It's shocking how few saxophonists can do this basic thing...

[DavidUK]

I'm a subscriber to Jamie Anderson's stuff (it's FREE) and had this email the other day...


"Every major scale...

In all 12 keys...

Across the full range of the saxophone...

In perfect time...with NO FLUFFS!

If you can't do this (and you're not a beginner), then now's the perfect time to correct this oversight and gain this fundamental core skill. In fact...in time, you're gonna go much further and learn all your melodic minors, harmonic minors, pentatonics and blues scales as well!

How?

Meet my new Daily Scales Practice Tool Series.

This is a free series of YouTube videos that you can use every day to work through the different scale types in every key. You'll see the notes, the note names, a metronome, my fingers, where you are on the cycle of fifths and there's an awesome free PDF to download (button below), with ALL the scales written out across the full range of the sax, tips on how to practice and a printable progress chart to fill in!

View: https://youtu.be/ZSOXSn4t7Jo

View: https://youtu.be/hAOLZdYfpLw?list=PLBRGEAheQrpn5Y_HBBveUgmJk0GGv1f7r


You even get two videos for the price of one this Sunday - the series intro, packed with information on the best way to improve your scales, and the first Daily Scales Practice Tool so you can get to work on your major scales every day. Enjoy!

Jamie

 

[Colin the Bear]

Why on earth would any body need a video for scale practice?
I can't see how reading scales teaches you anything apart from exercising your reading skills.
You need to hear them. imo. Once you can hear them in one key it's just a matter of fudging and finding them in any key.
Then it's a simple matter of putting in the hours.
It's very easy to become lazy. I've been playing in New Orleans groups for ages and it's mostly in flat keys. C is as sharp as it gets down to Ab.
Lately I've been attending a Blues Jam and had to get more familiar with sharp keys. Good job blues is slow. It's coming.
No dots and no video. Quite a bit of pecking though.

 

[mizmar]

I'm sure Jamie is rock solid and his videos are info rich, but I do feel like he's scolding and chiding one into doing stuff.... Bit like the thread thread title

 

[Wade Cornell]

Agreeing with Colin. If the only way you can play all the scales is by reading them then you are simply reinforcing that you have no other connection to your horn. This needs to become automatic, which then in turn gives you the ability to play in any key and by ear. It of course takes a few years before it all clicks into place, but continually reading will never get you there.

 

[Guenne]

Hello!

On a basic level you will benefit from practicing the scales this way.
If you are a more advanced (jazz?) player, I think that you would have to change your "play it up and down" strategy.

Greg Fishman told me about a workshop where he taught music students(!) and asked them if they could play major scales in all keys. Of course they could. Then he asked them if they could play them following Greg's "system" he calls "tape measure scales".
You play 1,2,3,4,5,6 or 7 notes of the scale in 4 directions and following the cycle of 5ths heading left (or chromatic).
Let's say 4-note-tape measure-scale would be in C CDEF FGABb BbCDEb. Then all down (FEDC BbAGF) and so on. Then C up, F down and so on. Then C down and F up.
The weren't able to do that.
The reason (one reason of many reasons) to practice it that way is that you hardly need a scale in it's full length. Lenghts before going to a different key vary, also directions.

Cheers, Guenne

 

[turf3]

I agree, playing scales straight up and back down is of limited use when playing actual music. You need to practice various scalar patterns more than just long strings.

 

[Pete Thomas]

I agree, playing scales straight up and back down is of limited use when playing actual music. You need to practice various scalar patterns more than just long strings.

I couldn't agree more.

When I used to teach, I would really concentrate on working out patterns in your head.

Very basic first thing though is play the scale up and down (not to mention down and up!)

(Make sure you can also sing it)

So if a student could play CDEFGABC I would then say, OK, now play CDEF DEFG EFGA

If they told me they couldn't, I would just say "yes you can"

But even more important was instead of them thinking CDEF DEFG it was more important to think 1234 2345 etc.

Thinking like that numerically should actually be easier for the human brain that learned basic arithmetic at school.

 

[Colin the Bear]

These numbers are useful too
1 3 5 7 maj7
2 4 6 8 min7
3 5 7 9 min7
4 6 8 10 maj7
5 7 9 11 seven
6 8 10 12 min7
7 9 11 13 m7b5 or half dim.

Now my brain hurts.

 

[mizmar]

This video might help

View: https://youtu.be/SjbPi00k_ME

 

[Pete Thomas]

Having said what I said, when it comes to the thread titile:

It's shocking how few saxophonists can do this basic thing...​

How do we know how few saxophonists can't do that. I mean, obviously beginners would't be able to, but I would have thought any professional can. And I presume to call yourself a saxophonist, that does imply you are significantly competent (if not being a full time pro)

I suppose you might look at what stage in the grade system that ability is required. It's a case of being able to do three things:

• Know your major scales
• Know all notes of the saxophone
• Be able to play in time

This are important, but then doing them all at once, as people have said, what actual practical use is it anyway unless there is a tune that requires that. I don't know any that require even a one octave scale.

