Learn to Improvise on Sax: Chord II – Chord V

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Join me on my quest to help you learn to improvise on the sax! This is the 5th lesson in my series on improvising on the saxophone and you’ll find all on my other videos on my YouTube channel.

In this video we’ll be looking at another hugely important chord progression in Jazz. That of the chord II to chord V movement.

For this exercise we’ll be improvising over 2 bars of a minor 7th chord followed by 2 bars of dominant 7th chord.

Again, I want to work on the progression in two different ways with you. Firstly, I want you to improvise using purely chord tones, as this is great for your ear and accuracy. Then secondly, improvise using the associated modes modes, as this will give you more colours to play with and help you build a better sense of flow into your soloing.

Ultimately, when we improvise we use a combination of both scales and arpeggios to express our ideas!

Let’s get to it!


Learn to Improvise on Sax: Chord I – Chord IV

online lessons, saxophone lessons

Join me on my quest to help you learn to improvise on the sax! This is the 4th lesson in my series on improvising on the saxophone and you find the other videos on my YouTube channel.

In this video we’ll be looking at the hugely important chord progression in Jazz. That of the chord I to chord IV movement.

For this exercise we’ll be improvising over 2 dominant 7th chords, with 2 bars on each chord.

This time I want to work on the progression in two different ways with you. Firstly, I want you to improvise using purely chord tones, as this is great for your ear and accuracy. Then secondly, I want you to improvise using mixolydian modes, as this will help you build a better sense of flow into your soloing. Ultimately, when we improvise we use a combination of both scales and arpeggios to express our ideas!

Let’s get to it!


Jazz Licks for Saxophone, Vol. 1

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Jazz Licks for Saxophone, Vol. 1

B Flat Saxophones Edition (PDF Download)

100 Interchangeable Long Major II-V-I Licks

Jazz Licks for Saxophone, Vol. 1 is arguably the most authentic and efficient book for saxophonists to use to help them develop their jazz vocabulary.

Please note, as most of my website’s visitors are now not UK based, I’m now processing payments in US Dollars for their ease of purchase.

Included in the book are 100 licks to play over the hugely important “long” Major II-V-I chord progression. The licks are written mostly in the bebop tradition and presented in all 12 keys. They all cover the key aspects of jazz including enclosures, tri-tone substitutions, diminished and altered scales. This is core jazz language for any saxophonist!

As well as the 100 licks written out in all 12 keys, this book comes with a huge number of demo and backing tracks. You’ll get the following practise materials when you download the book: –

  • 100 Demo/Play-a-long tracks for each of the licks
  • 6 Demo/Play-a-long tracks for the example “Spliced Licks”
  • 72 key based practise tracks (covering 6 different tempos ranging from 108 – 200 bpm)
  • 48 fluency work out tracks (taking the major II-V-I around all 12 keys in 4 different ways, covering the same tempos as above)
  • Chord charts for all of the above, and space for you to try out and write down your own major II-V-I licks!
  • Alternate fingering recommendations where applicable for each of the licks!

A More Authentic Approach to Using Jazz Licks in Improvisation

Not only does Jazz Licks for Saxophone, Vol. 1 give you 100 great licks, the core concept of this book is that the licks are “interchangeable.” What do I mean by this?

In Jazz Licks for Saxophone, Vol. 1 I group the licks by the note that they land on beat 1 of bar 2. You can then transition to another lick at this point should you wish, and the result will always sound good. This then gives you lots of different options to work with, helping you use licks in a more creatively.

Jazz Etudes for Saxophone Vol. 1

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Jazz Etudes for Saxophone, Vol. 1

B Flat Saxophones Edition (PDF Download)

Jazz Etudes for Saxophone Vol. 1 is the first in a series of eBooks written to help the saxophone student learn to how to improvise.

Please note, as most of my website’s visitors are now not UK based, I’m now processing payments in US Dollars for their ease of purchase.

If you are an intermediate or advanced level saxophonist, but when it comes to jazz and improvisation you donโ€™t know what to play, then this series of jazz etudes is specifically written for you.


