Download the PDF of “Range Smoothing #1“ This “Range Smoothing” Routine is designed to help you build and solidify your range, while maintaining a connected approach to all registers of the instrument. To begin with, aim to sustain each fermata for 10 seconds. This is an expanding series. However, while you should practice all the…

Download the PDF of “Alternative Technical Study #10“ For this Exercise of the Week, Bryan Davis presents another Alternative Technical Study. This one is a melodic pattern adapted to the major, minor, wholetone and diminished scales. There are 2 versions – one pairing the major and diminished patterns, and another pairing the wholetone and minor…

Download the PDF of “Twisted Flexibilities #4“ This Exercise of the Week is by request, from an Instagram and Facebook post, over the weekend. Viewer Dave P., asked for an exercise to work on larger interval accuracy in fast passages. These are often tricky because you are moving into a different partial of the range,…

For this Exercise of the Week, Bryan Davis presents the first of a set of exercises known as Inversion Therapy. Not as complicated as it sounds, it’s a simple developed scale pattern on the harmonic minor which descends first then ascends in the second half, which is the reverse of how we commonly practice scales….

For this Exercise of the Week, Bryan Davis presents another set of Twisted Flexibilities. These can be used to add variety to your daily practice, and reduce the monotony of practicing the same things over and over again. This set are all in 5/8, so you can familiarize yourself with that meter too. Download the…

For this Exercise of the Week, Bryan Davis presents another Alternative Technical Study. This one is an upside-down diminished scale pattern with increasing intervals. It should be practiced in all 12 keys as notated, then repeated playing as many keys as possible 1 octave higher. Download the PDF of “Alternative Technical Study #9“ We want…

For this Exercise of the Week, Bryan Davis presents a new Chord Tone Etude based on the harmonic progression of a well-known jazz standard – “There Will Never Be Another You.” The note choices are limited to chord tones specifically indicated by the chord symbols, which are included. When learning new tunes, it can be…

Download the PDF of “Clarke #2 – Blues Scale Version“ Recent videos have focused on the Blues Scale and Clarke #2. For this Exercise of the Week, Bryan Davis combines them, presenting an adapted version of the Clarke #2 pattern following the blues scale. It makes for some interesting corners to play your way through….

Download the PDF of “Blues Scale Workout“ By request, from YouTube commenter @Bernduf, this week’s Exercise of the Week is a basic Blues Scale workout. Often regarded as a starter scale for those of us exploring jazz improvisation for the first time, it’s actually incredibly useful for improvisors of all levels – it can sound…

Download the PDF of “Alternative Technical Study #8“ This exercise is another one drawn from something I was practicing for an upcoming tour, which I’ll actually be on when this is published! It really tied my fingers in knots, so I figure you’d like to try it too. Some keys are trickier than others. Have fun shedding…