How To Play Killier Blues & Rockin Sax Solos With 7 Notes Or Less

[art dubois]

Hey Johnny!! I know that I’m just a beginner with the sax, but as a toekn of appreciation I have purchased the book and will try to figure out how to play Brown Sugar!! It’s the least I can do for all the help you’ve provided to me (and others) on your free website. I hope that all the other members will consider doing the same!
Also, sine “Urgent” is one of my fave solos, I’ve downloaded a DVD of Foreigner’s live performance, with Bobby Kimball (??) providing the sax solo….abso-frikken-lutely FABULOUS!!!
Best of luck with your book!

[Gristle]

Hi Johnny,
Have got the freebie book (in the UK). Also purchased the Killer Blues Book. What about doing the audio with an alto as well as the tenor. I would find that very helpfull.
Keep up the good work

[Dolph]

Johnny, you invited feedback in one of your recent e-mails regarding the Killer Blues lessons.
I absolutely love the way you molded the scales into fun exercises that sort of sounded cool too. I’m a big sucker for cool. Appearance over comfort!!
Anyway, from your site I distilled that the most used rock scales are in the keys of (in order of importance, concert): E, A, G, D & B. Thus for Bb sax it would be the keys of F#, B, A, E & C#.
I am assuming that the exercises you published are stored in your computer and you have a handy feature to transpose these exercises into any key you want. Would it be possible to transpose them in the above Bb keys? That would save me a tremendous amount of transposing / hand-writing notes.
I guess the same goes for the “7 Licks”.
I can then practise the exercises in the most used keys and keep them as a reference for when I am trying to “blow-along” a CD track.
Cheers,
Dolph

[john]

Hey Dolph, you made some good points! I can probably transpose these things quicker than you but it still requires a lot of time so I can’t do it right now. The reason I suggested to memorize the exercises and licks is because once you do, then you can transpose them in your mind to another key… C Eb G is the 1, flat 3, and 5 in key of C, now go up one tone: D F A and you’re playing it in key of D. Next add the flat 5 and then 7th and you’ve got the full blues scale.

This is a great daily exercise that you can do for all the keys you mentioned above, which are some of the more popular ones because singers and guitarists use them the most, I would add F and C to the list as well.

Also as you’re working out the licks I use in the course, analyze them a bit by thinking in numbers as well as the notes because when we think in numbers it’s easier to transpose in our head… So, if a lick in C starts in G, to C to Eb, this translates to 5, 1, flat 3… Now let’s say you want to work it out in key of E, you simply think in numbers and should know that in E the lick would be B, E G. If you understand this much theory you can start to practice this way.

Also, having the play-along tracks transposed in all keys would be nice to have as you start to practice in the different keys. This is something I may be able to do when I have the time.

Thanks for the feed back Dolph, I hope this helps!

Johnny

[Alan Sizer]

Hi Johnny,
I’ve finally forced myself to start working through the Killer Blues book, having bought it when it was released. Great work, by the way!
On the first exercise with the basic blues scale, it is written in C for the horn, but I notice that not all bars use the C-blues scale. It appears to me that bars 1-4 use C, 5&6 use F, 7& 8 use C, 9&10 use G and 11&12 use C. This would be in line with the 12 bar blues chords. Is this correct?
Thus, in essence, the first and second exercises consist of only two licks, but we already have them in three different keys. Just up to us to transpose as required – should be simple enough.
Cheers
Alan

[john]

You are correct sir! The first 12 bars utilize one riff which is constructed on most of the notes of the basic blues scale. The second 12 bars include the 7th and also hilite the flat 5, two very important notes to use in blues and rock. So, if you work that exercise out to the point of memorizing it, you will not only have the notes of the basic blues scale down pat, but you have also just learned 2 very usable riffs for soloing…in other words, it’s more than just a scale exercise.

This exact thing happens two more times, as you mentioned in the bar sequences which are the 4 chord and the 5 chord…so you will have learned the basic blues scale and a couple of well-fitting riffs in 3 different keys.

You don’t ALWAYS have to change on the 4 and 5 chords as you practice with the backing tracks cause you can get away with playing the 1 chord on most of it… the changes give us more options, play around with it and you’ll see… or hear!

[Alan Sizer]

Thanks Johnny,
Another question. You mention scooping into a note, which I understand to be ‘sliding’ up to the note, but you haven’t really explained how to do it in the videos. Perhaps I missed something on one of your other lessons. Is it about changing embouchure, particularly moving the lower jaw up and down?
Cheers
Al

[john]

Ya. it’s a short video in the “Brown Sugar” section of the Killer Blues.
I don’t think I’ve done any other lesson on the subject other than that…
You want to hit a note, it works best on a higher register note, when you hit it make it round real flat. To do that you need to adjust your embouchure in such a way that your lower lip and jaw are releasing some support (dropping them slightly), then it’s a matter of getting everything back in the right place to bring the intonation of the note back to where it should be.

You’re starting the not really flat and out of tune and then bringing it back in tune,,,this is the scoop. Without your sax, open your mouth about 1 inch and say ahh, as you close it you’ll hear the sound change a bit. This is kind of what happens with the sax embouchure. Practiice this technique slowly as I demonstrate in the video but it should eventually be a very quick movement…although, one can drag it out a long time for example in a real down and dirty slow blues you can make the scoop last a bar or more for a real soulful effect. In the Brown Sugar tune it’s real quick though.

[Alan Sizer]

Thanks Johnny,
That’s kinda what I thought, and I have been doing it a bit in other pieces already. More practice needed, though!
Cheers

[James]

Hi Johnny. I just purchased the ebook for PC. $9.95 is a bargain. PLUS, I got three more ebooks for free. Looks like I’ll be taking the laptop to bed with me. It’s 11:40 here now so I’ll do a little reading but I’ll start on the lessons tomorrow. If you read my introduction, you’ll see that I’m new here but have gotten as far as the D scale and the “Ain’t No Sunshine” videos. I also started on Tequila. I played in a band in 1965 with an alto sax player. I was 15. We would tune down to Eb so he could play in C. Tequila was one of our tunes. I was playing bass on my Simpsons-Sears $99 Harmony Les Paul copy guitar. I still like that tune but soon I’LL be the guy blowin’ the horn! By the way, I really like your teaching style. And, I’m going to be listening more closely to Colin James’ stuff.

[Author]

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