Lesson 15 of 47Alto SaxophoneIntermediate

Minor V-I in all 12 keys exercise

1:43

Ollie Weston's exercise for working the minor V–I through all 12 keys: harmonic minor over the V, Aeolian over the I, around the cycle of fifths.

What's in the course

47 lessons (1h 48m) · 1 free
    • 01. Finding the relative minor

      1:41

    • 02. Using the Harmonic Minor over the V chord

      1:15

    • 03. V-I in A Minor with a b9

      4:38

    • 04. Minor V-I in all 12 keys exercise

      You are here

      1:43

    • 05. Phrase for practising minor cadences

      1:17

    • 06. Minor II-V-I in a chord sequence

      5:04

    • 07. Adding the II chord

      1:20

    • 08. Autumn Sun - Introduction and Harmony

      3:03

    • 09. Autumn Sun Performance

      4:44

Lesson transcript

Harmonic Minor Scales Practice Exercise

In this exercise, I'm going to show you how to practice your harmonic minor scales over a 5:1 progression in a minor key in all 12 keys.

Overview of the Exercise

  • Progression: The track does 2 bars of a V chord and 2 bars of a I chord in all the keys, going round the cycle of fifths.

  • Scales to Play:

    • Over the V chord, play your harmonic minor scale, starting on the 5th.
    • Over the I chord, play the root chord (Aeolian scale).

Example in A Minor

  • In A minor:
    • Play harmonic minor starting on an E over the V chord.
    • Play Aeolian over the I chord.

Instructions

  1. Start the Track:

    • "Here's the track: 1, 2, 1, 2, 3."
  2. Cycle Through All Keys:

    • The track goes round all 12 keys circled in the cycle of fifths.

Additional Resources

  • If you check out the attachment, there's a cycle of fifths written with the major and relative minor keys next to each other for quick access to find your key signature for your minor keys.

Purpose of the Exercise

This is a really good workout to help you find that really evocative, strong harmonic minor sound over the V chord. It will:

  • Bring out the leading note.
  • Allow your cadences to have a little bit more bite.
  • Enhance authenticity in terms of harmony.

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Meet your guru

Ollie Weston

Ollie Weston

Since graduating from the Leeds College of Music (BA Hons) and the Guildhall School of Music (Post Graduate Diploma in Performance), Ollie has built a busy and varied career in music. As a saxophonist he has performed in live and studio settings with artists as diverse as Amy Winehouse, Tim Minchin, Bonobo, Frank Turner, the London Jazz Orchestra, the Hackney Colliery Band, the Ambient Jazz Ensemble and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra. He is also the co-leader of the jazz quartet 'Time Is Of The Essence', and composes and arranges material for this and other ensembles.

Ollie is active in music education, currently as course leader for the jazz department at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (junior school), where he runs jazz ensembles, big band and theory classes. He has written a series of 'Exploring Jazz' books for Schott Music that are published worldwide and feature on exam syllabuses in the UK. Ollie has also run workshops for Oxford University, Pro Corda Strings and BABSWE, as well as the Guildhall School of Music summer schools.

In his Exploring Jazz Saxophone courses, Ollie takes you from getting started right through to soloing confidently over songs and chord sequences, building the improvising skills that put a real jazz player's vocabulary at your fingertips.

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