![Ray Smith](/img/default-banner.jpg)
- 115
- 207 512
Ray Smith
เข้าร่วมเมื่อ 24 ส.ค. 2009
The Ray Smith TH-cam Channel is an educational set of tutorials divided into four sections: Videos Coordinated to my book, The Real Jazz Pedagogy Book; Videos Coordinated to my book, The Science and Art of Saxophone Teaching; and Supplemental and Private Lesson Videos.The videos are very valuable without the books, and the books are very valuable without the videos; but the best way to learn is coordinated study of the books with the video tutorials. The books are available as hard copies at Amazon and Outskirts Press. They are also available in digital formats at Amazon (Kindle); Barnes and Noble (Nook), The Apple Store.
The Real Jazz Pedagogy Videos are aimed at school jazz band directors but are also very valuable to private jazz teachers and vocal jazz teachers and to serious jazz students.
The Science and Art of Saxophone Teaching videos are aimed at saxophone teachers of all levels and are also very valuable to serious students who are intermediate to advanced level.
The Real Jazz Pedagogy Videos are aimed at school jazz band directors but are also very valuable to private jazz teachers and vocal jazz teachers and to serious jazz students.
The Science and Art of Saxophone Teaching videos are aimed at saxophone teachers of all levels and are also very valuable to serious students who are intermediate to advanced level.
Logan Stats Rhythm Changes Followup #1
While Logan continues to work on the Blues, he has started working on Rhythm Changes (the chord progression to Gershwin's I Got Rhythm). In this followup lesson, we take the next steps to mastering Rhythm Changes. There will be another followup lesson that takes learning Rhythm Changes further including alterations on the dominant and approaches to the bridge. This video is coordinated to The Real Jazz Pedagogy Book, Chapter 21. The book is available in both hard copy and digital forms at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Outskirts Press, and the Apple Store.
มุมมอง: 626
วีดีโอ
Speech to Music Metaphor---More insights on Musical Phrasing--Classical and Jazz
มุมมอง 2.1K2 ปีที่แล้ว
Additional ideas are demonstrated in this video for working on how to phrase musically based on a metaphor of phrasing in speech. Chapter 12 in my saxophone book should be referenced either before or after viewing this video along with the video coordinated to that chapter in the saxophone playlist. These videos are both coordinated to my books The Science and Art of Saxophone Teaching and The ...
Logan Stats Lesson 3 Followup on the Blues
มุมมอง 3372 ปีที่แล้ว
Logan and I had gone over the Blues in a previous video. This video is a followup on the Blues lesson from two weeks ago. Logan has made substantial progress since the first lesson. More ideas for making the changes are presented. This is coordinated to The Real Jazz Pedagogy Book, Chapter 21. The book is available in both hard copy and digital forms at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Outskirts Press...
Logan Stats Lesson 2 Introducing Rhythm Changes
มุมมอง 3282 ปีที่แล้ว
Logan and I and I have been working on Blues , and he is still working on Blues, but after a bit of follow up on blues I decided to get Logan working on Rhythm Changes. The video starts a little slow while establishing the chord progression we will use, but then picks up with a demonstration of a very useful approach to learning to play on Rhythm Changes (the chord progression to Gershwin's I G...
Logan Stats Lesson--Learning The Blues
มุมมอง 6982 ปีที่แล้ว
Logan and I had gone over the Blues kind of quickly the previous week, but we needed this followup. Logan will work on it for another week or now with the following approaches: 1) a horizontal approach blanketing with the minor pentatonic scale and the blues scale; 2) a vertical approach changing note choices when the chords change and using the guide tones; 3) an approach that combines both ho...
Brad Sadler Lesson--Learning to Play Changes on Autumn Leaves
มุมมอง 7622 ปีที่แล้ว
Brad had a question about how to move his improvisation forward. He had done a lot of transcribing, but just didn't feel like he was getting better. After hearing him play on a tune of his choice, Autumn Leaves, it became clear that he needed to understand how to play the chord changes to get better. This is a good discussion and demonstration of how to teach and learn playing chord changes. Al...
