i play the alto sax and is beginning to improvise. i just can`t make my improvisation `swing` any tips?

jazz phrasing! for example, if you were to try G7 scale up and down, (g-g with an f natural) try to get a doo-va-doo-va-doo type pattern going. Tongue the first G, then A and slur to the B, tongue the C, slur to the D tongue the E and so on... once you`ve practiced it a few times it eventually becomes clearer. Hope this helps!

Try this scale:

C D Eb E G A C A G E Eb D C

Try to get into what ur playin` more... and maybe try some of these songs:
1. The Chicken (awesome)
2. Blue Bossa (great)
3. Moanin` (king of awesome)

Well To Make It Swing, Don`t Tounge the Notes Slur 2 or 3 notes in for example a scale

In my Last Year of Junior High We Did a Song Called Blue Bossa. I Must admit. Well I Played the Alto Sax 1 Part. It was like i was on a beach playing it. A Wonderful Song. If You Choose any Song, Choose That one. If you want another song that sorta Jazzy try El Gato Gorto Its Got Lots of Power!

hmm... improvisation. well, first, let me say i`m alright at it, someitmes I get real good rifts, but sometimes they suck. thats normal, because I`m fairly new to the whole thing. Fortuantly though, I have a brother who is profiecient at bass and guitar, and we`ll just pick a scale and jam. Thats it really, you got to experiment, find out what sounds good and bad. Now, granted you need to know some theory, but it`s in the feel. well, theres my two cents, but im nothing like charlie parker and he knew his theory and I don`t know that much YET

as far as tunes are concerned, i would start out with a blues if you are a begininning improviser. the only tune mentioned so far that`s a straight ahead blues is the chicken, but its a funk tune.

learning tunes however, will not help you become a better improviser. Listening to recordings and learning your scales, chords, etc. will.

my suggestion would be to take a recording of a jazz musician you like and try to transcribe one of his solos- figure out what notes and rhythms he`s playing- then play along with the recording. I`d choose a medium blues if I were you. This will improve you jazz vocabulary, eight note feel, etc. Plus, the blues progression is one of the most widely used in jazz.

PS, DO NOT transcribe Kenny G if you want to learn jazz or improvisation.

Try listening more to your favorite jazz albums, and even play along as best you can.

Be sure to articulate evry second note, so as to accent your swinging. Tongue every offbeat when you play your scales and arpeggios too.

For more great jazz sax advice, check out my blog at...
http://jazzauthority.blogspot.com

Cameron

i think you will swing your improvisations if you start playing songs like rock of the clock or another swing rock by elvis or another rocker.
it`s nearly impossible that you improvise over songs like this and you don`t swing
if you don`t worry about your improvisation it will be better! you just play from your heart no from your head and it will be easy with a great sound
another thing if you try to improvise over songs that you like it will be easy and funnier it doesn`tmatter the style or the swing the important ies that you play what you like (maybe heavy metal? why not!)
i hope you will swing and iprovise really good soon!

You might consider getting Jamie Abersold`s Volume 1 - How to Play Jazz and Improvise. It comes with a demo/play along CD. Well worth the $16 or so investment.