Robert recently posted a question about chords on the Sax Station facebook page:

Robert Lewis Gay–

Any tips on chords, i play up and down, but can’t get any thing good out of them. Just sounds like rubbish. I pick notes out, but it sound rubbish, how do u get a nice lick out of a chord??

I am trying to work out chords, i just can’t get any thing out og them. I play them , but thay just sound like i am runing up and down the scales. They don’t sound bulesy or any thing jazzy.

I can do the melodys ok, it is just trying to make some thing to improvise with in the cords in the jamey aebersold books. He put’s the cord’s in when you play the melody.But when i try to inprovise with the chords, when i have played the melody, they sound like i am just play the scales and not music to follow the melody?

Any help.

Neal –

Hey Robert, it all comes down to listening and being musical. You can play something cool with just one note.

If you’re playing with other musicians, get into the groove before you play.

Then use things like phrasing, articulation, dynamics, rhythm, tone, space, emotion & feel.

Those are the things that will make notes sound good. Playing notes up and down without these things will sound like rubbish.

Robert–

Ok, i give it ago. I play the chord notes in the scale, but that is all they sound like just note’s…Not jazzy….Any way thanks.

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So the notes themselves won’t magically sound good, you need to be musical about it- incorporate the other elements of music besides notes.