Authentic Jazz Etudes

In the book, you’ll find 12 jazz etudes based upon the chord progressions to famous jazz standards and the blues. All in common keys for the saxophonist, so they’ll fit “neatly under the fingers.” No dubious transpositions to be found here!

Charlie Parker: A Closer Look

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Analysing Charlie Parker’s Solo on “Au Privave”

Analysing Charlie Parker's solo on "Au Privave".
The Legendary Charlie Parker, Photo Credit: William P Gottlieb

It’s recently been the 100th birthday of the legendary saxophonist Charlie Parker. Most musicians, and jazz enthusiasts know that he was (and still is) a huge influence on the music, but don’t necessarily understand why. I therefore decided to not only post a transcription of one of his solos, but take a closer look at what he actually plays so we can try and understand his genius (even if it’s just a little bit)!

What To Practise: Transcription II

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Sonny Stitt’s Solo On “Elora” (Take 2) by J. J. Johnson

Sonny Stitt
Sonny Stitt in 1971. Photo Credit: JPRoche

This is how I discovered the music of the great jazz saxophonist Sonny Stitt…

When I was fresh out of the Royal College, very young, and so very naive I arranged to have a sax lesson with the legendary American saxophonist Bob Mintzer whilst he was over in the UK on tour with his band the “Yellow Jackets”.

Back then I was still finding my feet with my jazz playing and if I think back to that lesson it makes me shudder! What on earth was I thinking?! Anyway, Bob was very kind to me in that lesson and actually he gave me some invaluable pointers.

What To Practise: Transcription

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Dexter Gordon’s Solo on “Blue Bossa” by Kenny Dorham

Dexter Gordon - Master Jazz Tenor Saxophone Player
Dexter Gordon in Amsterdam. Photo Credit: Albert Kok

Dexter Gordon is undoubtedly one of the all time great jazz tenor saxophonists. His performing and recording career spanned some 40+ years, winning a Grammy, and even earning an Oscar nomination in the Best Lead Actor category for his role in the 1986 film “Round Midnight”.

From a learning perspective his solos can be a dream to transcribe thanks to their clarity, therefore making them ideal for the intermediate player. Dexter’s phrasing, use of space, and sense of time often give his playing an unhurried feel, and so his solos are great examples to try and emulate.

How Can I Improve My Saxophone Technique?

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How Can I Improve My Saxophone Technique?
Working on exercises and etudes can be a great way to improve your technique!

Having a good technique on the saxophone is vital in so many ways whether we play in a jazz, pop or classical context. For example, when we improvise a jazz solo we want the freedom to express what we want to say through the saxophone at that very moment. It’s having command of our instrument that allows us to do this. I’ll therefore try and answer how you can improve your saxophone technique in this article below with some useful tips and advice.

An Introduction to the Saxophone Quartet

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Nathan Hassall's Java Saxophone Quartet performing at a garden party in north London, in May 2018.
The Java Saxophone Quartet, performing in 2018

Ensemble playing of any nature is one of the great joys of music making. There is something uniquely special about working as a collective whole to create something of beauty (or, something that swings your socks off!) in the concert environment, or just for fun!

The saxophone quartet is arguably the most similar ensemble to that of a string quartet, with it’s blendable combination of soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones. However, it is an ensemble that is often wrongly overlooked by classical music composers and enthusiasts.

Online Music Lessons

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Take online music lessons with professional saxophonist Nathan Hassall.  Saxophone, Jazz, Improvisation and Music Theory Lessons available.
Nathan’s Online Music Lessons Set-up!

With the Coronavirus, Covid-19 currently bring life as we know it to a standstill I thought it would be a good time to write a post focusing on teaching music lessons online.

Having music lessons of any any nature online is nothing new. With the development of broadband and platforms such Skype people have taken music lessons via the internet for years.

If you think about it there are some serious benefits to having online lessons. Arguably the biggest one is that you can take saxophone lessons with whoever you want to as there are no physical requirements to be in the same place. With only a good broadband connection and a webcam you can benefit from lessons with some of the best professional saxophonists working today, and not be limited to those who lives close by to you. (ed. As a professional saxophonist with (usually) a busy performing schedule as well as my teaching and lecturing positions at both the London College of Music and Royal College of Music, I hope that does include me! – modest I know!!)