Although Kenny G didn't create smooth jazz, he pretty much us the label on the package. His product exploded on the market and it received the label that was most capable of selling his product, JAZZ.
You have a rare gift for explaining things and putting them into perspective. Not only do you teach us new things, but you also have the ability to make us aware of things we kinda already knew without realizing we knew them, and making that knowledge easier to grasp conceptually. Thank you for this excellent lesson!
Your soprano saxophone sound is among the very best "natural" Organic Jazz "sound-voices" I have heard and adored. It has me thinking of Grover Washington, Jr's and *Ronnie Laws' , as well as #Jimmy Heath's - not to mention Oliver Nelson's "Patterns" especially as you move to 2nd octave (about the end) *RL's: "Stay Still And Let Me Love You", "Karen With Love", "Friends And Strangers" #JH's: "Sophisticated Lady" *. *. *. *. * "Silly" Question: It varies from player to player, I guess - - - but, what's the art, science, or simply "trick" in selecting a Reed so as to enable a performer to obtain a fairly "good" sound especially on soprano saxophone? You have herein used strength #2, If I'm correct, and have been able to move to 2rd octave without slurring - so as to make the notes smoothly. Any tips, even though you might have explained this phenomenon already? Thanks, beforehand! Lohvissimo!
I kept waiting in anticipation for that last song. It was very nice. Thanks so much for not overdoing special effects. Your natural sound is awesome! I enjoy your content. Keep it up!
Great video - I would just add that if you are playing a melody that has lyrics, it greatly enhances your phrasing if you 'play the lyrics'. Ben Webster did this, and if you listen to Stan Getz playing the The Look Of Love he is clearly enunciating Hal David's lyrics when playing the melody straight.
I just gave a "prototype" version of my book to a friend of mine to proof read. He knows a person that works as a major music book publishing company. I have my fingers crossed.
This is a good topic. And it involves the æsthetics of music. The Harvard Dictionary of Music is very interesting on this topic. I have the 1969 edition, second edition, revised and enlarged. Page 14-"Æsthetics of Music.
Sir i sold my saxophone for my school purpose. But now i missed it after i watched your video. 🙏🏻 Keep on posting video sir. I want to ask how you did your 'airy' voicing sir. 🙏🏻
Nice one man. I’m really Not a smooth jazz fan tbh, but I love your presentation style so I watch everything! Little micro “typo” at 7:54? You said G but I’m sure you meant G# for that E maj bebop scale. 🤛🏻
Oh crap😁. I used to not care for smooth jazz so much but with its popularity came different approaches to playing it. I like Gerald Albright, Dave Sanborn and Nelson Rangell's flute playing. One of my favorite flute solos ever is on Brasiliana by Nelson Rangell. If you have a chance, check it out.
Sirvalorsax - yeh, that flute playing on Brasilia is insane. Of course I love my Sanborn and man, Gerald Albright is a consummate saxophonist. I covered his classic Forget Me Nots solo which is one of my favs of all time. th-cam.com/video/iPUU_2hQ_X4/w-d-xo.html
@@GetYourSaxTogetherI didn't realize it was Gerald until a friend told me. That's always been one of my favorite R&B sax improvs...quite melodic. Definitely before he got more into his triplet hip-hop rhythm.
Nice straight forward and Detailed information. You Sir are a gem. Theory can Be so intimidating and a Turnoff. You make it so Relaxed and digestible. Thanks.
I know you are such a busy person...but can you please advise me on my playing. I'm teaching myself playing saxophone by watching your videos. I'll really appreciate your advice. Thanks..🎷❣️
Thank you very much for the valuable information on the BeBop scale. You have a nice full sound on your Soprano. When I picked the Soprano back in the 1970’s Ronnie Laws ( Friends & Strangers) so I guess I am pre Kenny G. Yamaha 4c mouthpiece has provided consistent intonation over the years. Thanks again 😉
7 minutes and 52 seconds into this video you said "G" instead of "G#" for the major bebop scale. Peace be with you my friend this only goes to show that we are truly listening to what you have to say and value your input. Sincerely RJC
Thanks for this video. I added two other scales to your suggestion major & minor pentatonic along with harmonic minor. Over the years I've the altered pentatonic which when I think about I've been playing your suggested scales. Thanks to aerophone thing I've been doing lots of practice without disturbing my wife. Smooth jazz is ok but I'm oldschool traditionalist. Love your vids keepum coming. BTW my main mpc on both my TENOR and alto is the metalite m5 you suggested.
Nice content brother, you are a really good teacher. Already knew you were a great player😊 miss those hangs on deck 6 with you! Take care, and hope to see you again soon and hopefully have a little play!
