playing it wrong.

- jon

[Alonzo1113]

I agree with the comments on sound. Great job! I think I'll start practicing like this if it has these results.

-Alonzo

[cesarbraga77]

Hey, dude! Beautiful articulations you use there.

[AFSAX]

I love your sound.

Congratulations from Brazil.

What mouthpiece are you using in this video?

[AFSAX]

Otto Link hard rubber #9 w/Rico Royal 3 1/2 reeds.

[AFSAX]

What mouthpiece are using in this video?

[InBy9OutBy5]

Super !

[arpinz]

Perfect... awesome...

[satanswizard2]

can u please explain what kind of scales you are playing

[brothercat]

Wow! What a huge sound!

[joekillahBB]

man you got a nice sound!!

[UltraMN]

Lovely sound and nice licks, although it sounds a bit downtempo...since it's bop, I'm wondering why you didn't try to shred it just a little bit.

[copedogg888]

dude this is supposed to be instructional, he didn't post this to show off, because we all know he can burn it.

Bop doesn't always need to blaze, that's not its defining characteristic.

[tbonechs2010]

It's a practice technique... haha

[kylegeee]

he's just showing how to practice a difficult tune.

[kylegeee]

dude, bob reynolds! i saw you live with john mayer in chicago! you're a phenomenal horn player, can't wait to hear more great stuff.

[yanigi]

Great sound. What's your setup?

[bobreynolds]

Thanks. Otto Link hard rubber #9 w/Rico Royal 3 1/2 reeds.

[SaxophoneProductions]

what sort of link are you playing? specific name?

[SaxophoneProductions]

what link do you play specifically?

[sonofheavysmoker]

you are really good

[Chocobear97]

very nice...

[lokir]

I really like your technique. Your fingers barely move from the keys but the playing still sounds very agile and light. :o)

[dohertyjazz]

really nice lines!

[mateolewismusic]

Amazing phrasing. Thank you.

[Sopransaxman23]

Ive been watching this like 50 times man.. I cant see you live.. Please tell me your coming to Maryland/Dc/Va soon

[Pickpocket86]

Man you have Such a Great Tone and Vocabulary..... Do you Have any Helpful Words for a fellow sax player who aspires to have as successful of a career as yourself. Also do you still practice Patterns

[bobreynolds]

Ha Ha...just keep at it, that's the best advice. And listen to great players...and try to always play with people better than you. Patterns have always bored me...both to practice and to play. If I practice them it's just for technique's sake.

[Vettestrat]

thanks a ton Bob. I will have to transcribe this!

[NIUSax28]

I really like your tone. Do you transcribe a lot?

[bobreynolds]

Not as much as I used to, but yes, I do.

[NIUSax28]

And just out of curiosity, I'm thinking about getting a soprano soon, maybe a yanagisawa 991. What kind do you use? And would you recommend that one?

[bobreynolds]

I use a Yamaha YSS-675

[PetersJazz1]

hi,

you dont need to transcribe between soprano and tenor, its the same key. I would really live to learn this tune but I just cant. Do you do lessons thrue Skype?

[bobreynolds]

Yes, I do give lessons (when time permits) through live video chat (Skype, iChat).

[RemyMcD]

Um... I don't think you know what "transcribe" means...

[PetersJazz1]

Thank you wise guy. So what does it mean then?

[RemyMcD]

Ha, well I think you were thinking of the word "transpose" when you posted that. No worries. You're right, both Soprano and Tenor transpose to Bb. By "transcribe", they meant to learn music off of the recordings (e.g. parker heads/solos) by ear, either writing it down in notation (the real meaning of the word) or simply memorizing it.

In addition to learning songs and "licks", transcribing is essential for ear training, and (by playing along with recordings) developing a feel for jazz phrasing.

[copedogg888]

this is a big help bob, sounds killin

[bobreynolds]

Great. Glad you got something out of it.