Play Dorian Triads on Saxophone

Learning to play dorian triads on Saxophone will improve your musical understanding as well as your technique. These are a few of my personal favorite practice patterns that I teach my saxophone students when they start to get into improvisation on Saxophone.

Exercise 1: Ascending and Descending Triads

You want to practice ascending and descending Triads on your saxophone to get familiar with both the sound of the Dorian Mode as well as the fingerings.

Here's a detailed explanation of the exercise for your saxophone:

1. Starting with C Dorian Triad:
   • Begin with the root position of the C Dorian triad which consists of the notes C, E♭, and G.
   • Play these notes in ascending order: C – E♭ – G
   • Then play them in descending order: G – E♭ – C
2. Moving to D Dorian Triad:
   • Now shift to the next note in the C Dorian scale, which is D, and form a new triad based on the Dorian mode, which consists of the notes D, F, and A.
   • Play these notes in ascending order: D – F – A
   • Then play them in descending order: A – F – D
3. Continuing the Pattern:
   • Continue this pattern of moving to the next note in the C Dorian scale, forming a new triad, and playing it in ascending and then descending order.
   • For example, the next step would be to move to E♭ and play the triad E♭ – G – B♭ in ascending and then descending order.
4. Progressing Through the Scale:
   • Progress through each note of the C Dorian scale (C, D, E♭, F, G, A, B♭) as the root of a new Dorian triad.
   • For each new root note, identify the corresponding third and fifth notes to complete the triad, based on the Dorian mode intervals.
5. Returning to C:
   • Once you reach the B♭ triad and complete the ascending and descending pattern, return to the C Dorian triad and play it once more to complete the exercise on your saxophone.
6. Repetition for Mastery:
   • I recommend that you make this exercise part of your parctice routine over the coming weeks, so that you really learn all the ins and outs of the Dorian Triads on Saxophone.
   • This example is for C dorian mode. When you are comfortable with this apply the same formula to all 12 Dorian modes and Triads.
   • I always recommend that you start slowly to be sure that you are accurate with your fingerings and intonation. You can then gradually increase the tempo as you get more familiar with the triad combinations.

Exercise 2: Triad Inversions

With the Triad Inversions, the main focus is on playing the C Dorian triad in its different inversions on your saxophone. This will make for some interesting and challenging fingering combinations which is great for developing your technique.

An Inversion mean that this is a variation of a triad where the notes are reordered so that a different note is in the lowest position (the bass note).

Here’s a detailed explanation of the steps in this exercise:

1. Root Position:
   • Start with the root position of the C Dorian triad. In this position, the root note (C) is the lowest note, followed by the third (E♭), and then the fifth (G).
   • Play this triad ascending: C – E♭ – G.
2. First Inversion:
   • Now, shift to the first inversion of the C Dorian triad. In the first inversion, the third note (E♭) is now the lowest note, followed by the fifth (G), and then the root (C).
   • Play this inversion ascending: E♭ – G – C.
3. Second Inversion:
   • Next, move to the second inversion of the C Dorian triad. In the second inversion, the fifth note (G) is now the lowest note, followed by the root (C), and then the third (E♭).
   • Play this inversion ascending: G – C – E♭.
4. Descending Through Inversions:
   • Now, reverse the order and play the inversions in a descending manner.
   • Start with the second inversion and play it descending: E♭ – C – G.
   • Shift to the first inversion and play it descending: C – G – E♭.
   • Finally, return to the root position and play it descending: G – E♭ – C.

As with the first exercise I recommend that you start of slowly to maintain control over your tone and technique.

In order to be able to play fast you need to practice slowly on your sax. I know it can sound counterintuitive but that's the way you build precision and control over your saxophone.

Exercise 3: Triad Arpeggios with Octave Jumps

Triad Arpeggios with Octave Jumps on your sax will help you focus on playing triads as arpeggios with an octave leap between each note. This exercise can be a great way to improve your finger dexterity, octave leaps, and overall familiarity with the Dorian mode.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of the exercise:

1. Root Position:
   • Begin with the root position of the C Dorian triad which consists of the notes C, E♭, and G.
   • Instead of playing these notes sequentially, you will introduce an octave jump for each note.
2. Ascending Arpeggio with Octave Jumps:
   • Start on C, then play C an octave higher.
   • Move to E♭, then play E♭ an octave higher.
   • Move to G, then play G an octave higher.
   • So, the sequence goes: C – C (octave higher) – E♭ – E♭ (octave higher) – G – G (octave higher).
3. Descending Arpeggio with Octave Jumps:
   • Now, reverse the sequence.
   • Start on G, then play G an octave lower.
   • Move to E♭, then play E♭ an octave lower.
   • Move to C, then play C an octave lower.
   • So, the sequence goes: G – G (octave lower) – E♭ – E♭ (octave lower) – C – C (octave lower).
4. Transition to D Dorian Triad:
   • Now, shift to the D Dorian triad which consists of the notes D, F, and A.
   • Repeat the same pattern of octave jumps as before, ascending and then descending.
   • Ascending: D – D (octave higher) – F – F (octave higher) – A – A (octave higher).
   • Descending: A – A (octave lower) – F – F (octave lower) – D – D (octave lower).
5. Continuation Through the Scale:
   • Continue this pattern on your saxophone, moving to each subsequent note of the C Dorian scale to form new triads based on the Dorian mode.
   • For each new triad, play the arpeggio with octave jumps in both ascending and descending order.
   • Work your way through each triad within the C Dorian scale, then descend back to C.

Make sure to play all these variations with the correct saxophone embouchure and air support. I also recommend that you make these Dorian triad variations a part of your warmup routine, so that you solidify the fingerings and music theory as part of learning all saxophone scales.