Nice, I've been trying to ease into soloing with slower, more melodic lines, but had been focusing on the minor pentatonic scale and a bit of the double harmonic scale. Since getting my alto bone, however, I've started practicing navigating the major scales via various patterns and adapting the bebop scale to that may be what I was missing. Oh, and I was super close to finding an affordable Yamaha student alto sax today, only for them not to ship to the US... found an old "American baritone" style euphonium locally in the meantime, though. I now own at least one of each of the low brass instruments I play, which officially opens the door to expanding to the saxophone family, lol
You are the best online sax tutor for me and I really appreciate all of the videos you put out. I like the analogy of a pre and post Kenny G era! A question: putting aside Grover who for me was soulful smooth jazz and David Sanborn who for me was funky smooth jazz, where would you put Najee and Gerald Albright? For me, especially Albright, he was the only one who could sound smooth yet he playing straight jazz at the same time. I’m still trying to work out what he does...
I think those guys had it together before Kenny G just exploded with popularity so Kenny's sound became the thing to put a label on. Like the brand name, Kleenex is what a lot of people call all tissue paper because it was very popular.
Good Sir, very thoughtful.... thanks. Love the understated low notes. You think maybe sometimes sax players (with less command, control and sense of overall musicallity than yourself) opt for higher and faster notes, in general...Probably to impress each other? Blasphemy!
I meant from a players input, not effects. You bring up a really good point. Maybe I'll do a separate video on mixing and EQ'ing. Thanks for the suggestion
Real nice man.. Glad I ran across your channel and subscribed. Wondering if I should trade up my alto to a soprano, and only play Bb horns.. My main baby is the tenor.👍😎
I like those pre-Kenny G players such as David Sanborn, Stan Getz, Grover Washington Jr, Ronnie Laws, Gato Barbieri, Sadao Watanabe, John Klemmer, Tom Scott, etc. I am over 50 and would love to play saxophone. Is it too late to learn?
How many pieces of cake we need to buy to get more soprano focused content? 😅 I like your teaching style & would prefer to learn more from you instead of bouncing all over TH-cam.
I always thought a bebop scale was adding the major and the minor seventh? Is that something else...? or does it matter much if you do the perfect fifth and minor sixth version?
The most common place to add a note for the Major bebop scale is between the 5th and 6th. For a Dominant 7th and a minor scale you can run across the added note between the b7th and the root. For a minor scale you may also see the added note between the b3rd and the P4th
Sirvalorsax Thank you! Everything what you said are things I’ve seen but never really understood where to put the added note. Especially with minor chords. I thought the minor seventh and major seventh worked for both major and dominant chords. Then for minor chords I did the same but added a flat 3 - so basically Dorian scale with an added major seventh. It’s just confusing since I was never taught this stuff and just kinda watched TH-cam. Maybe bebop scales could be a topic you cover in your videos? It’d be a good topic!
Allora Professional Matte finish straight soprano sax. I want a curved professional from them and their Chicago alto is number 1 on my list for an alto sax.
My ears are 50ys K.G (before that Kenny guy). West Coast Cool, early Miles Davis, the MJQ..? you can't get smoother than that. Stanley Turrentine was accused of being too commercial. The INDUSTRY sucks. Sorry about that rave but I had to take it out on someone. (you are a long way from Australia & my wife's in the next room...so I can courageously give an opinion) Listen to the old guys & be the BOSS of your INSTRUMENT !!!!...hang on.."Yes Dear?"...sorry mate, I've to go...not feline whipped...just smart...
Sir i sold my saxophone for my school purpose. But now i missed it after i watched your video. 🙏🏻 Keep on posting video sir. I want to ask how you did your 'airy' voicing sir. 🙏🏻
The legacy of smooth jazz
SirValorSax -> Kenny G -> Dave Pollack
Sir Valor? I'd never read the R so it thought it was Sirvalo. It's similar to narvalo which in italian means narwhal.
Yes.
Hail Dave Pollack 😂
@@iamnegan8878 All hail the chosen one!
LOL
I've heard many comments on Kenny G that he is not playing jazz, but at least he is well known in the jazz community.
Although Kenny G didn't create smooth jazz, he pretty much us the label on the package. His product exploded on the market and it received the label that was most capable of selling his product, JAZZ.
You have a rare gift for explaining things and putting them into perspective. Not only do you teach us new things, but you also have the ability to make us aware of things we kinda already knew without realizing we knew them, and making that knowledge easier to grasp conceptually. Thank you for this excellent lesson!
Exactly!
