Play Sax By Ear - Crash Course
Eb Instruments
PSBE Lesson 6
Improv Intro
Welcome
to the final lesson of the PSBE Crash Course. I’m very pleased you made it this far. I hope you’ve enjoyed the lessons and have gotten some value out of this course.
In today’s video, you will hear me play an improvised solo over the song form of Of Susanna, using our backing track.
In my solo, I only use notes that come from the Major Pentatonic Scale that has been the focus of this entire course so far.
As in lessons 4 and 5, we go through the song form 3 times. But this time around, I play the song the way I might in a live performance situation.
1st X through the form: Melody
2nd X through the form: Improvised Solo
3rd X through the form: Melody
Go ahead and watch the video below to hear my solo…
I recommend you listen to that solo a few times, and pay careful attention to the on screen tips.
Start your practice session out today, by practicing PE1 along with the metronome. By now you should be able to play this a bit faster than a few days ago while staying in sync with the rhythm and without mistakes.
When you are warmed up, put on the backing track below and try for yourself.
Practice the same formula as in the video: Melody, solo, melody.
Resources
Practice playing the melody and improvising a solo using the pentatonic scale along with the backing track as accompaniment.
Oh Susanna - Backing Track
The Next Lesson
I’m afraid we’ve reached the end of our PSBE course. We certainly covered a lot of ground over the course of this past week, but if you feel like you’re missing some pieces of the puzzle well, you are.
The full Pentatonic Foundation Course will fill in the blanks for you. If you’ve followed this course to the end, that probably means that you are exactly the sort of person I created the Pentatonic Foundation for.
I’ve got 2 other products that are designed to work in conjunction with the Pentatonic Foundation, and if you purchase all three together you get a nice discount. Get the full details on this page.
Check your inbox tomorrow for an email from me. I’ve got a couple of bonuses for you as a reward for your diligence.
PSBE Lesson 6 Assignment
- Use the backing track to practice improvising a solo over the song form
- Limit yourself to the 5 notes of the pentatonic scale (no wrong notes)
- Make rhythm your number 1 priority
- Play musical and rhythmic phrases separated by space
- Have fun!
Extra Challenge
Learn to play some or all of my solo heard in the video. This is called transcription, and although it’s not easy, it is the single most effective thing you can do to become a better musician.
What's Next?
Enroll in my main courses listed below if you want to continue studying with me.
Pentatonic Foundation
Learn to play melodies by ear and improvise solos using the 5 notes of the pentatonic scale.
Blues Foundation
Develop your ability to play improvised solos using the Blues style and language.
