Rhythmic variations using 3rds and 7ths
Lesson time: (2min 2sec)
Ollie Weston adds rhythmic interest to the 3rds-and-7ths guide-tone exercise, using the cycle of fifths to spell out the harmony in all 12 keys.
Course preview
This lesson is part of the course Exploring Jazz Saxophone: Part 2 - Soloing on Songs and Chord Sequences
Watch a preview of the full course below.
Lesson transcript:
Adding Rhythmic Elements to Your Playing
So once you're comfortable with the notes themselves, we come back to adding some rhythmic elements to your playing.
Exercises for Rhythm
- Even just playing exercises, try to find interesting rhythmic features.
- Really lock in and react to the rhythm section.
Simple Rhythms Example
I've put together some simple rhythms. Here's a go-through of the cycle of fifths with some rhythmic interest.
- Still just playing my thirds and my sevenths:
2, 1, 2, 3, 4.
By using the guide tones, you can really spell out the harmony of the cycle.
Building Fluency and Confidence
Use those tracks to try and build your fluency and your confidence with all 12 keys.
Key Familiarity
- There are certain corners that are more comfortable and quicker to find than others.
- You may find some keys that are a little bit harder.
Try to be familiar with all 12 keys going around the cycle of fifths, and you'll gain a really good understanding of how to navigate a perfect cadence of a five to one chord progression.
About the instructor
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. read more