Sax Lesson 031 Tenor Man’s Ghost Note : I Hear A Rhapsody by Coltrane

Advice for intermediate saxophonists by a New York-based jazz saxophonist, Wataru Uchida.
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Summary Of Video

This video explains how to use ghost note in actually ad-lib solo. The ghost note technique that mute the reed by tongue is explained in Wataru’s sax lesson video No. 008. This time, it is John Coltrane’s early recording, ‘I hear a Rhapsody’ on the album, Lush life.
There are many alto sax players who are good at this technique.To talk about tenor players’ ghost note,
there are two kinds. Firstly, there are tenor men who use the ghost note mostly to emphasize the top notes of solo lines.
Secondly, those who combine ghost note with bending technique to make phrases funky.

There are some systems of John Coltrane’s articulation.
1. Ascending 8th note scales in the range above middle F are often played with tonguing on all the notes. Descending 8th note scales are often played with tonguing only on up beat.
2. Repetitive pattern of descending arpeggios are played with ghost notes on the bottom to emphasize top notes
3. Fast ascending arpeggios, which are mostly 16th notes, are played with ghost note to emphasize the top notes.
4. Succeeding ghost note application of Bebop, he reduced zigzags by multiple chromatic approach notes of Bebop.
5. Scoop is not used too often, and mostly replaced with grace note fingerings so that his solo is clean and less funky.

Video has demonstration and analysis of Coltrane’s solo transcription by Wataru.