Jazz Pedagogy with Jeremy Wells Pt. 7D--Conclusion and Help for the Ballad and Vocal Soloists
มุมมอง 1392 ปีที่แล้ว
Ray helps Jeremy with ideas for working with the ballad and vocal soloists with the band. We come to the conclusion of Jazz Pedagogy with Jeremy Wells. This video deals with ideas that are coordinated with Chapters 22-23 of The Real Jazz Pedagogy Book available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and the Apple Book Store.
Jazz Pedagogy with Jeremy Wells Pt. 7C--Microphones and the Big Band
มุมมอง 712 ปีที่แล้ว
Ray and Jeremy discuss issues that go into deciding how to mic the big band in live performance. These ideas are coordinated with Chapters 24-26 of The Real Jazz Pedagogy Book available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and the Apple Book Store.
Jazz Pedagogy with Jeremy Wells Pt 7B--Adjudication Issues
มุมมอง 612 ปีที่แล้ว
Ray and Jeremy discuss issues related to dealing with adjudication. These ideas are coordinated with Chapters 24-26 of The Real Jazz Pedagogy Book available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and the Apple Book Store.
Jazz Pedagogy with Jeremy Wells Pt. 7A--Festival and Concert Programming
มุมมอง 612 ปีที่แล้ว
Ray and Jeremy discuss principles that go into programming for short concerts and festivals as well as longer concerts. These ideas are coordinated with Chapters 24-26 of The Real Jazz Pedagogy Book available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and the Apple Book Store.
Jazz Pedagogy with Jeremy Wells Pt 6D--Rhythm Section Solos
มุมมอง 693 ปีที่แล้ว
A discussion with Jeremy about helping rhythm section players with their solos and a few other tips to finish up on the rhythm section discussion. All of these ideas are coordinated with Chapters 14-18 of The Real Jazz Pedagogy Book available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and the Apple Book Store.
Jazz Pedagogy with Jeremy Wells Pt 6C--Rhythm Section Tips
มุมมอง 973 ปีที่แล้ว
A discussion with Jeremy giving tips for working with drums, bass, guitar and piano individually and in the Rhythm Section many important ideas. All of these ideas are coordinated with Chapters 14-17 of The Real Jazz Pedagogy Book available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and the Apple Book Store.
Jazz Pedagogy with Jeremy Wells Pt 6A--Recruitment and Motivation
มุมมอง 943 ปีที่แล้ว
An informal discussion with Jeremy about recruiting and motivation for rhythm section players and others with a side trip into addressing modern instruction in the curriculum. All of these ideas coordinated with Chapters 14-18 of The Real Jazz Pedagogy Book available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and the Apple Book Store.
Jazz Pedagogy with Jeremy Wells Pt 6B--Rhythm Section Questions
มุมมอง 903 ปีที่แล้ว
A discussion with Jeremy answering his questions about bass line construction, teaching drum set ups, use of Vibes, and coordinating comping instruments in the Rhythm Section. All of these ideas are coordinated with Chapters 14-18 of The Real Jazz Pedagogy Book available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and the Apple Book Store.
Jazz Pedagogy with Jeremy Wells Pt 5C Rehearsal Techniques and Ideas
มุมมอง 1683 ปีที่แล้ว
A discussion with Jeremy about Rehearsing the Big Band. Many ideas and approaches are covered. All of these ideas are `concepts taught in Chapter 12 of The Real Jazz Pedagogy Book available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and the Apple Book Store.