Thanks
You made my day my beautiful brother. From one brother to another I appreciate the clarification & your time. Keep playing from the heart.
Thanks a lot
Can you make one of these on funk? Would make my life a lot funkier.
You are getting a lot better at the educational content btw
I'll look into it. Thanks for the suggestion.
A Yamaha 4c. I swear to god, you can make anything sound awesome.
Wow, thanks!
Your soprano saxophone sound is among the very best "natural" Organic Jazz "sound-voices" I have heard and adored.
It has me thinking of Grover Washington, Jr's and *Ronnie Laws' , as well as #Jimmy Heath's - not to mention Oliver Nelson's "Patterns" especially as you move to 2nd octave (about the end)
*RL's: "Stay Still And Let Me Love You", "Karen With Love", "Friends And Strangers"
#JH's: "Sophisticated Lady"
*. *. *. *. *
"Silly" Question:
It varies from player to player, I guess - - - but, what's the art, science, or simply "trick" in selecting a Reed so as to enable a performer to obtain a fairly "good" sound especially on soprano saxophone?
You have herein used strength #2, If I'm correct, and have been able to move to 2rd octave without slurring - so as to make the notes smoothly.
Any tips, even though you might have explained this phenomenon already?
Thanks, beforehand!
Lohvissimo!
Maceo Parker is also an incredible part of the Smooth born. Thanks for sharing us exiting information about that amazing music
Thanks
I kept waiting in anticipation for that last song. It was very nice. Thanks so much for not overdoing special effects. Your natural sound is awesome! I enjoy your content. Keep it up!
Glad you enjoyed it
Keep these gospel stuff coming, learning from St.Lucia in the Caribbean.
I've had many stops in St. Lucia during my cruise ship days!!
Great video - I would just add that if you are playing a melody that has lyrics, it greatly enhances your phrasing if you 'play the lyrics'. Ben Webster did this, and if you listen to Stan Getz playing the The Look Of Love he is clearly enunciating Hal David's lyrics when playing the melody straight.
Totally agree! Stan Getz is one of my favorite ballad players
This man needs to narrate a documentary
I would love to do that, Morgan Freeman watch out!!! 😆
Agree. So right on with describing the style. Thanks Sirvalosax!
MAN. When you said pianissimo to FORTE! I thought that hand was gonna come thru the screen! Said with such CONVICTION! lol
LOL
I'm appreciating that you mentioned Gato Barbieri. When is your book coming out?
I just gave a "prototype" version of my book to a friend of mine to proof read. He knows a person that works as a major music book publishing company. I have my fingers crossed.
This is a good topic. And it involves the æsthetics of music. The Harvard Dictionary of Music
is very interesting on this topic. I have the 1969 edition, second edition, revised and enlarged.
Page 14-"Æsthetics of Music.
I'll look into that, thanks for the suggestion
Thank you for making it plain ! Really enjoy your content !
Glad you enjoy it!
Sir i sold my saxophone for my school purpose. But now i missed it after i watched your video. 🙏🏻
Keep on posting video sir.
I want to ask how you did your 'airy' voicing sir. 🙏🏻
Very nice sound
Great video. Thanks for sharing with us!
I would fully buy your album with all your TH-cam intros 🤣🤣🤣
😁
That's some great ear candy your'e playing...also beautiful to hear quality piano audio in your accompaniment...keep it coming.....love it!!
Thank you! Will do!
I've been struggling to understand how to play the blues scale and you made it super clear on how to do it! Thank you so much!
Happy to help!
You’re the morgan freeman of the saxophone
Lol
Smooth jazz is like jazz but without any jazz 😁😁😁
😆
Nice one man. I’m really
Not a smooth jazz fan tbh, but I love your presentation style so I watch everything! Little micro “typo” at 7:54? You said G but I’m sure you meant G# for that E maj bebop scale. 🤛🏻
Oh crap😁. I used to not care for smooth jazz so much but with its popularity came different approaches to playing it. I like Gerald Albright, Dave Sanborn and Nelson Rangell's flute playing. One of my favorite flute solos ever is on Brasiliana by Nelson Rangell. If you have a chance, check it out.
Sirvalorsax - I’ll check it man. 👍🏻
Sirvalorsax - yeh, that flute playing on Brasilia is insane. Of course I love my Sanborn and man, Gerald Albright is a consummate saxophonist. I covered his classic Forget Me Nots solo which is one of my favs of all time. th-cam.com/video/iPUU_2hQ_X4/w-d-xo.html
@@GetYourSaxTogetherI didn't realize it was Gerald until a friend told me. That's always been one of my favorite R&B sax improvs...quite melodic. Definitely before he got more into his triplet hip-hop rhythm.
