If you are looking for saxophone lessons online, you should definitely check out what James Morton has on offer. His lessons here at Pro Music Tutor will teach you a lot about how to improvise with the saxophone and the best techniques to take your playing to the next level.

James has been playing the saxophone for over 20 years, so you are learning from someone who has honed his craft. James is part of a number of music projects.Outside his solo stuff, he is a core member of the British group Herbaliser. 

But let’s look at the saxophone lessons you can experience with James Morton. 

Funk Improvisation Series 1 

The first Funk Improvisation series is where you should start your journey, especially if you don’t have a lot of previous experience playing the saxophone. 

The series combines six lessons, which teach you the basics and deepen your skills further. Here’s a rundown of the big concepts you’ll learn during the six lessons: 

·         Lesson 1: you’ll learn the pentatonic and blues scales, as well as other basic things to focus on while playing the saxophone.

·         Lesson 2: you’ll learn about some of the key licks you need for improvising with the saxophone.

·         Lesson 3: you’ll go through the ‘3 note groupings’, which help you develop your improvisation skill, and challenges you to understand which notes work together and which don’t.

·         Lesson 4: you’ll learn the natural sixth, used to add depth to your playing.

·         Lesson 5: you’ll be introduced to fake fingering, quartertone notes and other additional techniques to enhance your skills.

·         Lesson 6: you’ll go through all the things from the previous lessons and get some final tips from James. 

Funk Improvisation Series 2 

If you’ve been playing for a while and if you recently did the Series 1, you should move on to the Funk Improvisation Series 2. It’ll enhance the skills you were taught in the first session and take your improvisation up a notch. 

Like the first series, you’ll be able to take six individual lessons. Here’s the rundown of the lessons: 

·         Lesson 1:you’ll learn about a saxophone technique called ‘call and response’ and how to use it in your improvisation. James will also introduce you to some of the legends of saxophone music.

·         Lesson 2: you’ll take a closer look at the major pentatonic scale in A and D and venture deeper into the technical aspects of playing the saxophone.

·         Lesson 3: you’ll start combining the major and minor pentatonic scales, which will help you add more mood and depth to your playing.

·         Lesson 4: you’ll learn about the arpeggio techniques and how to use triads while you play.

·         Lesson 5: you’ll learn about the technical concept of improvisation and creating music from nothing. Perfect for better understanding and developing your unique sound.

·         Lesson 6: you’ll summarise the things from the previous lessons and you can see how James improvises to the special backing track. 

Extra Snippets 

Both of the series will come with a special backing track you can use on your improvisation sessions. The tracks can help you understand timing better and get you more used to playing with others. 

You should also check out the special episode called ‘Tone and Gear’. It’ll talk about the set up James uses with his saxophone and you can get some valuable tips on saxophone accessories and settings.