Jazz Pedagogy with Jeremy Wells Pt 5B Dealing with the Horn Sections
มุมมอง 2683 ปีที่แล้ว
Jazz Pedagogy with Jeremy Wells Pt 5B Dealing with the Horn Sections
Jazz Pedagogy with Jeremy Wells Pt 5A Followup on Jazz Articulation
มุมมอง 1643 ปีที่แล้ว
Jazz Pedagogy with Jeremy Wells Pt 5A Followup on Jazz Articulation
Jazz Pedagogy with Jeremy Wells Pt 4D--Teaching Afternoon in Paris
มุมมอง 1693 ปีที่แล้ว
Jazz Pedagogy with Jeremy Wells Pt 4D Teaching Afternoon in Paris
Jazz Pedagogy with Jeremy Wells Pt 4C--Teaching Rhythm Changes
มุมมอง 2673 ปีที่แล้ว
Jazz Pedagogy with Jeremy Wells Pt 4C Teaching Rhythm Changes
Jazz Pedagogy with Jeremy Wells Pt 4B--Teaching the Blues
มุมมอง 2883 ปีที่แล้ว
Jazz Pedagogy with Jeremy Wells Pt 4B Teaching the Blues
Jazz Pedagogy with Jeremy Wells Pt 4A--More on Jazz Articulation
มุมมอง 2573 ปีที่แล้ว
Jazz Pedagogy with Jeremy Wells Pt 4A More on Jazz Articulation
Jazz Pedagogy with Jeremy Wells Pt. 3C--Teaching Jazz Scales and Guide Tones
มุมมอง 1673 ปีที่แล้ว
Jazz Pedagogy with Jeremy Wells Pt. 3C Teaching Jazz Scales and Guide Tones
Jazz Pedagogy with Jeremy Wells Pt. 3B--Functional Harmonic Analysis
มุมมอง 873 ปีที่แล้ว
Jazz Pedagogy with Jeremy Wells Pt. 3B Functional Harmonic Analysis
Jazz Pedagogy with Jeremy Wells Pt. 3A--More Jazz Theory
มุมมอง 1013 ปีที่แล้ว
Jazz Pedagogy with Jeremy Wells Pt. 3A More Jazz Theory
Jazz Pedagogy with Jeremy Wells Pt. 2B--Teaching Jazz Theory and Starting with the Blues
มุมมอง 1623 ปีที่แล้ว
Jazz Pedagogy with Jeremy Wells Pt. 2B Teaching Jazz Theory and Starting with the Blues
Jazz Pedagogy with Jeremy Wells Pt. 2A--Editing Jazz Articulation
มุมมอง 2473 ปีที่แล้ว
Jazz Pedagogy with Jeremy Wells Pt. 2A Editing Jazz Articulation
Jazz Pedagogy with Jeremy Wells Part 1--Introduction to Improvisation and Jazz Style
มุมมอง 6043 ปีที่แล้ว
Jazz Pedagogy with Jeremy Wells Part 1 Introduction to Improvisation and Jazz Style
Teaching Rhythm for Saxophone and All Other Wind Instruments Chapter 20
มุมมอง 8083 ปีที่แล้ว
Teaching Rhythm for Saxophone and All Other Wind Instruments Chapter 20
It's amazing information
Thank you so much sir
Sir what about upper teeth position please 🙏
The upper teeth are on the mouthpiece and not too far in. If you put too much mouthpiece in the mouth, it will be difficult to do these things. Too little mouthpiece=lots of control and no sound or power. Too much mouthpiece =no control, but lots of sound or power (maybe even blatty or honkey). So you want to get just the right amount of mouthpiece where you have maximum control and maximum power at the same moment.
Respected sir it's really beautiful information 🙏 Thank you so much
Just started the video but I’m dying over the guitarist getting told to turn up his volume it’s true we never get told we’re too quite unless ur me and get stuck on comping volume because I forgot to turn it up for the solo section😭
I realize this post is several years old, but wondering if someone could let me know if the Kindle version of "The Science and Art of Saxophone Teaching" renders well, or is it better and more practical to get the physical book? That is, if there are many diagrams or scores in the book, can they be easily read on a kindle device or kindle reader? Thank you
Why did you stop making videos??
I intend to do more but got really busy with some other projects. If you absorbed everything in the 115 videos I have done you would be well on your way. Have you gone through them all? Do you have ideas or questions for what I should do in some new videos?
stifler on the bass?
I’ve seen 5th graders with better posture than the bari and 4th trombone players
'Kojonudo, Ray! Saludos desde Madrid.
Very interesting and usefull
Lol you even got distracted like i do with ideas.
Happy tears,, i finally found the help i need😊 god bless you
Oh my goodness thank you you are the first person I have seen that is like me . I have loved singing jazz before I even knew it was , when I was little before I remember hearing it. I'm 28 and learning guitar and am just now realizing I've been a musician all along. Thank you for your video
Just bought alto, but my goal is soprano. I love beautiful magic sound of this instrument, and I know that playing is a long path, but I want to go down all this way!
What a video! Not only the content but the beautiful interaction in the group. This also shows how much a competent teacher can add on top of the "main content that could be read" as so many of my students ask for now. This video really shows the meaning of face to face learning.
Very nice guy!
