Jazz Etude 16-Wide Interval Saxophone Study Based on the Chord Changes to “Stella By Starlight”

This is an excerpt from my book, The Vertical Saxophone, A Methodical Approach to Wide Intervals: Technique and Improvisation. In this etude, I demonstrate some of the different uses of wide intervals in jazz improvisation, such as octave displacement, broken arpeggios, symmetrical intervals, etc. Many of the “typical” tension tones from dominant to tonic found in modern jazz are utilized in this piece (+5, -5, +9, -9, etc.), but organized in such a way as to challenge your ear as well as your technical control.

This is a more advanced study for saxophone, as the intervallic leaps and the altissimo register are prevalent. It can also be played on any instrument with similar range (it is a particularly good exercise for flute). If you have access to a backing track (such as band in a box or you can go to Play Jazz  Now), definitely use it. Quarter note at anywhere between 160 and 200 is the tempo range to aim for, maintaining an easy swing feel and articulation. Enjoy, and let me know what you think.

Wide Interval Saxophone Etude Based on Stella By Starlight .pdf

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