what is a jazz etude?

[Chris Smith UK]

Hi everyone - can someone help explain what an etude is?
I see lots of references to them, and I've seen videos of sax players working through an etude - so I understand it is a "study" to help improve your technique.
Is that it?
Are there beginner etudes? Because to be honest the few that I've looked at so far look way too advanced for me.

 

[Tenor Viol]

Yes an étude is literally a study piece usually focused on an aspect of technique. They can be at any level. Chopin notoriously wrote them for piano...

 

[vries1]

For beginner etudes, you could look into Basic Jazz Conception for Saxophone by Lennie Niehaus.

 

[saxyjt]

You also have Greg Fishman's Jazz phrasing for beginners.

 

[Nutmegger1957]

I suppose this is not “technically” an “etude,” but as a raw newbie, I’m always on the lookout for exercises that are valuable to me.

Here’s one that I recently found, that I will be working with to help me with the basics:

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5YNDxGeMoZY

 

[nigeld]

My teacher is a great fan of the Klose exercises. They are more classical than jazz, but equally useful for both in my opinion.

Free sheet music : Klos?, Hyacinthe Elanore - 25 Daily Exercises for Saxophone (Saxophone)

 

[wanderso]

I like Lenny Niehaus (but ignore articulation markings, in my opinion, perhaps out of date), Jim Snidero Jazz Conception, Greg Fisher Jazz Phrasing--all are graded with I II III/Easy Intermediate Advanced volumes available. Good pedagogy for jazz articulation "rules" is Jeff Cotton's Articulate Jazz Musician--written for school-age players but concepts good and many charts with demo & rhythm-only play-alongs.

 

[Riversider]

My teacher is a great fan of the Klose exercises. They are more classical than jazz, but equally useful for both in my opinion.

Free sheet music : Klos?, Hyacinthe Elanore - 25 Daily Exercises for Saxophone (Saxophone)

I like the Klose exercises a lot. —I started to learn to read music on these, along with correct saxophone fingering, and timing (with a metronome) as well. Check out the first dozen or so. Bob Reynolds recommended them, and says take them slow in the first instance.

 

[GCinCT]

For beginner etudes, you could look into Basic Jazz Conception for Saxophone by Lennie Niehaus.

My teacher had my use the whole series of the Niehaus books in my beginner days. I highly recommend them for aspiring jazzers.

 

[GCinCT]

My teacher is a great fan of the Klose exercises. They are more classical than jazz, but equally useful for both in my opinion.

Free sheet music : Klos?, Hyacinthe Elanore - 25 Daily Exercises for Saxophone (Saxophone)

Charlie Parker worked on the Klose exercises. There are recordings where he plays one to end a tune.

 

[jbtsax]

The name etude comes from the french word étude. Which means "study" in French. Etudes in music are generally exercises to help build technique, like scales or scale patterns, but they are more melodic in nature. Possibly the most widely used "jazz etude" books are the ones written by Lennie Niehaus. They focus not so much on building technique, but reading and counting "jazz rhythms" and jazz articulations.

 

[wanderso]

For books actually entitled "Jazz Etudes," there are Greg Fishman's Volumes 1-4. He provides demo and rhythm-only tracks for both alto (bari) and tenor (sop) so that you play the same chart with either horn and avoid transposed fingerings which may not lie well. Niehaus does this too, while Snidero prints different chart books for each instrument (and I'd guess the original is alto since that is his preference).

I picked up Fishman Jazz Etudes Vol. 1 today. The tempos are too fast for me as written, but I can play them half-speed. I think they are great for getting a feel of how to choose scales and arpeggios over a chord, sequence and recycle motifs, displace phrases, etc. The twelve tunes cover common jazz forms and progressions.

JAZZ ETUDES

 

[Chris Smith UK]

Massive thanks everyone for your feedback. Looks like Klose and Niehaus will keep me busy for a while!

 

[nigeld]

Massive thanks everyone for your feedback. Looks like Klose and Niehaus will keep me busy for a while!

Klose will keep you busy for the rest of your life.

 

[spike]

Paul de Ville - Universal Method for Saxophone
I paid for my copy many, many moons ago
it's now out of copyright - afaik - and freely downloadable
Will keep you busy for several lifetimes.
It's not about "jazz, pop or classic" it's about becoming completely at one with the instrument.