Good videos and easy to understand even for people who inglish is not the mathertang. Thank you for that
You are welcome!
Your channel is a great resource! Tenor player here, but you made me very inspired to one day get a soprano to practice on.
Go for it!
Nice straight forward and
Detailed information. You
Sir are a gem. Theory can
Be so intimidating and a
Turnoff. You make it so
Relaxed and digestible.
Thanks.
Thanks
I know you are such a busy person...but can you please advise me on my playing.
I'm teaching myself playing saxophone by watching your videos.
I'll really appreciate your advice.
Thanks..🎷❣️
Thank you very much for the valuable information on the BeBop scale. You have a nice full sound on your Soprano. When I picked the Soprano back in the 1970’s Ronnie Laws ( Friends & Strangers) so I guess I am pre Kenny G. Yamaha 4c mouthpiece has provided consistent intonation over the years. Thanks again 😉
My pleasure! It is my main sop mouthpiece
7 minutes and 52 seconds into this video you said "G" instead of "G#" for the major bebop scale. Peace be with you my friend this only goes to show that we are truly listening to what you have to say and value your input.
Sincerely RJC
Oops, I should fix that in the description sextion🤤
Great video. Thanks so much for posting it. Have a blessed day!
😀
wow, you really know your stuff! I'd take lessons from you any day!
Maybe one day!
Still great stuff 🎉
😀
Beautiful playing, great lesson. Thankyou.
Does Morgan Freeman do voice overs for your videos. :-)
Not yet...LOL
Thanks for this video. I added two other scales to your suggestion major & minor pentatonic along with harmonic minor. Over the years I've the altered pentatonic which when I think about I've been playing your suggested scales. Thanks to aerophone thing I've been doing lots of practice without disturbing my wife. Smooth jazz is ok but I'm oldschool traditionalist. Love your vids keepum coming. BTW my main mpc on both my TENOR and alto is the metalite m5 you suggested.
Cool. Thanks for watching
Great lesson as always, Sir! I hope you're doin' well and stayin' safe
I am! Thanks
Another great video, and a wonderful Soprano sound. Thank you
Thank you too!
Nice content brother, you are a really good teacher. Already knew you were a great player😊 miss those hangs on deck 6 with you! Take care, and hope to see you again soon and hopefully have a little play!
Much appreciated
Nice, I've been trying to ease into soloing with slower, more melodic lines, but had been focusing on the minor pentatonic scale and a bit of the double harmonic scale. Since getting my alto bone, however, I've started practicing navigating the major scales via various patterns and adapting the bebop scale to that may be what I was missing.
Oh, and I was super close to finding an affordable Yamaha student alto sax today, only for them not to ship to the US... found an old "American baritone" style euphonium locally in the meantime, though. I now own at least one of each of the low brass instruments I play, which officially opens the door to expanding to the saxophone family, lol
NICE! Good Luck. In this age of easy access to information it should male things easier
Beautiful
Thanks
Thank you so much for your knowledge 😊
My pleasure 😊
You are the best online sax tutor for me and I really appreciate all of the videos you put out. I like the analogy of a pre and post Kenny G era!
A question: putting aside Grover who for me was soulful smooth jazz and David Sanborn who for me was funky smooth jazz, where would you put Najee and Gerald Albright? For me, especially Albright, he was the only one who could sound smooth yet he playing straight jazz at the same time. I’m still trying to work out what he does...
I think those guys had it together before Kenny G just exploded with popularity so Kenny's sound became the thing to put a label on. Like the brand name, Kleenex is what a lot of people call all tissue paper because it was very popular.
Good Sir, very thoughtful.... thanks. Love the understated low notes. You think maybe sometimes sax players (with less command, control and sense of overall musicallity than yourself) opt for higher and faster notes, in general...Probably to impress each other? Blasphemy!
Way too often
Bom demais!!!
Thanks again!!!
You're an excellent teacher👍
Thank you! 😃
Nice, really nice. Thanks!
You should play the channel one suit tenor solo
Great lesson! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Thank you! 😃
excelente explicacion y tips...
Gracias
Appreciate your work!
My pleasure!
Keep It Up sounding really good!
You missed lots of reverb/delay, as the smooth jazz sound! :-)
I meant from a players input, not effects. You bring up a really good point. Maybe I'll do a separate video on mixing and EQ'ing. Thanks for the suggestion
Tons of 'verb! And an odd EQ trend started by Boney James, and followed by Ingala, Ghent, and many more. Unique, but not a natural tenor sound.
