Lesson for sax players who are working on advancing their improvisation. You can try playing this lick in the keys written out here, but knowing the major scales will help you figure out the rest.
Known as ‘the lick’ because it’s so commonly played. It’s been played by many musicians. You’ll probably recognize it. I transposed it into a few keys. In the key of A minor, it has no sharps or flats (A natural minor or the Aeolian mode).
I have written it out in four keys, try and play it another key on your own. All all the keys if you want*.
*Note: If you do want to learn vocabulary like this in all the keys, it is essential (extremely highly recommended) that you know all of the major scales first. Otherwise everything you learn in an unfamiliar key will be much harder than it would be if you knew the scale in that key first.
Every time it uses the Aeolian mode. The mode of the major scale starting on the sixth note. So the keys, are relative to C major, Db Major, D Major, and Eb Major.
They are presented going up chromatically, so you could try C# as the starting note next. Or you could try D first if that seems more approachable.
Check out this video to see where ‘the lick’ has been played.
Rosemary says
Neal
Thank you for sharing it was amazing to hear it from so many different instruments.
Rosemary
Neal says
The keys, are relative to C major, Db Major, D Major, and Eb Major.
No flats or sharps for C major.
Db major has five flats.
D major has two sharps.
Eb major has three flats.
You could learn the lick in any order you want to. Including the circle of fourths.
The circle of fourths would be
C F Bb Eb Ab Db F# B E A D G
For the lick you could use those key signatures, but you start on the sixth note of the scale.
A D G C F Bb Eb Ab Db F# B E
Bengt says
Thank you, Neal! Ihave been working on the major scales for a week now. When I start on the right tone, I can play them slowly by ear. The lick is a bit more difficult.
I wish you, and all Tribalissts, a Happy Endimg of 2013 and a fruitful 2014. My music suggestion: Satin Doll!
jeff says
that lick is played differently by players,
nice.
Charles B says
Great stuff. Really enlightening to me. I need to see that kind of information because I don’t have any natural inclination toward playing licks. I have difficulty conceptualizing arrangement of the notes.
Neal says
Glad you liked this one.
How I think about licks is part of the vocabulary shared by the musicians across the world. Music is passed along between us, things change sometimes.
You pick up phrases that you like and add them to what you can play. Others may hear you and take things too.
It’s not up to you to develop a completely unique set of licks. Take things you like and modify them. They may inspire you to change them into things that are pretty different.
Even if you use things directly, you develop your own ‘tool kit’ with vocabulary you like which will become unique. And you use your tone and place them into the music in your own way.
Alan says
Hi Neal
I really like it, especially liccks played as the back ground when the chords change. Thank you
Neal says
Hey Alan,
Glad you like it. Are you familiar with what a ii V I progression is?