Paul Maine

Software Engineer, Musician and Life Long Learner

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Paul Maine

Sharps and Flats Brain Crutch

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Wouldn’t it be nice to have something that is easy to remember that tells us the order of sharps or flats in a certain key?

If you answered yes then read on.

I learned the following from bass man Rob Jewett. For sharps use the phrase “Five Cowboys Got Drunk At Ed’s Bar” ( what do you expect I live in Texas ). The first letter of each word indicates the order that sharps are added from left to right e.g. F,C,G,D,A,E,B.

You can use the word “BEAD” and the acronym “GCF” ( greatest common factor ) to remember the order of flats from left to right e.g. B,E,A,D,G,C,F.

Do you have a different brain crutch that you use to remember the order of sharps or flats?

Have fun with your new found brain crutch!

Diminished Chord Shortcut

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Do you know the notes in all of your diminished chords? If not – here is a shortcut method that works provided that you know all chord tones in your dominant 7th chords.

Here is an example:

What are the chord tones in an F# diminished 7th? The shortcut is to use the root of the diminished chord with the 3,5 and b7 from the dominant 7th chord a half step below. So we would combine the A,C and Eb from the F7 with the root of the diminished chord.

The notes in the F# diminished 7th chord are F#,A,C,Eb.

Hope this helps!

Review of “Amazing Phrasing” by various authors

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I purchased my copy of Amazing Phrases by Dennis Taylor about a month ago and wanted to take time to write a review.

The book is published by Hal Leonard and includes a CD. I purchased the version for tenor sax but the book also exists for also sax, trumpet, keyboard and guitar.  The book includes 50 ways to improve your improvisation skills with a focus on phrasing. The contents of the books can apply to just about any instrument.

The author breaks phrasing down into three components: Harmony, Melody and Rhythm. Due to the wealth of material covered in the book – some of the topics are covered in a couple of pages whereas in other books entire chapters or even entire books have been written about the topic. For example the Bebop Mixolydian scale is introduced in a couple of pages and Steve Neff has written a book entitled “Mastering the Dominant Bebop Scale” that is 191 pages. David Baker has written an entire book series on “How To Play Bebop”. You may be thinking that I am slamming the author for his short treatment of many topics but I’m not. I really like how the author introduces the improvisor in a condensed form to so many fascinating and practical ways to approach improv.  Once you are exposed to the concepts and the good examples you can then dig deeper using some of the other jazz resources I have written about and or to use the backing tracks on this site.

I recommend that you purchase this book.

For Tenor Sax

For Alto Sax

For Guitar

For Trumpet

For Keyboard

Review of “Triad Pairs for Jazz” By Gary Campbell

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According to the author Gary Campbell “The focus of this book is on mastering the manipulation of triad pairs while presenting a general guide to determining chord applications”.

Before I read this book I read Walt Wieskopfs Intervalic Improvisation book. I’m glad I read Intervalic Improvisation first because the explanation of how triad pairs are derived and applied seemed to be more detailed. The author recommends his book “Connecting Jazz Theory” for an in-depth study of applications.

This book has a wealth of exercises using three and four note triad pairs. The exercises are designed to show how the triad pairs can be mixed up to provide additional interest and variety. The author has sections in the book that provide examples of how triad pairs can be linked together. Also included is the use of “Approach Tone Variations” ( e.g. using the lower neighbor tones), Triad pair mutation ( e.g. two notes from one triad and four notes from another triad ). The book ends with several example solos that are based upon using triad pairs.

If you are interested in studying triad pars in jazz improvisation – this book is for you.

You can purchase the book from the following:

You can purchase the Connecting Jazz Theory book from the following:

You can purchase Expansions from the following:

Saxophone in Christian Music?

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Is there a place in modern Praise & Worship church bands for a saxophone?

My saxophone experience in a church begins at an independent fundamental Baptist church in about 1976. I played the Gaither song “There’s Something About That Name” with a piano accompaniment. After the service a well intentioned church member stopped me and said “I was going straight to hell” for playing the instrument of the devil in the Lord’s house”. I was devastated at the time by this comment.

The Bible teaches us that we are supposed to use the gifts and talents that we have been given to glorify the Lord. As recently as the past couple of years we have searched for a new church home where I could use my God given talent on the saxophone. I was amazed to find out that their is still some predujice against the saxophone in a church praise band. I was basically told by one music minister that the band could only accept guitars,drums and keyboard. I was told by another music minister that I would have to join the church and attend a small group for six months and then “maybe” I could be a part of the praise band.

How often do we hear the saxophone on Christian radio? For that matter how often do we hear the saxophone in current pop music? The point is that we don’t hear it very often. Since music ministers don’t hear it on the radio, the lessor experienced music ministers don’t have the wisdom or experience to realize that the saxophone could be a valuable addition to the team.

Some people say that the saxophone expressive capabilities come closer than any other instrument in emulating the human voice. I happen to agree with this statement.

What role should the saxophone have in a praise band? I have seen and been part of a horn section that played various horn stabs in songs. I am currently using the saxophone in a manner similar to a lead guitar. Sometimes I am playing a solo. Most of the time I am “putting mud in the cracks”. By this I mean that I am using my jazz training to add filler notes in spaces where the vocalist is not singing or I am adding harmony notes to what the vocalists are singing.  I am playing as the Holy Spirit is leading.

Three of my favorite saxophonists who were or are also Christians are John Coltrane, Kirk Whalum and Greg Vail. Check out the following videos:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnmHg-5WuQQ

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ctutoe4-MM

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Fy-sCuvyns

Are you a sax player in your church’s band? If yes, how is the saxophone used? What thoughts do you have on the use of the saxophone in a praise band?