I am told I play the soprano well and in tune. Before all the good information in this excellent video: you need a good mouthpiece and make sure it's pushed in the neck to the right spot. My technique is practically to sing in my head what I am going to play .
Exactly! To push in adequately, you must be blowing down to a concert C on the mouthpiece alone at a loud level. Then what you are describing about singing the notes in your head is perfect. I call it pre-hearing each note. You have already discovered some very important keys to playing the soprano. Wishing you all the best!
Thanks about the embouchure tips, I was really struggling with the low notes, but these advices really change the game. So glad I found your videos!
Thanks for your tips, I’m trying to learn English horn, the embouchure tips are great.
Excellent!
First class! - Ray Smith was my teacher in Murray Kentucky. A wonderful human being.
I don't know why nobody seems to pay attention, but THIS teaching method is logical and key-free using degrees. I seem to hear people solo and have less "sense" than just these introduction and analytic approach to building patterns. Thanks!... J-D.
He should know better and provide the guitarist with a tabs arrangement. Most young guitarists don’t learn to read music well.
we'll maybe we should. Though the tabs would make it so much easier...
Absolutely! It’s quite shameful on the instructor/program for such a bull-headed approach. At his age, he knows how the guitar industry dominated many kids bedroom with rock and roll and popular music for the past 5 decades. Most guitar players don’t read music nor do they even know the notes on their instrument akin to others. While they ought to learn, it’s not practical for putting the guitarist in this spot for the ensemble, especially a kid, and it’s very clearly wasting everyone’s time, and it’s not the guitarists fault- he was bred in a culture that doesn’t emphasize notation reading on his instrument. And with the availability of software and even AI tools, there is no excuse for not being able to provide tabular notation for the guitarist. It takes more work on the instructor/program, but that’s THEIR job.
Hi I just cane across your video I wish there were books on this and some dvds on stuff Luke this and how come there isn't a school for repairs of instruments
I feel you green shirt person 😂Very helpful vid tho
How about finding a MP
Are there sopranos that are more likely to play in tune? Quality I understand
Great vid!!
Dr. Ray your roll and loop exercises are really helping me move over the break!
Of course the guitar player struggles reading music 😂 I’m not alone 😂
This saying goes in our big bsnd as well 😂
What a divine sound! By the way, what was that beautiful piece of organ(?) music?
wonderful tips thank you sir.i have a question what is the sax you are using in this video?
It is a Cannonball “Arc” Big Bell Series
Dr. Smith, I don;t know if you are checking your channel often. But I have stumbled upon this channel and have watched several videos now. This is a goldmine! In a world where there is so much conflicting information and bad advice out there, you clearly and thoroughly speak the TRUTH! Thank you, and i will definitely order your books. I wish there were a way to make this the most prominent saxophone channel on youtube!
Бля,ну это американское днище. И тут они преуспели.
Ray, do you have any thoughts regarding gurgling around low G? Is driving me insane! Playing a well regulated Yamaha Custom 6 months in after 30 years of alto and tenor playing. Using Selmer Concept mouthpiece and blue box Vandoren reeds.
I am so sorry, Luke. I thought for sure I had responded to your question a while ago, but I don't see it here...? So anyway, as to the gurgling G, this can be a result of several things or a combination of them. I think the most common cause is not having the mouthpiece pushed in far enough on the neck. You may feel sharp and pull the mouthpiece too far out when what you really need to do is change your blowing. Have you checked the pitch of the mouthpiece alone. At a forte level, you should be playing a concert (piano) C. If you are playing a D like most players, you will have to pull out too far and it can cause what you are describing. It could also be caused by a reed that is not sealing on the mouthpiece (see the video on reeds, Chapter 16 part 3) or an embouchure that is too loose and unfocused. Of course, it could be a sealing issue in the instrument itself, but most of the time it is the player. Good Luck solving this. Do realize that you are not the first or only player to encounter this.
Many thanks Ray; I will work on my pitch with mouthpiece alone to get it down to C, as I’m pretty sure it’s the only variable that could be causing the problem. Thanks so much for your video series, you are a treasure trove of wonderful information. I hope to buy your book soon.
"Half steps make the world go 'round." -- Ray Smith # 20:46. (Classic!)
Thank you very much M. R.Smith. great inspiration.
Excellent demonstration! Really shows how different instruments can collide with each other.
