In my years of teaching, I have created a number of handouts that I use with my students, both at Furman, and when I have occasions to work with younger students in clinic and adjudication settings. I thought I'd just make them available here as well. I hope you find them helpful.
Clinic Presentation Handouts
1. 2019 South Carolina Music Educators Association Professional Development Conference: Beyond the Blues Scale. Download as pdf
2. 2018 North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference: I Am My Own Rhythm Section: Approaching the Unaccompanied Solo. Download as pdf
3. 2017 Jazz Education Network Conference: I Am My Own Rhythm Section: Approaching the Unaccompanied Solo. Download as pdf
4. 2009 The Midwest Clinic: Playing "Both Sides" of the Saxophone. Download as pdf
Saxophone Handouts
1. Equipment - Download as pdf
Several years ago, I reached out to a number of my saxophonist colleagues and asked them to tell me what equipment they use, and what equipment they recommend for their students. This document is a combination of my recommendations and the findings of that survey.
2. Articulation Exercises - Download as pdf
This handout is more or less a set of three articulation exercises that I use that I borrow from Debra Richtmeyer at the University of Illinois. They deal with single-note tongue accuracy and tongue-finger coordination.
3. Saxophone Altissimo - Download as pdf
Some exercises and fingerings for the altissimo register of the saxophone
Jazz Handouts
1. Chord Symbols - Download as pdf
This is simply a basic overview of one approach to deciphering chord symbols.
2. Chord Exercise - Download as pdf
This is a chord exercise that helps students learn their Major 7th, Dominant 7th, and Minor 7th chords up to the 9th. It's an exercise that I borrow from my friend Will Campbell.
3. Modes - Download as pdf
This is a basic overview of the modes or "church modes" that we use so frequently in jazz.
4. Swing 8th Notes - Download as pdf
This handout is a look at how we swing 8th notes in jazz and how many of us start by teaching 8th note articulation. There are countless exceptions to what I show in this handout, but this is a starting point for students to eventually find their own personal approach to articulation.
5. Bebop Scale - Download as pdf
I made this handout for a class I was teaching. I honestly got tired of writing out some of this over and over and put it into a handout.
6. Non-Harmonic Tones - Download as pdf
This handout deals with jazz musicians' use of non-harmonic tones, which are also known by lots of other names -- enclosure, neighboring tones, approach and target tones.
7. Pentatonic Scales - Download as pdf
This handout deals with the use of pentatonic scales.
8. Harmonic Minor in Jazz - Download as pdf
This handout deals with the use of the harmonic minor scale in jazz, especially how it helps us to resolve V to I (or i).
9. Diminished Scale Basics - Download as pdf
This handout explains the diminished scale and its use and provides some exercises for learning it.
10. Altered Dominants - Download as pdf
This handout deals with a variety of ways to alter dominant 7th chords in jazz, particularly from a polytonal perspective.
Clinic Presentation Handouts
1. 2019 South Carolina Music Educators Association Professional Development Conference: Beyond the Blues Scale. Download as pdf
2. 2018 North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference: I Am My Own Rhythm Section: Approaching the Unaccompanied Solo. Download as pdf
3. 2017 Jazz Education Network Conference: I Am My Own Rhythm Section: Approaching the Unaccompanied Solo. Download as pdf
4. 2009 The Midwest Clinic: Playing "Both Sides" of the Saxophone. Download as pdf
Saxophone Handouts
1. Equipment - Download as pdf
Several years ago, I reached out to a number of my saxophonist colleagues and asked them to tell me what equipment they use, and what equipment they recommend for their students. This document is a combination of my recommendations and the findings of that survey.
2. Articulation Exercises - Download as pdf
This handout is more or less a set of three articulation exercises that I use that I borrow from Debra Richtmeyer at the University of Illinois. They deal with single-note tongue accuracy and tongue-finger coordination.
3. Saxophone Altissimo - Download as pdf
Some exercises and fingerings for the altissimo register of the saxophone
Jazz Handouts
1. Chord Symbols - Download as pdf
This is simply a basic overview of one approach to deciphering chord symbols.
2. Chord Exercise - Download as pdf
This is a chord exercise that helps students learn their Major 7th, Dominant 7th, and Minor 7th chords up to the 9th. It's an exercise that I borrow from my friend Will Campbell.
3. Modes - Download as pdf
This is a basic overview of the modes or "church modes" that we use so frequently in jazz.
4. Swing 8th Notes - Download as pdf
This handout is a look at how we swing 8th notes in jazz and how many of us start by teaching 8th note articulation. There are countless exceptions to what I show in this handout, but this is a starting point for students to eventually find their own personal approach to articulation.
5. Bebop Scale - Download as pdf
I made this handout for a class I was teaching. I honestly got tired of writing out some of this over and over and put it into a handout.
6. Non-Harmonic Tones - Download as pdf
This handout deals with jazz musicians' use of non-harmonic tones, which are also known by lots of other names -- enclosure, neighboring tones, approach and target tones.
7. Pentatonic Scales - Download as pdf
This handout deals with the use of pentatonic scales.
8. Harmonic Minor in Jazz - Download as pdf
This handout deals with the use of the harmonic minor scale in jazz, especially how it helps us to resolve V to I (or i).
9. Diminished Scale Basics - Download as pdf
This handout explains the diminished scale and its use and provides some exercises for learning it.
10. Altered Dominants - Download as pdf
This handout deals with a variety of ways to alter dominant 7th chords in jazz, particularly from a polytonal perspective.