Donna Lee - Bob Reynolds demonstrates improvisation practice technique

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How to practice tunes a cappella:
- play slow
- metronome on beats 2 & 4 (80bpm)
- outline harmony through melodic ideas
- emphasize chord tones and time feel

Category:

Music

Tags:

• bob
• reynolds
• sax
• saxophone
• jazz
• donna
• lee
• improvisation
• Charlie Parker
• Bird
• bebop
• lessons
• instruction
• how-to
• tenor
• alto

[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.

[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.

[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

[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.

[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

[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.

[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.

[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.