In my experience, comping with the piano player is to lay back. See what he's doing. Find a pocket to fit into and follow it.
I've been playing clarinet in concert band and orchestra for years. Last week I bought a curved soprano sax on impulse and what I've taken from your video is that I really do need a few lessons. I even know an accomplished soprano sax player who teaches and tonight she agreed to take me on! So I came back here today to say thank you, Ray, for uploading this.🎷
Good Luck with the new horn!
Nice video Ray, very informative! I see you have a clunk of metal on your sax, presumably that helps with the 'crispness' of the notes? I've recently purchased an 'LA Sax' straight soprano, and where the F# key is situated, there are another two keys, which I've never encountered before, does your saxophone have these? Also, I've seen some saxophonists swear by 'bite patches' on their mouthpiece, but I see that you don't use them yourself, and I don't use them either, they seem so restricting to me... Another thing that I have noticed, is that I have to position the mouthpiece way down the crook to get it in tune, using a guitar tuner for reference.. Lovely sax playing on the tracks that you’ve featured on, by the way.
On some sopranos these days, there is a split key where the high F# key is. The upper key is for High G. Yes I do have it, but I rarely use it-I mostly use the front fingering for the high G. The chunk of metal you referred to is the Klangbogen (made by ReedGeek) and yes it does help with response and intonation. I do have a small bite patch that is built into my mouthpiece. It is not something I attached after the fact. However, on most of my other mouthpieces, I do have bite patches. I don’t care for the thicker black ones, but rather I would go for the thin clear ones. They are not restricting, but they help protect your mouthpiece from your teeth. They can effect vibration, so I would go thin and small as possible. The saxophone is designed for the the mouthpiece to be pushed in a lot. You should check your mouthpiece pitch when you play the mouthpiece alone at a forte level. The pitch should be “C” concert. If you are playing a lot lower, that would be rare, but get as close to the C as possible and then determine the position for the mouthpiece. Most people play too high in the mouthpiece pitch and have to pull out in an unhealthy amount.
Pity too much talk a not enough music 🫤🫤🫤
If you want more music, I have a lot of music on my website: www.jazzhangrecords.com This is an instructional tutorial.
Thank you I will try to apply this to my guitar playing
Ray, thank you so much for posting this unvaluable info for free. Thank you so much, really. Maybe it's a silly question, but Strasbourg St. Denis, for example, in the first bars it goes: | Bbm Cm | DbMaj7 % |. In Bbm-Cm, i must resolve going from the major 9th to the tonic and in Cm - Dbmaj7 from minor 3rd to 5th? or since it's a diatonic progression, it doesn't really cares about the guide, and more you can use any chord tone?. Thank you again!
Thank you for your question. The video you watched is an approach for playing standard tunes and bebop tunes with a lot of chord changes that need to be played very specifically. Many modern tunes, especially funk and rock tunes, do not use the same kinds of chord progressions and can use a different approach. The Autumn Leaves approach we used in the video is what I would call a vertical approach-every time the vertical structure (the chord) changes, we change what notes we can choose, and we try to connect the chords via half-step guide tones. Some tunes can use what I call a horizontal approach where we can blanket the whole tune with the same materials based on a more horizontal consideration such as the key of the piece. For example, it is possible to play one pentatonic scale or one blues scale over the whole progression with no regard for when the chords change. The tune you have asked about is a combination of the two. The repetitive pattern of Bb-, C-, DbMaj can be blanketed. It is not necessary to find the guide tones for this kind of thing. You can play with one scale (maybe minor pentatonic) over that part, but then at the end of the 8 bar phrase on bar 7, it is important to resolve to the Abmaj7 (it is preceded by its dominant Eb7alt, so the guide tones for this resolution are very standard. Then in bar 8, you get an F7alt to take you back to the Bb- at the top for the repeat. You should play the F7 very specifically and resolve back to the top where you can blanket again for the first 5 and a half bars same as the first time. Good luck!
@@charlesrsmith7 Really appreciate your answer, Ray. I'm going to study all your channel, this is pure gold for those who wants to learn. Good luck you too!
These ideas sound like good things for older adults also.
Absolutely! Good Luck!
There are other saxophones . And don't need to rush - to learn . Nice video .
Exactly right. I generally tune up and lip everything down (at least when playing jazz)
Extremely Informative. A must see tutorial...
Thank you!