Swing Supreme tenor sax jazz improvisation ii-V-I

Ian Boyter of Swing Supreme, Edinburgh, improvises over a ii-V-I sequence. (you can get the backing track from Watch & Learn Inc.) The sax is a 1949 Selmer S…

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18 Responses to “Swing Supreme tenor sax jazz improvisation ii-V-I”

  1. I really love your song! ^^

  2. tnkmomo says:

    Hi there Nice tune!! I put this on my favorite list. Thank you(^^♪

  3. jwaacks says:

    Well that’s nice to hear :) Could you perhaps tell me how does the whole reed/mouthpiece thing work? How do I know if it’s they are good and do they come with the saxophone and so on, I literally know nothing :D

  4. Hi I was wondering if you could please help me I just started tenor my first day :D , but I have been playing alto for 3 years its a hard switch and after about 3 hours I finally started to make it sound good i was using smart music and looking up jazz music and practiacaly every single one has swing in it i would really like a few tips to play tenor sax. best and a easy way to start playing swing music thanks for your time!

  5. Ian Boyter says:

    Yes it will take time to switch because the tenor has a bigger mouthpiece and different blowing dynamic. Just stick with it. Practice a lot and listen to a lot of tenor recordings, you will get there!

  6. Em Z says:

    I’m 15 and am being made to learn the tenor to stay in jazz band. I’m switching from a flute. . This is my second day. I sound terrible, and I can’t seem to stay within an octave and not squeak! Any tips?

  7. Ian Boyter says:

    Stick with it! You’ve only been at it two days. It will happen. And it’s worth it. The Tenor sax will make you sing like Caruso one day.

  8. Amazing! I got a question though is the 2 5 1 counted like this?

    1234 12 12
    (2) (5) (1)

  9. Ian Boyter says:

    ii-V-I refers to the chord sequence. Google ii-V-I Wikipedia for more info.

  10. chriss1152 says:

    you have that old time sound you don,t hear that anymore

  11. Bobkov97 says:

    Hi, I was wondering if you could give me a few tips on playing while having more control on how much spit is passed through the instrument. The problem I’m having is that when I play for a while, I start noticing the level of my tone go significantly down, due to this extra vibration. I loved the solo :)

  12. Ian Boyter says:

    Hi Bobkov, I’m not sure if you mean too much spit during one tune – or over a longer period. If it’s a longer period just take the reed out and dry it with a tissue between tunes, but if it’s during one tune I’m not sure i have an answer. Except the obvious: to suggest you manage the saliva in your mouth more efficiently by thinking about it and swallowing more often. It’s not something I have any experience of.

  13. portcherish says:

    the 2 and 5 chord get one measure each and the 1 chord has two. If you want to count it the way you’re counting it, it would be 12 12 1234. I hope that helps you hear it better.

  14. That’s normal.

    It’s all about steadily building ambouchure. Play frequently, take breaks when you need them. When I start playing after some time, I always start with 45-minute sessions and gradually build up to about 2 (minimum), often 3, or sometimes 4 hours (when I’m in the mood :P )

    Another simple trick I often use myself is to buy a thicker reed to practice on. Just find out which thickness works best for you. I sometimes even use (Vandoren) #4 reeds to train my embouchure.

    Succes!

  15. GREAT ANSWER. You use the N/O method but not the style.
    Gerry Mulligan gave a similar reply in the 50s, no traddie he!
    Playing by scales (“Any of these notes will fit” principle) is much like painting by numbers.
    The effect can be seen today in the remaining UK jazz clubs where audiences
    still vote with their feet for swinging, good on the ear jazz.
    Folk go to be entertained not educated.
    Coltrane emptied more jazz clubs than I did.
    Clrt, Alto, Tenor & Bart.
    Love your tone, phrasing & SWING. A1

  16. Ian Boyter says:

    Hi Howard, I like your understanding of what’s going on in jazz improvisation. The ‘painting by numbers’ method does work, but it gives a completely different effect, (which some folk prefer). I prefer the ‘based mainly on the melody’ method, as did Louis, Stan, Dexter, Zoot, Ben, Lester, Coleman and countless others.

  17. Yup. Couldn’t agree more on YOUR method.
    Subsequent listenings on the 2.5.1. session revealed more than a
    passing acquaintance with Goetz.
    Coltrane said of Goetz “Well. We’d all play like that, if we could!!”
    Try to find the Coltrane obituary which the The Times asked Philip Larkin to write.
    I believe they didn’t use it!
    Just for fun: Louis on BeBop: “The constant search for the right note!”
    Aw Satch.. You ARE awful.

    Regards..Listening & Learning more from you. After 50 yrs on the scene HM.

  18. Incidentally, Coltrane also said “Nobody in America knows more about playing the saxophone than Earl Bostik.
    Now there’s a thought!

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