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folex/sax_advices.md

Last active January 4, 2025 02:35
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How to hear harmony better (from awesome Saxophone community https://discord.gg/HbmZnXX)
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sax_advices.md

How to hear harmony better

  • Listen to the bass & drums before other instruments (btw, that's what Ben Levin also suggests https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFilqih6WAY)
  • Play along with backing tracks and metronome
  • Since rhythm section in jazz usually has accents on 2 and 4, set metronome half tempo, so it sounds on 2 and 4
  • Play tune's chords progressions on the piano (transpose accordingly, i.e. G major on tenor => F major on piano)
  • Listen to the tune A LOT, and sing along
  • Listen to other tunes a lot, so you ear becomes naturally attuned to the songs
  • Play whole notes over the changes: tonic, 3rd, 5th, 7th. When first playing-listening through the tune, play tonic, next time – 3rd, etc.

Outlining and emphasizing changes and progression

  • Improvise over chords in progression, like arrpegiate them or something more varied (Basically arpeggios but having more freedom with it (c) @samp)

  • Find interesting resolutions within chord progression, "places where you can flow between the chords, ie the 7th to the 3rd being a half step".

  • It could be hard to begin by ear, so can try on the paper, but don't stick with that – it should be internalized and work through ears and intuition.

  • "Just sit down with a progression and write down one chord tone and see how smoothly you can get it to lead, emphasizing half and whole steps" (c) Play the chords

  • Emphasizing progressions is just finding the places where you can flow between the chords, ie the 7th to the 3rd being a half step

  • If you have those half step resolutions you can feel the chords changes a lot stronger

  • Like this 7thsto3rds

  • Just sit down with a progression and write down one chord tone and see how smoothly you can get it to lead, emphasizing half and whole steps

  • try to stick to 3rds and 7ths and any altered notes as much as possible

    • but you don't have to go 3rd -> 7th ->3rd, you can do 3rd -> 3rd, or 7th -> 7th. Which sounds better to you – wins

  • 5ths if they're a #5, b5

  • and same for 9ths, 13ths, 11ths, play those if they're altered

  • but 3rds and 7ths really are the name of the game

  • root and 5th don't give too much harmonic info

  • and the extensions (9, 11, 13) are really more about color and not about harmony

  • after you've learned the melody, look up a chord sheet online, the best thing is get the app iReal pro, there are progressions for tons of songs

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