Beginners - please give me some feedback on this lesson

[griff136]

Nick Cook wrote:
[color:green]I'm with lovefool there - if you can't play a chord on a saxophone, what's the point? It's just 3 notes from a scale???? An explanation of why it's necessary would be good (I'm sure it must be necessary or it wouldn't be there!!!)[/color]

The point of the chord symbols is to guide the player as to which set of notes would best fit in that bar. Chords are also not just limited to triads so not just 3 notes, in fact even when you do have a chord that is just a triad you can use your octave key and then you have six notes, you can vary the length of the notes, and play them in any order and as the chord symbol is a guide you are not restricted to the notes in the chord but can use the other notes in the scale as well.

In short they are a guide to help you play groups of notes freestyle that wont sound out of place when you are soloing.

 

[nick_cook]

Peter Fitton wrote:

Nick, how are you getting on with the John O'Neil?


Peter

[color:green]Hi Peter, not too bad!!! I haven't done much with it for a while because I've got my Jazz Grade 1 in June. But I have been practising the low notes exercises, and I think I'm getting better!!! Will get back to it after the exam!!![/color]