Diminishing Returns?

Struggling with half diminished chords and scales? Here is a lovely tip courtesy of a bass playing friend Martin. Firstly, half diminished chords can be found at the start of a minor II V7 I so they are pretty common. There are different ways of showing them, sometimes its a "m7b5" or sometimes its that circle with a line through it "ø"

The tip? Go up from the root half a step (a semitone) and play a major scale starting from that new note. Incorporate the root as part of the scale... hey presto. 

So an Em7b5 (or Eø) becomes F (semitone up) major. Play the E (root) as the leading note.

E F G A Bb C D E is the half diminished scale. Thanks Martin!!!

I get asked a lot about my equipment (so to speak) so I'll go through what I use one by one, I hope that helps. I don't make a big fuss about mouthpieces... I prefer to practice... although I understand the yearning for something different. When I first started on alto I went through about 10 pieces, its all part of the learning process. Sometimes its best to work with what you have :-)

I would say though that the "Link" sound is what floats my boat, not the harder and edgier
 "slant" sound, the softer Getzier tone. I can't find that from any other piece. Yes, they are stuffy, yes, they are very reed picky..... but that sound!!!!!! 

Tenor Sax = Selmer Reference 36 with a standard (not vintage) Otto Link Hard Rubber Tone Edge 7 or more recently 7* opening with a vandoren Masters Ligature and Rico Jazz Select 3M reeds

Soprano = Cannonball Stone Series with an Otto Link Hard Rubber Tone Edge 6* cheapo ligature with Rico Royal 3 reeds

Alto= Bauhaus Walstein Phosphor Bronze with a Selmer C* or Soloist E facing. Alexander DC 3 reeds

Flute is a Yamaha 281. Guitar is a Guild X-150 Jazzer!

Recording: 2011 iMac running Logic Express. 2009 Alesis io14 firewire interface. Rode NT2a microphone. Sennheiser HD280

Camera, either iMac isight or Canon EOS600d for youtube videos.   

I'm not going to start this with a "welcome to my new blog" message :-).... far too predictable and it may look slightly ludicrous when that is all that is here a year from now... I do want to share some saxophone playing tips, some experiences of playing out and about, and also just have fun with fellow players out there.

My love affair with jazz started when I was about 7 or 8, listening to the theme tune to Charlie Brown or TV shows like Taxi. I didn't know, or care that it was jazz, all I knew is that some day I wanted to play it. My Dad likes jazz, he had a few records I liked too (and some I didn't!) 

It's funny that I took up playing the saxophone (my first stint when I was about 19) because I couldn't get my head around the guitar fretboard....I'd been playing the guitar for about 9 years, and could do a very good impression of a jazz player, but that's all it was. I didn't really "get it" I never really knew about substitutions, chord progressions, or even the most basic stuff like the note names on the frets above a certain point. So I decided that a chordal instrument was not for me. Now, some 24 years later, I study chords like mad... it's pretty important stuff if you want to get better, but I thought, or hoped I was escaping all that.

When I started on the sax at 19, I got "good" very quickly. Part of that was because I learnt the flute as a young child (aged 10-14) so the fingering was familiar, part of it was because I have a quick ear. I played the alto then, for about 18 months. I then sold it to pay for my first mortgage bill when I was just 21. In those 18 months I had fun rehearsing with a soul/funk band in Peterborough. On bass was a friend, and fellow guitar-head Nick Smith

Living in small terraced houses put an end to playing the sax too. I got an alto again when I was about 27, but complaints from the neighbours meant I sold it after only a few months

Fast forward to 2006...... I had moved around a lot, but had settled in a small village in Leicestershire. I nipped two doors down from me to the local shop.... in walked Nick Smith, my old friend from Peterborough, who I had not seen for 16 years. he had his girlfriend with him, and introduced me as his "sax playing friend". He was 20 miles from home, it was such a chance meeting....He asked about my sax playing, and I said I hadn't picked one up for 10 years or so. He urged me to start again, he kindly said I was a "natural". So I did, the very next day I walked into a music shop in Leicester and rented an alto.

So now, 6 years later, here I am. Still lots to do, but I love it. I love being able to make people feel the way I do when I play. When the reed is right, when the acoustics are good, it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.... that has to be a good thing! 

One thing is for sure, I would say I'm about halfway along my journey on the sax. There is still a lot to do, but it is hard work, it takes time and there are no magic bullets. 

In addition to lots of youtube clips, I also play out with several jazz quartets, and I also really enjoy playing with the Rutland Big Band... a great bunch of people. Music has introduced me to so many wonderful new friends!