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Step 1
Begin by learning the basics of the saxophone. Locate a suitable teacher or music program to help you begin playing the saxophone and learning basic technique to gain a solid musical foundation.
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Step 2
Obtain adequate training in music theory. Learn all of the major and minor scales as the backbone to your musical instruction and practice these scales on a daily basis.
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Step 3
Memorize all of the major and minor scales before attempting to play any of the jazz scales. Understand that a typical scale consist of 8 notes ranging from octave to octave, for example a C major scale will consist of C, D, E, F, G, A and C.
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Step 4
Take a major or minor scale and play dominant or minor chords over the basic scale tones to create a jazz scale, for example on a G major scale, that normally consist of G, A, B, C, D, E, F#, G. Now play a dominant G7 scale, G, A, B, C, D, E, F, F#, G, which adds the lowered or diminished 7th scale tone, making it a dominant G7 scale.
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Step 5
Learn the jazz scales by their traditional names which are often called, Dorian and Lydian scales. Refer to this method on all 12 major and minor scales to learn basic jazz scales.