Hi, what about pentatonic scales? Are not used in smooth jazz? I love the genre. Greetings from Argentina, the Gato Barbieri country😊.
Pentatonic scales are excellent but they can lack color tones that can make the music more harmonically interesting
j'entends un peu le grand Sidney dans ta sonorité . Je me trompe ?
Real nice man.. Glad I ran across your channel and subscribed. Wondering if I should trade up my alto to a soprano, and only play Bb horns.. My main baby is the tenor.👍😎
Keep that alto!!!
Great
I really enjoy your content, are you on any social media platforms?
Im still an Instagram nube.
Thanks sir. 🤘🤘🤘
Always welcome
love your vids man
Thanks
I like those pre-Kenny G players such as David Sanborn, Stan Getz, Grover Washington Jr, Ronnie Laws, Gato Barbieri, Sadao Watanabe, John Klemmer, Tom Scott, etc. I am over 50 and would love to play saxophone. Is it too late to learn?
Its never too late especially in this age of information access.
Have you ever played the Jody jazz jet tenor mouthpiece? I think it’s amazing it’s a bright fat sound
I played the Superjet but not the regular jet. The Superjet was a bit extreme for my taste
Love you man 👍🏾
:)
Sorry for not knowing
What was name of the song you played at the end ??
It's some random free jazz piano thing. I just put a sax to it.
Love thissss thankyouuuu |!
:)
How many pieces of cake we need to buy to get more soprano focused content? 😅 I like your teaching style & would prefer to learn more from you instead of bouncing all over TH-cam.
Got it. LOL
great video sir! what is the tune you played at the end? really curious!
Its one of those free audio track things floating around the internet. I don't know the name of it
What is the name of the song at the beginning of the video?
👍if you can do some grafic notes
1:50 what song is that? I wanna play It on my tenor :)
The old timers called it 'Schmaltz!' ;-)
LOL!!
Whoops!! I forgot to add something.. ("FLICK"!) Thank you!
Cool
Hey Sirvalorsax. I wanted to know a good jazz mouthpiece to upgrade to, I use alto and this is my first upgrade. Thanks.
The industry standard for alto is still Meyer in my opinion. Vandoren makes a really solid piece in the V16 hard rubber line also
🎷
I always thought a bebop scale was adding the major and the minor seventh? Is that something else...? or does it matter much if you do the perfect fifth and minor sixth version?
The most common place to add a note for the Major bebop scale is between the 5th and 6th. For a Dominant 7th and a minor scale you can run across the added note between the b7th and the root. For a minor scale you may also see the added note between the b3rd and the P4th
Sirvalorsax Thank you! Everything what you said are things I’ve seen but never really understood where to put the added note. Especially with minor chords. I thought the minor seventh and major seventh worked for both major and dominant chords. Then for minor chords I did the same but added a flat 3 - so basically Dorian scale with an added major seventh. It’s just confusing since I was never taught this stuff and just kinda watched TH-cam. Maybe bebop scales could be a topic you cover in your videos? It’d be a good topic!
Kenny G is the King of Grace notes!
Hi I’m a soprano player
2 yrs into this
Do you respond back to your listeners cause I have a few things to ask
I try to respond as much as I can but I don't have full access to internet
Also if don’t mine would love to send you a video of me playing to your email
what was the music at 7:31
How do you spell the brand of your saxophone?
It's an Allora, quite good budget horns.
My friend in college had the allora professional tenor and he made that thing sound like a $6000 horn. Beast
Allora Professional Matte finish straight soprano sax. I want a curved professional from them and their Chicago alto is number 1 on my list for an alto sax.
My ears are 50ys K.G (before that Kenny guy). West Coast Cool, early Miles Davis, the MJQ..? you can't get smoother than that.
Stanley Turrentine was accused of being too commercial. The INDUSTRY sucks.
Sorry about that rave but I had to take it out on someone. (you are a long way from Australia & my wife's in the next room...so I can courageously give an opinion)
Listen to the old guys & be the BOSS of your INSTRUMENT !!!!...hang on.."Yes Dear?"...sorry mate, I've to go...not feline whipped...just smart...
I love Turrentine! There is a cool video of him playing with Brecker, Evans and Watts. Nice contrast of styles
Tem como escrever essa partitura que você tocou e postar em vídeo aqui no youtube.
Vou dar uma olhada no futuro.
Sir i sold my saxophone for my school purpose. But now i missed it after i watched your video. 🙏🏻
Keep on posting video sir.
I want to ask how you did your 'airy' voicing sir. 🙏🏻
Great video. Thanks so much for posting it. Have a blessed day!