Q: Hello Neal, I am having trouble with runs that many sax players play in their solos. Just like coltrane and maceo parker do those runs and i’m like why can’t I do it. I try to play each note slowly(if I can discern most). How do i make runs in my soloing?
Thanks
Jay
A: Hey Jay,
It took them a lot of practice to get there, so you probably need to just spend some more time practicing. And if you want to play things fast, you need to start slow.
As far as what is in the runs themselves. You could either get a computer program or device to slow them down and try and learn them that way. Or get a book of transcriptions.
Then gradually built up speed (using a metronome) as you practice.
-Neal
hello
it whould be great if it was so easy to play like john coltrane …
if you play scales and chords all day and then play in jazz clubs each weeks all the night, just go on in this way during 10 years and then (may be) you will get it !
goog luck
denis
John Coltrane practiced obsessively.
It’s also important to understand how all the elements of music work together. Scales and chords are only notes.
Notes without rhythm, tone, emotion, groove, etc are meaningless.
When you do practice your scales- which ideally should be 1/3 of your practice time, also vary the articulation, meter, phrasing.
The rest of my practice time is 1/3 on long tones (at the beginning) and 1/3 on tunes, learning parts, etc.
Is learning classic or semi classic music reading beneficial to playing the sax ?