This month’s warmup for the saxophone is derived from my studies with the great jazz alto saxophonist, Charles McPherson. (www.CharlesMcPherson.com) It is a great way to start the day because you are forced to play up and down the entire length of the horn while at the same time developing technical, rhythmical, and improvisational skills.
Charles refers to the groupings of 4-notes shown below as “Tricky-4s.” He uses this concept for helping one become acutely aware of the vertical and horizontal approaches to improvising while negotiating the existing harmonies. It also reinforces the ability to change linear direction or “pivot” within the measure. One should practice and master the groupings as indicated in examples I—III in any and all scales that one might employ over chord changes before attempting to move through different key centers, as shown in example IV. It will take some work to get comfortable with this format so PRACTICE IT SLOWLY!
Here are some guidelines to remember when working on these 4-note groupings:
a. You can start on any note of the scale appropriate to the harmony as long as one begins on the upbeat of beat 1, which helps the forward motion of the line.
b. When there are two chords in any measure, continue in the same linear direction when the tempo is fast. One can change direction in 2-chord measures only when the tempo is moderate or ballad-like.
c. If there is one chord in a measure, you can pivot within that measure.
d. Finally, when playing the 4-note groupings over a ii-V-I, always consider the key center that is being emphasized for your choice of notes.
Example I shows how the tricky-4s would line up while playing an ascending line in C major.
Example II indicates how a descending sequence of tricky-4s would occur in the same key.
Example III offers the 4-note pattern over A minor, moving upwards and downwards while employing the harmonic minor exclusively.
Example IV utilizes the tricky-4s in all directions over the bridge of the Rodgers/Hart standard, Have You Met Miss Jones. The original key is F Major but the bridge starts on the IV chord—Bb major 7. This is a challenging bridge which encompasses three key centers in its 8 bars: Bb, Gb, and D before returning to the tonic F major. (Coltrane uses the ii-V7-I progression with regard to the augmented triad in a somewhat similar fashion throughout Giant Steps.) Once one has mastered the pattern with all the scale possibilities, it would be best to start practicing the tricky-4s over the standard 12-bar Blues or tunes with minimal harmonic motion. Repeated work with this exercise will allow one to navigate through the chord changes of any tune while developing the ability to play with more angularity in the improvised melodic line.