Improvisation
One of the most exciting aspects of Rock saxophone playing is improvisation. Improvisation means creating your own melodies as you play. Learning to improvise well takes some time, but once you know how to play in any key and have reasonable control of eighth note rhythms, you have all the tools you need to start developing your improvising ability. A good way to work on improvisation is to use a repetition and variation approach, as shown in the following examples. The first one shows a simple lick created from the G Blues scale.
The easiest way to develop an idea is to repeat it and vary it slightly on each repetition. In example 57, the basic lick is extended out into a four bar phrase by using this approach.
Another way to develop an idea is to use a call and response or question and answer approach. This time the basic idea is answered by a different idea before the first idea is repeated. This approach works well when you are playing with a vocalist or another instrumentalist.
One more way of developing a basic idea is to keep the same rhythm but vary the pitches. This approach works well when moving between different chords, as demonstrated in the following example.
The following solo uses elements of all the approaches demonstrated in this lesson. Make a habit of taking a basic musical idea and developing it in various ways. This way your improvisation will develop continuously until eventually you can do it without even thinking about it.