One Note Samba comes close.
Maybe No Business like Show Business or The Can-Can

 

[Jimmymack]

I know a lot of people, not pros, who have been playing for decades who can’t play all major scales up and down. Many of them are decent players and improvisers but they haven’t learned them. Of course just playing them isn’t going to take you very far but you still should know them, then it’s up to you to find what you then do with them.

He’s saying it’s amazing how many people can’t play them and he’s right, if you can’t play them up and down you don’t know them, it seems to be a reasonable place to start. How did you first learn them? Indeed, have you learned them?

 

[Pete Thomas]

I know a lot of people, not pros, who have been playing for decades who can’t play all major scales up and down. Many of them are decent players and improvisers but they haven’t learned them. Of course just playing them isn’t going to take you very far but you still should know them, the it’s up to you to find what you then do with them.

He’s saying it’s amazing how many people can’t play them and he’s right, if you can’t play them up and down you don’t know them, it seems to be a reasonable place to start

I might say it's more useful to be able to play my warmup exercise in all keys. Because it is.

 

[Digger2054]

I've recently had a few lessons, and my knowledge of scales is zero. A younger me, getting taught at school had no interest in learning scales - BORING.

I never had scales, chords or much theory explained, just blow, and how to press the right keys.

 

[jbtsax]

In the U.S. a standard audition to be accepted as a music major or for a music scholarship includes playing all 12 major scales the range of the instrument. Other criteria often included are to play a chromatic scale, one or more minor scales in each key, sight reading, and playing a prepared solo that demonstrates your technical skill and musical ability.

I see learning and passing off scales in a broader view than just jazz improvisation. There is value in learning the "geography" of your instrument, and all of the keys and key signatures. Learning scales in 3rds and 4ths and arpeggios adds another level to mastering the "geography" of the instrument.

I love jazz and playing jazz, but there is a lot more to playing the saxophone than that.

 

[Jimmymack]

I might say it's more useful to be able to play my warmup exercise in all keys. Because it is.

 

[Jimmymack]

Not if you don’t know the bits in between they’re not.

 

[Pete Thomas]

Not if you don’t know the bits in between they’re not.

True, but that isn't the point.Obviously (as above) the knowledge of major scales is crucial. Point one in post 10. When you go beyond that then there are different things that have priorities IMO as far as what is useful.

 

[ellinas]

People that have studied the Taming the saxophone series books should know the answer on why and how you develop your "scales" i.e. technique, patterns , dexterity in all 12 keys. I think it was volume 2 that has incredible drills that with special attention can help overcome technique issues. I still use these books from time to time. A great source of information. The sax "hanon". I spent years and years in "hanon" exercises when I was studying the piano. At first my brain resisted .. boring ..useless ... not musical .... but if you trust the process ... you see your fingers react to your musical thoughts and you can be fluent in all 12 keys .....

And believe me as a tenor player I quickly found out how useful it was to have studied my scales, modes, patterns, chord tones, chromatisims ... when I played as a very novice sax player at a local Jam night. They called an concert G# blues ( because of the singer i think ) .... I have never studied F# in blues. But knowing my scales, my 1357s, my blues scale, my mixolydian modes etc lead me to a solo that could pass. My fingers knew where to go. I didn't think about accidentals or anything else. They knew where to go. That's what you get when you know your fundamendals. You have a basic "GPS". Scales don't make you an F1 driver,but for sure you'll get there. By your own. No taxi. And your fingers won't betray you.

I have great respect for all fundamendals that you practice for hours only to forget about them when you play In all instruments. Trust the process

 

[Colin the Bear]

Ab is so much easier than G#. Bb on tenor F on alto. No problem.

If you played in F# over an Ab blues the air would be blue.

 

[JamesOxford]

Having said what I said, when it comes to the thread titile:

It's shocking how few saxophonists can do this basic thing...​

I would say this is a typical clickbait line from whatever "social media marketing" book Jaimie is reading at the moment. YouTube is awash with "The four secrets that are holding you back.." etc.
My opinion is that he puts out some very useful content, but his delivery is wrapped up in a lot of "sales" language. I don't really begrudge this, as it's his business and if it works all to the good. Personally I think he can be a bit patronising and I wonder how authentic his boundless enthusiasm is; but I'm an old curmudgeon.
For example, I'm on his email list and when I didn't respond to sign up for his course the next emails said something like: "James, what have I done wrong?". These are just tactics from some, probably Silicon Valley, marketing playbook. That he introduces himself as "Pro saxophonist" is a symptom of this. I've always found it a bit grating. In a saturated YouTube, I get that he wants his catch phrases. It just doesn't differentiate him from other tutors who are all Professionals. Also there are many professional players who would probably be bad teachers and many music teachers who don't play regular gigs, but know what it takes to encourage and guide their students to great improvement.

He puts a lot of effort into what he does and I think we just have to pick and mix what we find useful. I think his breakdown of popular solos was great.

As far as learning scales I learned my major scales from the circle of fifths going round and adding in an extra sharp etc.
But I do think Jaimie's next videos on the other scales may help me at the beginning. Even just hearing them and playing along while not looking at the video.

I'm trying to get my head around playing by numbers doing arpeggios of seventh chords (Major, Dominant, Minor) in all keys, and hoping that knowing scales by numbers will click sometime. But can't ever imagine being naturally able to do this right now.