Lesson Title: DEI & the History of Jazz Saxophone - Personal Extension

Objective: I can… bridge the gap between my classical and contemporary understanding of
saxophone playing through the study of a modern jazz saxophonist’s work.

This lesson is for anyone who is interested in jazz technique but is coming from a
classical saxophone background. Without resorting to a formal explanation of jazz style,
this lesson is designed to help the player synthesize an understanding of jazz sonority
and timbre by ear.

Song Spotlight - “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” by Yoko Suzuki

Listening
● Listen through the tune
● Note the phrase structures
○ Select one or two phrases to transcribe by ear
● Most lines are heavily melodic, not too rhythmically complicated
● Easier to add jazz ornamentation and effect to playing when not dense

Melodic Dictation
● Determine meter
○ Duple, triple, simple, compound?
● Gather starting pitch
○ Keyboard or chromatic noodling on saxophone could help for this
● Determine rhythm (duration) of said pitch
○ Pay attention to rests and cutoffs
● Repeat
● Use anchor points (longer notes) in phrases as checkpoints
○ Then break down faster movement by interval (or trial & error)
● Keep an ear out for patterns, sequencing
○ Can save time
● Play alongside recording for comparison

Jazz Technique
● Generally, looser embouchure
● Softer reeds (3.0 -> shaved down 3.0 or 2.5, 3.0+ -> 3.0)
● Scoops, bends, “dooh-dit” articulations
● Wider, spread out vibrato
● Add these by ear, and to taste.
○ Jazz is personal! Transcription is not about copying every aspect of who you’re
listening to